Chapter 15

There was a six am morning huddle with the other Genies to discuss any issues they may have come upon.

Gio refused to grumble. He had never needed much sleep, but it was pushing it to schedule a huddle so soon after the busiest day of a tour. It was even more evident that it was pointless when no one reported any issues or complaints and Nicco kept trying to find something to talk about.

"And Mr. Anello, how is your American? You weren't at yesterday's muster drill."

He raised a brow. "I informed Matthew that my guest would be attending the fairground muster. We didn't ditch it."

"Why couldn't she muster with everyone else? Is she that much of a prima donna?"

"Not at all," he replied trying not to show his annoyance. "Not all guests want to spend over an hour taking a tour of something that doesn't interest them."

Nicco was quiet for a moment. "Well she also didn't attend dinner last night."

"Neither did my guests," Carlos said in exasperation. "So what? My guests flew in from Calcutta and were tired. They ate at the buffet. Guest's do it all the time."

"Of course, I know that!" Nicco snapped. "She just seems to be a problem."

You're too stupid to respond to, Gio thought while ignoring him.

Nicco continued to stare at him. "If you want to switch back, I'll allow it." He said. "I'll take my original guest back and you can take yours back."

Gio grinned at him. "So, your guests aren't to your liking, huh?"

"It's not that," Nicco said too quickly.

"How many times did your guests send you to fetch ice cream for the kid and drinks for the husband and wife?" Paolo asked while hiding his grin. "I saw you at the bar four different times.

Nicco inhaled. "Dismissed."

II

It was almost eight am when Sidney was finally able to pull herself out of a comfortable sleep. She lay there for a few minutes enjoying the luxurious feel of the bed, stretching her limbs to each of it's four corners.

When she was finally able to get out of its cloud-like comfort, Sidney slipped on her Kimono and opened the curtains and then walked out onto the upper level balcony.

She stood on the balcony for a few minutes just enjoying the sight of the endless miles of water. Anxious to start her day, she showered, dressed and placed the remainder of the articles from her carry-on bag on either the dressing table or in the lingerie drawer.

She could hear soft music from the speakers on the lower level and went downstairs curious as to what other surprises Gio might have waiting for her. There was a bowl of fresh fruit on the dining room table to let her know that besides turning on the music, he had already been there.

There was also a menu on the table, and she carried it into the kitchen so that she could get a drink in order to take her morning vitamins. She was hit with the delicious aroma of coffee and then the equally delicious sight of Gio cooking at the stove.

"Good morning, madam," he said while flashing her a smile. "Did you sleep well?" He pushed back a small skillet from the burner, and she saw a plate of crepes that he had already prepared.

"I had the best sleep ever," she replied. Today he was dressed in slacks that fit him perfectly without being overly tight—although she would not have complained if they were tighter. He also wore a light blue polo shirt with a gold watch around his wrist. Instead of the hard-bottomed dress shoes of yesterday he wore black loafers, which seemed good for walking.

She was wearing white beachcombers and a white shirt that showed a brightly colored picture of a black woman wearing a colorful headscarf.

"Coffee or tea? Or would you prefer juice?" He asked.

"Juice for starters. I need to take these vitamins. Orange juice is fine but if you have peach juice that would be even better." She'd had it for the first time at the hotel and it had been amazing.

"We do not have peach," he had the refrigerator door opened, "but there is pink grapefruit, cranberry, orange juice and milk.

She took a seat at the breakfast bar. "OJ is fine." He poured her a small glass of the juice. "I see that you have the breakfast menu. What may I serve you for breakfast?"

"I didn't know you were a cook." She said.

He shook his head and returned to the stove. "Your kitchen is not stocked for me to prepare elaborate meals. I will give your food order to the chef downstairs. But crepes are simple and nice for traveling, so I shall send these with you. They can be spread with preserves made fresh by our chefs, or cheese and meat."

The crepes smelled good, but she liked his idea of having them later. She also liked watching him cook.

Sidney spied a platter of croissants, rolls, Danishes and other bread with several whipped butters.

"Can you make me an omelet?" She asked? "And then I'll have that with a croissant."

"I can prepare a delicious omelet for you." He removed the last crepe and turned to her. "What kind would you like?"

"Gio, I'm a foodie. I would eat the eyeball from a wildebeest if it smells good enough."

He gave her a surprised look and then threw his head back and laughed. "Gotcha," he said with a smile.

Sidney felt butterflies in her stomach at the sight of his amusement. She liked it so much better than his stiff propriety. But it was his job to be stiff and proper, although, she couldn't help remembering last night and their subtle flirtation.

"Is it okay if I watch you cook?" She asked, not wanting to be invasive but also interested in watching him cook.