Room with a View

Chapter 24 - Finding the Money

Miller held the sandwich wrap away from his body and let the juice drip into the sand. He hunted around for a shady spot and settled for a patch beside an upturned boat under a palm tree next to the shop. The food was good but messy and he held it away while he took a swig from his bottle of cerveza.

The beach was busy with a number of couples and a few families; sailboards were the day's popular rental and he watched the trials of a man in his late fifties, bundled in a bright orange life vest try and impress a blanket of young, giggling girls as he floundered through the sea, hanging desperately to the sailboard rope.

An instructor, who looked like an Olympian, scooted out and helped the man to his board, suggesting he paddle back to shore and try something more suitable. The girls all clapped wildly and the man grinned, giving a small wave, unaware that the instructor was showing them his impressive biceps behind him.

He finished the last mouthful and wiped his hands and face on a large napkin and reached for his drink. The figure plodding along the edge of the sand caught his eye and he recognized Astrid, the maid. Miller was surprised, he thought she was in custody and he picked up his bottle and slipped around behind the boat and the palm, watching her with interest.

Astrid looked behind her and all around as she made directly for the Dive Shop. She stopped for a minute to fiddle with her long skirt but Miller could see she was still checking the area then she crossed the sand and headed straight for him. He panicked for a second, frantically looking about for a place to hide and finally dropped down and crawled under the overturned boat.

The smell of dead fish and seawater made him gag and he cursed silently as the last of his beer spilled and formed a puddle under his elbow. He held his breath and listened as he heard shuffling in the sand at the front of the boat and when he looked that way in the gloom, he saw the plastic bag.

"Hey, Astrid!" A voice called and startled Miller. He listened as somebody came closer and started talking to the maid.

"Buenos tardes, William."

"What's up, I thought you were under arrest?"

"It was all a mistake." She sounded nervous and annoyed.

"So what's happening with Charles then?"

"I have no idea, I'm washing my hands of the entire mess."

It sounded to Miller like she was anxious to get rid of her friend and he stared at the plastic bag with a dawning realization of why.

"So what are you doing down here, you going for lunch?"

"No! I mean no lunch . . . I'm just getting some air before I start my shift. I'd like to be alone to sort out my mind, William."

"Oh hey, excuse me." Miller heard the thud of footsteps heading away and he wondered how he was going to handle being under the boat when she retrieved the bag.

********

Billy lay on her bed, her pillow damp from an unsuspected stream of tears. She thought of Miller and his goofy, boyish ways and how she enjoyed his spurts of humour and frustration. Teasing him was fun and easy because he always took it in stride even when he sounded mad or upset. Being with him felt different . . . it felt good. She hauled herself off of the bed and went to the bathroom, wiping her face and giving her tangled hair a quick brush.

Nobody had ever said they loved her before, at least not with the same conviction he had and she was afraid to admit that secretly she felt the same way. Her profession aside, Billy had exposed herself to a man who wanted to be with her and not just to impress others, in fact not to impress anyone but her.