[Invitation to Eden 04.0] Hydrotherapy Read Free Page A

Mr. Vardalos over email and had become so excited about the position, that she had quit her job at the Ecstasy Spa and jumped on this chance. It was a bold move, much more like the young Jenna from St. Lucia than the woman she had become.
    While she didn't particularly like working in a spa, she needed the cash. After two contract workers had swindled both her and her mother out of their savings, Jenna had yet to regain her equilibrium. She was still living paycheck to paycheck, never seeming to get ahead. This was going to be her big opportunity. She was finally going to get her life back on track.
    As Jenna watched Simone speak with the receptionist in hushed tones, Jenna thought about the dark turn her life had taken. After her dad had an affair with a maid, her mom filed for divorce and used her part of the settlement to take Jenna to St. Lucia to start over. Her mom had put her entire savings into that company. It was her life and Jenna's inheritance. Soon after the money was stolen, her mother’s breast cancer came out of remission, and they were forced to move back to Chicago where she could undergo a more aggressive treatment—treatment Jenna had trouble paying for. When she died, the doctors had said that it was due to the breast cancer, but Jenna was convinced that her mom had died of a broken heart.
    She had taken the job at the Ecstasy Spa more or less to make ends meet, vowing one day to earn enough money to move back to St. Lucia and carry on her mother's dream. Then somewhere along the way, her dream had died along with her mother, until both had become nothing more than a distant memory.
    Then this invitation to Eden came, and Jenna saw the opportunity to finally put the past behind her and move on. With the money from this job, she could save up enough to get her hospitality management degree, and possibly open her own spa one day. While the work wasn’t exciting, it was stable. She’d be her own boss once more and would no longer need to make a choice between buying food and paying her electric bill.
    And no one would be able to hurt her again.
    “The Master will see you now.” Simone called over her shoulder and started walking toward a long, brightly-lit hallway off to her left.
    “Master?” Jenna scrunched her nose as she followed Simone. Hell, she'd call Mr. Malstrom ‘King of the World’ if it helped. She wanted this job more than she wanted air. Managing a spa was easy, and she was sure no one could be a tougher task master than her old boss, Celeste. All she had to do was to keep her head down and not create any waves. It wouldn’t do for her to say something smart and get herself fired. That had almost happened to her at the Ecstasy Spa, and she was determined not to let such trivial things get in the way of her goals again.
    Simone walked to the end of the hall and stopped at the large, office door. With a flick of the wrist, she opened it and poked in her head. “She has finally arrived, sir.”
    Jenna glanced around at the cream-colored walls and potted plants that littered the hallway. Everything looked so clean, so professional. It was an odd contrast to the resort like atmosphere of the reception area, and an even odder fit with the creepy exterior.
    Mr. Malstrom murmured something Jenna couldn't hear, and after a moment Simone straightened and stepped back from the door.
    “When you’re done, I'll come back and show you to your rooms.”
    “Thank you.” Jenna tried to smile, but it felt forced. There was something odd about that woman, and Jenna made a mental note to stay away from her as much as possible.
    Simone nodded and opened the door wider. Jenna strode into the office, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. Everything was riding on this moment. This job meant everything to her, and it was imperative that she made a positive, lasting impression.
    As the door clicked shut, Jenna quickly took in the tropical plants, modern lamps and art-deco paintings, then focused