I scanned around the bright room to recall where I was. Once the environment had settled in, I nodded my head. Catina had returned with a cup of ice, I assumed to help cool my body temperature. I was drenched in sweat. Azmir looked so concerned and worried. I didn’t know what to say, but clearly saw that I had to say something.
“Must be the altitude,” I managed a chuckle. He exhaled. “Don’t forget this is my first time in this type of aircraft. How much longer do we have anyway?” I asked in diversion.
“The captain just announced about two hours,” he muttered with his eyes shut and balled up. I couldn’t fight. I had none in me. I needed him to know that, so I leaned into him, forcing his embrace. After no time he pulled his arms around me and sighed, “Ms. Brimm, you’re concerning me,” before kissing me on the top of my head.
For the remainder of the flight I struggled to keep all thoughts of Harrison at bay. Azmir challenged me to a game of chest. Catina offered us lunch, but my nerves were still settling and didn’t leave room for much of an appetite, so I declined and Azmir followed suit. Instead, we opted for light snacks and cocktails. By the time we landed, I’d felt more relaxed and ironically Azmir appeared the same.
Once on the ground, the captain announced our arrival in Tahiti. Oh, my!! I gasped and looked over to Azmir who looked as pensive as he always does when trying to surprise me. “Azmir, I’ve never been to a Polynesian Island before! This is a girl’s dream!”
He gave a nod and mirthless chuckle as he cleared his tray area so that we could disembark the cab. On our way out, the captain and co-captain were awaiting to bid goodbye and thank us for choosing their airline. Azmir is mildly gracious while I was awestruck by the entire experience at that point.
We arrived to our hotel and in traditional Polynesian fashion, we were escorted to a large, luxurious overwater bungalow. We traveled a ways from the reception area of the resort to a secluded portion of the property where there is lots more privacy than the other bungalows. The water is breathtakingly blue and clear, so transparent that you can see to the floor of the ocean. Our front view is in a private groove so that we see miles of water ahead. It isn’t until you travel to the back of the bungalow that you see other dwellings in the distance. Azmir did ensure privacy. This is really exclusive.
The bungalow sat two stories high with the bedroom on the top floor. The first floor had a full kitchen, fairly large living area with oversized sofas and a plasma television mounted on the wall. There was a billiard room off to the rear of the house as well as a laundry closet, dining room, office, and powder room. The front of the house opened up to the water and had a walk-out balcony that led to an in-ground pool and inches away from that is an outdoor dining deck that you must walk through about four to six inches of water to get to.
Azmir also advised me that we’d be surrounded by water. Shoes weren’t very necessary for this trip. In fact, we shouldn’t be needing many clothes either. This was heaven on earth. It was so serene that I took a few seconds to give God thanks for His creation. It was divine...and so was Azmir.
“Does it meet your satisfaction, Ms. Brimm?” Azmir called out to me as he stood in the main doorway with the property manager. Talk about customer satisfaction. What complaints could I have thus far?
I nod my head. Azmir turns to him and says, “Jack, you have the lady’s satisfaction and therefore my approval. We’re good.” He politely shook his hand. Jack turned on his heels to leave. Azmir joined me on the outdoor dining deck and stood beside me, admiring the view.
“Mr. Jacobs, you’re making it very hard for the man that comes after you—you know,” I say, partially serious, considering Harrison’s heeding.