Three's a Crowd (11 page)

We made out – all slow and gentle. Not the whole way, of course. Clothes on. Nothing that heavy.

Just how Eve liked it.

Me? I liked it too. I mean, sure – it was frustrating as well. But right then, I didn’t care. I loved her. She loved me. And, for the first time since we’d met, I was certain that everything else was going to happen.

Soon.

I could feel it in the way she kissed me.

Half an hour later, Ryan found us, still lying stretched out beside each other on the bed. “Hi,” he said. “Hey, Eve. Your dad’s looking everywhere for you.”

“What time is it?” Eve said, not taking her eyes from my face.

“Six-forty or so,” Ryan answered. I could see him, over Eve’s shoulder, peeling off his white waiting-shirt. “I’ve just had the busiest tea in the history of the world. Marco and I were on our own serving about four trillion guests.”

At the mention of Marco’s name I felt a jolt of guilt. I wondered if he’d heard about what had happened with Catalina earlier?

“Why does my dad want me now?” Eve said, grumpily. “I’m not supposed to be anywhere until eight.”

I leaned over and kissed her shoulder. Across the room, Ryan was unzipping his black trousers.

“Hey,” I called. “D’you mind not stripping in front of my girlfriend?”

Ryan rolled his eyes at me, but picked up a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from the pile on the floor and strolled over to the bathroom.

Eve snuggled back down next to me.

Seconds later the bathroom door banged open. Ryan tore into the bedroom, naked apart from his boxer shorts.

“Ry,” I said. “Did you hear what I—?”

“Jonno,” Ryan gasped. “Coming up the path. Here. Any second.”

Eve’s eyes widened with horror. Letting go of my arm she rolled off the bed and onto the floor. She wriggled under the bed as I sat up, mouth gaping.

Two loud knocks echoed on the door.

“Oh my God,” Eve whimpered from under the bed.

“Sssh,” Ryan hissed. “
Shit
, you can see her. Pull the covers down.”

I tugged at the sheet covering the bed, dragging it across so that it draped over the side, down to the floor.

Another loud thump on the door. “Lance! Are you in there?”

The sound of a key fumbling in the lock.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Ryan tipped a heap of his dirty clothes beside the sheet.

Eve curled up in a little ball, now completely hidden.

The door opened. I looked round, knowing my face was on fire. Jonno stood in the doorway, his hands on his hips, staring suspiciously at me. He glanced across at Ryan, still standing beside my bed in his boxer shorts.

“Why didn’t you answer?” he barked.

I gulped.

“I was about to get in the shower,” Ryan said, nervously. “Er . . . sir.”

Jonno looked back at me. “It’s Lance I need to see.”

I could almost feel the relief radiating off Ryan. He turned and practically ran into the bathroom.

I walked towards Jonno, hoping to keep his eyes away from my bed. He was looking round the room.

“Bloody mess in here,” he snapped.

“I know,” I said uneasily. “Sorry. We were gonna tidy up.”

Jonno glared at me. Then his face split into a huge grin. “Yeah, right,” he said. “Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.” He rubbed his hands together. “We have to talk.”

I nodded. What the hell was coming now?

“My crèche manager tells me she found you with one of the girls. Is that right?”

I nodded again.
Oh crap.

Jonno stared at me solemnly. “Do you remember my number one rule?”

“Yes sir. Don’t embarrass the guests. Er . . . but I didn’t . . . there weren’t any. We were in the store room.” I suddenly remembered Eve was listening. “Not that anything happened, sir,” I added hastily. “It was all a misunderstanding.”

“Stop, stop, stop.” Jonno grinned at me. “I told you, I don’t care who you shag on the staff. I know who the girl was. Between you and me I wouldn’t mind some of that myself. No, what I’m talking about is you getting your end away on my time.
And
upsetting my crèche manager. Running that rug-rat hellhole’s a nightmare job. I don’t want her walking out on me.”

“No, sir,” I breathed. “It won’t happen ag— I mean. . .”

“Relax.” Jonno clapped his meaty hand down on my shoulder. “What’s done is done. But apart from apologising to Pilar, which I want you to do as soon as I’ve gone, I don’t want you going near the crèche again. No more shift-swapping. Deal?” His eyes twinkled.

I looked at him, uncertain if he really meant everything was all right.

“And you do double shifts at the restaurant tomorrow to make up. Okay?”

I nodded.

“Good.” Jonno strode over to the door. He turned, his fingers resting on the handle. “By the way, you haven’t seen Eve, have you?”

I blinked. “No, sir.”

He pursed his lips. “Well, if you do, tell her we’re going out at eleven. See you later, Lance.”

As the door slammed behind him I sank down onto Ryan’s bed, my legs suddenly shaking.

Ryan peered out from the bathroom door, now fully dressed in his shorts and T-shirt. “Bloody hell, that was close,” he said. “What was all that about the crèche store room?”

I glanced at Eve, who was scrambling out from under the sheet hanging over my bed.

“Tell you later.” I glared at Ryan to shut up, then ran my hand through my hair. It was okay. Jonno hadn’t seen Eve. He wasn’t even that cross about me messing up my shift.

I breathed out slowly. Relief flooded through me. We’d made it. I grinned, suddenly feeling exhilarated.

“Thank God he didn’t see Eve,” I said. “He’d have gone ballistic at me.”

“At you?” Ryan raised his eyebrows. “I was the one standing here in my freakin’ boxers.”

We both started laughing.

I looked over at Eve. She was standing in front of the bed, hugging her arms round her chest. Her face was as white as the sheet she had hidden behind.

“What is it?” I stopped laughing and strode over to her. She was shivering. “Hey. Hey.” I pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay. He’s gone. Nothing happened.”

Eve backed away from me. “Nothing happened?” Her lip trembled. “What about what he said?”

I frowned. “Said? About what?”
Oh God.
“You mean about Catalina and the store room?”

“Catalina?” Ryan said.

I held out my hand, trying to shut him up. A tear was rolling down Eve’s face. “Eve? What is it? I told you. Nothing happened.”

She stared at me. “I don’t mean that. It was my dad. Didn’t you hear him? The way he was talking about Catalina. She’s my age. And he was all . . . ugh . . . it was disgusting. Like he fancied her himself. . .” Her voice cracked. “Like it was all boys together. ‘
Shag who you like except if it’s my daughter
.’ He’s such a hypocrite.”

I shook my head, not knowing what on earth to say to her.

Ryan put his hand on her arm. “Hey, Eve. It’s not such a biggie. Your dad just likes girls. You know?”

Eve threw him a disgusted glance, then looked back at me. “I’m not going out with him tonight. I’ll do my songs. Then I’m going to tell him I’m not feeling well.” Her mouth set in a determined line. “I’m going to come to the Garito and have fun with you and everyone.”

I threw my arms around her and hugged her.
Yes.

Over her shoulder Ryan was mouthing “Catalina?” at me.

“Go away,” I mouthed back, jerking my thumb towards the door for added emphasis.

Ryan stood there for a second, staring at me. Then he picked up my iPod and left.

It was eleven. The Garito was just starting to get going, the music pounding so hard it made the floorboards jump. Eve wasn’t there yet. I’d already seen Catalina in the distance – looking murderously sexy in a black mini-dress – and was trying to avoid her.

I got plenty of looks and nudges from the other male staff. Gossip about what I’d done in the store room had been flying round the hotel all day, getting wildly exaggerated on the way. Chloe heard a version of the story in which Catalina and I had been caught without any clothes on, while Ryan heard a rumour that three other girls were involved too. I’d apologised to a very sniffy Pilar earlier, and had to promise never to go near the crèche for the rest of my stay.

“You’re going to have to say something to Marco too, you know,” Ryan shouted in my ear. “Apparently he’s off his head about it. God knows what he thinks you actually did.”

“Why?” I groaned. “Why can’t everyone just forget about it?”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so lame. Anyway, he knows we’re friends. If you don’t explain, he’s not going to want to hang out with me either.”

I glared at him.

Ryan grinned. “I’ll talk to him first, okay?”

Marco was sitting in a corner, hunched over a beer. I watched Ryan stroll over. At first Marco turned away, but Ryan sat down next to him anyway. He started talking and smiling and somehow, gradually, Marco shifted round and started talking too. Ryan looked up at me. I saw Marco follow his gaze.
Christ.
He was glowering at me like he wished I was dead.

I’d be lucky if he didn’t try and punch me.

A few minutes later, Ryan sauntered back. “He’s pretty pissed at you,” he said. “You’re going to have to tell him about Eve. I don’t think he’ll believe it otherwise.”

“But suppose he tells Jonno?”

Ryan let out an exasperated sigh. “You should have thought of that before you got into a bloody snogfest with Catalina, shouldn’t you?”

Ryan, of course, had guessed exactly what had happened in the store room. I made a face at him and wandered over to Marco. He didn’t look up.

“Can I talk to you?” I shouted over the music.

Marco nodded curtly. We went outside and wandered down to the trees. There was a strong wind blowing off the sea tonight. The palm tree branches swayed and creaked above our heads.

“Nothing happened,” I said, my stomach churning. “Me and Catalina. Nothing. We were just looking for a mop.”

Marco stared at me blankly.

“Cleaning things.” I mimed mopping a floor. “There was a mess on the floor. Lots of paint. We had to clear it up.”

I held my breath.

Marco squinted at me. He was quite a bit shorter than me. I had the strong feeling that he was weighing up his chances of beating me in a fight.

“Before. When I say I know lots of girls for you. I do not mean for you take
my
girl.”

“I told you, I didn’t. I—”

“Then why you at crèche?”

I took a deep breath, realising Ryan had been right. “I was there because I wanted to see Eve. You know. Eva. Ly-eeha-del-effy.”

Marco stared at me. “
La hija del jefe?
Eva? Señor Ripley’s Eva?”

I nodded.

Marco’s eyes widened into circles. “
Eva?
” he said incredulously. “
Eres loco
. You mad. If Señor Ripley know this, he—”

“He doesn’t know,” I said. “But Eve is my girlfriend.”

With perfect timing, Eve chose that minute to wander into view. I waved her over. She ran up, smiling at me. I put my arm round her. Instantly the smile fell and she pulled away.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I just told Marco about us. I
had
to,” I said meaningfully. “He didn’t understand why I was doing a crèche shift.”

“Oh.” Eve turned to Marco. “Please don’t say anything, Marco,” she pleaded. “My dad would be sooo mad.”

I put my arm round her again and kissed her on the side of the head – just to make sure Marco had got the message.

He beamed. “Okay. I see now. I say nothing.” He looked up at me. “I sorry for no believing you and Catalina.”

“No worries,” I said, feeling only slightly guilty. After all, nothing
had
happened with Cat. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

Marco went back into the Garito. Eve took my hand. “Don’t you want to go in and dance?” she said.

“In a bit,” I said. Apart from not wanting to be anywhere near Catalina, I was enjoying having Eve to myself for once. “Why don’t we go for a walk, first.”

Eve grinned at me. Exactly the same sexy grin I’d seen her give her boyfriend Ben, the first time I’d ever seen her.

“Mmmn,” she said. “How far should we go?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Far as you want,” I smiled, curving my arm round her shoulders.

We walked a long way down the beach. The sea hissed and spat at the shore, throwing up a salty breeze that gusted across our faces. Eve talked about her dad again. How much she loved him, but how little he understood her.

I listened as she raged and cried, wishing there was something I could do or say that would make her feel better.

At last she stopped and turned to me. “I’m sorry for going on and on,” she said. “You’ve been so brilliant. And you’ve stopped being jealous and everything. And all I do is get upset about my dad.”

I ran my hands down her back. She gave a tiny, sexy gasp.

“Maybe not
all
you do,” I murmured.

An hour later we strolled back to the Garito, our arms wrapped round each other. We went inside and danced for a bit. Ryan and Chloe were both there too and even seeing Catalina across the room couldn’t spoil how I felt. This was what being on holiday should be about. Friends. Good music. Having fun. Being with Eve.

We left at one-thirty, so Eve could get back to her room before Jonno came back from his meal out. I walked with Eve up to the main lobby, then slipped away to the room Ryan and I shared. I fell asleep instantly and woke the next morning feeling that nothing could possibly spoil the rest of the holiday. . .

It was a hard day. A late-morning pool shift with Chloe, followed by my usual homework for Mum, then two exhausting shifts in a row in the restaurant. I staggered out at eight o’clock that evening and went back to the room to change. At quarter to nine I was out and heading towards the pool. I was, for once, actually looking forward to Open Mike Night. Ry and Chloe were planning on singing a duet – and because Lola only had to perform for the first half-hour, there would be no breaks, which meant Eve wouldn’t have to sing herself. I was hoping that after we’d heard Ry and Chloe, the two of us could sneak off somewhere together.