Chapter 30

Lilly's POV:

After losing my baby and my boyfriend all in a matter of hours, my life seemed lonely and incomplete. I had no idea who I was or what I wanted to do or achieve, my plans for my future seemed uncertain. My dad came to me one evening and even though he didn't know about the baby, he could see how deep my pain ran. He sat me down and told me, I needed a fresh perspective and some time to clear my head so we decided on a holiday, I got my savings ready, passport and packed a bag. My dad paid for my hotel and my flight, he said it was my birthday gift and that made me smile for the first time in weeks. My dad believed that you had to work for every penny he ever gave you.

Two days later I was at my hotel, crying, eating and sleeping, I finally got the much-needed rest. The Friday morning, I woke up feeling much better, refreshed and somehow the pain in my heart eased up, even if it was just a little. I took a shower and put on my sexy, color block white and red, halter Bandage Bikini set with a matching hat. I throw over my white Calypso boho sundress and pack a bag with a towel, sunscreen and a book. I am ready for the beach. I don't want to see my hotel room today. For the first time since I arrived in Rio De Janeiro, I went downstairs for breakfast. I was staying in a Belmond Hotel, it is dated back to 1923 and it was beautiful and extremely large. There were so many rooms and I was excited and hungry.

The hotel was stark white with a big pool and almost one hundred pool loungers around the swimming pool. It is across the road from Copacabana Beach and it is 10 km from Santos Dumont Airport and 13 km from the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. Figured my dad would book me somewhere close to a Christian amenity. I loved the furniture and the original artwork that hung so perfectly from the walls. The rooms were elegant and there was all sorts of tech stuff, TV's, iPod dock, Wi-fi and I could see the beach from my window, there is even a mini bar. I had access to a large swimming pool, my own butler and room service, which I abused in the first week of my stay. I walk down to the Asian restaurant and I see the piano bar, tennis court and a posh spa and indoor gym. I could live here.

I sit down in the restaurant and I order myself a cup of coffee and the breakfast named after the hotel, I like food and trying new dishes so I sit and wait patiently. Someone flapping a newspaper catches my eye, his wearing a white linen pants, very bold I must say and a white shirt with sandals, very beach-like attire but his dressed like Jesus, the thought makes me smile. I can't see his face but my food arrives and I am served four plates! Four!

Dish one is fruit, simple, manageable I think to myself, I get three slices of mango, two slices of grape-fruit, pineapple and something that looks like a beetroot. Dish two is heavier, there is some scrambled egg, fried tomato, a slice of toast and a pink sausage, oh, I hope it's a sausage. Dish three is a cheese croissant, a muffin and a bagel and the last dish is what I really want to eat, Waffles and ice cream. I opt for dish one and dish four, again, the newspaper moves, this time it moves up as if he was watching me and then covered his face again. The newspaper is shaking so I know his laughing, I hope his reading something funny.

I enjoy my meal so much, their food is delicious, I even ended up eating the bagel. I get up to leave, I take my bag and walk towards the beach which is only a street away. The diversity in this place is amazing, there are random water features, grass lands and then the beautiful white-sand beach. People often say Bom dia and Boa tarde, this is a way of greeting, I learnt that this morning from the door man, so far, the only person I've met that can speak English. I find a pool lounger and it is perfectly placed underneath a small umbrella, with a table and it is close to the water but there is a man in uniform standing there.

Lilly: "Good morning, do you speak English?"

Uniform man:" Yes madam, what can I do for you?"

Lilly: OH, he has a sexy accent…." My name is Lilly and I want to know why are you standing here? Can I sit down, is this setting reserved?"

Uniform man:" Yes madam, it is reserved for you, I am a waitron, I bring food, I bring drinks, you want food?"

Lilly: Oh, thank God, I am so full "no thank you, I just want to relax on the chair all day?"

Uniform man:" of cause madam, sit, sit"

Lilly: "Thank you, what is your name?"

Uniform man:" Me, I am Bernardo"

Lilly: "nice to meet you Bernardo, like I said, I am Lilly" I sit down and he leaves me alone…...amaaaaazzzzzing!

I take off my dress, take my towel out of my bag along with the sunscreen and my book and I make myself comfortable. I rub some sun tan lotion on me and I put on my sunglasses and take out my book and Bernardo comes back with a caipirinha, Yay Bernardo is my new favorite human. The cocktail is so fresh and I can taste the lime, makes me want to jiggle, all to suddenly my bliss is stolen. I see another Bernardo looking man bring a small table, chair and umbrella and set it up next to me, no! I really don't feel for a beach neighbor.

Lilly: "Bernardo, can you please ask your friend to move away as far as he possibly can, please?"

Bernardo:" I can try madam but there is a limited space on the beach for the upper-class seating so if someone with money or power is approaching, there is not much we can do."

Lilly: "Bernardo, please call me Lilly, madam makes me feel old and I am not someone with power and money and don't you have a nick name?"

Bernardo laughs really loud and says that this has all been requested by my father and included in my stay. My set up was done the minute I booked into the hotel and Bernardo has been assigned to me. He also tells me that he has been waiting for me since last week and now I feel bad. He tells me all the rules and I laugh every now and then, not at him but because he is funny but he really tries not to be. The rules were, if I can remember all of them, don't throw your everything and anything's everywhere, which I assumed was don't litter, don't take the corals or starfish home, they live in the water not with you madam, that made me giggle, when playing with the ball on the beach, please play safely and try not to get hurt and take care of your toilet business in the toilet facility which was obvious to me but he made a funny face so I was giggling again.

A few minutes later, Jesus sits down a few feet away from me. Not Jesus, Jesus but the guy from the restaurant that was dressed like him. Bernardo was standing in my way when he sat down and now his facing his back to me, Bernardo sees me watching him so he starts explaining, "Madam Lilly,

Bernardo:" Madam Lilly, that man's"

Lilly: "Madam Lilly? You just made it worse, call me Lilly"

Bernardo:" Lilly, that man's name is Sergio Verissimo, his name means servant but he really is the opposite. He is one of the richest men in Rio, he owns the hotel you are staying in. Legend has it he is estimated at ninety-five billion reals that's almost thirty billion dollars in America.

Lilly: My mouth must be hanging open because he doesn't look that old, how did he get rich that quick. "does he always come to the beach?"

Bernardo:" no Mada.., I mean Lilly, we rarely see him outside"

Lilly: I look around and I see almost five men in suits just standing there, "are those his body guards?"

Bernardo:" Yes, I would assume so, let me refill you caipirinha"

Lilly: I didn't even realize it was finish, I was so intrigued by this story. Suddenly Sergio stands up and I thank God I have my sunglasses on, I almost melt in the sun, his like a super model. He takes off his shirt and then he looks right at me. I don't really care right now because I am looking at him too. He is tall, lean yet muscular, and broad-shouldered, with dark colored hair and intense, bright brown eyes, I take my book from the side table and Bernardo is back with my drink and I try to ignore him. He sits down but at the edge of his seat and I lift my book to cover my face. I think I dose off but it is suddenly cold and when I open my eyes, the sun is setting. My goodness, did I sleep all day? I am starving and cold and Bernardo is not around, so I pack up my things get dressed and walk back to the hotel. As I reach the doors I am handed an invitation by Pedro, the doorman, he says the restaurant is having a supper for all the guest and everyone has been asked to dress in white. I almost run up stairs because what will I wear? I am excited and I when I get to my room, it has been cleaned and there is a fresh smell to the place. I take a nice long bath, I still have two hours and I blow dry my hair and style it, with a simple look. I check my bag and I find my white wrap dress, it is tight and short and has a sexy slit. It is simple and elegant.

I come downstairs and there are not as many people as I thought, mostly couples. I look around and I don't see the beach guy but I see a group of girls and they are already wasted, makes me smile because it looks like they are having a great time, shortly Bernardo shows up and shows me to my seat. I sit down and order the Risotto and a glass of red wine. I enjoy the music and the atmosphere is wonderful, even though I am alone in this foreign place, I feel at home and at peace. My meal arrives and there is a live band playing, this is one of the best nights of my life. The food is warm and the wine, oh my gosh, the wine is like silk. Soon I am done eating and the band is on their fourth song and I am having my fourth glass of wine, gotta keep up. I am singing along and all the words are wrong because I think they are singing in Spanish and I am just making things up as I go along, I order another glass of wine and Bernardo says no! I almost slap him, I am on vacation, what does he mean no? Bernardo sees I am angry and he says that the band is going to pack up now and if I go to my room, he will send me a bottle of red wine, "a whole bottle? Promise?" he smiles and promises and I go to my room because I am a lady of my word. I get changed and put on my pjs and soon I am asleep, I think I saw Bernardo in my room with my wine but I was too drunk and too tired to care.

The next day I decide that I am going to get breakfast and hike up the mountain and visit the Christ the redeemer statue. I get dress, hop downstairs and grab a bagel and a coffee from the restaurant and leave the hotel. I get a cab and head to the mountain, Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Constructed between 1922 and 1931, at the top of Corcovado mountain it is beautiful, overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. A symbol of Christianity across the world. What a sight.

I head to the beach again, hopefully I'll get a swim in this time and I see Sergio sitting in his usual set up. I take off my shorts and vest and head towards the water, I sneak a peek when I pass his chair but his wearing sunglasses so I look away and go for a swim. This is the best holiday I have ever had and I am still here for three whole weeks.