Maid for the Rock Star by Demelza Carlton Read Free Book Online Page B

dark. Just because she was on call didn't mean she'd be called, and Serge was certainly good company. "Sure. I'll swipe some beach towels from the laundry to sit on and we'll make a picnic of it."
    After dinner, they met outside the staff accommodation. Audra slung a couple of towels around her neck, while Serge carried a cooler box full of ice that rattled against the bottles inside with every step.
    They reached the beach, only to discover that the tide was in and there wasn't enough dry sand to lay a towel.
    "Is there anyone in Villa Penguin?" Serge asked, staring at the waves trying to lick their feet.
    Audra snorted. "That's a weird name for a pearl. You can't be serious. I don't believe there's a Villa Penguin."
    "Sure there is. It's the little one with a private jetty. If you haven't found it yet, I guess no one's booked it." Serge led the way along the path to the Pearl Villas.
    The houses were all dark as Audra and Serge crossed the compound, the flip-flopping thongs on their feet lit up by the glowing path-side lamps. Jungle abruptly ended and the cobbled path gave way to wooden boardwalk, extending out into the water.
    "Villa Penguin's private jetty," Serge said, pointing to the sign that proclaimed just that.
    Audra laughed softly and shook her head as she led the way along the boards. The scrape and thump of Serge's footfalls behind her was the only sound above the sibilant splash of waves on the jetty. Spreading the towels out at the very end, she settled on one and stretched her toes out over the edge.
    Serge sat down beside her and flipped open the cooler box. "Smokey or Pearlers?"
    Audra shrugged and reached for the nearest bottle. It was too dark to see the label. With the aid of Serge's bottle opener, the caps tinkled to the deck and they both drank. She tasted the bitter notes as she swallowed – then almost choked as it burned down her throat, as if she'd drunk whisky and not beer. "What the hell was that?" she gasped, squinting at the bottle. By the dim glow of Serge's phone, they read the label. "Chilli beer? What kind of sadistic bastard makes beer out of chilli?"
    Serge switched his beer for hers. "Only in Broome. Have mine. It tasted like some sort of tropical fruit."
    Not wanting to be caught out again, Audra checked the label first. "Lychee. Yeah, that's fruit. Fruit beer. Only in Broome, all right." When she felt the alcohol warming her from the inside, she lay back and stared up at the Milky Way, spanning the sky in the sort of glorious display she'd never see in the city at home. "I'll be dreaming of stars tonight."
    "Me, too." Serge lay down beside her. "What else do you dream of?"
    For a moment, she wondered if he was asking about her night-time dreams. No way in hell was she telling him about her fantasy involving Chris Hemsworth, a packet of Tim Tams and a jar of Nutella. Admittedly, lately Jay had taken his place in her dreams, along with an extra jar of hazelnut spread, but she wasn't going to tell Serge about that, either.
    As if he'd sensed her confusion, he added, "You'll think it's silly, but what I dream of most is having a secure job. One where I don't need to worry about the weather or the economy or anything. A job where I can earn enough money to live off, and never have to worry about being laid off as long as I do my job right. And then I spend a day working for a bloke with a toothache and realise I want more. I want a steady income, yeah, but I also want my own gym. In the city, not near my family's farm. One where everyone gets one-on-one time with a personal trainer and a wrist tracker, to help them monitor their goals. And small classes, where the instructor's not just up the front, but making sure people do the moves right and get the most benefit they can out of it. With a meal service to help people who want to lose weight or improve their nutrition, too. A one-stop shop." He laughed softly. "That'll only ever be a dream, though. The amount of money I'd need to start my