CHAPTER EIGHT - VIOLET
“Holy shit,” I gasped. “I'm actually in Bali.”
As trite and silly as it sounded, that was the first thing I said as we stepped from the plane. The air was tropical and warm, the sun was shining, and it just felt different to me. Though the weather was similar, it was nothing at all like Southern California, where I'd been born and raised.
Sebastian just chuckled to himself. “Yes, yes we are,” he said. “And our first stop will be at one of my favorite resorts.”
When he’d said it was one of his favorites, he'd meant it, and he just happened to own the place. It was his first resort in Bali and I'd heard nothing but great things about it. But now, with a second resort opening up in the not-too-distant future, I could only imagine how much better it was going to be.
A driver picked us up at the airport and took us over to the resort, which just so happened to be right on the beach. As soon as we stepped out of the car, my eyes grew wide as a sound of awe escaped my throat.
“I never knew beaches could look like this,” I said. “When I saw pictures, I guess I always assumed they were photoshopped or were somehow enhanced.”
California had its fair share of beaches, but nothing like what I was seeing – crystal clear water and white sand. It was pristine and nothing like the dark murky water in California. In addition to the resort on the beach, there were bungalows out in the water. I was shocked to find that yes, you could actually sleep out on the water.
Sebastian seemed amused by my fascination and awe with what I was seeing, and he watched me with a smile on his face the entire time. He seemed more than happy to be showing off his baby to me and maybe, being able to see it through new eyes was something he appreciated. Given his life and everything he'd seen and done, I imagined it was easy to forget how beautiful some of these places were; or how easy it was to take certain things for granted. When you traveled to places like that all the time, it probably lost some of its charm .
But there I was, staring out at the ocean like a child on Christmas.
“See that bungalow at the end? The largest one?” he asked, pointing in the direction of one of them. “That's where you'll be staying.”
My mouth literally fell open, feeling like it was hanging to the ground as I stared out at the bungalow he'd pointed to. I stood there, with the sun shining down on me and the aroma of the ocean in my nose, feeling like I had just hit a major jackpot. I’d never been anywhere like this, let alone with accommodations so lavish.
“Really?” I asked, feeling absolutely shell-shocked by what I was seeing.
“Yes, and the one next to it connected by the little bridge?” he asked. “That one will be mine.”
I'd be sleeping over the ocean, like literally on top of it. The waves would be crashing all around me as I slept at night, or if I felt like going for a swim, I could simply step out the front door of my bungalow and jump right into those pristine crystal waters. And there was no way I wasn't going to take advantage of that. I planned to do that every chance I could get.
And Sebastian would be so close to me. He'd be sleeping literally next door. Honestly, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect place to be.
“Let's go drop off our bags, shall we?” Sebastian asked, taking my arm in his.
I felt myself blushing because for a moment, it felt like a date. Arm-in-arm, walking toward bungalows that sat on the ocean. It just felt entirely romantic and to the naked eye, it might even look like we were a couple.
Of course, we weren't carrying our bags ourselves, we were walking ahead of the staff who were carrying them for us. And as I glanced over my shoulder at the workers carrying our luggage, I had to admit that it made me feel a little weird. I'd never had staff before, and to have them carrying our bags for us when we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, made me feel a little bad. But Sebastian was so used to it, he didn't even bat an eye. It would take some getting used to if we took more of these work trips, that was for sure.
We walked along the bridge that ran from the parking lot and across the sand. We strolled past a few of the other bungalows and then were out over the crystal-clear waters. The wind blew through my hair and with the sun shining on my face, I felt like I'd died and had gone to heaven. Reaching the end of the bridge and standing before my home for the next few days, Sebastian opened the door to my bungalow first and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.
“This is my room?” I said, rushing inside, giggling like a child. Sebastian seemed happy enough to indulge me. From the outside, yes, the bungalows were cute, but on the inside, it was pure and utter luxury all the way. It was more than obvious that no expense was spared.
I stood in the living area which included a couch facing a wall-to-wall window with curtains that could be drawn. God only knew why you would actually draw the curtains when you could stare out at the ocean instead. I couldn't imagine a more glorious view.
Adjacent to that was a bedroom with a king-sized bed draped in silk sheets and a soft, linen blanket. Everything was pristine and so white, so clean, so soft. The pillows were large and fluffy and if it wasn't for the fact that we were in a tropical paradise like Bali, I might want to spend my days curled up there reading a book.
And of course, there was a deck right off the bedroom that led straight to the water. If I left the sliding door open at night, I could fall asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing into the dock beneath me.
“This is amazing,” I said, taking in all the small little details and savoring them like a fine meal or glass of wine.
I looked at the bathroom that had both a tub and a shower that could easily fit four or more people inside of it. Then I ran out to the deck, and took in the fresh, saltwater scent, closing my eyes and picturing what a day spent out here would be like. A fancy and comfortable looking hammock had been set up for me already. All I needed was a book and I'd be set.
Sebastian walked out onto the deck beside me, and together, we stared out at the beautiful, blue ocean. A girl could get used to this, I thought to myself.
“I'm so glad you could come with me,” he said softly. “Your father always wanted to visit this place, but he never made it out here. There was always work or something keeping him from coming. I figure the next best thing is to bring his daughter.”
Tears welled in my eyes when he mentioned my dad. Yeah, my dad would have loved it there. Knowing him, he'd likely sit out on the deck and fish. He loved deep sea fishing, though it was a hobby he didn't get to indulge in too often. And like me, he'd savor nights outside in the hammock, listening to the waves, as he drifted off to sleep. In a lot of ways, I was a chip off the old block.
“You're right,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “He'd have loved it.”
“I know. And I think about it every time I come here. I think about him. I wish like hell I could have shared it with him,” Sebastian said.
We stayed outside for a few moments, standing in silence, just taking everything in and remembering my father. It was a beautiful, if unplanned, tribute to my dad, and it somehow heartened me to know that Sebastian felt his loss every bit as keenly as I did.
“Come on,” he said, clearing his throat. “We'll have plenty of time to play, but we need to grab dinner and meet some people first.”
Dinner. Yes. I was starving, and the idea of eating was suddenly very appealing. Of course, this would also be my first work meeting, which made me nervous, but Sebastian had promised to keep the drinks flowing and said that it would be a fun, low-key meeting. He promised that it would be more of a social, than a formal gathering. Just a few people, some dinner, some booze and we'd be back early enough so that I could relax before getting to bed.
The thought of curling up in that cozy bed with the ocean air blowing through the patio door was something I was very much looking forward to. But first, food. Then sleep.
And to think, we still had five more days in paradise. I wasn't so sure it wasn't all a dream, but if it was, it was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.