Page 29 of Escape To Paradise
“They look cute together.”
“They do.”
After taking in the view for thirty minutes, the group descended the trail. Our next stop was the Piton Falls. After the hike, it would be good for the guests to cool off. The falls was less than twenty-minute drive away. The roads were paved, but some parts were uneven, I felt like I was being shaken at the back. Julian seemed content and was smiling throughout the ride. It wasn’t a comfortable ride, but Julian provided some cushion on my right side as I rocked side to side.
When we emerged from the van, I felt very relieved. But we had to hike at least 15 minutes to get to the falls. I didn’t mind the hike because we were on level ground. Unlike I told them the good news the last hike, which was more of a vertical climb and was harder for my legs.
When we reached the falls, it was a bit underwhelming. I was expecting giant falls with cascading waters, but it was just a small falls with a pool underneath that catches the water from the falls. There wasn’t a lot of water cascading down the rocks.
The guests didn’t seem to mind. Most of them got into the pool, even if it was crowded. I dipped my foot in the pool; it wasn’t as cold as I expected. In fact, it was warm.
The guests had enjoyed the water for over thirty minutes before stopping for a lunch break. The girls and I went on work mode as we helped distribute the juice and water. The guests had their sandwiches ready. To those that needed some sweets, I handed them some chocolate bars. They were satisfied with the lunch. The crew ate our sandwich, too. I had the tuna sandwich while the girls had the cold cuts. Paul also had the tuna sub sandwich.
The guests changed into dryer clothes. Next on our agenda was the Sulphur Springs. It was less than a twenty-minute drive from the falls. When we got there, there were a lot of people and descending pools of water. An active volcano was underneath, heating the water. The smell of sulfur was strong; it had a strong rotten egg smell. But after a few minutes of whiffing the air, my nose got used to it. The first pool was the hottest so the guests skipped that. The second was not as hot, but the guests preferred the third pool. Everyone crowded into the third or fourth pool.
Julian stripped his shirt off, revealing his ripped body. I tried not to stare, but it was hard not to. He jumped into the pool and invited me to join him, but I just sat by the side. I dipped my feet in the water; it was hotter than my usual morning hot shower. I got up and dipped my toes in the second, and then the first pool. The temperature was too hot for my liking, so I went back to the third pool.
The guide gave the guests a bucket of mud and told them to apply it on their bodies. The minerals and the sulfur had antimicrobial properties and were supposedly good for the skin. The guests took turns rubbing the mud on their backs. Julian had difficulty reaching his back, so I offered to help. He seemed appreciative and offered to slather mud on me. I declined because I didn't bring a swimsuit. The guests were told to wait for the mud to dry up, and then they could apply another layer. Then, the guide encouraged the guests to use the mud to draw patterns on their bodies. Julian’s mud dried up, and I drew squiggly lines around his torso and arms and a face emoji on his chest.
I decided to join in on the fun and slathered my legs with the mud. Kathleen and Zofia slathered mud on their arms and faces; they were laughing. Zofia chased Paul and tried to smear his clean face with mud, but he was too fast, and she couldn’t catch up. I didn’t like the idea of slathering mud on my face, so I just slathered it on my arms aside from my legs.
After the mud had dried up, I went to the third pool and waddled up to my thighs to get the mud off me. Julian did the same, asking me to help remove the mud on his back.
The last trip was back to Jalousie Beach. It was only 4 p.m., and the guests still had lots of time to enjoy the beach. Paul had decided to take me and the girls back to the yacht so we could prepare dinner. Julian had stayed behind with the guests. The beach looked inviting, but it was back to work for the crew.
We hopped into the dinghy with Paul at the helm. Paul was all smiles now. He was usually quiet, but he was starting to open up.
“Did you guys enjoy the trip?” he asked us.
“Yeah, it was amazing,” I said.
He turned to me. “What was the best part?”
“Everything. I loved the view of the Pitons. And the mud bath was amazing.” I really had fun. Somehow, our work didn’t feel like work.
“Cool.”
Zofia butted in, “You forgot to ask us, Paul.”
Paul started blushing. “I’m sorry. Yes, what did you guys enjoy the most?”
“Everything!” Zofia said. “The best part was the company, especially your company.”
Kathleen giggled.
“I’m glad.”
Paul and Zofia had this playful energy surrounding them. They seemed to have a budding relationship.
Paul dropped us off at the yacht and went back to the beach for the guests. Now, it was back to work. For today, we were going to have pork tenderloin, and ahi tuna for the guests opting for seafood. Then we were going to serve salad with honey vinaigrette dressing. For dessert, we prepared warm lemon meringue pie. We had finished cooking by six-thirty, and around 6:45, the guests started arriving. By half past seven, everyone was already served.
The guests were much quieter this time. The exhaustion from the hike and their swim likely affected most of them. But they sure had voracious appetites; there were no leftovers after the meal. After dinner, some guests retired early; half of them went up to the upper deck to get cocktails.
The crew had dinner around 8:30 p.m. I did a little bit of food prep for breakfast, but after that, I stopped working. I went on the upper deck to join Julian and the rest of the guests. When Julian saw me approaching, he walked towards me.
“Did you enjoy your excursion today?” Julian asked, a cocktail in his right hand.
“I did. How about you?”
