Lunch at the Marina

"Oh, there you are Anton." A sweet and sexy voice filled the air as a tall and voluptuous woman clad in a bikini and a very transparent cover-up approached them and hooked her hand around Antonio's arm possessively. With her, was a middle-aged couple, dressed in elegance and power.

She sized up Aryana and looked at her from head to toe before looking at Erik with a sweet smile.

"Hi, Erik. It's a surprise to see you here." She said giving Erik a quick peck on the cheek. She ignored Marlon and Aryana like their existence did not matter at all.

"Hello Greta. It's been a long time. Hello Norman, Mrs. Lopez". It's a pleasant surprise to see you here." Erik accorded them a polite nod.

"You robbed us of our favorite spot Erik. I was angry earlier when the manager told me that this VIP table was booked and she cannot do anything about it. Now I understand why." Norman said a hint of sarcasm could be detected in his voice.

He patted Erik on the shoulder. "Let's enjoy our lunch first and I want to talk to you about business after lunch since you are already here." He left with the three of them and settled on a table on the other side of the restaurant.

'I now understand where Antonio has gotten his air of arrogance.' Aryana thought.

Soon their food arrived and her mouth watered at the delectable dishes in front of them. She learned from her research that all seafood here was fresh catch and the fruits and veggies were grown organically and harvested on the same day. The island was small and she wondered how it can support the needs of the restaurant and the guests.

They had lobster and steamed grouper and grilled tuna. She had coconut water that was still in the shell. She had seaweed salad and she ravished everything as she did not want to waste any food.

She took a video and photos of all the food served to them.

"You have a big appetite for a lady". Marlon said with concern. "Are you not afraid of getting fat?"

Aryana laughed. "I have a fast metabolism. I eat a lot but don't get fat"

"A lot of women will be jealous of you."

"Yeah, right. I'm thankful of this gift as I love food."

When they were done with lunch, Erik ordered white wine. Aryana had hot tea instead.

"Marlon, you can accompany Yana to the fourth floor. She can take videos and photos. I need to meet the Lopezes first." Erik stood and prepared to leave.

"Wait Erik, shouldn't we need the approval of the restaurant owner?" Aryana asked.

Marlon was about to say something when Erik coughed.

"We already made arrangements for that. The owner is my friend. We just need to review your videos and photos, later on, to make sure everything is okay to be shared publicly." Marlon tentatively said while looking at Erik.

Aryana looked at Marlon and showed her two dimples again.

"Wow, that's great! Thank you so much." Then Aryana gave Marlon a quick innocent hug as she would to a brother or to a friend.

Marlon smiled and his face reddened. Erik however left with an unhappy scowl on his face.

'Hmmm, interesting.' Marlon mumbled to himself as he followed Erik with an amused gaze.

Marlon accompanied Aryana to the 4th floor. She was amazed that the entire floor was a garden where they grow tomatoes, different varieties of lettuce, broccoli, pepper, spinach and different kinds of herbs. It was a vertical garden and the high roof was designed to maximize the morning sun and on the other side the late afternoon sun. The walls were made of glass to protect the plants from the harsh elements and the temperature was controlled.

Aryana also learned that electricity in the island was generated from solar panels which were strategically placed on the roof of the restaurant.

"The designer of this place is a genius. I am a fan of his and I hope to meet him someday." with that remarks, Aryana ended the segment of her video.

'You have already met him, silly girl.' Marlon scratched his head. He wanted to say it out loud but decided against it.

"Common, I'll show you the rest of the island. When the sun is not too hot we can go to the sandbar later."

He glanced at her and asked. "Did you bring your jeans and sneakers? There is a trail I want to show you but you need to wear protective clothing."

"Yes, I have them in the yacht".

"I'll have someone bring them here." Marlon made a call as he lead Aryana to the stairs going down to the ground floor.