Rachel entered the large room through two heavy wood oak doors that opened in the middle. The sign just outside the door said Spa Retreat. "It was just as the brochure had shown," she thought to herself, but only nicer.
Rachel had never been to a resort before; and was surprised by the spaciousness of what she imagined a simple spa room might look like.
"This room is bigger than my entire house," she said softly while standing in semi awe. She thought it reminded her of pictures she had seen of celebrity homes; or maybe something out of a magazine spread for "Architectural Digest."
The room was a very large space spanning at least forty to fifty feet across. Looking towards the ceiling Rachel estimated it must have been at least two stories high but maybe higher. She counted at least ten elegant chandeliers gracefully hanging in different spots to provide all the lighting this space would ever need. Walking slowly around the room she observed all of the décor to be of very high quality. She periodically ran her hands over the expensive looking furnishings as she strolled past. She noticed two large wood etched pillars that stretched from floor to ceiling that seemed to be supporting the structure. Both looked like they were placed in a perfect location to frame the ocean view leading out to the terrace that one would immediately see when they entered the room.
The space had one wall that was half moon shaped or circular, with large windows following the entire length of its gentle curve. Each window stood at least twelve feet high and six feet across with little to no wall space separating them. This created the appearance of one continuous window that followed the entire contour of the wall. They were also two large French glass doors that split the curved wall in half, leading out to a beautiful stone terrace that had views of the blue ocean for miles in every direction.
The floor of the room was no less ornate. It consisted of thick high end glossy stone tile, with elaborate designs etched into the center of each stone. Rachel thought it was similar to something she had seen in an art book depicting a Roman bath house from centuries ago. The rest of the space was just as exquisite with high end art on the walls, and statues perfectly placed in every nook and cranny of this palatial retreat.
Rachel could not help herself from the nagging feeling that she did not belong. She worried that there might be some unforeseen etiquette she was not following due to her being out of her element. She compared it to her first glass of wine at a fancy restaurant, when the waiter unexpectedly handed her the cork to smell as is customary; with her having no clue on what to do with it.
"Relax girl, you're on vacation. Get out of your head," she said quietly but out loud; trying to calm her sudden anxiety.
A steady breeze was cutting through the room through the open terrace doors. It brought with it an ocean fragrance that was delighting Rachel's senses. She paused and took a deep breath filling her lungs with the clean fresh air.
Scanning the room some more, she saw one large massage table nearest to one of the windows facing out to the ocean; and two smaller ones nearby. Just a few feet away there was a spread of what looked to be various tropical fruits and mini sandwiches placed decoratively on a table. There was three clear glass pitchers of different colored liquids with drinking glasses stacked neatly nearby. She walked up closer to the table to see if anything appealed to her and noticed the fruit spread was coated with a white sugary glaze that looked very edible. In the background she could hear soft Hawaiian or Calypso style music that seemed to perfectly round out this beautiful set up.
Rachel immediately found her hips swaying a bit as she stood looking out the doors to the ocean. She started to quietly hum along with the catchy tune playing softly in the background, as she strolled some more around the premise. She reminded herself to inquire who the artist on the recording was when she was leaving; thinking it would make for a nice memory of the trip when she returned home. The music seemed to have a way of calming her nerves while she continued to immerse herself in the sights and sounds of everything around her.
Rachel then walked through the French doors leading her outside onto the stone terrace. She looked out at the water and wondered if Tim was anywhere in sight. She never thought of him as much of a fisherman, but how could he pass up the opportunity to fish off a beautiful luxury yacht for free. Fishing was not her thing; and he never mentioned it as something he was interested in. But she did hope he was enjoying himself.
Rachel took in another deep breath, filling her lungs with the ocean breezes that were softly pampering her body. She thought about the resort restaurant where she and Tim had attended dinner last night soon after their arrival on the island. She smiled to herself pondering the unlikely events of the evening that brought her to this point of good fortune.
"A small mistake on a dinner order," she shook her head in disbelief while pondering the thought.
Rachel and Tim had both just sat down to dinner and ordered the lobster, but both orders came back wrong. She received a Tuna dish of some sort, and Tim got Sea Bass.
She laughed to herself with the over the top response they received from the owner when they told their waiter of the error. The restaurant manager was so apologetic they both ended up feeling uncomfortable, and wished they had said nothing. The incorrect dishes looked very tasty anyway. They figured they should have just ate what was placed before them and been happy with that.
"Sir...Madam...I want to apologize for such a blatant and disrespectful error." said the manager, who Rachel could not recall his name. "I assure you this is not common place in our humble establishment, and you will be compensated greatly for your inconvenience." the manger continued.
Rachel was the first to respond. "Really, it's no big deal." offering a genuine smile. "It's ok," pausing for a second. "It's just a small little mistake," she continued in a very sympathetic tone.
Tim agreed while gently waving his hand indicating it was ok. "It's really alright," he said following Rachel's sentiment.
The manger quietly whispered instructions to the waiter who was patiently standing nearby; then both turned and walked back into the kitchen after thanking Rachel and Tim for their kindness.
Shortly thereafter the waiter re appeared perfectly balancing a large circular tray on one of his broad shoulders. Rachel's first thought was how easy he appeared to control such a large platter with little to no effort. She quickly moved to assist him by pushing the tables' decorative center piece to one side allowing him easier access to the space. He then gracefully placed each oversized plate in front of the eager couple. This feat of acrobatics was all done under the watchful eye of the manger who stood just a few feet back.
"Why, thank you madam," the waiter stated acknowledging her assistance.
Rachel smiled and looked wide eyed at the feast placed before her.
"You are so welcome," she cheerfully responded.
