Page 7 of A Taste of Paradise

Lily set down her mug. ‘Actually, I was thinking that maybe I can and should do something.’

‘What though? It’s not like you can force the fiancée to go through—’

‘No, I mean – the poor guy’s just had his heart broken, Dee. I can’t leave him to wallow on his own in a strange place.’

‘Oh yes, you can,’ her friend corrected sternly.

‘Dee—’

‘No, don’t you “Dee” me. I know what that means. This guy isn’t one of your lost causes, Lily; he’s a human being who’s recently got his heart stomped on. Not something to fix.’

‘But he has no one else here, not even a friend to comfort him.’

‘He has family and friends back home; let them comfort him. His coming here alone was his choice; it definitely isn’t your problem,’ Dee huffed. ‘You seem to think you were put on this earth to fix everything.’

Lily looked at her. ‘Isn’t that kind of my job though?’

‘Well, yes, at the hotel, of course, but the problem is it doesn’t end there, does it?’ she added with a knowing glance. ‘And when everything works out and … people ride off into the sunset, I’m still here to see you break inside. I’m not doing it again.’ She flashed her best friend a stern look, but her tone was soft. ‘I am tired of watching you get hurt because you care too much about people, Lily. You’ve always made other people’s happiness your mission and, while I envy your soft heart, sometimes I wish it had a tougher part too.’

‘This isn’t a repeat of Jonas, you know,’ she said, and Dee sighed deeply. ‘I know what you’re thinking and, really, it isn’t the same thing. He was using me, I know that now.’ Lily hung her head. ‘But at the time I couldn’t see it. I only saw a nice guy who was down on his luck and needed someone to be there for him.’

‘Yeah, you were there all right. Right up until he was running off with almost half of what you owned.’ The bitterness in her friend’s voice was a painful reminder of the most recent episode in Lily’s long-running series of disastrous relationships. And partly the reason why she was now apartment-sharing with her best friend. She’d been burnt by someone she thought she could trust, but luckily her friend was, as always, there to pick up the pieces.

‘I know, I … made a stupid mistake.’

‘Oh hon, I’m not blaming you, and I’m not mad at you.’ Dee walked over and hugged her. ‘I’m pissed at him. I hate seeing people walk all over you, Lily. You’re the nicest person I know, and you don’t deserve any of it. I only want the best for you,’ she added.

Lily took a deep breath. She guessed it was now or never. ‘Well, if you truly do want the best for me, then I have something to tell you.’

Dee looked at her, intrigued and more than a little concerned at her tone.

‘What is it? Is it your mum – is she OK?’

Lily nodded. Apart from Barbara’s broken heart, of course. Decades of a happy marriage coming to an abrupt end was enough to make anyone want to stay in bed and never get out.

Tears smarted at her eyes. ‘I still expect to see Dad when I get home, you know? Mum hasn’t moved a thing in Sea Shells since the funeral.’ She played with her nails absently, as she fought back the tears. ‘The other night … I could still smell his cologne when I walked in the door.’

‘He did love his Brut,’ Dee said fondly. ‘I miss him.’

‘That makes three of us.’ Lily looked again at her friend. ‘But since he died, I suppose I find myself thinking more and more about their relationship and the life they had together, and … I want that,’ she admitted. ‘Yet, Dee, how am I ever going to find it if, as you say, I spend my days making other people’s dreams come true?’

‘I’m not sure what you’re getting at …’

Lily sighed heavily. ‘I’m saying that I think I’m done – with all of this, the job especially. How long am I supposed to keep chasing the perfect happily ever after for other people when I haven’t even managed it myself?’

‘You mean you’re thinking about quitting The Palms?’

‘Not just thinking about it,’ she admitted with a heavy sigh. ‘I’ve decided to hand in my notice as events coordinator. I need a change, and now that Roger’s retired – it kind of feels like the end of an era anyway. To help the new manager with the transition, I feel it’s only fair that I see out the rest of the season, but after that …’

Dee’s eyes watered a little. ‘Wow, I had no idea you were so unhappy.’

‘I’m not unhappy per se, but as you said, maybe I need to start thinking about my needs and chasing down my own dreams for a change,’ Lily looked longingly out the window. ‘I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines.’

Chapter 7

Suddenly everything was falling into place. The discovery that high-flying CEO Daniel MacKenzie was, in fact, the Mack she’d met in other circumstances put Erin’s intentions on surer footing. They already had a rapport, so all she had to do now was reel him in even further with her business acumen and ramp up her charm, and it was a done deal.

The plan was simple. This morning, she’d taken the liberty of reserving a table for breakfast for the two of them in a remote corner of Azure, the biggest and most impressive restaurant in the resort’s main building. She’d get Mack comfortable, then hit him with all the facts and figures showing why a partnership between their two entities would be mutually beneficial. She’d gone over the presentation in the early hours and had her pitch nailed perfectly. He wasn’t going to be able to resist. The Palms would likely have their brand-new partner by lunchtime.