by Mandy Baggot
Yan looked over in the direction his colleague was staring and saw Ellen and Lacey making their way from the sun loungers towards the steps to the hotel buildings. He swallowed. Still there was no smile on Ellen’s face. She was looking into her bag, hair falling forward, hands rummaging through the contents. She was never comfortable. He had spent all day watching her, seeing the distracted actions that were in complete contrast to the fire in her responses to him. For whatever reason she wasn’t at ease here.
‘Wow, wow, wow,’ Sergei sighed.
The repeated word had Yan tightening his core and shifting on his seat. ‘You look at Ellen?’
‘What? No. Her name is Lacey,’ Sergei answered.
Yan got up. ‘I have football.’
‘Hey, we have drinks on the beach tonight, yes? After show?’ Sergei asked.
‘I need to sleep.’
‘Oh come on, you can sleep when you are dead. We need to party,’ Sergei answered.
* * *
‘D’you know, the whole time I was doing Zumba, that Sergei was checking out my arse! I mean, you’d think he’d never seen someone shake their arse before, the way his eyes were out on stalks. And this is a Zumba instructor!’ Lacey opened the door to Aphrodite 177.
‘You were flirting with him,’ Ellen remarked. She gave a soft sigh and trailed into the room behind her sister, dumping her bag on the floor.
‘What? I was what now?’
‘I said you were flirting with him. Every time you did a turn, you shook your arse in his face.’ She flopped down onto her bed.
The sun had been relentless all day. As they were on a Greek island she should have expected it but she hadn’t been abroad since ... Majorca. Bloody Majorca! She kicked the foot of the bed and her flip-flop fell to the tiles.
‘Flirting with him! He was flirting with me! He obviously doesn’t know I’m an engaged woman!’ Lacey fanned a hand at her throat.
‘No, probably because you didn’t tell him and because you’re not wearing your engagement ring.’ Ellen sat up, her brow creasing in suspicion. ‘You’re not wearing your ring. Why aren’t you wearing your ring?’
‘It’s being sized,’ Lacey replied, not missing a beat.
‘Sized? You’ve had it over a year.’
‘I did that cabbage diet. It took ounces off my fingers.’
Ellen watched her sister’s expression in the mirror. She saw the doe eyes, the nervous tilt of her head and the lump moving up and down in her throat as she swallowed. Lacey was a terrible liar and this was it. This was the moment Ellen had been half-expecting for months now. Lacey was wearing the same expression she had worn at the castle in Kent when the curator had wanted to talk dates. She had dismissed the look then, put it down to tiredness, being overwhelmed, Mark not being there … but here it was again. Lacey was having doubts about this marriage.
‘What’s going on?’ Ellen rasped.
‘Nothing’s going on. The ring’s being sized. Serg the Perv was letching over my arse and that’s it, end of story.’ The answer had come a little too quickly.
Ellen leapt to her feet and grabbed at something on the dressing table. ‘Right, I’m confiscating the hair straighteners.’ She strode towards the safety deposit box in the wardrobe.
‘No! Ells, stop!’ Lacey screamed, turning and chasing her across the room.
‘Either you tell me what’s going on or they’re in here for the duration,’ Ellen threatened. She put the appliance into the safe and hovered her hand over the keypad.
‘All right! I’ll tell you. Just give them back,’ Lacey begged.
Her sister’s voice cracked and Ellen could see there were tears threatening to spill. This was serious.
‘Lacey, what is it?’
‘I don’t know. Just everything. I’m not … ’ She shuddered. ‘I’m not sure I want to get married anymore.’ A tear escaped, slipping down her cheek.
For a second, Ellen couldn’t speak. Her sister had said the words out loud and now it was out she couldn’t really believe it was true. Lacey had been planning this wedding for over a year. They’d almost finalised the cake flavour and settled on a raisin colour for the bridesmaid dresses. She talked constantly about dressmakers, horse and cart hire, the Red Arrows doing a fly past.
‘I love all the planning and we’ve had a blast, haven’t we? There isn’t a venue in the south of England we haven’t visited but ...’ Lacey paused. ‘Well ... when I saw that platform in the sea it really made me think. This is it. Marriage is it, you know ... forever. Is that what I want?’
‘But, Lace, now?’ Mother mode. Ellen had to get into mother mode right now and make sure she said all the right things. She braced herself, sat up straight and prepared for whatever was coming next.
‘That’s just it. I don’t know. I’m not sure.’ Lacey sniffed.
‘Have you said anything to Mark?’ She passed over a tissue.
‘What?! Are you mad? Of course I haven’t said anything to Mark! How can I say anything to Mark? We’re engaged and I’m out here supposedly checking out our wedding venue. I can’t exactly say hey babe, you know I’m off to Corfu to check out our wedding venue? Well actually I’m not really sure I want to get married. I’m just going for the cocktails and to check out the Zumba instructor.’
This was really bad. ‘Were you?’
‘Was I what?’
‘Checking out Sergei.’
‘Maybe,’ Lacey admitted. A loaded sigh left her lips.
‘God, Lacey.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
Ellen put a hand over one of Lacey’s and gave it a squeeze. She mustn’t judge. She mustn’t tell her to buck up her ideas and she definitely mustn’t tell her how lucky she was to have someone like Mark. No one wanted to hear that when they were going through a crisis. Although, right now, the thought of not having the wedding, her one distraction from the sorry state her life was in, was tilting her axis.
‘I wish I was more like you, Ellen. You’re sorted aren’t you?’
Lacey’s words put a strangle hold on her. ‘Sorted’ was not a word that could be used to describe her life at the moment. Her lack of response to Ross’ proposal hadn’t just been the end of their relationship. It had been the end of everything as she’d known it. Because when she’d said no it had all become crystal clear. Ross had never been interested in her, he’d only wanted what he could get from their alliance. Then when it all fell apart, he had helped himself anyway. He took the inheritance her mother had left her. The money she’d been going to use to start her own accountancy practice. And she was so mortified, so ashamed and embarrassed that she hadn’t seen it coming, she had told no one.
She should have gone to the police the second she found out, but she could practically hear their words when she told them he’d had access to her account. She’d been naïve. She maybe couldn’t have seen him as a life partner but she’d trusted him when it came to money. She’d had no reason not to.
‘I wouldn’t say I was completely sorted.’ She dropped her eyes to her lap and glugged back the boulder in her throat. This was uncomfortable, dodgy terrain.
‘You are. You’ve got your own place and a great job. You’re just happy doing what you do,’ Lacey continued, toying with Ellen’s fingers.
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that.’ Her heart was already picking up speed and a vision of Milo taking an Allen key to her locked drawer flashed through her head.
If only Lacey knew she was still sitting on a bean bag she’d reclaimed from her dad’s house and eating discounted food. She bought paperbacks from Scope. She wouldn’t have been able to come on the holiday if her sister hadn’t begged her and paid. She had had to sell an old mobile phone to buy her euros. Everything went on bills and credit cards. She’d cancelled Sky months ago.
‘What am I going to do?’ Lacey asked, her eyes widening.
‘Maybe it’s just pre-wedding jitters. That’s quite normal. Woman practically has a quarterly feature on it.’
<
br /> Lacey let out another sigh. ‘I do love Mark.’
‘Then what are you worried about?’
‘Loving him enough, I guess. Do I love him enough?’
‘Only you can answer that question.’ Ellen stopped, realising she actually sounded like an agony column. ‘But don’t answer it now because I’ve got a stinking headache.’
‘I have a cure for that,’ Lacey leant down and produced a bottle from her bag. ‘It’s called ouzo!’
‘Where did you get that from?’
‘Oh I got talking to that cute waiter, Spiros, the one who cleared our table at breakfast. He said he’d do Greek dancing with me tonight.’
Greek dancing. With the hot Bulgarian animator Ellen insulted every time she opened her mouth. Maybe he would smash a plate over her head while he had the opportunity. She really needed a refresher on her people skills as well as everything else connected with interaction. Here, she felt like she’d spent the past year in a nuclear bunker. When had she got so completely self-absorbed?
‘So, have you done any wedding planning while you’ve been here?’ Ellen asked.
‘I asked Spiros about table covers and napkins. Here, yamas!’ Lacey toasted, raising the bottle.
And there she was. Her sister, marriage concerns forgotten about thanks to a Greek aperitif. If all life’s worries could be washed down so easily, she’d be up for a bucketful.
6
He spoke Bulgarian, some English and German, but Yan still couldn’t get all the moves right in the children’s disco. He loved the children. Like the children he’d helped in his village, their infectious nature and enthusiasm made everything a little better. But dance wasn’t really his thing. He preferred sports, games, something with a purpose. Dance was just moving with no winner at the end. He liked there to be a point to things. A goal. Just like in life.
It was thankfully the last song and tonight he wasn’t performing. For the Greek night there was a professional band of dancers. The animation team just had to introduce the act and stay visible, encouraging holidaymakers to participate.
He’d seen Ellen and her sister sit at a table about ten minutes earlier. She’d looked over at the stage before choosing a seat. Now she was crossing and uncrossing her legs, fidgeting on the chair and ripping up a serviette. Not relaxed. Her mind obviously somewhere else. This feeling he could relate to.
* * *
‘Oh my days, have you seen Serg the Perv? He’s wearing a magician’s suit! What does he look like?!’ Lacey exclaimed, putting a hand over her mouth and belly-laughing.
‘He’s entertaining the children. What did you expect him to be wearing? More Lycra?’
‘Now that’s an idea.’
Ellen wasn’t looking at Sergei in his pink, star-emblazoned cloak, she was watching Yan. He looked uncomfortable. His eyes were trained on Sergei, copying his every move like a shadow, trying to keep pace. Despite his garish trousers, green t-shirt and red nose, she still found herself checking out the way his top rode up a little as he moved. She swallowed. What was she doing? Checking people out was Lacey’s department. But he was nice. Attractive, despite the clown clothes.
‘What was his name again? The one you thought was going to rob us?’ Lacey spluttered, briefly removing the straw from her mouth.
‘Yan … I think. I don’t really need to remember the name of the animation guy.’ Even if she was ogling his athletic form every chance she got.
‘Oh yes, Yan. He has gorgeous eyes. I remember from speaking to him at the ping pong table.’
‘Have you spoken to everyone in this entire hotel already?’
‘If I’m going to be having my wedding here it will pay to get to know the staff. When you make a connection with people it all helps galvanise the business relationship. I learnt that on a customer service course,’ Lacey told her.
‘Wow, New Style Fashion have taught you something then. What’s next? Government office?’
‘Don’t be patronising. I’m very good at what I do. I got a woman with absolute keyboard buttons for breasts to buy one of their new Enhancer bikini tops. She said she’d never felt so good.’
‘Lacey!’
‘Her husband’s face lit up like the Vegas strip. Ooo good, the kiddie’s music has finished. D’you want another drink? What am I saying? Of course you want another drink. I’ll surprise you.’ Lacey got up from her chair, pulling her neon green dress back over her thong.
As soon as her sister was out of sight, Ellen grabbed into her bag for her phone. Another three missed calls and now there was a voicemail. She knew she should call, or at least listen to the message. It might have nothing to do with Mrs McGoldrick. It could be something else – something worse.
‘You have to make call? You want to be at home not on holiday?’
She looked up to see Yan. The red nose had been taken off and he looked slightly less like someone who had been bouncing around to a mix of German/English/Spanish euro-pop with toddlers.
‘That’s a bit rude,’ she answered defensively. She felt her shoulders stiffen. She didn’t like his direct talk one bit.
‘What is rude? That I ask you question?’ His brow furrowed. ‘I get to know you.’
‘I’m here for my sister and, I’m enjoying myself very much if you must know.’ She gripped the phone in her hand, looking at the screen out of the corner of one eye.
Yan let out a snort. A noise that seemed to say he hadn’t believed Ellen’s last sentence. He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.
Right away her cheeks began heating up. What was he doing? She didn’t want to talk. About anything. She wanted to listen to a message that could change the course of her life.
‘I do not believe this,’ Yan continued, his eyes studying her.
Ellen let out a sigh. ‘What would you like me to say? It’s lovely here. The scenery is beautiful, the food’s great and Lacey’s sampling every cocktail on the menu.’
‘And you?’
He was studying her and Ellen could now see what Lacey had meant about those eyes. They were so blue, so clear and ... enchanting. She swallowed, willing her mouth into action.
‘I’m fine. I just have a lot of things on my mind.’ She clenched the phone even harder in her hand.
‘But you enjoy the water aerobics?’ he asked. The eyes were still firmly fixed on her.
‘I don’t know whether “enjoy” is the right word, but it definitely made me feel a lot less guilty about having two puddings at dinner.’ She smiled.
* * *
When Ellen smiled, her eyes widened upwards and outwards revealing milk chocolate brown irises underneath thick lashes. If he was honest with himself he’d noticed her eyes in the pool earlier. Warm, no notes of the superficial like Monica. But why did that interest him? Why was her behaviour intriguing him? Because she was at odds with her surroundings? Unsettled here, like him? She didn’t want his attention. That irked him even more and made him want to know what was going on with her. At that thought he felt a shot of warmth hit his cheeks.
‘Yan! What’s with the threads? Not a great look, I have to say. If you need any fashion tips I’m the person to speak to. I practically run my branch of New Style Fashion at home.’ Lacey was back, returning to her seat with two glasses containing fluorescent-coloured liquid.
‘Please don’t listen to her. She’s already had far too many Apricot Coolers,’ Ellen interrupted.
He looked down at his bright clothes. ‘This is for uniform,’ Yan said.
‘So, what’s going down after the Greek dancing tonight? Where’s the party?’ Lacey asked, playing with her straw.
He watched Ellen sit back in her chair and toy with the material of her dress.
‘On the beach,’ said another voice.
Bouncing into the conversation, Sergei pulled up a spare chair from an adjacent table and sat down next to Lacey.
‘Sergei,’ Yan said. He loaded the reply with a note of warning. He knew what was coming next. Sergei
had been doing this ever since Yan arrived at the hotel and probably for weeks before. Another week, another girl taken to the beach. He wasn’t about to be a part of this tonight.
‘What?’ Sergei asked. He threw his hands up in a protestation of innocence.
‘Ooo a beach party! That sounds like my sort of place. What time?’ Lacey questioned, turning her attention and body to Sergei.
Lacey’s interest was obvious and Yan looked to Ellen. She was shaking her head, slowly, deliberately but also resigned. As if she had been expecting the reaction.
‘Sergei, you cannot ...’ Yan began. He had to say something.
‘Relax, Yan.’ Sergei turned to Lacey. ‘You can keep a secret, can’t you?’
‘I’m just about the most expert secret keeper I know.’ Lacey giggled.
Ellen was still quiet, not saying anything, one hand tightly holding her phone in her lap.
‘It’s not a secret. After things close here we head to the beach for fun,’ Sergei informed the pair.
Yan leaned forward on his chair and directed his gaze at his comrade. ‘It is not for holidaymakers.’
‘Oh relax, Yan. What is the worst that can happen?’ Sergei asked him, inching his chair a little closer to Lacey’s.
‘I need this job,’ Yan responded, looking over his shoulder.
* * *
The real concern in Yan’s voice made her act. Lacey was being an over-the-top flirt and for whatever reason Yan wasn’t happy with the beach party invitation situation.
‘To be honest, we’re still tired from the flight yesterday. We’ll probably be making a move back to our room when the Greek dancing’s finished.’
Ellen watched for Yan’s reaction. There was none. He was still looking at Sergei.
‘Are you crazy? There is no way I’m going back to our room any earlier than dawn and it’s your duty to accompany me. Besides, you can’t play cards on your own, you’re useless at Solitaire,’ Lacey announced. Her sister followed up the attempt at humour with an attention-seeking shriek of laughter.