Tonight, it was Tawanda’s turn for a date. She had struck up a relationship with Manny, one of the team of swimming pool cleaners, and he was taking her to the hotel’s Creole restaurant. Autumn had never seen her so excited. She had been a gibbering wreck when she was trying to get ready, and in the end, Autumn hadn’t mentioned losing Nathan’s photograph, but had helped her choose what to wear, and had redone her beehive of dreadlocks for her. She was so happy for her friend. Tawanda was another person who had given all her time and energy to Autumn over the last few months. She deserved some time to kick back and have fun.
She looked at herself in the mirror. She’d bought the dress from a woman on the beach when she and Tawanda had taken a walk out past the hotel. It was the color of the ocean, waves of different shades of blue, with a scalloped neck and half-sleeves. It sat just on her knee in flat feet, rising an inch when she slipped on brown leather, wedge heel sandals. As she looked at her reflection, she flattened down the front of the dress across her abdomen. She had put on some weight here which was down to the hearty portions Tawanda had been heaping on her plate from the buffet three times a day. Still, she needed a bit of change in her life, and maybe weight gain was a long overdue change.
*
It was a beautiful evening, not that every evening wasn’t beautiful at an exclusive resort on a tropical island, but tonight, the heat was slightly less intense, and there was a cool breeze coming off the ocean.
Even though she’d spent much of the early evening vomiting, she was famished. Too much sun had unsettled her stomach, but all the sea air had given her a raging appetite. She put her hand to her stomach and looked forward to chicken and rice and as many desserts as she could manage.
‘Miss Raine, excuse me. You are to come this way,’ a waiter said, greeting her before she could reach the steps to the restaurant.
‘What?’ Autumn asked, a look of puzzlement on her face.
‘Please, special table, this way,’ the waiter insisted, putting an arm behind her back and almost shepherding her over to his right.
She was going to murder Tyler when she saw him. No, she was going to fire him, then murder him. How many times did she have to tell him there was never going to be anything more than professional friendship between them? If she’d known he was going to take a fishing trip as something close to betrothal, she would never have agreed to go with him. If there were flowers and champagne or a steel band playing, this would be the shortest dinner date ever.
The waiter bowled along at a pace, leading her down the path to the beach. It was all she could do to keep up with him.
Then, as she reached the white sand, her mouth fell open. There was the special table referred to. It was sat right at the water’s edge, a lone stargazer lily in a short glass vase, surrounded by five glowing tealight candles.
‘Please,’ the waiter said, holding out a chair for her.
‘It’s very beautiful, it really is but… I can’t stay here. Where is Mr James?’ Autumn asked the hotel employee.
‘I bring wine, you choose food,’ the waiter continued, indicating the menu on the table.
‘No… wait… I can’t…’ Autumn began, turning to address the waiter.
He was gone. The bottom of his white uniform was currently disappearing behind the foliage that led back to the hotel complex.
The table setting was stunning. It was luxurious, yet understated, and there were even five candles. Autumn picked the lily out of the vase and held it under her nose, breathing in the heady scent. She closed her eyes and tried to remember. She should have been sharing this holiday with Nathan. They’d talked about it, the places they would go, the things they would try together if they got the chance. But they hadn’t been given that opportunity. Fate had stepped in and snatched it out of their hands.
‘Autumn.’
She snapped open her eyes. The flower tumbled from her grasp and hit the sand. She shook her head and gripped the table with both hands. Sunstroke had a lot to answer for. His voice had sounded so real, not like it was in her head, but as if he were here.
‘Autumn.’
There it was again, a voice, his voice, behind her. Her heart sped up, her head ached. This wasn’t real. She hadn’t been feeling well earlier, and the heat was affecting her. It was Tyler, not Nathan. Tyler who she was going to fire because he’d created a romantic setting that pained ever fiber of her being.
‘Autumn, turn around,’ the voice urged.
She didn’t dare. She closed her eyes again. Somehow, this was a cruel trick, and
