SEVEN
"Audra!" someone shouted.
She switched off the vacuum cleaner, dragging her eyes away from the sweaty, well-muscled man bench-pressing by the window. "Yes?"
The personal trainer lowered his voice. "Message for you from Reception. One of your guests needs help with the TV."
Her guests? Since when did she have her own guests? And didn't Engineering or IT normally handle technology issues? "What room?"
Serge pointed to his ID. "Villa Maxima."
Audra checked her wrist and, sure enough, Maxima scrolled across the ID display. Of course. Mr Rock Star needed a maid to turn on his television, most likely. Couldn't press the buttons himself because he didn't know how. Probably couldn't even find them.
"Get him to call Engineering," she said, reaching for the vacuum's power button without even glancing at it.
"The Pearls get maid service. Jackie used to complain about it, too. VIPs can't call tech support on their own. That's what you're for." Serge shrugged. The movement flexed his arm muscles and put the bench-presser to shame. "Can you see if any of them need a personal trainer this week? Or a fitness class? I'm low on bookings and if they don't pick up, Adam won't need an assistant any more. I'll have to go back to the farm, working sixteen-hour days again. Not to mention I won't get enough hours to be certified so I can leave the farm forever. If one of the VIPs requests daily yoga or pilates or personal training..." He looked hopeful.
Someone else who desperately wanted out of the life family and fate had forced upon him. How could she refuse? "I'll see what I can do," Audra replied. "You could always suggest wellness classes for staff, or let them attend the guest programmes. I know Pamela would love a yoga class and Penny complains daily that she can't do some sort of dance fitness programme here." She found Serge staring at her. "What?"
"If I get approval for staff classes, would you be there?"
She knew that look, but she blushed anyway. "Maybe, if my roster allows. And this VIP doesn't want to tie me up in his room for the duration of his stay. If I'm not in the staff dining room at six, can you come rescue me?"
Serge grinned. "Gladly."
Audra tucked the vacuum cleaner into the gym's cleaning cupboard and set out through the jungle to Villa Maxima. Flying fish skimmed across the lagoon and she wished she owned a camera good enough to catch them at play. One day, she promised herself. One day she'd earn enough money to come here as a guest on holiday with an SLR camera. But that day would be a long time coming.
She reached the door and paused to take a deep breath. Patience, calm and don't kill the VIP, she told herself. Then she rapped on the frosted glass door. "Maid service, Mr Felix."
"It's open."
It wasn't, so she swiped her wristband, waiting for the intercom to beep as it had earlier.
The door hissed open. Audra swallowed her surprise and strode inside. She should be used to automatic doors by now.
"In here."
Audra followed the sound of his voice to the theatre room, where he lay sprawled across the modular sofa in his black boxer briefs and nothing else. He reached down to scratch his sizeable, cotton-clad bulge.
Clearing her throat, Audra began, "Reception said you were having trouble with the TV?" She crossed the floor so she could focus on the screen and not the chiselled man tempting her like a bar of the best chocolate. The dickhead had a body that rivalled Serge's. Speaking of Serge... "If you like, I'll arrange to get a repair crew from Engineering out here. I could arrange some other activity for you in the meantime. Perhaps book you a session with the personal trainer in the gym..." She squinted at the screen. The picture seemed to be just fine, if a bit blurred. It took her a moment to realise what she was seeing projected across the wall. Then she didn't know where to look. "I take it you don't want to watch the adult movie channel?" Audra enquired, trying to keep a straight face. She'd heard every excuse in the book for why hotel guests had accidentally accessed the channel. She wondered if he'd have a new one.
Jay laughed. "Babe, I'm a rock star. p**n goes with the territory. I don't usually watch it alone, is all."
"Ah." She really didn't know what to say. Had he called her to come and watch adult movies with him? She heartily hoped that wasn't included in her job description.
"Nah, it's this awesome b*****b the chick did. Here, check it out." To Audra's horror, he flipped the movie back to a different scene and made it play. Her mouth dropped open as she watched the male p**n star's genitals disappear down his co-star's throat, while he grinned beneath his moustache and made a lot of noise to express his evident pleasure. An excruciatingly long moment later, Jay paused the film on an extreme close-up of the action. "There. Can you do that?"
"No." In fact, Audra didn't think any normal woman could.
"Aw, c'mon, babe. For me. Give it a shot." His boxer briefs landed on the floor beside her foot.
Audra took a deep breath, forcing her eyes to face forward and under no circumstances glance at the hot, n***d rock star on the couch behind her. If she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to resist him.
"Mr Felix."
"Babe, once you've sucked my c**k, you can call me Jay."
Thank you, coarse-tongued creep for breaking the spell. Two more deep breaths and she managed to find the strength to refuse. "Mr Felix, I think you've confused maid service with the services of a p********e. My job description doesn't include s****l favours. I can contact Reception and ask them to arrange transport for you to the brothel in town, where you can – "
"Babe, I'm a f*****g rock star. I don't need to pay for s*x. I have chicks lining up to suck my d**k. f**k, they'd pay me for it."
Reluctantly, Audra turned to face the arrogant prick. She held his gaze, not trusting herself to look anywhere else. "Please don't swear at me, Mr Felix. And I hate to tell you this, but there isn't anyone waiting outside. Perhaps your adoring fans aren't aware that you're here. If there were such a queue, I'd be able to escort the first lady in line inside to see to your...needs." She heard the distaste in her voice and changed the subject. "So can I report to Reception that your TV is now working fine and get back to my other duties?"
His eyebrows scrunched up so they almost met across his red nose. In fact, his whole face had turned red. "I just want you to suck my d**k while I watch p**n. What do I have to do to get a b*****b?"
"I don't know, Mr Felix. All I do know is that it's not my job. Perhaps I can ask Reception to call the brothel to send an expert over?"
"I don't need to pay for s*x!" he bellowed. "Is that what you're after? Money? Fine. How much does it take for a man to get a b*****b from you?" He reached for his wallet and pulled out a wad of bills.
"I'm sorry, Mr Felix." She wasn't, but it sounded civil to say so. "It would take flying pigs, a cold day in hell and the sun to rise in the west, and I still wouldn't do it. Because I'd lose my job." She forced herself to smile. "I hope you have a pleasant evening." Audra turned her back and strode toward the front door. How fate could grant an arsehole like him a body so perfect...nothing in life was fair.
"You expect me to deal with this hard-on by myself?" His voice shifted up an octave.
Audra thought she heard a note of desperation. Good. Maybe it was time life evened up the score a bit. For all the nights she'd lusted after him and never been properly satisfied.
"You have two hands, Mr Felix. I understand that's all a lonely single man needs." She clamped her lips together and forced herself to remain calm until the door closed behind her. She blinked in the late afternoon sunlight, feeling like she'd been inside a surreal film and the real world was definitely a relief. Sunset tinted the path as she followed the yellow brick road away from the rock star the newspapers called the Wizard of Aus.
Once she'd rounded the corner and Villa Maxima vanished from sight, she broke into a sprint for the main building. She had to get to Dennis before the dickhead called security to get her fired. Or before she turned around and did something she'd really regret.