Friends Who Lie

by Paul J. Teague

  She decided to tell a white lie about that. If Wes was happy to collude with her and maintain an untruth, she would go with the flow.

  ‘Somebody’s going to have to share a room. Harriet has a single room with twin beds, so does Kasey. Wes is moving in with Kasey for the week, but Harriet gets to keep her room because everybody else is a couple. Fair enough?’

  ‘Somebody might want to take that spare bed in Harriet’s room. Especially if they’ve been in the toilet after my morning visit!’

  Terry laughed out loud at his own joke, making a German couple who were checking in turn around and look at their party. Caitlen was embarrassed to realise that they were probably fearful of getting stuck in an apartment block packed with drunken British louts. She wished that Terry was capable of laughing more quietly.

  ‘That leaves the couples,’ she said, ignoring Terry’s remark. He was right though, nobody would be very enthusiastic after a night sharing an apartment with Terry. She was struggling to remain enthusiastic herself.

  ‘I’m going to suggest that Naomi and Rhett come in with me and Terry. Sorry Naomi, but I think that’s fairest, don’t you?’

  ‘I don’t mind sharing with you and Terry,’ Emmy offered. ‘We all rub along well enough.’

  ‘Well, Matt and Becky are just engaged, so they’re definitely not sharing!’ Rhett offered, kindly. ‘I say the engaged couple are out of bounds. That’s fair, isn’t it?’

  Becky took Matt’s arm and pulled him into her, protectively.

  ‘I’ll go for that!’ she said. ‘Thanks, Rhett.’

  ‘At least everybody’s on the same floor, they got that right,’ Wes said, as he rejoined them from the check-in area, a handful of plastic key cards in his hand. ‘So, how are we carving it up?’

  Caitlen examined Naomi’s face. She looked like she’d just been told she had one week to live. Rhett whispered something in her ear and she perked up.

  ‘Okay, Cait, we’ll come in with you and Terry. And if we all get on each other’s nerves, I guess we always have spare beds in Porter and Emmy’s apartment and Harriet’s room if anybody needs a bit of space.’

  Caitlen was relieved. Her sister could be a bit of a cow sometimes, but it helped her considerably if she didn’t make a fuss. Rhett was an easy-going guy and as for she and Naomi – well, they were sisters, they were stuck with each other, they’d figure it out.

  Wes handed out the key cards as if he was giving away the last of his food. They’d been a bit tight with the cards, Caitlen thought, bearing in mind how many of them there were in the party.

  ‘All the apartments should be the same inside, so it doesn’t matter who takes which one. And you can swap before we all unpack if you don’t like your view!’

  They picked up their cases and began to move en masse towards the lifts.

  ‘If I can get an extra apartment after the weekend rush, I will,’ Caitlen tried to reassure them.

  As far as she could figure out, that was the best configuration of people. She and Naomi would be fine, they were like chalk and cheese, but they always figured it out. Besides, she needed to speak to Naomi. They’d not had time to talk properly since the meal. There’d been so much going on what with her news and Becky’s surprise announcement. They needed to catch up and sharing the apartment would push them together.

  There were two lifts serving the apartment block and they had to make the trip in groups of three and four, depending on the sizes of their suitcases. They gathered on the landing of floor five. It was a long marbled corridor with six doors evenly spaced around the hallway. The single apartments were at either end, which meant the doubles were spaced two along either side. Caitlen felt a pang of anger as she realised that they’d have had a full floor to themselves if she hadn’t messed up the booking.

  Harriet made her way towards her own door at the opposite end of the corridor to Kasey. It was a bit of a shame that Wes had come along, she and Kasey got on well as the two singles in the group. Now Wes was getting in the way a bit. She’d be fine though, the peace and quiet would be nice after being surrounded by people all day. Besides, she needed to try and get Matt out of her system, although perhaps coming on a holiday with him wasn’t the best way to go about it.

  There was a problem with the rooms. Becky was making a fuss.

  ‘I’d really like a sea view if somebody else doesn’t mind swapping?’

  She let her request hang in the air, awaiting a response.

  Caitlen saw the real reason why she wanted to swap rooms. They were right next to Harriet’s apartment. She knew that things were tense between her and Harriet, so she immediately stepped in to help out.

  ‘Take our room!’ Caitlen said, a little too quickly. ‘You’re welcome to it – you are the happy couple, after all.’

  Becky’s face lit up. Matt looked up the corridor towards Harriet’s room, but considered that it was probably for the best. Having Harriet there would be a constant temptation for them both. Maybe too much of a temptation. But they had to be there for Caitlen’s sake. It would have looked odd to refuse her treat in Benidorm.

  Terry was on the wrong side of the hallway, clumsily attempting to open up the door to the room which Caitlen should have booked. He gave it a shove, banging his shoulder hard against the wood.

  ‘Damn it, Terry, it’s a holiday apartment, not a police bust!’ Rhett teased. ‘We’re on the opposite side, mate.’

  Terry had made so much noise, it had brought the apartment’s occupant to the door. It was a young woman, probably no more than twenty-five years old, Caitlen thought, standing in a bikini. Terry’s jaw almost hit the floor, Porter turned to gawp and Rhett, as a man who was accomplished at staying married, took a crafty peek then looked back at his wife.

  ‘Hi, is everything alright?’ she asked.

  ‘It just got better!’ Terry said, sounding more and more like Sid James by the day.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Caitlen intervened, moving towards the woman and indicating that Terry should step out of the way.

  ‘We got our rooms mixed up, sorry to disturb you.’

  ‘So, you’re my new neighbours.’

  ‘Yes, we are. And I promise we won’t always cause this much disturbance. We’ve just fouled up the room bookings and we’re trying to figure out who goes where.’

  ‘It’s no trouble, honestly. It was a bit quiet up here to tell you the truth, it’ll be nice to hear other people coming and going.’

  Terry had started to move their cases into the opposite apartment, encouraged by Naomi and Rhett who wanted to get in and unpacked. Becky and Matt also went into their room, eager to get showered and changed.

  ‘I’m Gina Saloman, pleased to meet you!’

  ‘Caitlen Brinkley. That’s my ... my partner, Terry. Sorry, he can be a bit of a fright sometimes.’

  Gina laughed.

  ‘It’s fine. How long are you here for?’

  ‘Just the week. And you?’

  ‘Oh, I’m here for the summer. I live and work out here, I can’t stand the weather in the UK. All I need is a laptop and a wireless connection and I’m good to go. I was just heading to the pool, it’s wonderful down there when the weather is like this. I’ll see you around, you’ll love it here, the apartments are fabulous.’

  For a moment, Caitlen felt a pang of envy. It was a craving for a new and freer life, like the one Gina was leading. She worked in software, all she needed was a laptop and an internet connection, just like Gina. The only thing that was stopping her from dropping everything and moving somewhere nice like Spain was Terry. He was her biggest encumbrance. He was her only block now that she had the money. As Gina smiled at her, pulled her door shut and walked confidently along the hallway with the boldness that only a twenty-something could enjoy, Caitlen decided that she wanted to be Gina Saloman. She wanted her life to be just like hers.

  Chapter Eight

  Benidorm: June

  At least Caitlen had managed to get something right. The apartme
nts were fresh, modern, clean and beautifully furnished.

  ‘No minibar, though!’ Terry had said, after searching the kitchen and lounge as if it was some forensic examination.

  ‘It’s an apartment block, that’s why,’ Caitlen replied, still preoccupied with the stunning Gina Saloman. She could hardly blame the men for gawping. If she’d had a gay bone in her body, she might have chosen Gina to express it with. She was amazing. Terry, meanwhile, seemed unchanged by the wonderful environment in which they were now immersed.

  ‘All we need is a fridge full of John Smiths and we’re away!’ he said conspiratorially to Rhett.

  ‘There’s bound to be a British supermarket close by,’ Rhett suggested, not wanting to get in Terry’s way so soon in the day. Naomi was more antagonised by Terry’s behaviour – she’d made herself scarce, feigning another headache. At least they had separate bedrooms. Terry had made a fuss about the twin beds.

  ‘They’re getting pushed together!’ he’d declared. ‘There’s no way I’m spending a week on holiday and not getting my leg over. Bloody Spanish and their separate beds. It’s a wonder any of them stay married.’

  Caitlen would have preferred a single bed in a separate room. She was anxious to speak to Gina and find out more about her lifestyle. She wondered if she’d be able to sneak away to the pool and join her new friend. She didn’t want Terry in tow when they spoke next. His bad habits seemed accentuated abroad. She was finding him more and more embarrassing.

  ‘I’m going out to find some beers. Are you coming, Rhett?’

  Rhett nodded, thinking that it was probably the course of least resistance. Besides, he was anxious to get a look at the beach. He was certain that once Terry had got his precious John Smiths, he’d be amenable to reroute along the beach. Caitlen was grateful for the headspace once they’d shut the door. She’d just realised how little time she and Terry had spent together in recent months.

  Naomi was out of the bedroom the moment the two men had gone.

  ‘I thought you had a headache, Naomi?’ Caitlen said.

  ‘No, just a pain in the arse.’

  Naomi looked at Caitlen and they burst out laughing. Whatever the tensions between them, they were still sisters. They could always make each other laugh, even when they were pissed off with each other.

  ‘He can be a bit much, can’t he?’

  ‘You’re saying! I don’t know how you’ve put up with him as long as you have. I mean, he doesn’t really fit in, does he? With our group, I mean?’

  Caitlen’s immediate response was to challenge Naomi. She might have done six months ago. There was no love lost between Naomi and Terry. He thought that Rhett was emasculated by her. Only ‘emasculated’ was not a word that was in Terry’s vocabulary. He’d put it slightly more offensively than that. If you carry on like this, she’ll turn you into a Kasey! Naomi had wanted to punch his lights out at that, not only because of how he thought that Naomi was some kind of evil agent who was eroding Rhett’s inherent masculinity, but more because of his attitude to Kasey. The man was a copper. What chance did the public stand if attitudes like that were so deeply ingrained?

  There was little point arguing with Terry.

  ‘That smells like the stench of prejudice, Terry,’ she’d dared to challenge.

  He passed wind loudly and offensively.

  ‘That smells like the stench of yesterday’s dinner!’ he replied.

  And with that crass behaviour, everything stayed as it had always been. Terry would casually allude to Kasey’s sexuality in his coarse humour, the others would write it off as ‘just Terry being Terry.’

  ‘Can you keep a secret?’ Caitlen asked. ‘You mustn’t even discuss it with Rhett. Promise?’

  ‘Of course!’ Naomi replied.

  She’d hoped that they might get chatting. It’s what Rhett had suggested when the idea was first mooted that they’d have to share an apartment. He’d whispered it in her ear and she’d seen the sense in it immediately. Sharing the apartment would give her the ideal opportunity to broach the subject of money. She’d wait a day or two, then bring it up when they were alone. It was a good sign that Caitlen wanted to confide in her.

  ‘I’m thinking of leaving Terry.’

  She’d said it. It felt daring, scary and exhilarating.

  ‘Seriously?’ Naomi asked. She didn’t want to start damning Terry if there was a chance that they might stay together.

  ‘Yes. I’m serious. I think I should have done it before we came out here. I wanted to give him a chance, to see if it was just me being stupid. But he’s an idiot, isn’t he? I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to see it. But you all know that already, don’t you?’

  Naomi didn’t say anything. They all tolerated Terry. It wasn’t that they didn’t get on with him, he could be a great laugh at times. But he wore you down. He needed to be something else in the modern world and he seemed incapable of making the change.

  ‘When will you do it?’

  Caitlen noticed that Naomi wasn’t questioning her decision. It looked like her sister was several steps ahead of her when it came to Terry.

  ‘If your mind is made up, you shouldn’t wait too long. It will only make things worse.’

  ‘I don’t want to screw up the holiday for everybody. But we haven’t had sex in about three months – I’m not sure I can face him slobbering all over me again. You heard what he said about the twin beds. And he wheezes when he’s been on the beer ...’

  Caitlen began to cry. She’d been holding it all in, not daring to articulate her thoughts in such detail. Her earlier chat on the bus with Harriet had been sounding things out. Now she was talking specifics, not generalities.

  Naomi hugged Caitlen. She hadn’t felt so close to her sister in a long time. Naomi almost shared her own dirty secret with her there and then, but hesitated. Not yet, she thought.

  ‘I’m going to see how easily I can outmanoeuvre him while we’re here. He’ll spend most of the holiday pissed, and if I’m lucky he’ll fall asleep before he gets any ideas. There’s always Harriet’s too, if I need a spare bed.’

  Caitlen dabbed her eyes with a tissue. She wasn’t the crying kind, but breaking up with Terry scared her. The money would complicate things.

  ‘How do you think he’ll take it?’ Naomi asked.

  ‘Badly. He must know it’s coming. We’re like strangers in the house. He must have noticed, however busy he is at work.’

  ‘There was life before Terry, you know. You’ve split up with boyfriends before. There will be a life after Terry.’

  ‘Yes, but the money is going to make things difficult. He’s going to think that’s what this is all about. I come into some money and he thinks he’s going to be able to get his hands on it. Then I tell him to sling his hook. How would you like it if you thought you were going to get some of that cash and I told you to take a hike?’

  That question was a little too close for comfort for Naomi. But Caitlen was dead right. If Terry thought he was getting a half share of all that cash, then immediately got dumped, he’d be furious. It would be like thinking you’d won that week’s lottery only to find you were looking at the numbers on an old ticket. Incredible elation followed by devastating disappointment. Naomi could imagine just how that might make Terry feel. It would be enough to drive even a sane person to murder.

  Chapter Nine

  Terry and Emmy: May

  ‘It’s one heck of a lot of cash, even if it is Monopoly money,’ Terry said, sitting up in the bed and revealing a chest that was dense with thick black hair. For Terry, the idea of waxing or even grooming was something that only youngsters did. A hairy chest had worked for Sean Connery and it had also worked for Terry all of his life.

  ‘Still, if I could get my hands on my half, we’d be well away.’

  ‘Has she said anything yet?’ Emmy asked. ‘When will it hit your joint account?’

  Emmy looked like she’d just had the night that she’d just had. Her long blonde h
air was matted and messy, the remnants of her make-up smudged.

  ‘You look like one of those paintings from that artist guy ... what’s his name ... Picasso. Everything is there, but it’s not quite in the right place.’

  Emmy didn’t mind Terry’s humour. In fact, she loved Terry. The only person blocking them from being a couple was Caitlen. They were going to tell her and Porter after the dinner party, but Caitlen had messed it up by mentioning the money. And now they had to park their plan for a little while longer, so that they could figure out what to do.

  Terry’s mobile phone beeped at the side of the bed. He quickly read the message.

  ‘It’s Cait wondering how the surveillance went. Better not tell her that it was highly satisfactory, eh? And that I got to see way more than I bargained for?’

  Emmy blushed a little, but only for a moment. She hadn’t done that with a man before, it seemed daring and a bit kinky. But she’d enjoyed it. With Terry. The thought of she and Porter ever pushing the boat out and trying something exotic in bed was unthinkable. It was like having sex with a comatose man. It always felt like he was putting himself through an endurance event and one in which he was not doing very well. Terry was fun, in bed and out of it. They shared the same coarse humour. She didn’t know how she’d ended up with Porter, he was an idiot.

  ‘Does she really not suspect you, Terry?’ Emmy asked, checking the time on her phone. ‘She’s not stupid, she must at least have an inkling of what’s going on.’

  ‘I think she’s just pleased if I leave her alone when I come home. If I come on to her, she pushes me away. So I try it on more and more, because while she’s saying no to me, it diverts her from what we’re doing.’

  ‘I feel like a shit doing this, Terry, but it’s only a matter of time. She must feel the break-up coming. I just worry what will happen to the group when everybody finds out. They’ll have to take sides.’

  ‘I don’t think it’ll be like that, Ems. I think she’ll be pleased to get rid of me, especially with this bitcoin thing or whatever it’s called. We just need to hang on a bit longer to get our share.’