The Rock Star and the Billionaire

Part 9

NINE

The pilot lifted down her bag and set it on the paving beside the helipad. "If you need me, get Reception to give me a call. They know how to reach me."

Gaia stared at him. "You mean you're not staying here? What happened to being at my disposal? I expressly asked – "

"My baby and I are at your service during your stay here, but I live on the mainland. At the pearl farm. You need us, just call, and I'll be here within a half-hour. You're on Broome time now, Ms Vasse. Welcome to the Kimberleys." With a jaunty wave, he jumped back into his helicopter and slammed the door.

Gaia backed away from the spinning blades, looking from her bags to the helicopter and back again. "What about my things? Aren't you going to carry them inside for me?"

He evidently hadn't heard her over the engine, as he continued grinning as he lifted off the ground, taking his aircraft out of sight over the palm trees. The man had no respect whatsoever. She wished she'd gotten his name so she could report him to his superiors.

A blonde girl came flying around the corner, breathless with excitement. Or from running, Gaia decided, though there was definite excitement. "Oh, Miss Vasse, welcome to Romance Island Resort! It's such an honour to have you here." When Gaia didn't respond, the girl continued, "I'm Philomena, but you can call my Philly. I can't believe it. I've barely been here a week and I get to meet you. Let me take your bags." She struggled with them, but still managed to lift them off the ground before staggering off the way she'd come.

After a moment's hesitation, Gaia decided to follow her. A large building became visible through the palm trees – all two storeys of it. Presumably, this was the hotel proper, where she planned on putting her staff. It probably wasn't as compact as the standard camp accommodation they were used to, but if the luxury fittings were part of the price she paid for the resort, at least it would save her the cost of a renovation for a few years until the miners wore everything out. Then she could replace everything with more utilitarian facilities, and use the resort as the labour camp for all the nearby islands.

"How many rooms does the hotel have?" Gaia demanded.

"Um...around fifty, I think," Philomena said. "Plus the villas, of course."

Fifty wasn't enough for the number of staff she needed to house. With such luxury accommodation, they could share, she decided. A place like this would have king sized beds, which were easy to separate into two singles. Once those reached the end of their useful life, she'd replace them with bunk beds. A temporary measure, the staff would be told, until they no longer asked about it and accepted their working conditions. After all, most other mines were laying off staff. They'd consider themselves lucky to have a job here.

"Of course, you're in the jewel of the Pearls, as you'd expect. Villa Maxima." The girl beamed as if the names should mean something to Gaia.

"When is my meeting with the manager?" Gaia asked, bringing the conversation back to business. At least, business she understood. Pearls were a business for some people, after all.

"Which manager?"

"The manager of the hotel!" Gaia snapped.

"Oh. I'll have to check." Philomena propped open a door with one of Gaia's bags, then followed her into the hotel foyer. "Let me get you checked in, with your ID and everything, and then I'll page the manager."

Ten minutes later, with an uncomfortable band clipped to her wrist that Philomena assured her she had to wear as her access pass to the resort facilities, as well as its being the key to her room, Gaia settled in one of the foyer couches, refusing to leave until the manager came to greet her.