Lost and Found - 36

36

Wednesday 15^th April 2009

Who went to Santiago? Amelia was vaguely aware of Chile, but had never really gone into much depth. But straight after the wedding she’d called Li as she packed a bag and loaded the car. By the time she arrived at Li’s front door, Li was grinning.

                “Craig said he backpacked into Santiago yesterday, he made his way there from Argentina.”

She accepted Li’s hug, and followed her into the kitchen, laughing at the way she’d started to waddle. “So I’d better pack cold then?”

Li winked, “low to mid twenties, I checked. I’ve found you a flight that leaves in seven hours. I can run you to Heathrow!”

And so without much time to contemplate, she was on a flight to Chile. A packed flight no less. She was sat between a middle aged woman who looked distinctly Chilean, and a young father whose wife and baby were the other side of the aisle. Her idea of travel hell.

So she tuned into the in flight radio and managed to find a channel churning out eighties and nineties easy rock, so she relied on Bryan Adams and Aerospace to get her to her destination. 

Amelia was aware she hadn’t thought this through, that rushing after him like some love sick teenager could backfire but she couldn’t sit and wait for him to turn up...if he ever did. She had to take the bull by the horns, at least tell him how she felt, about all that had happened. Her thoughts back when she was planning to talk to Sol hadn’t been anything more than an idea, but now that Alex’s deception was out in the open, she had this need to tell Sol, in person. It was what she’d wanted since the moment she’d heard the jewellery was missing. There was no divide anymore, nothing to judge Sol by, and she couldn’t wait to see his face.

He’d been travelling for three months; Li had told her that his absence was a real concern at the publishing house. She really hoped that this would give him some peace. Help him make decisions.

Meanwhile she had to cope with a pensioner snoring, and a squawking baby!

                “Call him,” Li had suggested as soon as she’d arrived from the wedding. “Give him warning, let him come to you. It’s been a long time, a lot has happened.”

Amelia shook her head, “I need to see him Li, now! It’s been SO long...” She’d then rather unexpectedly burst into tears. “Sorry! You are supposed to be the hormonal one, I’ve just had an awful few months, and I need to see him. Just to say sorry.”

Li nodded fully understanding.

                “What if he’s with someone else?” Daichi asked from his typical position cooking at the stove.

Li reached out and slapped his arm, rolling her eyes at him.

                “No Li, he’s got a point. He’s been travelling alone for three months, anything could’ve changed. I’ve thought this through; I just want the chance to tell him that he’s in the clear, that no one doubts him...for once. He deserves to know he’s been vindicated”

Now as she flicked her audio from Whitesnake to yet another rerun of Friends, she realised that was something she couldn’t contemplate. Not really. If he loved her as he said, then he couldn’t just fall into something else, she sighed. Talk about an all-or-nothing scenario. She just hoped that tomorrow would see her where she wanted to be, at least friends with Sol. Laughing to herself she closed her eyes, yeah friends! Like that was possible!

Santiago International airport was bustling and busy, after negotiating the immigration queue she dived into a taxi, she’d only had time to pack a few essentials; she figured she’d just buy everything she needed in Chile. Amelia ignored the fact that her nest egg was diminishing at a far greater rate than she ever imagined, but she didn’t care. Money meant nothing if she was unhappy, her father was a living indictment to that.

She checked into the same hotel as the one Craig had told her Sol was staying at. She had no plan other than that. The hotel was a large freestanding house, and if it was in London would be classed as ‘boutique’ or ‘bespoke’ and the tariff tripled, as it was it was very reasonably priced, immaculate and looked homely to someone who hadn’t slept for two days.

                “Reservation for Parkin?” she asked as an impeccably dressed receptionist approached.

The woman nodded and tapped away at her computer screen, “Si, ok. How long do you wish to stay?”

Amelia shrugged, “I’m not sure.” And she really wasn’t. She harboured this little dream that he’d open his room door she’d fly into Sol’s arms and wouldn’t leave there for days. She also knew there was a chance he could slam the door in her face. “Can I let you know tomorrow?”

The receptionist tapped away then smiled, “room 42. Second floor. The elevators are to your right.”

                “I’m looking for a friend who’s staying here. Mr Tanner? Could you tell me his room number?”

Again the lady concentrated on her computer, “he is a guest here, but I’m afraid I cannot give you his room number. Maybe you could leave a message for him?”

She groaned, spontaneity and the element surprise were the only defences she had, “I’ll let you know thanks.”

In the room she showered...for ages. It had been a long time since she’d pulled on clothes after the debacle of a wedding, and had barely had chance to clean her teeth since, let alone rest or sleep.

Clean and slightly refreshed, she lay on the bed, she wanted to sleep, her body screamed out for it. She’d been travelling all day, but locally it was only 3pm, she knew giving into sleep now would be dangerous. So she reached for the phone. Calling home...she hadn’t thought or uttered those words together in years, but suddenly catching up with her Dad was vitally important.

The phone was answered within several rings and the happy voice of Sylvia.

                “Hello?”

Amelia smiled to herself before answering, “ah, Sylvia! What are you doing in my flat this late of an evening?”

She stuttered in an embarrassed manner before the phone was so obviously snatched away from her, and her father growled down the phone, “leave the poor woman alone, she’s the only one stepping into the hole left by you going gallivanting!”

                “Ha ha! Sounds like you’re covering something up! But glad to know that you’re missing me so much!” It was such a relief to be able to joke with her father, to have that familiarity that she’d craved for so many years. “What’s happening?”

She could sense the sigh leaving her father’s lips, “well, Alex is in custody, the rest of the jewellery was retrieved from his rooms, but there were also some financial irregularities in the estate accounts and at work,” he worked at a big bank in town, and it was no surprise that he’d been up to no good there, he really was rotten to the core.

                “Wow, so this was the tip of the iceberg?”

Her father half laughed, “it seems so. Sophia has been absorbed by her family and annulled the marriage. So Alex really is at rock bottom.”

                “What about the Manor?”

                “It’s fine, Sylvia took me there today. We’re clearing out all of Alex’s things.”

Amelia felt a twinge of guilt, Alex was about to be ruined, homeless, and since his parents had died a few years ago, completely alone. Then she reminded herself that he was in the exact position she had been for several years, at his evil hand! Shaking her head, she chided herself, this was no time for misplace sentiment, somewhere out there was another person who’d been usurped, displaced by her nasty cousin, and that was why she was here, to make it right for Sol.

                “So are you thinking of moving back in? Can you manage the stairs? We can get a bed downstairs when I come back?”

There was a short pause before he spoke again, “the house is too big for me, I love this apartment, it’s enough for me, and the house was always going to be yours anyway...”

                “What?” She had to intercept, “I always thought it was going to Alex.”

He denied that instantly, “whatever happened, YOU are my daughter, my heir, not him. Though I intended to be more than generous to him in a will...before I knew what he’d done!”

They ended their talk just as Amelia had a text from Li with the room number for Sol. Craig his PA was going to be in deep trouble for all his actions.

Dressing, she wrapped her damp hair up into a clip, then made her way along various corridors until she stood outside room 21. After all the effort to get here, she couldn’t believe that she was filled with nerves. All she wanted now was to see him, to hold him, to kiss him, but she still feared his rejection more than anything.

Knocking gently Amelia fought the nausea that threatened, taking deep breaths to quell her nerves. Typical! There was no answer. But then it wasn’t yet evening, he was on an extended holiday, why would he be sat in his room?  She could leave a note, but that would counteract her element of surprise. She wanted and needed that more than ever.

So she turned to walk back to her room. She had just reached the large foyer planning to climb the single set of stairs to her floor when the lift opened and out stepped a heavily laden Sol. He hadn’t seen her, wasn’t expecting her, so she had a moment to drink him in. He was tanned, his naturally warm skin tanned to a healthy glow, his hair had grown to collar length, pulled back from his eyes by sunglasses pushed up on his head. In a t-shirt and shorts, flip-flops on his feet, he was sexier and more beautiful than she ever remembered.

He was carrying a dozen bags from various designer shops, and just as she opened her mouth to shout his name, he was followed out of the sliding doors by a rather glamorous Hispanic looking woman, all curves, smiles and tan. Amelia froze trying not to let the searing pain lancing her heart hit her to the floor. Backing against the wall she prayed for invisibility, anything to avoid this awkward confrontation.

Fortunately he turned left, and the husky voiced woman chuckled as she followed him towards the room Amelia had been knocking moments earlier. Opening the door to the stairs, she flew up the steps, along the corridor and into the safety of her room. It was only then that she fell against the pillows and started to cry. Of all the scenarios she’d played out in her head, this wasn’t one of them. She’d been prepared to argue, to defend herself, even her father, to justify so many actions. But she hadn’t dreamed he’d be with someone else. Not that she blamed him! She was quick to remind herself. She’d given him hell.

Thursday 16^th April 2009

Amelia opened her eyes to daylight. Her head hurt and her throat was as dry as a bone. Reaching for the bedside table she glanced at her watch – six am. Her last memory was crying into her pillow, that was about four yesterday afternoon. Fourteen hours sleep? She sat bolt upright stunned, she’d never slept that long in her life. Though she had been shattered.

The mini bar in the corner of her room was well stocked, so she took out a bottle of water and a packet of biscuits and wolfed both down her parched throat. She felt stiff, her body protesting at the hours of travelling then sleeping. The hotel had a heated pool, it was early, but the thought of some fresh air and physical exertion sounded perfect. She’d packed a bikini – the last few months of rushing around after her father had given her a better body than normal so she was comfortable at the thought of wearing it for a change.

Pulling a T-shirt and shorts over it, she grabbed a towel and made for the roof top level.

The pool was basking in the early morning sun, it wasn’t warm, but it was far from freezing. Diving into the water her body immediately relaxed into the warm water. It wasn’t as hot as a bath, but was definitely warmer than she’d imagined. Easing into a leisurely stroke, she covered the length of the pool several times and felt immeasurably better with each stroke. She had a lot on her agenda today, for a start she had to decide what to do. Should she go straight home? Or tell Sol anyway? After all it was his integrity that had been questioned; he deserved to know the truth.

As she hauled herself out of the water, the cold air causing goose bumps to instantly appear all over her body, two feet appeared in front of her.

                “Have you any idea how frantic everyone is?”

Slowly Amelia uncoiled to her full height to meet two angry scowling eyes. Sol. Managing to control her surprise, her desire at him appearing in front of her, she shook her head she rued the fact that she was so under dressed, she was starting to shiver, and his eyes looking her up and down did little to ease that, especially when they paused at her chest. She knew the cold was giving him quite a show in that department, his studious attentions only seemed to enhance it.

Scowling back she reached around him for the towel she’d brought with her, then wrapped it around her chilled body.  

                “Well?”

Amelia had forgotten he’d asked her a question, had even forgotten what is was, despite it all it was so good to see him. He looked a lot more stressed than he had the previous day. Stress, worry...that was a good sign she was sure. You didn’t worry if you didn’t care, did you?

Giving a half smile, she stared him out, “I’d like to get dressed before getting dressed down by you Mr Tanner. Room 42, ten minutes?”

With that she turned, grabbed her clothes and was gone, leaving him open mouthed.