She gave him a blank stare.
“I’d like you to sing for our guests.”
She shook her head. “I’d rather not.”
“You love to perform. So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t feel secure singing without accompaniment.”
“Of course you’ll have backup music. For one thing, there’s already a grand piano at our place on the Isle of Ease and - -”
“There is?” she interrupted.
“How could I plan a vacation house without a piano for you to play on? But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to sing and play at the same time for the guests. I can engage musicians. How about the band you used to belong to? We’ll hire them if they’re available.”
She grimaced and said, “They’re angry at me for having quit, leaving them without a lead singer. They’re a proud bunch; I doubt they’d come.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll find you other backup musicians. Meanwhile, you can all practice here in your music room.”
He did not give her a chance for objections and said, “That’s settled then. Leave it all to me.”
Later, deep into the night, while Kurt was snoring next to her, Barbie lay awake. She wondered, are all millionaires like that? She had not been permitted to make a single decision of her own, ever since their wedding day. On closer reflection, the controlling had started even before, without her having been aware of it. Well, she determined, I’ll get back at him in my own way. Tomorrow, I’ll call for the chauffeur and have him drop me off at Rodeo Drive for some serious shopping.
CHAPTER 6
Domenica Cortes had been Kurt Nobel’s live-in housekeeper at his Beverly Hills estate for many years, ever since the divorce from his first wife. She was a widow with two grown daughters, one living in nearby Culver City with husband and elementary school age kids, the other in Guadalajara, Mexico, with a no-good-husband and two teenagers.
At the moment, Domenica was laundering the master bedroom sheets. Fortunately, the task did not require her full attention, as her mind was stuck on the conversation she’d had that morning with Señor Nobel. He had asked her to be in charge of the household on his little island while he entertained guests there. She had come up with all sorts of excuses why she could not go there in April, and he had managed to overturn them all.
Assuming that she worried the job was too much work for one person, he had assured her that he didn’t expect her to take care of the domestic needs of him, his new wife, and a dozen guests all on her own. He would leave it up to her to hire more help as she thought fit. Señor Nobel had it all wrong, none of that had entered her mind. She was too embarrassed to let him know that the reason she was reluctant to do the job was her fear of flying. In all of her sixty years, she had avoided traveling by air, and hoped to keep it that way. Her motto was, if God intended us to fly, we would have wings.
While switching sheets from washer to dryer, Domenica thought, so why did I end up agreeing to his offer? Money, of course. Señor Nobel will pay me double the salary for that week in April and an extra-large bonus, for what he called “my trouble.” True, her employer was, and always had been, generous. Since having few expenses - - being a live-in, her board and food was taken care of - - she was able to put a large part of her earnings in the bank. In another two years, she should have enough saved to retire and buy a nice house in a good neighborhood of Guadalajara. Her plan was to share that house with her older daughter, who could then afford to get rid of that savage husband of hers.
Domenica tried not to dwell on the scary five-hour flight that awaited her. Instead, she concentrated on the practical side of the undertaking. She recalled the end of her talk with Señor Nobel. He had said, “It is your decision who and how many helpers you want to take along. I trust your judgement. The only requirement is that they are legally documented in the US. I will pay them more than the going rate for domestics, and of course take care of their travel expenses. I haven’t yet talked to Hermina Tovar, our cook, but see no reason why she’d refuse to come on board.” To that, she had answered, “With Hermina in charge of the kitchen, I’ll only need one person to help me. Between the two of us, we can cope with a dozen people.” Then Señor Nobel had asked if she had someone in mind, which she did. And now she needed to ask that person and then report back to him.
Domenica’s choice was her friend Rosa, a homemaker who would welcome earning some extra money. She was sure her friend was going to jump at the chance but uncertain whether her husband, Carlos, would let her go. He was old-fashioned regarding his wife. If Rosa couldn’t come, she had at least three other people in mind who would be more than happy to fill the spot.
My daughters won’t believe me when I’ll tell them that I’m flying to Honolulu, Hawaii, she thought. In fact, she had a hard time believing it herself.
CHAPTER 7
Kurt, Barbie, and their domestic employees were on the way to the island a day ahead of time to get the place ready. On Friday, April 7, they boarded an early-morning flight from LAX to Honolulu, Hawaii. Except for a few executives, the newlyweds and the musicians hired for Barbie’s performance had the business class cabin to themselves. Kurt had booked a couple of extra seats to accommodate the band’s instruments.
Soon after takeoff, Kurt reached for Barbie’s hand and said, “You’ll love the Isle of Ease! This coming week is dedicated to celebrating with our friends, but afterwards, we can vacation on it anytime we please.”
She nodded, but was doubtful whether she would have the time of her life there. From what she’d gathered, the place was cut off from civilization, not exactly a happening spot.
She asked, “How big is it, again?”
“The isle is less than 0.4 square miles. It doesn’t even take an hour to walk its perimeter.”
“And there are no other people on it?”
“Our estate is at the southern shore with no one nearby. On the north shore, I’ve rented out a few vacation cabins, and an old Polynesian hermit lives on that part of the island. He wasn’t happy when I built the hotel. I have no idea how he feels about the private residence. There is also a general store up there, but it’s not always in operation.”
“So how does the hermit get his supplies when the store is closed?”
“As far as I know, a boat with provisions, such as food and other necessities, anchors periodically at the north shore. Maybe monthly, or once every two weeks. I’m not sure.” He smiled at her and said, “You won’t come in contact with the man, so don’t worry about him.”
Back in economy class, Domenica kept her eyes closed in silent prayer. At take-off, when the jet engine had made the most horrible racket and she had been pushed deep into her seat during the steep ascent, it had taken all her self-control not to scream out loud in panic. Instead, she had held on tight to Hermina to her left and Rosa on her right. Her grip had been hard and would likely leave blue marks on both their arms.
Now, with the seatbelt sign off and the plane cruising steadily above the clouds, Domenica made the sign of the cross, thanking God to have survived so far. And when the flight attendant offered her a snack, she gratefully accepted it, realizing that she was starved.
