Distant+Whispers

was located at the center of the hotel. Guest rooms surrounded it on all four sides. Near the pool’s
entrance a young, East Indian couple was nestled in the shadows at one of the poolside tables,
whispering and losing themselves in each other’s gazes. At the far end of the pool area Petra saw a
solitary figure seated at another poolside table, his forehead couched in one hand. He had his back to
Petra and was engrossed in the lines and multi-colored shapes on his brightly lit computer. She eased
up behind the seated figure and inhaled softly.
“Hello, good night, Denmark.”
Denmark twisted around, re-adjusting his eyes from the bright screen to the darkened pool area.
The shadowy figure standing behind him slowly materialized like a photo in a dark room. First the
outline of her dark legs, then the angling skirt that revealed her small waist, the soft outline of her
breasts against her blouse, her carved lips, her large almond-shaped eyes. Denmark tried to put on his
game face, his professional face. This was the third time he had seen her outside of the confines of
TnTClaims and each time he found himself slack-jawed, gaping. He lowered his eyes and then tried
to remember the professional rules of engagement. When he looked up again, his eyes betrayed him
and he found himself staring at her, just as he had done that day on the streets. The hotel setting didn’t
help. They were not in the sterile professional cocoon of TnTClaims. They were in a hotel, on a clear
moonless night with a dark sky saturated by stars, by a clear pool, with rainbow colors emanating
from the bottom. They were surrounded by the scent of colorful flowers that filled the ceramic vases
that circled the pool. Denmark struggled not to gaze into her eyes or drink in the fullness of her lips or
trace the soft curves of her brown body.
“Ms Eddington!” he finally forced from his lips, “Is…is everything okay?” He lowered his eyes
again. There was no part of her that couldn’t seduce him. He forced his face into a frozen lie.
Petra ran her hands along a row of butterfly orchids, variegated red with white tips, growing next
to the small trees along the edge of the pool. They were of the type that only lasted two weeks, only to
be quickly replaced by new blooms. Their aroma filled the air. Underground lights gave the wave
shaped pool an iridescent aquamarine glow.
Once again, Petra’s dark color hid her embarrassment. For a brief moment she thought she had
seen something in his face. Something she had seen in Laventille that previous Sunday. ‘How can
anyone forget you!’ Goosebumps raised on her arms.
“I live near here. I guess you never knew that. We’ve never had a chance to, umm, you know, just
talk. I just stopped by to see…if...you know…if everything’s okay!”
Denmark glanced at the computer screen and whistled. “There’s still a lot to do.”
The guilt that washed over her made her look away. Earlier that evening she and Rizwan had
turned over everything to him. He had less than twelve hours to look over their incorporation of the
desk procedures into the automated information systems and then include his assessment into his
report. And here she was, disturbing the man. She avoided his eyes, scanning the balconies and
darkened rooms. She tried to create a reason for being there.
“Do you have everything you need for tomorrow?”
“I believe so. I will need a digital projector. I told the secretary.”
“It will be there. First thing in the morning.” Actually Petra wasn’t sure and made a mental note to
pick it up herself. This was Trinidad. She didn’t want it arriving sometime in the afternoon, if at all.
“I’ll need copies of the presentation slides. About 15 to 20.” “That’s covered. Shanti, will be in
early tomorrow.”