A Girl Called Summer
Page 36
Well, how could she possibly refuse?
‘Oh look, there’s the happy couple!’ Summer turned and waved at Bella and Andy, who were approaching them through the crowds.
‘What an amazing day,’ said Jack sincerely, swinging his long legs back over the ledge and standing up to shake Andy’s hand and kiss Bella on the cheek. ‘Congratulations to you both.’
He looked so absurdly glamorous, so off-duty film star, that Bella had to give herself a metaphorical pinch. Was this man really a guest at her wedding? He was wearing a slim-cut white suit over a plain navy-blue T-shirt with navy-and-white old-skool Adidas sneakers and vintage Ray-Bans.
‘Thanks so much for flying all the way from Saigon.’
‘It’s my absolute pleasure,’ said Jack. ‘Although my director’s not best pleased that his two leading men had to halt filming to fly to Ibiza for the weekend,’ he added with a smile.
‘Oh God, I hadn’t thought of that!’ Bella couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. ‘Um – maybe pass on my apologies to him?’
‘I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It’s a wonderful day. And if it wasn’t for you and Andy, I’d never have met Summer.’
*
Later, the grounds were lit up by lanterns in the trees, dotted along pathways and on the white linen-covered round tables that filled the lovely terrace. Everybody had eaten and drunk like kings, and there was a magical feeling of happiness in the warm night air. Stars twinkled in the inky sky and cicadas chirruped insistently, a constant background to Ella Fitzgerald singing classic Cole Porter through hidden speakers.
Suddenly the music stopped, and the faint strains of live guitar music could be heard, wafting up from the curvy, irregularly shaped pool. Bella turned to Andy with a puzzled look on her face. This hadn’t been in the plan – they’d decided against a first dance, as all four of their feet were of the leftish persuasion. Andy shook his head at her, shrugging. He patently had no idea what was going on either. Taking her by the hand, he walked to the edge of the terrace so they could see the pool, and one by one their guests followed suit.
The music, which they now heard was classic Spanish guitar, with a hint of flamenco, was getting louder, and Bella started to smile even more broadly as she took in the scene.
Sitting on stools at the far end of the iridescently lit pool were her father and Filthy Meadows, playing, in perfect harmony, the most beautiful music Bella had ever heard. Nothing could be better suited to their surroundings.
‘Daddy?’
‘Surprise, darlin’!’ He didn’t stop playing. ‘Hope you don’t mind. Filth and I have been practising for months!’
‘Mind? It’s wonderful!’ Bella and Andy ran, hand in hand, down the shallow stone steps that led to the pool, and over to where the old boys carried on strumming away under an ancient silvery olive tree.
‘What are you waiting for, girl?’ said Filthy with a wink. ‘Just dance!’
So Bella and Andy, and gradually all their guests, started to dance. Around the pool, on the terraces, in the gardens, twirling and twirling with joy and laughter, as the guitars played on through the magical warm night air.
As ever, the island wove its spell around them.
‘It was always you, from the first moment I saw you,’ she said. ‘You must have known?’
‘I knew that it was you, for me. I was never sure that it was me, for you.’
They reached for each other, on their beautiful beach, the moon bathing their lovely bodies in exquisite silvery light. They were perfect together; they knew that now.
‘I love you, Jack.’
‘I love you, Summer.’
And the sea glistened like mercury, rolling in gentle waves against the burnished platinum shore.
Acknowledgements
To my amazing editor Kim Young and the equally wonderful Martha Ashby, for your fantastic advice, ideas and all-round editorial brilliance. To Anne O’Brien, for your clever way with words and the ability to polish some occasionally very plodding prose – I’m still cringing at the amount of repetition in the first draft. To the rest of the team at HarperCollins, especially the lovely Claire Palmer, for all your hard work behind the scenes.
To my agent, Annabel Merullo, and Laura Williams at PFD for your constant support.
To all the friends I’ve ever partied with in Ibiza – you know who you are! To my beloved family – can’t wait to celebrate publication with you all on the White Isle this summer.
And as ever, to Andy, with happy sunshiny memories of our honeymoon there, and the hours we spent in Anita’s Bar.
Check out Lucy’s short stories!
Check out these short stories to get a glimpse of your favourite characters from A Girl Called Summer before their Ibiza adventures …
LA NIGHTS – Tamara Gold was Hollywood’s biggest wildchild, but the time has come to settle down at last with the man of her dreams: Jack Meadows, hunk of the moment, has finally proposed. But now she has to meet his parents – the celebrated rocker, Filthy Meadows and his fiery wife, Maria Gonzalez – ex-groupie and tiger mother. Will Tamara be able to keep her cool with her future in-laws?
NEW YORK NIGHTS – Poppy has flown to New York for the stag dos of her favourite GBFs (Gay Best Friends) Chase and Marco, before their civil partnership tomorrow. With the pressure on for the biggest and best Studio 54-themed bachelor night – and new husband Damian bending her ear about what might come next – Poppy needs to be on top of her game!
LONDON NIGHTS – Bella and Andy need to finish packing up their London life before their blow-out ‘Goodbye London’ party tonight. But with a screaming baby, missing moving men and some kitchen calamities, will they ever be ready on time??
IBIZA NIGHTS – Summer has been seeing her boss, David, on the sly for a few months now. But while David is keen to make things public, Summer isn’t quite so sure. With a night out with old friends on the cards, Summer needs to decide whether she can take their relationship to the next level, or if she needs to break free for good …
Click here to buy LA NIGHTS now
Click here to buy NEW YORK NIGHTS now
Click here to buy LONDON NIGHTS now
Click here to buy IBIZA NIGHTS now
If you enjoyed A Girl Called Summer, you’ll love finding out where it all began …
What happens when a friend breaks the one rule that should never be broken?
Best friends Bella and Poppy are living the dream – Notting Hill glamour, Shoreditch lofts, exclusive parties and drop-dead gorgeous men. But sometimes living life to the max catches up with you, and even the strongest friendships can be pushed to the limit.
Poppy, Bella and their friends spend the summer having as much fun as they possibly can – from the hedonistic escapades of Ibiza to doing Glastonbury in style. But amongst the laughter come tears, betrayal and backstabbing and one devastating decision threatens to bring it all crashing down. And, once the sunglasses have come off, Bella is forced to question if her lifelong friendship has been broken beyond repair.
Click here to buy now
Reunite with Bella and Poppy as they navigate the world of being young, fun and (almost) carefree …
Glamorous Poppy seems to have it all, and after a long tough year she is damn well going to enjoy it. But as Poppy’s career in New York goes from strength to strength, her husband, Damian’s takes a nosedive and she begins to wonder if love really can survive anything.
In London, Poppy’s best friend Bella is basking in that new-couple glow with her boyfriend Andy. But, not everything is as perfect as it seems …
From St Tropez to New York, LA to the impossibly chic Paris; join Bella, Poppy and their friends as they face the reality of friendships pushed to the limits, and embark on a road trip that they’ll never forget…
Click here to buy now
About the Author
Lucy Lord is a journalist and columnist who has written for the Times, Guardian, Independent, Evening Standar
d, Time Out and Arena. Her favourite pastimes are reading, writing, lying in hammocks, lunching on beaches and throwing parties. She lives in London with her musician husband.
Twitter: @LucyLord1
Facebook.com/lucylordauthor
Also by Lucy Lord
Revelry
Vanity
Ebook-only short stories
Party Night
LA Nights
New York Nights
London Nights
Ibiza Nights
Copyright
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
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Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published in Great Britain by Harper 2014
Copyright © Lucy Lord 2014
Cover photographs © Shutterstock.com
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2014
Lucy Lord asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780007441761
Ebook Edition © July 2014 9780007441778
Version: 2014-05-20
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