What could I possibly need? Rachel thought. “I am sure I will be fine. Thank you. Thank you so much for today. It was wonderful.”
“You are very welcome. Good night.” Simone turned and closed the door behind her.
Rachel went into the bathroom. The tub was big enough to fit two people comfortably. She wondered if she should take a bath. Why not? Simone didn’t say I can’t.
Rachel gingerly approached the tub, waiting for someone to bring her fantasy day to a crashing halt. She glanced around the opulent space. It was very quiet except for the soft music coming out of the speakers. Returning to the bedroom, she looked around for some indication as to how to turn off the music when she spotted a panel on the wall. She peered at it. It controlled the music, air-conditioning, and lighting. All very high-tech. She scrutinized the buttons, trying not to make a mistake, and decided the button with the musical note must be for the sound system. Here goes, she thought as she pressed the down-facing arrow. Silence. She breathed a sigh of relief, returned to the tub area, and prepared a bath. There were several jars of bath salts on the ledge. Eyeing the jars, Rachel lifted the lid off each one and sniffed. She picked the lavender one.
Rachel immersed herself in the deep tub, soaking away her anxiety about what the next day would bring. So far, it had been a whirlwind, but she reminded herself of that old expression: “All good things must come to an end.” Then she remembered Liam’s teachings about manifesting. Paraphrasing him, she recalled the message: If you think negative thoughts, then you will attract negative energy . If you think positive thoughts, you will attract positive energy. That’s when it dawned on her that she had not seen Liam to say good-bye. He of all people should have given her some insight as to what to expect. Oh well. I’m here now.
Rachel drifted off to sleep until the water in the tub reached an uncomfortable temperature. She bolted upright and tried to get her bearings. When she remembered where she was, she quickly exited the tub, wrapped herself in a velour robe, and headed to the bedroom, where the pajamas waited for her on a chaise lounge. She slipped into the pajamas, then into the bed. She relived the events of the day until she finally fell into a deep slumber.
The next morning, there was a light tap on her door. It was Simone. “May I come in?”
“Oh yes!” Rachel jumped out of bed and hoped she didn’t look too disheveled.
Simone was already dressed in a peach jumpsuit with a wide belt. Her handbag and shoes completed her outfit. Rachel couldn’t help but notice what a stunning and exotic beauty Simone was. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, my love. And today you, too, will look your most beautiful best.” She made a hand gesture, indicating for Rachel to get up. “Come. We have much to do. There is breakfast waiting.”
“Should I wear the same thing I wore yesterday?”
“No, my love. Most of the clothes were delivered. Take a quick shower, and I will bring them in here.” Simone left the room and fetched the dozens of shopping bags, garment bags, and shoe boxes that were piled in the foyer. She called into the bathroom, “Wear a tank top with one of the cargo pants. You want to be comfortable.”
When Rachel finished her shower, she returned to the bedroom. Her mouth was agape, seeing the dozens of boxes, and bags of clothes. She knew they had done a lot of shopping, but since they hadn’t carried anything home, she had no idea how much had been purchased. And by whom? She shrugged and began to peek into the shopping bags. It could take her an hour to find the cargo pants, but then she remembered they were from Dolce & Gabbana. It was the leopard tank top that had caught her eye. She picked out a pair of Stuart Weitzman thongs to go with it. She quickly got dressed and met up with Simone on the balcony, where a fruit platter, yogurt, and herbal tea awaited.
“You look lovely,” Simone commented. “By the end of the day, you should be ready to move on to the next step.”
Rachel didn’t dare ask what that was. At the moment, she was just along for the ride.
After they finished breakfast, they met the driver who would take them to Salon Ethos on the other side of Biscayne Bay. As they crossed the Julia Tuttle Causeway, Rachel could see the massive estates on the private islands. One of them belonged to Daniel J. Ruffing. But Rachel had no idea that there was a billionaire funding most of The Haven’s properties. But it wasn’t because he was altruistic. Not in any way, shape, or form. He was a businessman. A very rich and crafty one.
Salon Ethos was all abuzz with loud music, people laughing, blow-dryers humming. Simone was greeted once again as if she had been there a hundred times. A flamboyant young man with streaked-blond hair and leather pants that looked like they had been spray-painted on greeted them with, “Simone! Darling!” and air kisses.
“Trigger! Nice to see you.” Simone air-kissed him in return. “Meet Rachel.”
“Hello, sweetness! Welcome to the magic!” Trigger waved his hand around the room. “Let’s have a look at you.” He escorted Rachel to a chair in the back. He looked at Simone. “So, sister, what did you have in mind?”
“Trigger, I am going to leave it up to you, my love. Hair, nails, pedi, and makeup.”
“Any particular occasion?” Trigger tilted his head to the left, then to the right, sizing up the day’s challenge.
“She is starting a new position. She needs a bit of polish and style. I have every confidence you will know what to do.” Simone gave him a nod and looked over at Rachel. “I’ll be back later.”
By the end of the session, Rachel had gone from mousy-brown hair to a ginger shade of red. Her unruly curls became a straight bob, with her hair lightly brushing her neck. Her nails were polished in a French manicure, with matching toes; and the makeup was striking but not freakish. She barely recognized herself when he was done.
Rachel stared into a full-length mirror. If the girls at the diner could see me now. And the other Pledges? They would be green with envy. Except for Gabby. How she wished she could share this with her. Then Simone’s words echoed in her head, You may never return to The Haven.
Chapter Fourteen
Myra was pacing the floor, stroking her pearls as if she were waiting for a genie to appear. In fact, she was waiting for Maggie, Alexis, and Yoko to arrive, so they could get their instructions.
Charles approached her from behind and placed his arms around her waist. “What are you fretting about, old girl?”
Myra turned into his arms and placed her head on his shoulder. “You know I always get concerned when the girls are away from our home base.”
“And I must say, you do a marvelous job of concealing your worries.” Charles nuzzled her neck. “But it’s the pearls that always give it away. It’s your ‘tell.’ ”
“Oh, Charles, I don’t think I’m over the time when Annie went missing.” Myra sighed.