Tina walked around the table and sat down opposite her daughter. ‘Yes, you have responsibilities, especially Daisy, but a person like Steve doesn’t walk into your life every day. I’ve seen how easily you get on with each other. And it’s clear you have a lot in common.’

  Grace sighed. ‘Mum, it’s a fine line. I really like Steve.’ She paused, then said softly, ‘I don’t want to get involved and have it fall apart, and then still have to work closely with him. Film units are pretty tight and shoots can be very intense. But I take your point.’ She straightened up and smiled. ‘Anyway, it’s a great way to get to know someone well. All the pressure involved in making a movie can bring a team together.’

  Tina reached over and took Grace’s hand. ‘I just want you to be happy. That’s what every mum wants.’

  Grace pushed back her chair and stood up. ‘I know. I get it. I’m so loving seeing Daisy happy here, learning new things, being immersed in a different language, absorbing a new culture, meeting different people. I think it’s already broadened her horizons, young as she is.’

  Tina smiled at her daughter. ‘I’m so proud of you, honey. But don’t let your principles about not mixing work and love get in the way of something that could be great. Steve is a gentleman and a professional, he won’t overstep a line if you rule it in the sand. Just keep the door ajar, okay?’

  Grace went over and gave Tina a hug. ‘Thanks, Mum.’

  *

  They were gathered around the boardroom table, where an exquisite Walter Spies painting, an old Kamasan artwork and a contemporary I Nyoman Masriadi hung on the walls. The morning sun was gently filtering through a delicate bamboo blind. Johnny was looking very pleased with himself, Grace thought. He was dressed in a pink open-necked shirt with a long silk scarf knotted at his throat.

  Grace pointed at the scarf. ‘Stunning! Where’s that from?’

  He unknotted it and opened it out, revealing exotic dark jungle, flowers and mystical figures of a Balinese painting reminiscent of a classic Spies painting.

  ‘New idea, what do you think?’

  ‘Love it! I’d like a silk sarong with that print!’

  ‘I’ll work on it,’ he promised.

  Grace was sitting next to Harold Pangisar, and also present were Wija Angiman, Farrouk Eljoffrey, Andy, Rosie Chow and a Balinese man she didn’t know.

  After he’d called the meeting to order, Johnny introduced the visitor.

  ‘I am proud to introduce Professor Johannes Sastro, a close friend of our family for many years and professor of Indonesian and Javanese language and culture at a leading university in the Netherlands.’

  The professor smiled and nodded to everyone. A small, wizened man, he had a slightly bemused smile and alert brown eyes and was probably close to eighty years old.

  ‘Professor Sastro is home in Bali for a couple of weeks and when he came to visit my aunt yesterday, I invited him back this morning so I could show him around our hotel,’ Johnny said, sounding far more formal than usual. ‘After our little tour, he asked if he could join our meeting now to say a few words.’

  ‘Thank you, Johnny.’ The professor smiled slightly as he spoke in a cultured Indonesian-Dutch accent. ‘Ladies, gentlemen, thank you for having me today. I must say I am very impressed after having had a tour of the Kamasan. It is not what I have come to expect from the usual up-market resorts appealing to international visitors, even those of a certain financial standing. Its design shows a deep respect for our land and culture.

  ‘Over the decades, as the appeal of our local culture in Bali was replaced by holiday and resort tourism, catering to visitors’ needs as opposed to our own, it has evolved that visitors rarely see or truly experience genuine Balinese culture. At best, they see it on a superficial or commercial level.

  ‘Our lifestyle has adapted to western sensibilities. We have gone from commercialising and promoting our culture to the development of our land for resort holiday tourism, and that is now the mainstay of our economic existence here. Lifestyle residential opportunities, no matter what present regulations might say, have segregated the visitor from what appealed to them in the first place: the village life of Bali.’ He looked around the table. ‘I am not saying that we need to preserve Balinese culture as if it were frozen in time, for as we know, it is alive and well. It is adaptable and continues to flourish away from the gaze of the tourist eye most of the time. Our cultural origins are strong.’

  He paused and took his glasses off to wipe them.

  ‘My concern, which I raise with you today, is that the natural environment must be allowed to remain and flower, as well as the spiritual and intellectual aspects of Balinese life. Our land, which is threatened, needs to be protected. If the core of our country, our land, is sold for short-term interests, then we have sold our soul.

  ‘So on behalf of the community I’d like to acknowledge to you today the service the Pangisar family and their associates do for Bali. Over the years your philanthropic Pangisar Foundation has supported, among other things, a push to improve children’s nutrition,’ the old man said, looking around at everyone.

  ‘In South East Asia, poor nutrition leads to thirty-eight per cent of our children under five years old having stunted growth – that’s close to sixty-five million children being affected. What you have done to improve nutrition standards in this area should be applauded. Also, your hotel shows where Bali must look to the future. I hope it will serve as an example of how tourism can be done. Congratulations. Thank you.’

  Johnny thanked the professor as everyone at the table gave him a round of applause. Harold rose and shook his hand warmly, then his assistant came in to escort the professor outside while they continued the meeting.

  Grace looked at Andy. ‘That’s a horrible statistic about so many kids being malnourished. I had no idea.’

  ‘Madame Pearl heads the foundation,’ said Andy. ‘Johnny’s mother started it before she became too ill to carry on. She’s an invalid these days.’

  ‘The family are modest about their philanthropy,’ said Grace quietly.

  Johnny resumed his seat, and looked around the table. ‘As you know, we like to keep a friendly eye on development on our island, so following on from what the professor had to say, there is another matter I just thought I’d mention, which is that later this year the Trump Organization plans to open a mega resort, with a signature eighteen-hole golf course, beach club, and luxury residences. It is a controversial project as it’s on a clifftop above one of our important temples, Tanah Lot. Many people are particularly concerned about the development’s impact on Bali’s rice terraces and irrigation systems. Overdevelopment on the island in recent years has caused saltwater to leak into groundwater and damage local farms.’ He looked at Rosie. ‘What’s that report say?’

  Rosie glanced down at her notes and read, ‘Tourism uses up half of our groundwater supply. That’s partly due to poorly designed hotels that don’t consider the water needs of the locals,’ she said, looking up. ‘Many of our rivers are running dry or they are heavily polluted, the water table is so low it is being drawn on faster than it is being replenished, and we have issues with water salinity. These are critical concerns for residents and for Bali’s tourism industry and economy.’

  ‘And let’s not forget the great mass of water needed to keep golf courses green,’ Andy added.

  Johnny nodded. ‘So what we are doing here at the Kamasan is an example of the future if Bali is to survive, and it shows how we can share our way of life and culture with visitors. Our desalination and cutting-edge environmental designs and practices are as important as the aesthetics. Remember that.’

  He straightened up and grinned.

  ‘So that was the serious news. But before you throw yourselves off the cliffs at Uluwatu –’ He glanced around at each of them with a glint in his eyes. ‘I am delighted to announce that our opening-night, guest-star performer is . . . Bruno Mars!’

  There was a ripple of excitement around the table. Grace stared at Johnny in amazement. ‘He’s the biggest recording star since Michael Jackson,’ she said.

  ‘I’m staggered! Wow, well done, Johnny,’ said Andy in admiration.

  Johnny seemed pleased with the effect his announcement had made, but Harold leaned forward and asked, ‘Who is this man?’

  ‘He’s a global superstar! Think Presley, Prince, Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran,’ Johnny said. ‘Singer, dancer, composer, instrumentalist. His dance routines are fantastic – like James Brown and The Splits. He’s a brilliant performer and he brings a big show with him – dancers, his band – The Hooligans – plus pyrotechnics and incredible laser lighting.’

  ‘And where do we hold this extravaganza?’ asked Harold.

  ‘Got it sorted. Bruno and the support acts will play on an elaborate stage built in the grounds for the night. I tapped into a local company that does the logistics for all the big shows here on Bali. For the support acts I’ve got our local superstars, Judika and Agnes Monica. They have a massive following.’

  ‘Do we sell tickets?’ asked Farrouk Eljoffrey.

  Johnny shook his head. ‘Invitation only; 1500 guests. The bluest of the blue-chip crowd from Singapore, Jakarta, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Hong Kong. The word is out there already.’ He grinned at Rosie. ‘Private jets – many. Helicopters – many. Drivers and support teams – many. Paparazzi and media – many. You’ll be busy.’

  Rosie chuckled. ‘Do you want to tell your father about the accommodation plans?’ she asked.

  ‘About 250 guests are wealthy locals, both Balinese and expats, so they have their own accommodation. The Kamasan can handle 400 guests in 200 rooms and villas, plus the two presidential suites for the stars. And the Mulia Hotel and the Kempinski will take any other guests that can’t fit in here.’ Johnny smiled broadly. ‘From now on, international visitors will know that the Kamasan is the true heart of Bali.’

  ‘What’s on the menu?’ Harold asked, and everyone laughed.

  Andy looked at his notes. ‘Chef says he’ll be preparing the highest quality modern Indo cuisine. As well, there’ll be a whole-animal open-air roast as a happening event, with pork, beef and lamb all roasting away over red-hot coals.’

  Harold nodded in appreciation, and then Johnny picked up the thread again. ‘This event has been a year in the planning. I’ve had a team working on it alone. There’ll be a massive monkey dance performance before the biggest fireworks display ever seen on the island. I’ve organised the pyro team that do Sydney Harbour New Year’s Eve to run it.’

  ‘You’ve been busy spending,’ said his father dryly.

  ‘The promotion and publicity, not to mention word of mouth and social media focus, will eclipse anything done here in Bali before,’ said Johnny confidently.

  ‘It’s going to be sensational, Johnny,’ said Grace, adding with a smile, ‘Steve and I will start recruiting extra crew to cover it all.’

  ‘Me too,’ added Rosie. ‘I’ve hired some more assistants. There will be a media frenzy.’

  ‘There certainly will be, and it’s only a month away.’ Johnny looked around the table. ‘Thank you for all your work on this extravaganza, and for fitting in with the events team. And most of all, for keeping their plans and your own preparations confidential. So far, so good – no one outside of our group knows what’s about to hit them.’

  Following Johnny’s big announcement, the rest of the meeting’s business was wrapped up quickly.

  Grace couldn’t wait to break the news to Steve about the star act, and was about to leave when Mr Pangisar walked over and took her aside.

  ‘Grace, I had a meeting with Mr Hagen,’ he began.

  Grace winced. ‘Oh, dear. I hope not just because of me.’

  ‘I understand your situation,’ he said gently. ‘The product is excellent, fantastic. A step up from the first version on the market. I agreed to meet with Mr Hagen and host him at a friend’s hotel and I loaned him a driver from here.’

  ‘That was generous of you. Had I known I would have warned you not to do anything for him. Especially if you felt you had to do it because of me,’ said Grace.

  ‘We are always cautious, Grace. Johnny made a few enquiries. And indeed, it was a good thing he did, because when we contacted the company in Singapore that took this product to the next level, they had never heard of Lawrence Hagen or had any dealings with him. They think he might have gone directly to the young inventor and persuaded him to let Mr Hagen have certain rights to which he is not entitled. So we declined Mr Hagen’s offer.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ Grace groaned. ‘I was afraid something like this would happen. I’m relieved you didn’t get involved.’ She took a breath. ‘He told me he was going to Singapore. I guess his dealings were not with this company you mention after all, though.’

  Mr Pangisar looked at her piercingly. ‘Was this a sudden decision of his? It is not easy to establish oneself in business in Singapore . . . unless you have connections. And money.’

  ‘I have no idea,’ said Grace, shaking her head. ‘I am so sorry my personal life has crossed over into my working life and affected you, Pak Harold.’

  ‘I understand. We like you very much, Grace. You work hard and you think like we do. You are now part of the Kamasan family,’ Harold said kindly.

  Grace had to turn away as tears came to her eyes. Fortunately, Andy was suddenly beside her.

  ‘Grace, can I check some details with you about the filming of the banquet?’

  ‘Of course.’ She clasped Harold’s hand as she thanked him and then left with Andy, who was enthusing over Johnny’s plans. But outside the boardroom, Andy stopped.

  ‘What’s up? You looked a bit upset in there and I thought you might need some fresh air.’ He smiled at her.

  ‘Oh, I’m so embarrassed and angry. Lawrence tried to spin a deal to the Pangisars, of all people! He used me to get to them, but now it looks like he tried to hoodwink the inventor of the cybersecurity product he’s peddling, who must have thought Lawrence was working with the company that actually owns the rights.’

  Andy nodded slowly. ‘Right. So Lawrence on-sells the rights, takes his money and moves on, leaving them to fight it out.’

  ‘I guess that was his idea. Something like that. I never followed how all his deals and his businesses worked. I only know that he either has a lot of money or none at all.’

  ‘Be careful, Grace,’ Andy said as they walked across the garden at the front of the hotel. ‘It sounds to me like he was trying to cash in on your goodwill with the family here, and he might be feeling desperate if this latest ploy didn’t work out. But as we know, you don’t mess with the Pangisars.’

  Grace shrugged. ‘I’ve realised that Lawrence isn’t a good judge of whether or not people can see through him and his plans. I don’t think he reads people well.’

  ‘I think you’re right.’ Andy gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. ‘Let me know how things go, okay? Come on, you and I have a lot of work to do.

  *

  There was a certain energy and buzz around the place as word spread of Johnny’s coup in booking Bruno Mars for the grand opening. Steve, Henry, Mateo and the production boys were already in the bar area when Grace and Andy walked over.

  Grace noticed that Rosie was sitting beside Steve, showing him something on her phone. In a minute everyone was clustered around her, watching a video clip of Bruno Mars singing and dancing to ‘Uptown Funk’.

  Steve turned and saw Grace and made room for her to sit down, but she shook her head.

  ‘It’s okay. I can see from here,’ she said, her voice flat, and she realised that Steve must have noticed because he stood up straight away.

  ‘What’s worrying you?’ he asked quietly, standing next to her.

  She shrugged. ‘Do I look worried? Apart from this big job getting bigger?’ Even to her own ears she sounded petulant. What was wrong with her?

  ‘Yes. You gave me such a cool look just then. Is it to do with Lawrence? Is he butting into your life again? Don’t let him put you off us blokes.’

  Grace suddenly felt limp. ‘That’s part of it, yes. He’s been trying to pull the Pangisars into a shady deal of some kind. I’m just fed up.’

  ‘Bad move. Oh Grace, I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time.’

  ‘It’s more than that. He says he’s going to find somewhere to live – possibly in Singapore, maybe even London; he never says anything concrete – and he wants Daisy to live with him.’

  ‘That’d be laughable if it wasn’t so transparent. He’s stirring you up.’ Steve dropped his arm around her shoulders. ‘It’s incredibly complicated to get permits and visas to live and work in Asia. And you need a fat bank balance, which I guess he doesn’t have.’

  ‘Who knows? I don’t know him anymore. Never did, I realise now. Somewhere along the line he changed his name, divorcing himself from his family in England. Re-invented himself. Why? I hate to think,’ she said. ‘I don’t know how I never saw this side to him. Maybe I didn’t want to.’

  Steve gave a low whistle. ‘A teller of tales, a spin doctor, a deceiver. You saw what you wanted to see,’ he said gently. ‘Don’t beat yourself up.’

  ‘I try not to. I feel badly enough. What I can’t seem to escape is the feeling that he’ll never let me go.’ She saw Andy wave at her and gave herself a little shake. ‘Anyway. It’s my problem. The last thing I want is for it to interfere with my working life, all this.’

  Andy had ordered champagne and the group gathered around him to celebrate Johnny’s announcement.

  ‘Johnny is a networker,’ said Andy. ‘He put the word out to agents in LA and London a year ago, and as it happened the dates for the opening suited Bruno, who is doing a concert tour in Singapore, KL and Manila, and visiting family as well. I’d say Johnny offered up a shitload of US dollars, private jet, choppers and a good time . . . easy peasy . . . Bruno booked.’

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36