Welcome to the third and final installment of Wanderlust. If you haven't already, you really must read Chapters 1 and 2. It'll add to your enjoyment, I assure you! As always, I appreciate any comments you may have. They help me be a better writer. Cheers, Petitmort
Roxanne and Olivia sat in silence as their car wound down the coastal highway to Kona Village.
It was nearly midnight and the pitch-black sky was splashed with shimmering stars. They had left Wesley, standing in the doorway of his sprawling mansion, despite his offers to let them stay the night. They sat side by side as the car traveled through the darkness.
The headlights gradually revealed each segment of the road, leaving the vast expanse of landscape around them dark and unseen. It felt like they were driving in a tunnel, its destination mysterious, its length unknown.
Both women had embarked on a journey that promised to completely change their lives but whose end point was unclear. They were both finalists for a small number of job openings as adventure guides for an elite travel company. If they were hired, if they managed to make the cut, they would transform their lives instantly, and begin new lives in exotic locations around the globe.
And if that wasn't enough of a wild card, they'd both gotten involved with the CEO of the company they were trying to join. A rich and handsome international business magnate. The suave and enigmatic Wesley Llewellyn.
Gotten involved
seemed like the right terminology to use. It captured the vagueness and ambiguity of the whole situation.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Roxanne was thinking about the day's events and what the impact might ultimately be.
"Do you think we're blowing it?" Roxanne asked, staring into the darkness.
"I was just wondering that myself," Olivia answered. "Either we're being really smart or unbelievably dumb."
Roxanne looked over at Olivia as she drove.
"I mean, I know he likes us but maybe we're too risky to keep around. You know?"
Olivia looked back and smiled.
"Yeah. I've gamed it out in my mind every which way. It's impossible to know which way it's going to go."
She put her hand on Roxanne's.
"All we can do," Olivia said, "is focus on what we can control and let go of what we can't. One step at a time."
The following morning, they'd be resuming the competition. All the finalists would be assigned new activities where they'd be observed and evaluated.
They hadn't had time to prepare. They didn't even know what their assignments would be. They were too busy hanging out with Wesley.
They were going to have to wing it.
On their way to their bungalow, they decided to check the postings to see what they could learn. Sure enough, the latest list showed that two more candidates had been sent home. Both Roxanne and Olivia were still in it.
The assignments for the next day were also listed. Olivia would be kayaking with Alexandra while Roxanne had picnic preparation with Jason.
"Let's not worry about it tonight," Olivia said. "Best we get some sleep. We can wake up early and do some brainstorming. I'll help you, I promise."
Roxanne smiled and gave her friend a goodnight hug.
"One step at a time," she said.
The next morning came quickly and the two women were feeling a little fuzzy from all the drinking the day before. They drank a lot of water and applied a bit more makeup to counteract the effects of the alcohol.
Olivia reminded Roxanne what they'd covered in the food prep training earlier in the week.
"Just remember Fresh," Olivia said.
"What?"
"F-R-E-S-H. It's a mnemonic. I invent them to help me remember stuff."
"You're such a badass," Roxanne smiled.
"F is for fresh, natch. Fresh, locally sourced food. R is for range, you want to offer a full range of foods - fruit, veggies, starches. E is for energy, pick foods that deliver high energy quickly like salmon, Greek yogurt, hummus, almonds, edamame."
"Bananas?"
"Absolutely. Bananas are great, they're rich in potassium."
"And peanut butter?"
"Sure, it's full of good fats and protein. Just make sure it's all-natural. And S stands for savory AND sweet. They're crowd pleasers. And, finally, there's H for healthy. Guests are motivated by two things -- to enrich their bodies
and
their minds."
Roxane nodded, taking this all in.
"Fresh. That makes it so easy."
"You'll do great. And don't forget what they taught us about presentation. Try to tell a story. Beginning, middle, and end."
Roxanne looked at her, tilting her head.
"You're so awesome," she said, biting her lip. "I love you so much!"
She wrapped her arms around Olivia and held her tight.
"What about you? Are you ready to lead the kayaking?"
"I think so," Olivia said. "I found the cove with the best conditions. It's near the City of Refuge. Should be low wind and gorgeous."
"You're gonna do great, you always do," Roxanne smiled. "See ya this afternoon."
She smiled over her shoulder as she headed out.
Roxanne and two other candidates were taken to a small shopping area to buy food. They each had to create a picnic that would be shared by the other candidates when they returned from their activities.
The two other candidates both went into the supermarket to start their shopping. But Roxanne held back. She was thinking about Olivia's mnemonic.
"Fresh and locally grown," she said to herself.
She remembered there was a collection of food stands up by the road. It would be a bit of a hike but it might be a way to differentiate her work from the others.
She jogged up to the road and sure enough, the stands were brimming with locally grown produce. Common ones like pineapple, mango, apple bananas, papaya, guava, and passion fruit shared space with uncommon ones like rambutan, lychee, dragon fruit, mountain apples, sapote fruit, Surinam cherry, persimmon, sweet longan, starfruit, and Jaboticaba fruit.
Roxanne quickly made friends with an older woman who seemed to be in charge. The woman took her under her wing and explained how each fruit tasted, which ones were best eaten raw, and which ones were acquired tastes. She explained exactly how they should be sliced or peeled and even described the health benefits of each one.
When she was done, Roxanne had not only bought three bags of fruit and vegetables, she had a wealth of stories to tell.
There was a vegetable stand too. Fresh carrots, radishes, celery, green onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, and broccoli. Roxanne imagined serving the veggies with their stems attached, to reinforce their freshness.
She was able to buy some kalua pork too as well as some freshly baked buns. Traditional, local foods, as fresh as could be.
Olivia, meanwhile, was taking Alexandra on a sea kayaking excursion. Driving south to the City of Refuge, she tried to engage her in small talk.
"Roxanne said she really enjoyed horseback riding with you," she said cheerfully.
Alexandra lowered her sunglasses and gave her a look.
"I'm a guest. Remember?"
"Oh, right. Sorry."
She quickly pivoted and started to describe the historical significance of the area they were visiting.
She's gonna be a toughie, I can tell already.
When they got to the put-in spot, Olivia was sure to pay attend to Alexandra's every need. Sunscreen? Check. Life preserver? Check. Valuables in the dry bag? Check.
She took her through the safety protocols, describing how they'd wait for a lull and then orient the kayaks directly towards the swells when they put in.
She described what to do if the kayak were to tip over and how to signal for help.
She covered the basics of paddling and maintaining a center of gravity to avoid tipping.
When it finally came time to put in, Olivia was careful to give her clear, emphatic instructions.
"OK, let's go! Paddle!" she called out. "Keep the bow faced towards the swells. That's it."
They made it outside the waves without mishap. Olivia guided her along the coast to the north. She'd read online that there were sheltered coves in that direction.
Soon, they were gliding along the glassy surface along the black lava rock.
"What are those birds there?" Alexandra asked.
Olivia knew immediately she was being tested.
"That's the White-Tailed Tropicbird," Olivia said. "You can tell by the long white tail feathers. They nest in those cliffs there. The females lay one egg a season and both parents care for the nestling. They're closely related to the Frigatebird and the Boobie, also common in this area."
All the research she'd been doing over the previous ten days was paying off.
After about forty-five minutes of exploring, it was time to head back.
"Oh dear," Alexandra said suddenly, the back of her hand pressed against her forehead.
"What is it? Are you okay?"
"I feel weak," she said. "I don't think I can paddle anymore."
Olivia was afraid this might happen. Roxanne had told her that the ATI employees, acting as guests, would sometimes throw curveballs. Create a crisis to see how you handle it.
Then again, this really could be a crisis. Olivia had no way of knowing. And she couldn't ask.
She pulled her kayak next to hers and held the two vessels together with one hand.
"It's okay. You're going to be fine. Why don't you drink a little water. And take some deep breaths."
Olivia was calm and collected, doing her best to reassure her.
"I definitely can't paddle anymore," she said. "I don't have any strength in my arms."
"That's okay, don't worry about it. Let's just catch our breath for a moment."
