by Mandy Baggot
Ellen looked back at her dad. He looked deflated, as if he couldn’t take any more shocks or upset from either of his daughters.
‘She can’t sing for toffee,’ Al remarked, his eyes on Lacey, who was making tentative beginnings.
‘I know, but she enjoys it.’ Ellen watched her sister. ‘She’s never worried about what people think.’
Ellen watched Al lift his cup of whisky to his mouth and swallow down the whole double measure of scotch. He was going to shout any second. How could he not? He’d just found out she had kept so many secrets.
He looked at her and finally he spoke. ‘So, what I want to know is, ‘ow comes I ‘ave to find out about all this from some bloke from the animation team?’
Ouch. This was worse than shouting and she didn’t have an answer to that one at the ready. She hid her eyes and mouth in her cup and hoped he would say something else.
‘Why didn’t you come to me, Ellen?’
That was no easier than answering why someone who worked at the hotel knew more about her life than her father did. She took her lips from the cup and placed it down on the table in front of her.
‘I don’t know. I was stupid.’
She was so tired of telling this story. She had nothing left to give.
‘Stupid! I’d say. I mean what the ‘ell were you thinkin’?’ Al blurted.
‘Which bit?’ She’d lost the ability to try and state her case.
‘All of it! But first and foremost finding an arsehole like him in the first place.’
‘Oh, well that question’s easy to answer. I found him to stop you trying to find someone for me.’
She was past caring whether she hurt Al’s feelings or not. She’d spent far too long trying to live up to this perfect image that he’d created and she’d embraced.
‘What?’
‘Oh, Dad, I know you thought you were doing the right thing but I didn’t want to be set up with sons of your members of the Royal Square or whatever it’s called.’
‘The members of the Ambassadors Triangle are trustworthy people, Ellen. Their sons are straight-down-the-line, good businessmen, ‘onest. All the things it appears that shit isn’t.’
‘Yes, well, we all make mistakes, don’t we? Even me, Dad.’
‘But your mother’s money, Ellie. ‘e took what she left for you. The money you put aside for your business.’
She nodded, trying not to let his words smart too much. ‘I know.’ She sighed. ‘And that hurt me so much.’ She took a breath. ‘It was humiliating and I was ashamed and I couldn’t tell you because I couldn’t bear to let you down.’
* * *
Yan watched them from across the room. Sitting on the edge of the arena, next to the sea view he took a swig of the neat Metaxa in his glass. They were talking now, oblivious to Lacey slaughtering ‘Shine’. He had to hope he had done the right thing and that Ellen was going to forgive him for making it his business. He had taken a risk. But he’d done it for her. Because he loved her.
‘Hello, Yan.’ A small girl with her hair in bouncing pigtails skipped up to him.
‘Hey, Emily. You not dance to songs?’ He put his drink down on the table to high-five her hand.
‘You don’t dance to the songs either,’ she remarked, trying to climb up onto his lap. He put his hands around her waist and lifted her up onto the table.
‘Not tonight. When do you go home?’ He touched her nose with the tip of his finger.
‘Next week.’
‘This is good. Then we will have many mini-disco and dances together.’
She giggled and kicked her legs as he tickled her sides. ‘Good!’
‘Good,’ he responded, laughing.
She took hold of his hands and adopted a coy expression as she looked at him. She had hair the colour of corn and brown eyes, a picture of youthful mischief.
‘Do you have a girlfriend?’
‘Emily! You cannot ask this.’ He smiled. ‘I could ask if you have boyfriend. Let me guess. I see you like to play with Hans at kids’ club,’ he teased.
‘Hans doesn’t speak very good English,’ she replied, blushing gently.
‘Sometimes you don’t have to know all the words to make things work.’ He stopped. ‘With friends.’
A warm swell was growing inside him as he thought of Ellen. He didn’t want to lose her. Tomorrow was her last day and everything was still up in the air. He had no idea what to do.
‘So you do have a girlfriend.’ She laughed. ‘Yan has a girlfriend, Yan has a girlfriend,’ she chorused.
‘Sshh! You must not tell, Emily. Come on, let us find Mummy and Daddy and your brother.’
He helped her down from the table and linked their hands.
* * *
‘So now you know how flawed I am. How dumb and stupid and not the person you thought I was. I’ve wrecked my career, I’ve not supported Lacey properly and made her break up with Mark. I trusted a devious, liar of a man.’
‘I won’t disagree with any of that.’
Ellen closed her eyes.
‘But I can sort it all out. We can make plans.’ Al reached across the table to gather up her hand in his. ‘You wait, before you know it you’ll be runnin’ your own firm and things can get back to ‘ow they should be.’
Ellen shook her head. ‘I don’t want that now, Dad.’ Her voice was strong and filled with determination. As each day had passed here, something in her had altered irrevocably. She didn’t need the planets to align to be certain that a powerful new position in business wasn’t for her.
‘What?’ Al looked at her like she’d gone crazy. ‘Why?’
She shrugged. ‘This whole thing’s changed me. When Ross took Mum’s money, he took the dream too. Starting a business with what she left for me was what made it so special. Even if I saved again, even if I was able to start something after all this blows up, it just wouldn’t feel the same.’
‘But, it’s what you’ve wanted for so long.’
Did she sound certifiable? Was this really how she felt? Was she really going to give up her life-long ambition? She planned, loved a strategy, it sounded ludicrous to think she was letting this go.
‘I know. But I don’t want to be the number girl anymore. Maybe I’ll … I don’t know … lead a more simple, less stressful life.’
As she said the words she thought immediately of Yan and his dream. Was that what she wanted? To help him reach his goal, to be with him when he did it? The feeling that shot through her almost rocked her in her chair. Excitement and fright, combined lethally with heat and adrenaline.
‘You’re not thinkin’ straight,’ Al said. He was looking at her like she’d just told him she intended being the next female on the moon. ‘When we get ‘ome you’ll feel different.’
She smiled. ‘I won’t, Dad.’
‘We need to talk to my solicitor. See where we stand with that ponce.’
‘There’s no need,’ Ellen told him.
Now Al looked completely bemused.
‘I’ve been to see him.’ She let out a breath of relief that was long overdue. ‘It’s over.’ The next smile came from the depths of her. ‘I started it and I finished it.’ She picked up her cup, downing the contents. ‘Do you want another scotch, Dad?’
* * *
‘I will pack up.’
Yan felt bad that he had left Sergei and Dasha to do the karaoke session on their own. They didn’t deserve to work his share but he hadn’t had another choice.
‘Is OK. There is not much.’ Dasha’s reply was short and lacking his usual flamboyant over-the-top energy.
‘Dasha, if we let Yan finish up we can head to Bo’s Bar for drinks,’ Sergei suggested. Neither of them made eye contact with him.
‘I am sorry I have to leave but the English man, he insist I do not stay and …’ Yan began.
Dasha made a high-pitched noise that gave the impression he didn’t believe his explanation.
‘We know you do not like karaoke night but yo
u know Tanja is not here and with only two it is hard work,’ Sergei responded.
‘I know,’ Yan said. ‘I will make up. I will do extra boules alone or football,’ he offered.
Dasha looked at him then, sizing him up from toe to hair. ‘You will do new dance routine in show. In some lady clothes.’
Yan shook his head. ‘Come on.’ He should have guessed there would be a penalty to pay. ‘Not that. You know you are better for this. I look like man in lady clothes. You look like …’ He stopped.
Dasha took on an expression that signalled he had to get the next words right or he would be in trouble.
‘They are right for you,’ he finished.
Dasha folded his arms across his chest. ‘That is the deal. You dress up in lady clothes for show or we tell Tanja what happen tonight.’
Blackmail. Wear women’s clothes for a dance or suffer Tanja finding out what had happened with Ross Keegan? He didn’t want to give Tanja any reason at all to scrutinise him and his work performance.
‘This is not OK.’ He sighed. ‘But I will do it.’
Dasha let out a yelp of pleasure, slapping his hands to Yan’s cheeks and rubbing them hard. ‘I have just the right thing to make you look so sexy.’
Sergei started laughing and slapped Yan’s arm good naturedly. ‘I don’t believe you agree to this! You hate to dress up like that.’
‘I hate idea of other option also.’
Sergei patted his arm again, then picked up his denim jacket from the back of the chair. ‘Come on, Dasha, let’s go get tequila.’ He turned to Yan. ‘You really are OK to pack up?’
He nodded. ‘Sure, no problem.’
He watched them head off towards the path that led to the beach and Bo’s Bar before he started winding up cables for the PA system.
* * *
Yan was so engrossed in tidying things away he didn’t see her approach. Ellen loved how he got so involved in whatever he was doing. She reckoned a goat could break into the entertainment area of the hotel and he wouldn’t notice until he’d finished whatever task was in hand.
‘Yan.’
He looked up then, coiling an orange cable around his arm into a loop. He said nothing, just carried on winding the cord until it was in a tidy circle then dropped it through the hatch into the dressing room.
He was looking at her as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. There were only a handful of guests left around the entertainment area, all half-cut, none of them interested in what she was doing. Finally he spoke.
‘You are mad at me.’ He sank his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
Her mouth dried then. Was that what he really thought? She shook her head quickly, before any more time went by. ‘I’m not mad with you.’
He met her eyes then. Those blue pools like beautiful, bright, icy lights. ‘I think …’ Yan began.
‘I know what you thought,’ she started. ‘You thought I would be cross that you’d told my dad my secrets.’
He nodded, the tension in his torso blatant. ‘I know you not want your father to find out but …’
‘Ross was here. The horse had bolted, really.’ Her voice was low and resigned.
‘Horse?’ he queried, looking blank.
‘Sorry, it’s a stupid saying.’ She gathered herself. ‘I know why you did it. You knew what Ross was going to do and you knew I needed support. You also knew I’d never ask for it myself.’
Yan nodded again.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
* * *
There was a small table between them, on which the portable speaker lay. All he wanted to do was move around it and take her in his arms. He shifted on his feet but didn’t make a step. He couldn’t hold her here. There were still bar staff and guests and, given what had happened with the karaoke, he was already tip-toeing the professional line.
Instead, he moved a hand across the table, inch by inch, slowly but with purpose, hoping she would notice.
‘I knew he would shout. I knew he would say things to hurt you. I want to be the one who protect you from this but … your father should be the one for this moment,’ Yan stated.
He watched her lower her hand to the table and skim the surface with her fingertips. Every centimetre brought them closer to connecting.
‘You did the right thing,’ Ellen said.
He felt her fingers slip so easily into the grooves between his and he sucked in the emotion it drew out of him. You did the right thing. He had believed that at the time, truly believed it, but he had never been sure she would be ready to accept that or acknowledge the action as the correct one.
He gripped her fingers in his, wanting their connection to be something strong and rooted.
‘I only have tomorrow.’ Her delicate words attacked his heart. He knew it would come. Someone had to mention the fact that the day after tomorrow she was going back to her life in the UK. He had wanted to put it to the back of his mind, try to forget it was even happening, but as it drew closer it just couldn’t be ignored.
‘I know,’ Yan responded, softly. He moved his fingers through hers, stroking her skin, easing her knuckles against his. It had happened so fast. It was all still so new. But he knew what he wanted.
‘Tomorrow I have the afternoon free. We could do something together.’ He looked into her eyes, gauging what her response might be before she gave it. ‘If you would like.’
He watched her face brighten, all thoughts of leaving lifting from her expression. It was a reprieve. More time. Another chance to forget about departure.
‘I would like that very much,’ Ellen said, smiling.
47
‘Sergei’s invited me on a boat trip,’ Lacey announced.
The women were walking from their suite to the restaurant the next morning, enjoying the slight breeze that was rustling the leaves on the olive trees. Even though last night had been one of the toughest nights of Ellen’s life, today she felt cleansed. Before, she’d felt like she was carrying an Atlas stone on her back, now, she could stand up straight, walk a little lighter, hold her head up.
‘Are you and he …’ Ellen asked.
Lacey gave a vigorous shake of her head. ‘No. Not like that. Well, not like anything really. He just asked if I wanted to go and I said …’ Lacey stopped.
‘You said?’
‘I said I’d think about it. And I have been. What do you think?’
Ellen smiled as they passed a plant, the speaker hidden inside playing a Gloria Estefan number. ‘Where’s the trip going?’
‘Is that what you’re going to base the decision on? Where it’s going? I was hoping for a decision based on Sergei.’
Ellen laughed. ‘You’re the one who knows him – far more intimately than me.’
‘Ooo, get you!’ Lacey smiled back at her sister. ‘It’s going to Corfu Town and some island they shot a film on. I hadn’t heard of it. Wasn’t anything with Henry Cavill.’
‘You should go. Have fun with Sergei and do some shopping. Lots of designer shops in Corfu Town, I’ve heard.’
‘What about you? I don’t want to leave you on your own with Dad.’
A blush hit her cheeks as up ahead she saw Yan walking through the complex. Dressed in grey cargo trousers and a black crew neck t-shirt, his presence and his choice of outfit made her stomach spin.
‘Actually,’ Ellen began. ‘I’m going to have to leave Dad to his own devices this afternoon.’
‘You’re going out with Yan,’ Lacey guessed.
‘Our last day together.’ Ellen said the words quietly, not really wanting to say them at all.
‘Your last day here together,’ Lacey said. ‘Or have you not discussed the whole email/text/snail mail way of carrying something on?’
She let out a sigh as they approached the steps. ‘Not yet.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t know. Everything here has been so full-on. What if, when all that’s taken away, there isn’t anything left?’ She didn’t believ
e that, not really, but she ploughed on regardless. ‘When we leave there will be several plane loads of new holidaymakers who need attention.’
Lacey made a noise like a lemonade bottle being opened for the first time. ‘You’re making excuses because the last guy you put your faith in was a complete arse wipe. Yan isn’t anything like Ross. Look at what he did last night. He went to Dad. Can you imagine the start of that conversation?’
Going to her father had been fearless. Ellen knew what a rough-around-the-edges exterior he had. Al wasn’t someone you just approached. He took some getting to know before you realised that underneath the tough shell was a soft middle. To dive right in like that was like asking for a war to start with no flak jacket to protect you.
‘Give him your email and your mobile number. What have you got to lose?’ Lacey asked, jogging up the steps and striding towards the restaurant. ‘I’m starving! I hope they’ve got loads of bacon.’
* * *
Yan held the sheet of paper in his hand, looking at the typed words on it. He had no idea what it said. It really was all Greek to him. He was going to have to get someone at the hotel to translate it and then, as long as he was happy with the terms, he was going to agree to it.
‘What is this?’ Sergei arrived at his shoulder, leaning against the reception desk.
‘Nothing.’ Yan whipped the paper out of sight.
‘Come on, what is it? You have secret?’ Sergei made an attempt to get the paperwork from Yan.
‘I have no secret. It is private.’
‘Something from Bulgaria?’ Sergei queried.
He nodded.
‘I ask Lacey to come on Corfu Town boat trip,’ Sergei said, stepping back and shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts.
‘Yes? As friends or something else?’ Yan asked.
Sergei shrugged his shoulders up. ‘I feel bad for what happen between us and for her boyfriend.’
Yan nodded. ‘Then it is nice thing to do.’
‘What do you do today?’
Could he tell Sergei about Ellen now? Yan had kept many secrets for Sergei in the past; about his women, and the days when he had been too hung over to perform his duties. But part of him thought that Sergei shared these things with him because they didn’t matter. He didn’t want to allocate his relationship with Ellen to the same standing as being too drunk to play volleyball or a one night stand with someone you didn’t care about. She was special, what they had together was special and he wasn’t prepared to give that out yet. He was afraid if he said the words, told someone, they would not believe it, would taint it, paint it into something else, something trivial.