The Love Resort (26 page)

‘This is so exciting,’ the journalist cooed, ‘so exciting.’

‘Sure is,’ Lily concurred.

‘Oh, we’re delighted, absolutely delighted,’ Anne-Marie enthused.

‘Now, I’m sure our publicist has told you what you can and cannot talk about,’ Katie stated.

‘To explain, I am acting on your behalf today, as your publicist, and I have briefed them on every point, but I shall be present to ensure that there is no diverting from what was agreed,’ Lily said.

‘Good. So what are we waiting for?’ Katie demanded. Todd sighed.

‘Anything wrong, Todd?’ Lily asked, concerned.

‘No, nothing,’ he replied quickly. ‘Just a bit tired.’

‘Of course you are, it’s your honeymoon,’ she chortled. And everyone laughed, apart from Todd and Katie.

*

Interviewer: ‘So, we’ve seen pictures of your gorgeous wedding and now we have been given the privilege to see how your honeymoon is going. Can you tell us why you picked The Love Resort?’

Katie: ‘Well, as you can see, it’s such a wonderful setting. Just look around you. It’s romantic, stunning, relaxing, and for Todd and me, the perfect place for us to celebrate our love.’

Katie smiled. Anne-Marie clapped her hands. Todd kept his grin fixed in place.

‘It’s going well, isn’t it?’ Anne-Marie said, as they took a break for Katie to have four people fuss over her as she demanded.

‘Very,’ Lily agreed.

‘You’re a fucking imbecile; do you even know anything about hair?’ Katie screamed.

‘You hurt my princess one more time and I ensure you never work in this town again,’ the stylist chastised.

‘My God,’ Lily went to stand by Todd, ‘should I step in here?’

‘No, she loves shouting at people. Funnily enough, it’s always the hairdresser,’ he explained.

‘So, what would your publicist do right now?’

‘She’d roll her eyes and let them get on with it,’ Todd replied.

‘I can do that,’ Lily replied with a wink.

Interviewer: ‘What so far has been the highlight of your married life, Todd?’

Katie: ‘Well, of course the wedding day was wonderful, utterly magical, but the honeymoon has been so very special. Everyone has ensured that we have had the most fantastic time, but also respected our privacy.’

Interviewer: ‘Do you want to add anything, Todd?’

Todd: ‘Katie’s really said it all, hasn’t she? I’m such a lucky man.’

The three of them beamed at each other and Anne-Marie clapped her hands again.

‘Right, we’re going to start the photographs because the light is perfect,’ the photographer interrupted. He then began barking orders at his assistants, who had appeared from nowhere. Every now and then, guests would stop and gawp at what was going on, before Anne-Marie kindly asked them to leave. They all did as they were told.

Todd managed to get a cigarette from someone, while Katie was being fussed around yet again. The day was turning out to be one of the most insufferable of his life. Almost worse than the wedding day. He flicked his ash into the Love Garden and looked at the scene. Lily was pacifying Katie, who was having yet another tantrum. This time because the flowers that they were asking her to pose against didn’t match her nail polish. She wanted green flowers instead. Everyone was trying to come up with suggestions, and the hairdresser was chewing gum and fixing Katie’s hair yet again. Someone was trying to use the nail polish on the flowers, and the photographer was telling everyone to hurry up, while the interviewer tried to keep him under control. Todd wondered what they called a collection of divas. He put his cigarette out as he was called for the photos.

*

‘Todd, lift Katie up. Ah, perfect.’

‘Todd, can you frolic in the sea? Someone, roll his trouser legs up for him. Great, great.’ Todd nearly fell over as someone dived at his trousers.

‘Katie, bend down to pick up a shell. Todd put your hands around her waist and look over her shoulder. Lovely.’

‘Hold hands and walk down the beach. Gaze into each other’s eyes. A bit more, Todd—smile. Katie, you look gorgeous, gorgeous.’

‘Now, I want you to kiss. No, not on the cheek, Todd. I want a proper movie kiss. Take her in your arms, and kiss her, long and hard. Again, longer this time. Ah, yes, I think that’s it.’

Todd broke off from the kiss, and looked at the sand. It was like all his other movie kisses: he was acting and he didn’t feel a thing. But it hit him again, his constant companion, guilt. He was fooling all these people and he didn’t feel very proud doing it.

‘That was great,’ Katie said.

Todd nodded, half-heartedly. ‘Have we finished now?’ he asked.

‘Yes, and I think after a shower, I’d like a quiet dinner.’

‘Sure.’ He was thinking about Marcus, about how he was supposed to see him tonight, about how he couldn’t. About how he really wanted to. About how awful he was and didn’t deserve this great life he’d got. Then he stopped. It was too dangerous and it was also far too late.

The
Movie
World
people left and Katie was charm itself when she said her goodbyes. Todd really didn’t understand her, although sometimes he thought he did. She was vulnerable, insecure, which in turn led her to believe people when they told her how wonderful she was. He guessed she’d never been happy, or liked for who she was, which would explain how she didn’t know who she was. He was sure that was it, and if it was then he felt sorry for her. She had shown a softer side, although it hadn’t lasted, and he couldn’t help but think that when she was at her worst she didn’t deserve anything but contempt.

Well, he’d have dinner with her and he would try to make an effort with her. The least he could do was try to be her friend.

22

The Love Resort caters for your every whim during your stay but we also strongly advise that you take some time out to go on the island tour.*

The island itself can be driven around in one hour and twenty minutes. As well as offering the breathtaking beauty that you would expect, there are also many wonderful things to see and do.

Visit the waterfalls—they have to be seen to be believed.

Shop in a traditional Caribbean market.

Visit the tropical gardens with the world-famous aviary and see the unusual island foliage.

Finally, on your way back, have a drink at the island’s oldest bar.

All this and more means that the Island Tour is a must-do.

Guest
Handbook

*To book the island tour, which is not part of the all-inclusive package, call Guest Services. You can choose from group tours or individual tours, depending on your personal preference.

*

Ed was trapped in a mini-bus with six unhappy people. The atmosphere wasn’t pretty, although the excursion he was taking them on was. He had very quickly decided to play the part of tour guide; otherwise he felt the silence would have killed him. However, he considered he should have been grateful that they hadn’t killed each other.

He had escorted them to their rooms as discussed—Emily, then Lee and finally Tim. He wished he could have been a fly on the wall, but chastised himself for his voyeurism. He waited patiently in the lobby connecting all the rooms for half an hour, and when no one appeared he went to collect them. Three angry faces and three sheepish ones followed him on to the minibus. No one had spoken, apart from him.

‘We are just passing the small food market, one of the most famous on the island for local produce,’ Ed said, in his newly adopted cheery tour-guide voice. He glanced round. Why he had volunteered to take this lot out, he didn’t know, but he was beginning to feel depressed by their depression. The revelation that Thea and Tim weren’t a couple had shocked everyone. It had made his wife angry beyond belief. It was only because the
Movie
World
people were arriving that she’d let them go. And Thea and Tim looked so perfect together; he thought that they genuinely loved each other. But what did he know?

‘So, our first stop today will be the magnificent waterfall and we will reach there in approximately ten minutes.’ Ed glanced back, but no one was looking at him. Not that he was surprised; they weren’t even looking at each other. He thought that maybe there would be a huge row at some stage, but again perhaps they would just stay quiet. He had no idea what Anne-Marie would be planning on doing with them, but he was expecting to be going out again the following day. To the airport. One thing was sure: the resort would be a very different place without them.

‘Right. Well, we’re here at the waterfall and we’ve scheduled thirty minutes for you to look around. But no one will leave my side, or I’ll probably have to kill you.’ Ed grimaced. The beauty of the waterfall was totally wasted on them all.

‘This waterfall is one of the island’s premier attractions. Over seven million people visit it every year. The water is said to have healing properties. I know we don’t have long, but would you like to go for a dip?’ Ed looked at the six blank faces, who finally managed to shake their heads. ‘Right then, let’s just walk around it. Follow me...’

‘Right, well, I think we’ve seen enough here. Let’s go back on the mini-bus and get to our next destination where we shall stop for lunch.’

It was just getting dark as the minibus pulled back into the resort. Ed looked at his six passengers and six weary, unhappy faces looked back at him. He felt sorry for them, especially the cuckolded ones, but then, he didn’t have time for sentiment. In order to get through the upcoming days until he and Lily were going to leave, he needed to keep Anne-Marie sweet and unsuspecting. Their lapse last night had taught him that. He had his future to secure.

‘What now?’ Tim asked as the bus came to a standstill.

‘We’re going to the room where we hold the welcome meetings. Wait there and I’ll get Anne-Marie and Lily.’ Without any further discussion, he led them to the room and then went to phone the others.

Ed stood outside the door, waiting for them. He needed a few minutes away from the competition winners. Finally he noticed, as he put his ear to the closed door, the silence had been broken.

‘So, I guess we have you three selfish bastards to thank for this hideous situation,’ Thea fumed. She glared at Tim, then Lee and finally Emily. Although her anger was directed at Tim initially, she was now furious with the other two. Carla and she had become friends, and she genuinely liked her. Jimmy had always shown such gentlemanly concern, especially last night when she was upset. She had never quite liked Emily, and now she knew why. Thief.

‘Actually, I might be to blame but at least I didn’t lie about our relationship to get here,’ Emily spat back.

‘Oh fuck.’ Thea turned to Tim, who now was the sole recipient of her fury once more. She rubbed her head. Of course, everyone knew that she and Tim weren’t a couple, although it probably wouldn’t have taken a genius to figure it out.

‘Well, it kind of slipped out.’

‘It slipped out, when?’

‘When Anne-Marie was telling us off. So, actually, if you look at it that way, I’m not as bad as them, because I didn’t cheat.’ He smiled, then ducked as if expecting to be hit.

‘You told everyone that we weren’t really a couple? You fucking dickhead. What did she say?’

‘Well, she said she might sue.’

‘Oh, Tim, you’re priceless. You break into a bar, you steal drink, you sleep with another man’s wife on his terrace, and then you tell Anne-Marie that we lied and cheated to get here. Are you trying to ruin my life totally or what?’

‘He’s not the only one who lied about being in a relationship,’ Emily said.

‘But you just said—’ Thea stopped in her tracks.

‘No, not me and Jimmy, the other two.’

‘Carla?’ Thea looked at her, everything suddenly making sense.

‘I wanted a holiday. He was my best friend. I thought that there was something more—until he proved himself to be an utter bastard who couldn’t care less about my feelings.’

‘That’s not fair. You got me here on false pretences—don’t pretend you didn’t. You were determined to get me to fall in love with you, which would never happen, and you thought this would be the perfect place to do it. I told you that I didn’t want to pretend to be your boyfriend but you said it was just for a free holiday. Christ, you’re mad.’

‘God, Carla, I thought you were amazing for putting up with him before, but now I know, all I can say is that you had a lucky escape, babes,’ Thea stated.

‘I have to say I agree with you,’ Carla managed a weak smile.

‘You bitches don’t know what you’re talking about; he’s too good for either of you.’ Emily’s voice cracked.

Carla and Thea looked at each other, and stood shoulder to shoulder as Carla spoke.

‘The only person here who is too good for anyone is Jimmy. Emily, you deserve Lee. I hope he treats you like shit, because then you’ll know how Jimmy feels.’

‘Thanks, but I can speak for myself,’ Jimmy said, standing up. ‘They are right, though. I don’t think lying to get here is a big deal. I only did it because she went on and on and on about having a five-star holiday just so she could boast to her friends about it. Christ, Emily, how I didn’t realise that you’re so shallow I shall never know. Even when we were being interviewed and Lily asked her what she saw in me she said it was because I had my own business. The warning bells were ringing then, but I was stupid enough to think I loved you. And I proposed. Jesus, can you believe I asked her to marry me? If there was a stupid award here, I’d be bloody well getting it. Lee, I guess at the moment I’m too angry and hurt to see it, but I should probably be shaking your hand and buying you a drink. Thanks for taking her off my hands.’ Jimmy was shaking. It was the longest speech he’d ever made.

‘Now hang on,’ Emily shouted. ‘I didn’t ask you to propose and I feel bad about what happened. Jimmy, you and I were in a relationship which was wrong. You have to see that, you have to.’ Her voice was desperate.

‘I don’t have to see anything. I don’t give a shit what you say,’ Jimmy shouted back.

‘Good for you,’ Thea agreed.