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How much better would it look from the balcony itself?

Justin decided to find out beforethe coffee, and wasn’t disappointed You could see for ht to Surfer’s Paradise in the northern distance with its tell-tale skyline of skyscrapers The sea was looking breathtakingly beautiful, even noith the sun having set and the sky darkening frorey Adht be a bit too brilliant as it rose over the horizon and slaht into the s behind his it would be wonderful to sit outside here in one of the deckchairs, sipping some chilled white wine

‘I wonder if Rachel likes white wine,’ he said to himself, and seriously hoped so, because the scenario he’d just pictured in hison his own He would ask her when she got back, and if she did he’d see about having Room Service send up a bottle or two Then later he’d take her to the swankiest restaurant in the place for dinner Hotels like this always had at least one à la carte eating establishment

Rachel deserved a bit of spoiling, he decided, after all she’d been through these past few years

Justin breathed in the refreshing salt-sea air for thirty seconds longer before returning to the living area and going in search of the coffee-ed around in the cupboards that Rachel was taking a good while Presumably, the front desk was still busy Or maybe they couldn’t find another key to this room He made a mental note to find out what had actually happened Guy would want to knohat he thought of the service The last thing a nener needed to do was to have to sack staff then find replace an operation

The electric jug found, Justin filled it and put it on, then set about e a small packet of—!—quality coffee into each of the thite ood He hated hotels that supplied low-grade products He’d have to remember to ask Rachel what the shampoo and conditioner were like He could actually never tell the good from the bad in that departard

The water had boiled and Justin was standing there, deciding whether to pour his or wait for Rachel to come back, when there came a knock on the door He hurried over to answer it, tut-tutting to himself on the way

‘You don’t have to tell me,’ he said when he wrenched open the door to find Rachel on the other side ‘They didn’t have another key’

Rachel just stood there, her face ashen, her eyes anguished, her hands clutched tightly in front of her

Justin, despite not being the most intuitive male in the world, was quick to appreciate her distressed state

‘Rachel!’ he exclaimed ‘What is it? What’s happened?’

‘I…I…’