49 The Canterbury Isles Part 1 (1/2)
The bus finally reached up to the Marina Maria Hotel and Resort.Olivia's breath was instantly taken away.The building resembled a massive, white hall the stretched outwards and could easily contain 200 rooms.To get to the hotel, one had to cross a bridge that arched over a canal that joined to small pools.Each pool had it own rock water fall with beautiful landscaping, highlighting the isles native blue gardenia flowers and two palm trees reaching upwards towards the sky.
Once inside Olivia slowly walked up to the front desk trying to take in the view.There were white pillars stretching up to the ceiling with pearl colored leaves and vines circulating around them.The floor was done in white marble but right in the center they had done a mosaic tile art of multiple pink hibiscuses, white Night-blooming cereus and and blue gardenias intertwining with one another.
She looked around again checking to see if she seen anyone she knew, again no one was around.She was tempted to give her father a call but decided to have the front desk help her out instead.”Excuse me.” she asked politely ”Can you please let me know what room the Steel family is staying in?My name is Olivia Steel, I'm staying with them.”
A sharp nose clerk looked Olivia over carefully ”ID please.” she courtly responded.”Oh yes of course!” Olivia said as she grabbed her passport from her bag ”Here you go.”The clerk looked over the passport then to Olivia and handed it back.”Give me a moment to search for your family.” she flatly said as she started typing keys into the computer.
After a moment the sharp nosed clerk narrowed her eyes on Olivia ”The Steel family has been accounted for.There is no Olivia Steel.” she said coldly.Olivia was surprised that Agni had been gutsy enough to not have her included in the registration but she took her challenge.
”I thought I would surprise me family, you see I needed to stay behind because my boyfriend had something serious ti discuss with me, I think my family was in on it and let me stay back.Was I ever shocked to find out his talk was actually him proposing!I didn't want to wait for them to come back so I came here to share the good news!” she said innocently.
The clerk's eyes sparkled with excitement at Olivia's words ”Congratulations! Yes, yes, yes your family would be so happy to hear the news!I will have someone call your father right down so he can take you to your family!”the clerk quickly picked up the phone and dialed ”Please have Mr. Steel to the front desk... just tell him a package came in.” and she hung up the phone with a huge smile on her face.
The clerk looked at Olivia, positively beaming with delight ”Honey your father will come shortly but in the mean time tell me how he proposed, oh and show me the ring!” she shouted happily.
A very confused Avery came walking up to the front desk and noticed a crowd of female employees standing around giggling and squealing.”Excuse me!” he shouted but the women kept fawning over something.”EXCUSE ME! AVERY STEEL TO PICK UP A PACKAGE?!” he shouted over the crowd of women.
Suddenly it became silent.The female employees made a path and revealed Olivia standing in the center.”Daddy!”she yelled as she ran towards him and jumped onto his chest. ”Daddy!I can't believe you hide it from me!Eli told me everything, how he came to you to ask permission to date with marriage in mind, how you gave him mom's ring, how you have been trying to stay away so you won't get hurt.Daddy you idiot!I will always be your little girl!even after Eli and I are married!” she shouted with such volume.
Olivia stared at her father's face as tears were spilling out of her eyes, she clung to the front of his shirt like he was her life line.Avery face became a mixture of pain and sorrow, he didn't know what to do, he struggled to wrap his arms around Olivia but he couldn't do.”DADDY I LOVE YOU!” Olivia wailed and Avery felt the strings hold him back start to snip away as he wrapped his arms around his baby girl.”I love you too... congratulations sweetie.” he said gently as he placed a single kiss on the top of her head.
Suddenly the crowd of people watching the touching scene burst out into cheers and applauds.
”I need to call my dad and tell him I love him!”
”I wish my daughter loved me that much”
”What a sweet daddy's girl!”
”What a lovely family.”
”What a lucky father!”
Avery pulled Olivia in closer and whispered to himself ”I'm blessed...”