The Love Resort (28 page)

‘Well, you did.’

‘Anyway, Jimmy, let’s just put aside the whole awful incident for the moment.’

‘How can I?’

‘For the greater good, man, for the greater good.’

‘Huh?’

‘Look, we cannot stay cooped up in this room together, only being allowed out for dinner. It isn’t on.’

‘I don’t see what choice we have.’ Jimmy didn’t care where he was. He just wanted to crawl into bed and wake up when the nightmare was over and he was back inspecting the underside of a car.

‘Look, Thea hates me; you hate Emily and Lee, as does Carla, blah blah. But we still have to be here for another week or something like that.’ He stopped and started counting on his fingers. ‘Anyway, the point is that we are on holiday, not in prison.’

‘That’s true.’

‘And, Jimmy, did we or did we not travel a very long way to get here?’

‘We did.’

‘Therefore, do we not want to have some fun before we go back, despite everything?’

‘Well, I suppose so.’ At this point in his life, fun had never been further away.

‘Right then, we call a truce. For now, we must all stick together. We can hate each other later.’

‘Well...’

‘Now, what’s the number of your room? We need to come up with a plan.’

*

Thea and Carla had painted each other’s nails and pampered themselves in a vain effort to cheer themselves up, both refusing to talk about what was really happening. Then they’d received the phone call.

‘I really don’t think it’s a good idea to listen to Tim,’ Thea said.

‘No, although Jimmy seemed quite keen, and he’s usually the sensible one.’

‘Who has just been dumped by his fiancée. No, he’s not in his right mind. We can’t listen to him either.’

‘But then what about us? We’re both really hurt by this. God, I even had a fight with Emily, and I haven’t had one of those since primary school.’

‘You mean maybe we’re not in our right minds and we should listen to Tim?’

‘Well, the thing is, he does have a point. I know we won these holidays on false pretences, and I know that we have caused problems for the resort—well, some of us have—but it’s still our holiday. And although this is probably the maddest, worst holiday we’ll ever have in our lives, maybe, just maybe, we should do something. I mean, well, either we sit in here and get bored, or we have some fun. We can’t get into more trouble than we’re already in. Can we?’

‘We probably can, but I’m not sure I care any more.’

*

‘So, we’re all in,’ Tim said.

‘I’m not sure I can face Lee and Emily.’

‘I know, mate, but I couldn’t not ask them. Anyway, when we make our escapes we can go separate ways. I’m not sure Thea wants to be near me, to be honest.’

‘So what did Lee say?’ Despite his feelings, Jimmy couldn’t help but be curious.

‘He said they’d come only because Emily didn’t want to. I heard him tell her that he wasn’t going to be told what to do all the time.’

‘I should have done that.’

‘Um, you probably should.’

‘Tim, are you giving me relationship advice?’

‘Shit, I hope not. If I was, I didn’t mean it.’

*

Ed opened the office door and walked in carrying a bottle of brandy.

‘I think we deserve this, after the day we’ve had.’ He poured three glasses. Anne-Marie smiled. There was an uneasy truce between the three of them.

‘The shoot went really well, which is the most important thing.’

‘Lily, you’re right. And those little upstarts can be dealt with.’

‘What are we planning for during the day?’

‘I thought we’d send them on excursions for the rest of their stay. They come back, and then they change, go to dinner and then to bed. I can’t think of anything else for it,’ said Anne-Marie.

‘As long as I don’t have to go.’

‘Oh, Ed, I think you’ve done enough babysitting. No, we have sufficient staff here; we’ll sort it out.’

‘So, what shall we do about dinner?’ he asked.

‘Well, I’m dining with Abigail, so perhaps you could help Lily with our little problem children? God, I know they’re
not
children but it makes me glad we never had any, eh, Ed?’

Ed smiled weakly, desperately trying not to think about what the offspring of him and Anne-Marie would be like. He was glad his wife was dining with Abigail, although he was a little worried about her. She was highly strung at the best of times, without the drama that had occurred. However, Abigail was the better comforter, and he would rather be with Lily.

*

Anne-Marie opened the door to Abigail and fell into her arms. Abigail stumbled backwards before tentatively putting her arms around her and trying for a comforting pat.

‘Oh, Abigail, it’s all so, so terrible,’ Anne-Marie said, pulling her publisher inside and giving her a drink before she recounted the goings-on to her.

‘Jesus,’ Abigail whistled as Anne-Marie brought her up to date.

‘Quite.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Well, apart from keeping a close, close eye on the horrible young people, I don’t know.’

‘What about the book?’ Abigail’s eyes bulged.

Anne-Marie looked at her, shocked. ‘How can I write when these people are intent on destroying me?’ She took another drink and looked at her publisher again. How could she think of the book at a time like this?

‘Of course you can’t, darling, of course,’ Abigail comforted. Anne-Marie’s face was covered in relief, but then she began to cry.

‘Is everything else all right?’ Abigail asked awkwardly.

‘Abigail, I’m a writer, I live for my work, but this resort...well, I’m beginning to think I made a mistake.’

‘You know, it’s a lot of responsibility. I always wondered why you didn’t just buy a beautiful house here.’

‘Looking back, I wish I had.’

‘It’s not too late,’ Abigail started.

‘I think it might be. My book, the one that I was so excited about, has been tainted and I don’t know if it’s irrevocable.’

‘Oh, darling, I’m sure it isn’t. Now, how about we order some supper to soak up some of this champagne?’

*

‘So, we get to babysit tonight,’ Ed said, as he stood in Lily’s bungalow, getting dressed.

‘At least we’ll be together. Ed, you know despite the fact I can’t stand her, I did feel a bit sorry for Anne-Marie over all this.’

‘That’s why I love you; you’re so compassionate.’

‘But they have caused destruction ever since they’ve been here, though that hasn’t been very long. Do you think she’s going to be all right?’

‘I thought it was quite funny at first, but now we have to keep them out of harm’s way, it’s not, is it? And I am worried about her too, she seems a bit unhinged. But I’m not sure that we’re to blame for not stopping Emily and Lee last night.’

‘That would still have left Tim. Anyway, what can we do?’

‘She only wants Abigail, my darling. We can’t do anything.’

‘No... Ed, why did you and Anne-Marie never have children?’

‘She didn’t want them. She wanted to be the centre of attention at all times. Anyway, I realised early on that she’d be a terrible mother.’

‘But you would be a great father.’

‘I know and I do want children.’

‘Well, so do I.’ Lily reached over and began unbuttoning his shirt again.

He looked at her and grinned. ‘We’ll be late for the baby-sitting.’

‘They can wait. This can’t.’

*

The six of them stood behind a bush like fugitives. Tim was dramatising the situation and enjoying it.

‘Do we all have money?’ Tim asked.

‘Yes,’ they answered in unison.

‘Right, so what we do is we get to the front of the resort, and get the security guard to order us a taxi, and we go and find a local bar.’

‘Sounds really daring,’ Thea said sarcastically.

‘We’ll have broken free of our chains, Thea, remember that,’ Tim retorted. They looked out from the bush and saw that the resort was deserted. ‘Now, Lily said she’d pick us up at eight thirty, so that gives us half an hour to be clear. Jimmy?’ He spoke with the authority of a man commanding an army. Carla giggled despite herself.

‘All clear,’ he whispered.

‘Right, troops, go, go, go.’ Tim took off and ran across the grounds with five people hot on his heels.

They managed to get the guard to hail them a taxi, and they all squashed in. There had been protests for separate cabs, but Tim, who was their commander, said there was too much risk involved in that. Instead, they were all to go into town together, then go their separate ways, to avoid arguments. The truce was on very shaky ground.

They got out of the cab and readjusted themselves, standing awkwardly on the pavement by the main stretch of bars. Thea took Carla’s arm protectively. Emily did the same to Lee, and the pairs glared at each other.

‘Right, let’s go,’ Tim said. ‘Meet back here at midnight. Synchronise watches.’

‘Tim, you don’t even have a fucking watch,’ Thea retorted before she and Carla walked away. They went in one direction, Emily and Lee went in another.

‘Well, it’s just you and me,’ Tim said cheerfully before leading Jimmy to the nearest bar.

*

‘There’s no answer,’ Lily said, as she tried Tim and Jimmy’s room again. Ed looked at her, and then they rushed to the next room.

‘No one’s answering.’

‘And I can’t hear anything in there.’

‘You don’t think...?’

‘We are a bit late.’

‘Right, you take the Coral Restaurant and I’ll go to the Lovers’ Bistro. Meet at the main bar.’ They both rushed off.

Twenty minutes later they stood at the entrance of the bar.

‘Nothing.’ Ed said.

‘Nothing.’

‘We’ll have to get keys and check the rooms. They could just be playing silly beggars with us.’

‘Let’s hope so.’

They went to the main desk and got a set of keys. Ed and Lily opened each room and found them empty.

‘Oh shit!’ Lily exclaimed. They looked at each other. ‘We are in so much trouble now.’

They rushed to the main gate, and approached the security guard.

‘Did six young Brits leave here by any chance?’ Ed asked.

‘They asked me to get a taxi and they all got in. I didn’t know that wasn’t allowed.’

‘Of course you didn’t,’ Ed soothed. ‘Listen, please let me know the minute that they come back, and then don’t let them out of your sight.’

‘What now?’ Lily asked.

‘Let’s have a stiff drink, and then we’re going to have to tell her.’

‘You realise she’ll kill us?’

‘Of course, darling, but at least we’ll die together.’

*

‘I almost feel sorry for him,’ Thea mused, over a cocktail with Carla. The bar was dark and half empty; music played quietly in the background. It wasn’t the best bar they could have chosen, although their choice was limited.

‘Tim?’

‘Yes, he says that I suffocate him. Do you think I do?’

‘Thea, I don’t know, but do you think so?’

‘We’ve been together for so long—obviously not that kind of “together”. I think of him as part of me, but the thing is, neither of us has had a relationship for ages, and I’m not sure why.’

‘It sounds as if you two depend on each other.’

‘What, you mean that I need him as much as he needs me?’

‘Yup.’

‘God, that’s fucked up.’

‘It is.’

‘Are you sure you studied English, not psychology?’

‘Quite sure. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made such a fool of myself with Lee.’

‘Why did you?’

‘The thousand-million-dollar question. I thought I was in love with him. He was my first, and you know, I kind of got it into my head that he was the one I was supposed to be with. Leading me to waste almost three years of my life on that quest. How could I be so stupid?’

‘No idea. But you don’t come across as some mad obsessive woman.’

‘Thanks. I hope I’m not, but I sound it. Shit, you know what, I think I hid behind it.’

‘Behind what?’

‘Behind this thing for Lee. Other men did ask me out occasionally, but I always turned them down because they weren’t Lee. But maybe I used him, and the non-relationship we were having, as a security blanket because I was scared.’

‘Bloody hell, this is getting too deep for me. Maybe I did the same with Tim.’

‘That means we’re both probably certifiable.’

‘In that case, let’s leave this dangerous ground and get another drink.’

The waiter approached them. ‘Ladies, two men at the bar would like to give you these drinks and ask you to join them.’

Thea looked at Carla; they both giggled. Looking at the bar, they saw two men who were portly and obviously over forty. They giggled again and shook their heads.

‘Tell them thank you, but we’re lesbians.’ Thea smiled.

‘Christ, with the way we behave with men, maybe we should be.’

Carla went to the bar and came back with some cigarettes. She pulled one out and offered the packet to Thea.

‘I didn’t think you smoked,’ Thea said, grabbing one. She didn’t smoke either but she felt that she needed one.

Carla lit her cigarette. ‘Lee hated smoking.’ She took a long drag and smiled.

Thea went back to thinking about why she was like she was with Tim. They used to be so cool together, best friends, and they always had fun. Throughout school, they’d played pranks and she’d been as much to blame for the mischief as he was. At university, they’d always held the best parties. People loved being around them; they wanted to be part of their group of friends. Thea had been fun. She was always laughing and joking and teasing. So when had she stopped? She knew exactly when. When they’d moved to London together, both full of ideas about their futures, but she’d started working and he hadn’t. She’d lost herself somewhere in the growing-up process. Perhaps Tim had noticed that too, and maybe, maybe that had contributed to his drinking, and messing around.

‘What do you think will happen to us when we get back?’ Carla asked.

‘Well, Anne-Marie can’t kill us. Can she?’

‘Wouldn’t put it past her. She’s like this little demonic pink thing. She’ll probably put a curse on us.’

‘You don’t think she’ll throw us out without anywhere to go or any way of getting home, do you?’