by Mandy Baggot
‘Are you fucking crazy?’ Heidi questioned, all wild eyes. ‘If you think I’m going to let you spend tonight sitting on your own in a taverna eating gyros or, going back to that really ostentatious villa with its equally ostentatious renter, then you don’t know me at all.’ She grinned. ‘And you do know me. You know me really, really well. Plus, I’m shit-scared of going onto that beach on my own. Look at all the cool-looking people… all the people looking so much younger than me.’
‘Twenty-one isn’t old,’ Beth told her.
‘Ha,’ Heidi said. ‘I see what you did there.’
‘OK, well, let’s make a deal,’ Beth said, walking them on a little further, the black flag for Pirates Bar where they had stopped for coffee before horse-riding fluttering in the breeze. ‘I’ll stay for a bit. Make sure Elektra is looking after you and introducing you to all the cool kids and then I’ll go if you don’t need me.’
‘I do need you,’ Heidi insisted. ‘My hair might fall out of this elaborate double messy bun we’ve turned it into… or my shoes might break.’
Beth looked down at Heidi’s close-to-endless legs. ‘You’re wearing your sandals with the straps that wind round your calves.’
‘One bad step on the beach dancefloor and those straps will be round my ankles… or a crab will grab the strands and scuttle off with them.’
‘And if Elektra wants you to spend the night with her?’ Beth asked. ‘Will you want me around then?’
She enjoyed watching the sparkle in her best friend’s eyes at the thought of deepening her newfound holiday romance.
‘Actually,’ Beth said, ‘you don’t need to answer that. I can see it written all over your face.’ They walked down the side of a little blue and white taverna and headed for the beach.
‘Henri!’
It was Elektra, bouncing up the sand towards them, wearing very small denim cut-offs and a triangle of silver fabric over the rest of her. Even Beth could appreciate her curves, great hair and overall hotness.
‘I have got to tell her my real name, haven’t I?’ Heidi mouthed to Beth, letting her arm go and waving at Elektra.
‘Yes, you have,’ Beth replied. ‘Before the wedding, remember?’
‘Am I overdressed?’ Heidi asked, looking down at her short, patterned sundress in ochre and other browns that suited her colouring so well. ‘Should I cut the front down a bit? The dress is feeling a little bit thirty-one.’
‘I don’t have any scissors in my handbag,’ Beth said. ‘And she’s seen you now… and it looks great.’
‘It doesn’t look fabulous like her, though,’ Heidi remarked with a sigh that gave off pleasure and dissatisfaction in equal measure. ‘She does look fabulous, doesn’t she?’
‘She does,’ Beth said, nodding.
‘You made it!’ Elektra greeted, immediately kissing Heidi full on the lips then moving to touch each of Beth’s cheeks in turn.
‘All the way from Agni,’ Heidi said, a finger touching her bottom lip as if to capture the kiss.
‘Agni is beautiful,’ Elektra continued, flicking back her hair and smiling. ‘You found somewhere, I am glad. It is someone you know?’
‘Well,’ Heidi began. ‘You could say that.’
‘Shall I get us some drinks?’ Beth offered, wanting to give the couple some space.
‘No,’ Elektra said boldly. ‘You come with me. We have special drinks and… I want you to meet my cousin. We are celebrating tonight. I cannot tell you what the success is, but when I do, you are going to be surprised, Henri.’
‘I am?’ Heidi asked.
‘Maybe a little annoyed too, but I hope mainly surprised.’
‘It sounds… crazy,’ Heidi answered.
‘Crazy is always good, no?’ Elektra said to her.
‘Oh yes,’ Heidi said. ‘Crazy is always good.’
*
Margalo had locked herself in her bedroom and had been refusing to come out, or heavily communicate. It was only when Alex called to her that he had left some chicken and vegetables in the oven and was going out that she’d said anything at all since their discussion in the field. It was a mere grunt. An acknowledgement that she had heard him, nothing more. He would initiate another talk, try and soften the tension surrounding his father, but it couldn’t come yet. Too soon and the crevice between them might grow too wide to bridge.
He shouldn’t be here at the beach either. He should be planning his set for tomorrow night at The Vault. But Elektra had been so excited about the success of the health bar, dying to kick back a little, he didn’t have the heart to turn her down. Besides, he was hoping not thinking about tomorrow’s set would somehow inspire off-the-cuff creativity and the freedom of playing he used to enjoy back in the day.
‘Alex,’ Elektra called. ‘I want you to meet some people. My new friends.’
His cousin was bounding across the decking of the La Luz bar towards his position on a stool by the counter. He smiled at her, then looked beyond for sight of these new friends. Right away his heart went into close-to-needing paddles. It was Beth and Heidi. Beth. What was she doing back here? He hadn’t really been sure if he was going to see her again, even tomorrow at the club. Her husband was here and, despite what she said, it had to mean something. And how was it that Elektra knew them?
He got down off the bar stool and waited for them to reach him, core pulsing, throat tight.
‘Alex,’ Elektra carried on, grinning from ear to ear. ‘I want you to meet Henrietta and Beth.’
Henrietta? Was that Heidi’s real name? Alex didn’t have a chance to try and process anything else as he was too busy meeting Beth’s eyes and feeling the ‘let’s keep things simple and uncomplicated’ floating away. He didn’t want things simple. He wanted more of her company like he always had. Whatever was going on in his life. Whatever form it took…
‘Lex,’ he heard Beth breathe, total shock in her tone.
‘This can’t be your cousin,’ Heidi continued, sounding equally astounded. ‘I mean, it can’t be.’ She shook her head. ‘I mean, seriously, no.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Elektra said. ‘This is Alex, my cousin.’
‘We know each other,’ Alex explained.
‘Just how small is this island?’ Heidi said, hands going into her hair, the messy bun threatening to collapse. ‘Why is everything so… connected?!’
‘Elektra, I met Beth and Heidi ten years ago. You weren’t quite old enough to be allowed in clubs then. They came here on holiday. And now…’ What was he going to say by way of explanation? He had loved Beth back then. He still loved her now? ‘I hired them a car and I helped arrange the builder for Paralia View.’
Elektra blinked and blinked again, looking from him to Beth to Heidi, then mainly at Heidi.
‘Heidi?’ Elektra said. ‘Who is Heidi?’
‘He means Henri,’ Beth said quickly.
Elektra put her hands on her hips and looked like she had been duped. ‘Your name is not Henrietta?’
Heidi let a long slow breath go. ‘You have absolutely no idea how much I wish it was right now.’
‘OK, shall we have some drinks?’ Alex asked, indicating the carafe containing a bright red-coloured liquid on the table. ‘Get to know each other all over again?’
‘Over again?’ Elektra asked, a cross expression clouding her eyes. ‘I am not sure I know them at all.’
Forty-Six
‘I’ve lost her,’ Heidi said, teary-eyed as she and Beth stood on the sand at the edge of the group of people dancing to the summer mix of tunes the DJ was playing.
It had all come out after Heidi admitted to not being Henri. She had confessed it all. That she was in investments not kumquat production and she had cribbed the job role from her conversations with Alex. Despite Heidi saying she had done it because she lacked confidence and wanted to make a better impression, Elektra had flounced away taking the moral high ground, even though she hadn’t actually been wholly truthful herself.
‘You haven�
��t lost her,’ Beth reassured. ‘She might be dancing over there with… that other woman… but she keeps looking over here. You know, like we used to do when we were…’
‘Infantile?’ Heidi suggested. The word Charles had used earlier wasn’t wasted on Beth.
‘She never told you she was helping Alex with the kumquat products and you’ve had a long lunch with her.’
‘She was very interested in those bloody fruits though. And that was obviously it,’ Heidi bemoaned, sucking on her straw that was dipped in an exotic cocktail called The Godmother. ‘She was only interested in me because of the kumquat connection.’
‘Oh, Heidi,’ Beth said. ‘I don’t think that’s true.’
‘Of course it is. I mean, look at her, she’s a goddess and I’m a goddamn mess. I’m five years older than her, basically a mother figure, who lied about who she was because the truth is a whole lot less interesting.’
‘I’m not listening to this any more,’ Beth said suddenly. ‘You’re my best friend and I won’t have you tearing yourself down over this.’ She grabbed Heidi’s arm and started making off over the beach, towards the people dancing amid the light of flaming torches.
‘What are you doing?’ Heidi said. ‘Stop! Wait! Beth! I don’t want you here. There we go. You said if I didn’t want you here then you’d not be here and…’
‘I’m not going anywhere,’ Beth said. ‘Not until we’ve sorted this out.’ She headed towards Elektra. ‘Hey!’
‘God,’ Heidi grimaced. ‘Did you just “hey” her? I want to die!’
‘You are talking to me?’ Elektra asked, still all brooding and hissy.
‘Yes,’ Beth stated, pulling Heidi’s form so she was forced to angle her body towards the Greek woman. ‘I am talking to you and I think you’ve been very unfair to Heidi.’
‘You do?’ Elektra said, one eyebrow raising higher than the others.
‘I do,’ Beth carried on. ‘Heidi is a magnificent person who deserves not to be judged by a silly miscommunication.’
‘She told me her name was Henrietta and she was building a kumquat empire,’ Elektra reminded.
‘I know,’ Beth said. ‘But she did that for all the right reasons. Because she wasn’t thinking straight. Because of how attracted she was to you.’
Heidi emitted a sound a highly embarrassed MP might make if she had been caught with a peer she shouldn’t be with and the photos were displayed on Good Morning Britain.
‘And this is something she cannot say for herself?’ Elektra asked with a huff and a flick of her mane of dark curls. ‘That is weak. I do not do weak people.’ She turned away, trying to draw the attention of her friends.
‘What did you just say?’ Heidi came to life all of a sudden, her tone nonplussed. ‘Did you say I was weak?’
Elektra turned back round. ‘Aren’t you, Henri? I mean… Heidi. If that is really your real name. I do not know.’
‘I am not weak,’ Heidi said, stepping closer to the other woman. ‘I have said sorry for misleading you and said that it wasn’t intentional. However, I do not hear any apology from you.’
‘For what?!’ Elektra wanted to know.
‘For not telling me that you are the brains behind your own soon-to-be kumquat company,’ Heidi began, looking Elektra directly in the eye. ‘For not telling me that you are the creator of the magically delicious juice Alex brought us to try. For not admitting that you are extraordinarily clever, doing scientific equations and hunkering down over bubbling test-tubes and petri dishes like… like… the hot clone in Orphan Black.’
‘Alex told you all this?’ Elektra asked, tone softening quite substantially. Beth took a step back from the pair, hoping it was safe enough to start retreating.
‘Yes,’ Heidi said, inching closer to Elektra. ‘Yes, he did, and I can tell you, it’s only made me want to get to know you even more… you completely fucking scary but equally totally sexy individual.’
‘You think I am sexy?’ Elektra asked.
‘Yes… and funny… and strong… and so clever and… a goddess.’
‘A goddess,’ Elektra said, a smile forming on her lips.
‘With attitude,’ Heidi added, swallowing.
Such was the electricity between them, Beth felt bad not looking away… but it was also so compelling to watch…
‘You are not weak,’ Elektra said. ‘Are you?’
‘Most definitely not,’ Heidi breathed.
‘But you underestimate yourself,’ Elektra continued.
‘I do?’
‘You do,’ Elektra stated. ‘And you underestimate me too.’
‘I do?’
‘You think I am only interested in you if you have a long name and a job with money. These things I do not care about,’ Elektra carried on. ‘I care about how the world behaves and what makes the sun hot and the moon dark and the trees green and…why your eyes are the colour of pistachios.’
Beth held her breath.
‘But there are other things you should know too,’ Elektra continued hurriedly.
‘What?’ Heidi asked.
Elektra took a breath. ‘I am a “she”,’ she stated defiantly. ‘Not a “they”. I do not want to shave my hair off or wear rainbow as a tattoo. So, if you want someone to march with or rebel against with… I am not into any of that. I don’t judge and I won’t be judged. I just like girls,’ she said. ‘No unnecessary bullshit.’
‘The occasional episode of Chicago Fire with Lesley Shay in it?’
‘No rainbows,’ Elektra said. ‘Only in the sky.’
‘Fine by me,’ Heidi replied, looking breathless.
Then suddenly Heidi was practically swallowed up by Elektra and all Beth could see were two great heads of hair, combining, lips presumably locked together, bodies moving ever closer. She smiled to herself, so delighted for her friend. As the kiss continued, she padded backwards on the sand, giving them some privacy and beating a retreat. When she turned towards the bar there was Alex, two bottles of beer in his hands.
Forty-Seven
‘Heidi and Elektra,’ Alex said, shaking his head as he led the way to a vacant table for two on the perimeter of the partying. The tide was coming in, the water soft and smooth, but it was still a way away from being close enough to touch with their toes unless they sought to do so. The sky was completely clear, stars starting to appear in the black blanket above them, warmth still in the air. ‘She told me she had met someone, and I teased her about it. I had no idea it was Heidi.’
‘And we didn’t know Elektra was your cousin,’ Beth said, sitting down.
Alex pushed the beer bottle towards her and she picked it up.
‘I shouldn’t drink this,’ Beth said, studying the label like it might decrease its alcohol content. ‘I’m going to have to drive back to Agni later.’
‘Because you have nowhere to stay?’ Alex asked her. ‘Or because you need to get back to your husband.’
‘Because we have nowhere to stay,’ Beth said. ‘Charles being here is…’
‘Difficult for you?’ Alex offered, his dark brown eyes finding her green ones.
‘Yes,’ Beth answered. ‘It is.’
‘I understand,’ Alex said coolly.
‘No,’ Beth said. ‘I don’t think you do.’ She shook her head. She really really needed the beer. There had to be taxis in Roda. If she drank then she and Heidi could get a taxi back to Agni, or they could do like they were going to do before Charles landed, they could sleep on the beach… She put the bottle to her lips and took a swig.
‘You did not have to go with him,’ Alex told her.
‘I know,’ Beth answered. She regarded him, this ten-years-older Alex she had seen in a business suit, shorts, a wetsuit, the ripped jeans he had on now. He tucked his half-long, half-short hair behind his ears as a gentle wind blew over the shoreline. With more shadow on his jaw, slight lines at the corners of his eyes, he was even hotter than he had been. Time had only matured his features, not aged them.
&nbs
p; ‘Then why did you?’ Alex asked.
‘Because I need Charles to see the new me. The me I want to be after this holiday,’ Beth tried to explain. ‘I spoke to him on the phone. I bluntly emailed. It was never going to be enough. Tomorrow I am going to tell him that this is where it all ends. I’m giving up my job. I’m selling my mother’s house. I’m going to focus everything on making my jewellery business a reality.’
She watched Alex’s mouth open wider, pure joy and pride shining from his expression. He looked as thrilled as if it was his own dream he was about to embark on.
‘Beth,’ he breathed, reaching across the table for her hands. ‘I am so excited for you! My heart, it’s racing, two hundred miles an hour.’ He put a hand to his chest. ‘You can do this,’ he told her firmly. ‘I know you can do this.’
She let out a nervous laugh. ‘I don’t know if I can do this, but I need to have a go, or I might regret it forever… and this holiday is meant to be about living without regrets.’
‘Living without regrets,’ Alex mused, tapping the bottom of his bottle against the table.
*
Alex knew he should have asked his mother more about his father a lot sooner than now. A decade or more ago would have been a better plan. But there was no way to go back.
‘You have regrets about your Ibiza dream, don’t you?’ Beth asked him.
‘I have many regrets,’ Alex admitted. ‘I do not know where to start.’
‘You can start wherever you want to,’ Beth said. ‘As long as you make that start.’ She blushed. ‘I don’t know… being here is turning me into an affirmations fruit machine.’
‘Winning kumquats?’ Alex asked.
‘They will be,’ Beth told him, squeezing his hands. ‘If you want them to be.’
‘I don’t know,’ Alex said, letting her go and sweeping one hand through his hair. ‘There are still so many things to get done. The design is not perfected. That delays the packaging. Then there is manufacturing on a big scale. It costs money for the equipment and the staff. The juice and the bar may be complete, but the cream is the most important and Elektra is still creating that fine balance with free water.’