She vaguely remembers waking up when her alarm went off and showering. She remembers dressing in black slacks and a white t-shirt. She remembers making breakfast through a blackened blur and then the knock on the door. She remembered Peter's smiling face at the door and her not even putting up a fight to let him carry her bags to the car. It was ridiculously dark and early in the morning. She staggered to the car and climbed into it, the heater had been on and the car was warm. She remembered falling back asleep in the car, before Peter even had climbed back into the car.
She woke the second time to the gentle rubbing of Peter's hands over her arms. She let her eyes flicker open to the slightly amused face of Peter, leaning over her with in the car. She frowned at his amusement and stretched, her tiny body feeling cramped in the car. She rolled her hips and twisted before looking at Peter with a glare. He smiled widely, laughing as she stepped out of the car.
"Good morning sleeping beauty," he said with a chuckle. She shook her head and gave him a tiny smile.
"How long was I out for?" she asked, really looking at Peter now. He wore a soft cotton baby blue button down and brown pants, shaved and fresh looking. He smiled and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.
"The whole ride over. I unloaded everything for us already," he said, "All we have to do is get on the plane."
Olivia smiled and nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from him. She climbed out of the car and he shut the door without her knowing it. Her eyes drifted over his face, the lack of stubble, then his loosely draped light blue shirt and down to his slender brown pants. Finally he shifted and looked at her.
"Okay, I'll bite, what is it?" he said, spreading his arms wide. She smiled and shook her head.
"I'm really tired," she said, yawning, "But you look nice."
He laughed, an excited and loud laugh, slinging his arm over her shoulders and walking towards the terminal.
"I can tell," he said, dropping his arm from around her. "Here, give me your ticket and go sit over there."
She gave him a coy smile and shook her head, holding her own ticket in her hands.
"Give me yours and I'll do it," she replied. To her surprise he handed her his ticket and grinning cockily before swaggering over to take a seat. She smiled and scratched her head. It was going be a long plane ride.
It was a six-hour plane ride. To her surprise the tickets where two seats in first class and she sat by the window with her forehead pressed against it for most of the ride. Peter slept next to her for a bit, his soft snores filling up her ears as she stared down on the slowly lighting world. At some point she felt rather silly, like a child who waits for the first snow of their life, forehead pressed against the glass and their breath fogging up their view. She moved away once or twice but always found her face wandering back to the cool, thick double paned glass. Breakfast came around as the sky lightened and Olivia nudged Peter awake as the food came and he smiled up at the hostess as she handed them their food. Olivia was sure she slipped her number to him when she handed him his drink the next time she came around.
The plane landed on some island near the Bahamas that she couldn't pronounce. The airport was clearly run down, large cracks were in the runway and she was sure they'd run over a few lizards on the landing. Inside the terminal, it was nearly empty. Peter followed her as she headed off the plane toward the entrance. There, at the entrance of the airport she saw a man holding a sign with a beautiful island retreat on the cover. Behind him gathered a few people and one or two couples. Olivia touched Peter's arm to get his attention and he followed her as they headed towards a man with a straw fedora hat and wearing all white. He smiled at them.
"Are you two here for the island retreat?" he asked, showing off his teeth, some real most gold.
"I think so," Olivia answered, "I'm pretty sure we are."
"Well it looks like you two are the last ones we were waiting for," he said, looking at both Peter and Olivia, "We have to take a bus to the boat, we'll be at the island in a few minutes."
"And our luggage? Asked Peter.
"On a smaller plane on its way already," the man grinned. Peter nodded. The man turned, folding up the sign that he had and started toward the door. The people that had gathered behind him moved around Peter and Olivia, trailing behind the man as he left.
The bus ride was bumpy and rough. More than once Olivia had grabbed Peter's arm to steady her. She left her eyes shut for most of the ride and one particular bump she heard Peter swear under his breath.
"What?" she asked, peeping open one eye.
"I think we just ran over an iguana."
Olivia started to laugh. A small giggle from her lips erupted and Peter looked at her in confusion. The next rough bump quieted her back down and she shut her eyes.
"How much longer?" she asked Peter softly. He smiled.
"We're here."
Olivia looked out and saw a beautiful white yacht sitting at a dock. The bus pulled to a stop and the man climbed out, followed by eager couples and singles, all ready to get the bumpy bus out of their minds and into the beautiful boat to paradise. The island had beautiful white sands and tall tropical trees and Olivia's face relaxed, letting a small smile slip past her lips. Peter saw it slide onto her face and he put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her gently to the yacht that waited for them.
Suddenly Olivia was five years old again, going for the first time out to sea. As the boat left the dock she plastered a small smile across her lips, wind blowing back her blonde hair in the sea air. Somewhere Peter sat behind her, watching her bemused look as she saw colorful fish swim underneath the boat in the clear water. It was calm and soothing and she found herself actually excited for the vacation island that lay ahead.
The yacht docked at a simple wooden dock, where a man in white shorts and a white polo was waiting for the passengers. Olivia and Peter wandered off somewhere near the back of the crowd of people, filing onto the dock as the man held up his arms and smile, flashing a flawless white smile on his dark tan face.
"Welcome," he said in some accent, "To Paradise Palm Island Resort. If you would all please follow me to the check in desk, we can get you checked in and give you a list of tonight's activities."
"Activities?" Olivia whispered as the man led the way. Peter chuckled at her, watching as though it was the first vacation she'd ever been on. She shuffled in behind a white haired couple as they climbed sandy steps to a beautiful open hotel entrance.
"Wow," Peter said intelligently, clearly impressed by the sheer beauty of the dark wood entrance. The large glass windows faced out toward the dock where they had come from, shaded by tall tropical trees. Sliding glass door opened as they entered the cool lobby, staring up at the vaulted glass ceiling of the place. Olivia looked down at the floor and touched Peter's arm, catching his attention faster than anything else.
"There are fish, in the floor," Olivia said in awe. Peter looked and his mouth gaped open, staring at the swimming fish and sharks underneath his feet in the glass floor. He smiled and wrapped his arm around Olivia securely this time, tugging her forward to the perfectly beautiful woman that was waiting for their reservation.
"Bishop," he said, beaming at the woman. He felt strangely overjoyed, and Olivia felt it too but only for a brief moment before looking at the happy woman through thin jealous eyes.
"Yes sir," she said happily, "Right here, a villa beach front room," she said. "Two keys. Here you go." The woman handed Peter two white keys with an embossed palm on them. Peter smiled and winked at her before she giggled and smiled at Olivia. Olivia felt the overwhelming urge to smile back, and she did so. Peter grabbed an activities list from the counter and swung his arm over Olivia's shoulders.
"So," Olivia said, leaving the lobby out of the back doors, "What's the plan for tonight?"
"Tonight?" Peter said, grinning his unique Cheshire grin, "Tonight is a welcome for new guests," he answered, looking at the list, "It's in the banana leaf bar around ten."
"Sounds social," Olivia giggled, unable to control herself. Peter laughed himself.
"Indeed it does," he answered, following a trail that led past a secluded pool, "We don't have to go."
"No, no," Olivia said, "Lets. I'm in need of some serious vacation."
"Oh now you take my word for it."
