Page 9 of Escape To Paradise
Then Lisa said, “I am glad you’re doing fine. Just keep me posted. These kids want their dinner now. I’m sorry. Call me again tomorrow.”
“I’ll try. I only have two days on the main island. After that, I’ll board the yacht.”
“Good luck with that. Take care of yourself.” Lisa gave me smacking air kisses sounds. And the boys did, too.
I ordered a decent burger and a salad from the kitchen; they did room service. I ate my meal and spent the rest of the night researching about the island and the neighboring islands.
I was already feeling lonely, and my journey hadn’t even started yet. Before I went to sleep, I left a voicemail on my mom’s cell phone.
“Hey, Mom, I miss you terribly. I’m in this hotel in the Caribbean, and I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I wish you were here with me to hug and hold me. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I’m scared sometimes. And I’ve never felt this alone. I admit, I miss Benoit, but what he did to me just hurts. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him. I still love him, Mom. And that’s what hurts the most. Anyway, I love you, and goodnight.”
I changed out of my travel clothes into my nightgown. Then I cried myself to sleep.
***
I woke up at around six in the morning. The time difference wasn’t too bad. St. Vincent was only three hours ahead of Denver and one hour ahead of Georgia. My body was still used to Georgia’s time zone, so the time difference didn’t bother me too much.
I hadn’t done yoga in a long time; I was always too busy with my business. Today, I did the sun salutation. I sat on the floor, faced east, and performed a series of yoga poses for twenty minutes. After that, I went to the balcony and marveled at the clear water and the waves. There was something about the ocean that was so calming. I breathed in the salty air and closed my eyes, allowing the anxiety of the future to melt away.
Then I went to the bathroom and showered. Jim had agreed to meet me by the lobby at eight. When I went down, he was already waiting for me.
“Hey, good morning, Miss Harper.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“First order of the day is breakfast.”
“Definitely.”
Jim took me to Café Soleil, which was close to the water. I invited him for breakfast, which he declined at first, but I finally convinced him to go in with me. It might have been an unusual request because it took him a while to get comfortable sitting at the table.
I ordered coffee for both of us. Then, I ordered a fish sandwich, which was their catch for the day, while Jim ordered a burger.
While sipping coffee, I learned more about him as he spoke about his family and life on the beautiful island.
“How long have you been a taxi driver, Jim?” I asked.
He was sipping his coffee, too. He was relaxing his shoulders as well, feeling comfortable. It was easy with the breeze on our faces and the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.
“I’ve been doing it for ten years. I started just after my wife had our second baby. Before that, I worked at a restaurant as a server.”
“Do you miss working at a restaurant?”
“Well, yes, and no. I don’t like the regular hours. But with driving, I also don’t like the irregular hours. How about you, Miss Harper?”
“Oh, I used to own a restaurant,” I revealed.
He seemed surprised by this revelation. “What happened to your restaurant?”
“My ex-partner and I parted ways. We just couldn’t work together anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. What kind of restaurant was it?”
“It was a French restaurant. A small bistro in Savannah, Georgia.” I sighed. That was just over a month ago. And now, my life had completely turned upside down, with me sipping coffee with my taxi driver in the Caribbean. The ocean was clear and inviting.
Our orders arrived. Jim was grateful for the free breakfast.
“Are you interested in setting up another restaurant?” he asked.
