A couple minutes later we pulled in front of a large, two-story, glass building. There were three buildings connected. The building gave elegance. The landscaping was well-groomed with more maple trees and different plants I’d never seen before. The sound of running water from the stream in front of the landscape flooded my ears. Before entering the pavilion, there was a large rock with a tan sign attached. Ryokan Cashmere was written in brown.
“Nice, huh!” Xyliana gushed, taking her seat belt off once I parked in front of the glass doors. “It’s a Ryokan or a Japanese style resort. It’s only been around for ten years or so, but the reviews rave about it. I remember you mentioning your visit to Japan and how you enjoyed yourself, so I thought it would be perfect. Apparently it follows traditional Japanese style. The owners are Japanese and Black, I think.”
We climbed out of the car and I went to the backseat to grab our bags. I inhaled, noticing the air seemed crisper out here.
The glass doors opened and immediately I took in the lobby as tranquility suddenly covered me. The ceilings were low. The room was dimly lit. Off to one side was a waterfall attached to the wall, running into the square pool. Colored fish could be seen swimming inside. Potted cherry blossom trees rested near it. A few feet from that looked to be some kind of café nook. On the other side of the lobby was an indoor fire pit with low tables andseating surrounding it. Japanese style art was displayed on the walls. Soft music played overhead.
“Good afternoon! Please remove your shoes and take these slippers.” One of the workers approached us, catching me off guard. My brows furrowed, but I didn’t complain, knowing this was a Japanese custom. I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t shocked yet impressed by the place. Xylina seemed to put a lot of thought into it, and by the smile on her face, she was proud of herself.
CHAPTER 15
Xylina
The last thing Yosiah likely expected was to bring us here for his birthday and that was exactly what I wanted. It was time to show him that I paid attention to people other than myself. This resort set me back a pretty penny, but it was worth it to show Yosiah I cared about him.
After removing our shoes and sliding on the slippers, we headed to the front desk where a woman dressed in a black and red yukata greeted us. I took a sip of the tea the lady at the door offered, pleased by its sweet taste.
“Welcome to Ryokan Cashmere Spa and Resort, where we’re known for our tranquil hot springs, guaranteed to release tension and leave you feeling lighter than before. Do you have a reservation?” she asked, grinning at us.
I stepped forward while Yosiah grabbed one of the pamphlets from the countertop. “Yes, under Xylina Bedford.” I pulled my wallet out of my black Chanel crossbody as I spoke.
I waited for her to find the reservation as I looked around. There was light hustle and bustle from other guests leaving and returning. A few people sat around the fire talking lowly amongst themselves.
“Yes, here you are. You booked the East Villa suite with one bed, correct?”
I nodded. “Great! I’ll just need your ID and card you used to book.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Yosiah take his eyes off the pamphlet and look at me in concern but I kept my attention forward. I used the money I’d gotten from Simone to book. We would be here for three days and two nights. Our room was one of the most expensive. It had a large king size bed, private pool, and a gazebo covered open air bath. It also had a living room, heated floors, and a small dining area and kitchen.
What was nice about this place was there were two public hot springs, a spa, sauna, relaxation room, tearoom, lounge area, three different restaurants to choose from, and a small bakery. There were thirty rooms in total. The ten connected to the building we were in were traditional Japanese-style rooms, with mats and futons, the other fifteen were more modern hotel-style rooms that ranged from normal to suites, and detached from the main building were five villas. I was surprised to even get a reservation. Since there were only five and they were in demand, they typically went quickly.
“Jason here will lead you to your rooms, and if you leave your car key and bags here, we’ll have them brought to you and park your vehicle. Just fill out this vehicle information form, please.”
The man next to her walked around the desk and bowed in front of us.
This time Yosiah stepped forward and grabbed the form, looking it over. I readjusted my makeup bag and bit down on my bottom lip. This resort was huge and there were many different areas to explore. From the website, I knew the villas were in the back, past the koi river and garden area. They had a perfect view of the mountains too.
Once everything was handled, Jason nodded for us to follow.
“This way, please.”
Grinning, I looped my arm through Yosiah’s, eager to get to our room.
It was a short walk to our villa, but it was nice and quiet. The scenery was beautiful. They had taken a lot of time laying out everything. There was just enough space between the villas to give privacy.
“Here we are. Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s it.”
“Thank you.” Yosiah handed him a green bill.
There was a small yard in front of us and a wooden porch with two bamboo chairs and a table.
Stepping toward the large wooden door, I used the key to unlock it and push it open.
The smile on my face grew wider as soon as I stepped over the threshold. A soft scent of lavender and some kind of mint filled my nose. The living room greeted us decorated in tan, white, black. Cylinder lights hung from the ceiling and a large couch sat in the center with two large circle pillows on each side. In front of it was a rectangular coffee table. The kitchen and dining area could be seen off to the side. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the side brought in natural lighting.
“Wow,” I heard Yosiah mumble.