men in the seats immediately behind Domenica and Rosa introduced themselves - - not bothering with last names - - after realizing they were both part of the Nobel household.
“I’m Chris, the pool maintenance guy,” the young, sun-bleached towhead said, “and I’ve seen you around the Beverly Hills Estate. You’re the gardener, right?”
The middle-aged Latino said, “My name is Emilio and I think for the next week I’ll be more like the maintenance person. There isn’t much gardening to be done. For instance, I have to install strings of lights and set up tables and chairs in preparation for the outdoor party tomorrow night. And for the rest of the week, I need to make sure the grounds surrounding the vacation house are in tip-top shape. Should be a piece of cake. Mr. Nobel assured me that all equipment needed is still there from when the place was a hotel.” He chuckled and added, “I’m also gonna be the official porter, helping people with their luggage.”
“I was told to give you a hand when needed, as taking care of the pool won’t keep me busy for long.”
“Good to know.”
Chris asked, “What is the name of the boat we are to board out of Honolulu?”
“I don’t remember. The boss flies on the same plane. Knowing him, he’ll have an escort show us the way to the harbor and his yacht if he can’t do it himself.”
“Have you been to the Hawaiian islands before?”
Emilio replied, “My wife bought a church raffle ticket and won a trip for two to Maui a few years ago. We loved the place. I haven’t been on Oahu or any of the other islands.”
“I’ve never visited there at all. Come to think of it, I’ve never even been farther south than the Baja California Peninsula.” Seconds later he wanted to know, “Do you suppose we’ll have time to visit Pearl Harbor?”
“No way, young man! We’re not tourists but the working crew. Remember?”
That established, they donned their headsets, and Emilio watched a movie while Chris played video games.
CHAPTER 8
Kurt had it all arranged like clockwork. Bedding, linens, and other nonperishable supplies had been transported to the island previously. On that Friday, a day ahead of the guests, they lunched on sandwiches on his yacht before he moored it at the Isle of Ease’s landing. He told Barbie to wait while he escorted the domestics and musicians to their accommodations in a separate structure behind the main house, which had served as the hotel employees’ quarters.
When he came back with the gardener, who would help with their luggage, he found Barbie at shore’s edge, looking up at the three-story dwelling, mesmerized.
Kurt said, “You like the looks of it?”
Entranced, she replied, “It’s an enchanted castle!”
He nodded. “I opted for a fairytale appearance with the hotel’s exterior. As for the remodeling, I had them change the overall look as little as possible. Most of the conversion was done to the interior.”
As they approached the entrance, he made a point of carrying her over the threshold, ignoring the weak spot in his back that periodically flared up.
From the outside, the building gave the impression of a charmed castle out of a fabled storybook, but once one stepped indoors, the place was modern with every contemporary comfort imaginable. From the high ceiling entrance hall, there was a spiral staircase leading up to the second and third floors, but Kurt led them straight to the elevator.
Stepping into it and pushing “P” for penthouse, he turned to Barbie and said, “I’ll show you around the ground floor later. I’m sure you’re anxious to unpack and freshen up.”
When entering the master bedrooms he thanked the gardener, now acting porter, for his help and dismissed him.
Barbie checked out the gigantic rooms. The first sported a sturdy four-post king-size traditional style mahogany bed with matching dresser, armoire, and nightstands. A big-screen TV took up most of the space on the wall, and the walk-in closet was a room on its own. She sauntered through all of it and the connecting sitting room, hardly giving the massive spaces any attention. Then she stepped into the second bedroom, and a sound of pure pleasure escaped her as she looked the place over.
The French country décor was spot on to her liking. The champagne and ivory queen-size bed, made from birch wood, was flanked by a matching nightstand and dresser. The mirror above the chest of drawers was accented with Swarovski crystals. Barbie went over to the bed and examined the luxurious pillow-tufted headboard and then ran a finger along its equally crafted footboard. She did not bother to look inside her walk-in closet, knowing that it would be spacious and practical, but turned to Kurt who had followed her into the room.
“It’s perfect,” she exclaimed. “How did you know my taste in furniture?”
“I’ll keep that my little secret,” he replied with a smirk. In reality, he had taken a guess. Knowing that she liked feminine things, he had asked the interior designer for recommendations. French country was one of the styles suggested.
Both bedrooms led to adjacent bathrooms with marble tubs equipped with Jacuzzi jets. Barbie gave hers a casual glance and then stepped back into the bedroom and went over to the vast sliding glass door which led to the balcony. Kurt unfastened and slid it open and they both stepped out onto the terrace. The view down to the mansion’s garden and pool area to one side, the tropical, wild island vegetation to the other, and the wide ocean beyond took Barbie’s breath away.
“Everything looks magical from up here,” she exclaimed.
“No arguing with that,” he said.
“From the landing, as I first looked up at the castle, I noticed that there’s one continuous balcony wrapped around the entire second floor.”
“You are observant! As a hotel, each room had its individual balcony. When I had the builders remodel most of the second story into guest bedrooms, they got rid of some walls, making the rooms larger and connecting the balconies into one giant terrace. There is access to it from every room now. The interior designers allotted each guestroom its own theme, making the place look like a residence and no longer a resort.”
He reached for her hand and said, “Let me show you the rest of the third floor, and then I’ll leave you alone, so that you can get settled.”
They went on a tour of the gym, which contained standard workout equipment: treadmills, stationary bicycles, rowers, and climbers. There was also a huge room with a practice putting green made of artificial grass. Kurt pointed out that although there was no golf course on the island, he could at least perfect his putting skills. And low and behold, the last room was an office with a desk and chair, computer, printer, shredder, and a bookcase stacked with professional books pertaining to real estate development.
Surprised, Barbie asked, “Are you planning to work here?”
“Not this week, but yes, on future trips.”
They were walking back to their bedrooms when the peaceful quiet of the island was interrupted. She turned his way and cried out, “What’s that horrible noise?”
“That’s the
