from Chapter Eight: The Villa Creole

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by Xave

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That week we talked on the phone everyday and finally Friday came. At four o'clock, Liz arrived at the office with a small suitcase and I had a driver take us to the hotel.
The Villa Creole was a wonderful place. Although near the heart of Pétion-Ville, everything was designed to give a feeling of secluded luxury. A private road led off the main street and past the El Rancho Hotel, another landmark of the city. One Sunday a month, I would spend the day at the Villa. Almost always I came alone and stayed all day drinking, resting, and sometimes reading by the pool until well after sunset. I would have lunch by the pool and an elegant dinner in the dining room. This was the one place where even though the staff all knew me by name, I made no effort to know theirs. I was always polite but I went there to get away from everyone, not to socialize. The Villa was my secret hideout. The only exception was Sam, the bartender. Being on a first-name basis with the man who poured my drinks was an absolute necessity for someone who depended on booze as much as I did.
The driver parked under the canopy and I helped Liz out of the Jeep. The entrance to the hotel was a showcase of elegant Mediterranean style with distinctly Haïtian accents. All the wrought iron gates and security bars throughout the hotel were decorated with intricate patterns in the shapes of hearts, crosses, and stars, the traditional symbols of Haïtian folklore. Contrasting nicely with the iron work around the lobby were paintings by Haïtian masters. The lobby may have been the showcase, but the entire hotel was an art gallery. While Liz looked at the paintings, I walked up to the front desk and the manager on duty, a very professional looking young woman, greeted me with a smile. “Well, Mr. Pierre, I see you'll be spending the entire weekend with us. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”
As I signed in, I said, “I’m sure everything will be perfect as always, but if I need anything I won’t hesitate.” I was about to walk away when I had a thought. I turned back and flashed a quick look at her name badge. “Actually, there is something: flowers. Can you have the room filled with flowers? And a bottle of champagne, of course.”
“Mr. Pierre, flowers on such short notice…” The manager looked in Liz’ direction and then smiled at me. “Let me see what I can do.”
I was relieved and very grateful. “Thank you, Maude. I really appreciate this. Use your discretion and put it all on my account.”
Maude couldn't hide her surprise. In the two years she had worked at the Villa it was the first time I had ever referred to her by name. “Of course, Mr. Pierre. Always a pleasure to serve one of our best clients.”
“How much time do you need?” I asked.
She considered what needed to be done. “At least thirty minutes, but no more than an hour. Why don’t you have some drinks at the bar and I’ll let you know when everything is ready?”
“Perfect,” I said with a smile. When Maude realized I was trying to make eye-contact, she smiled shyly and lowered her gaze. It suddenly occurred to me that Maude was a very attractive young lady and I wondered why I had never noticed before. Then I remembered Liz, turned, walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her. “Honey, let’s go have a few drinks and relax.”
Liz reached behind and grabbed my ass. “Can’t we go to our room first and check things out?”
As tempted as I was, Maude needed time to fix the room, so I had to distract Liz. Besides, I could always use a drink. “Oh, baby! Do behave.” My Austin Powers impression wasn't very good, but it made her laugh. We took our bags and went to the bar. It wasn’t far but to get there we had to go through a large open area with a grand piano on a round platform about fifteen feet across. The platform was layered in white marble. In fact, all the floors in the public areas of the hotel were tiled with various shades and colors of marble. Beyond the piano lounge and down six steps was the formal dining area. Beyond that and down another six steps was the main bar.

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Copyright © 2007-2008 Xavier Pierre Jr. All rights reserved.

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