by Megan Cole
Brad put down his napkin. ‘After this morning’s activities I thought I’d let you get a bit of sunbathing in, before we head back later. I’ve got a few things to check up on anyway. Is that OK with you?’
‘Super dooper!’ said Madison.
‘Actually, I might do a bit more exploring if that’s OK,’ Sapphire said.
Brad looked pleased. ‘Of course. Just mind you stick to the path. We’ve had guests lost for weeks out there. In fact, I think there’s a few still wandering about.’ His eyes twinkled.
‘Ha ha, very funny,’ Sapphire said with a smile.
Brad grinned. ‘Stick to the path anyway. Your mother would never forgive me if I lost you.’ He stopped abruptly, as if he’d said too much.
‘I’ll get going then,’ Sapphire said hastily. She didn’t know if she liked it or not when Brad talked about her mum.
As she started off down a winding path, Sapphire thought about Brad’s mum instead. Her grandmother. Sapphire wondered what she had been like, and if she looked anything like her. I should ask Brad if he has any photos, she thought.
Half an hour later, Sapphire found herself at a little cove with its own beach. The waters were turquoise blue with little twinkles of sunlight bouncing invitingly off them. She walked over the sand and stuck her foot in. It was as warm as a bath. Sapphire was beginning to regret not putting her swimming costume on when a thought struck her. There was no one to see her — why not just swim in her birthday suit?
Excitedly, she kicked off her flip-flips and pulled her dress over her head. Her underwear was next and, with a carefree whoop, she ran into the sea. The water rushed over her naked body, making her feel alive and happy. Sapphire swam out a few metres and then turned on to her back, gazing up at the cloudless blue sky above. Life doesn’t get much better than this, she thought, remembering the crowded pool at the leisure centre she and her mum sometimes used, which was cold and festooned with hairs in the changing-rooms.
After staying in so long that her hands started to go wrinkly, Sapphire decided to head back. Wading out of the water, she made her way across the beach to where she’d left her clothes. But they were nowhere to be seen. She frowned. Where were they? She was sure she’d left them right there, by that rock. With a sense of rising panic, she scanned the beach. It was empty. She ran to where she thought she’d left her clothes and, with a lurch of shock, saw another pair of footprints leading back towards the wood.
Someone had stolen her clothes.
Brad had been on a tour of the island with his estate manager, Peppe. Despite its natural beauty, Charlotte Island needed a lot of upkeep and Brad was determined to keep the place looking its best. He was just telling the manager he thought the gym needed another coat of paint when there was a scream. He swung round to see Gloria, his elderly housekeeper, staring at something with her hands over her mouth. His eyes followed hers and, to his shock and dismay, Brad saw Sapphire running totally naked across the grass. ‘Oh, mio Dio!’ examined Peppe as he averted his eyes. Sapphire ran around in circles a few times, her long hair flying after her, before eventually disappearing into the gymnasium.
Brad turned to Peppe, who was a deeply religious family man with daughters of his own. The look of disapproval on the estate manager’s face said it all. ‘Peppe, I apologise for my guest’s behaviour,’ he said.
‘It’s nothing,’ said Peppe, but he didn’t look at all impressed.
Anger burned through Brad. How dare Sapphire embarrass him like this? Making his excuses, he went over to Gloria, who was still standing with a look of shock on her face. Trying to keep calm, he asked her to go into the gymnasium to find out what was going on. Gloria emerged a few minutes later, looking concerned.
‘Signor Masters, she say someone stole her clothes.’
‘What?’ he said in annoyance.
Gloria held her hand out in confusion. ‘I do not know.’
‘All right,’ sighed Brad. ‘Thank you, Gloria, I’ll take it from here.’ He walked over the gym and opened the door a crack, careful not to look inside.
‘Sapphire?’
‘Brad!’ She sounded panicky. ‘I went swimming and someone stole my clothes!’
‘Stole them? There are no thieves on this island. And what were you doing swimming nude in the first place? This isn’t a naturist resort, Sapphire.’
‘I’m sorry. I just thought…’
Brad’s eyes travelled to a pile of something by the gym door. On closer inspection it looked like a pair of flip-flips and the dress Sapphire had been wearing earlier.
‘Sapphire, your clothes are over there. What the hell are you playing at?’
Sapphire followed his gaze. Her jaw dropped. ‘Madison must have taken them or something, that’s just the sort of thing she’d do.’
Brad looked cross. ‘Madison and Simonetta have been by the pool all afternoon, I’ve seen them myself! Stop flinging accusations around to try and save your own skin. I don’t know what possessed you, Sapphire, but it was entirely inappropriate.’
There was a pause. ‘OK,’ she said miserably.
Brad picked up the bundle of clothes and threw them in the door. ‘Now if you don’t mind, get dressed.’
From her hiding place behind a large bush, Madison had listened to the exchange with a big smile on her face. All it had taken was for Simonetta to tell Brad that she, Madison, was in the toilet when he came to check on them, while she crept off to follow Sapphire. Madison hadn’t been quite sure what she was actually going to do once she found Sapphire, but when the golden opportunity had presented itself she couldn’t believe her luck. When Sapphire wasn’t looking, she’d run down to the beach and taken the clothes, before hotfooting it back and leaving them somewhere obvious. There was no way Sapphire could talk her way out of this one! Rubbing her hands gleefully, Madison made her way back to her sunlounger.
While the journey to Charlotte Island had been full of excitement, the journey back was entirely different. Even though the sound of the engine made it difficult to talk, the atmosphere was strained. Brad had climbed aboard grim-faced and ignored Sapphire, who was now wedged uncomfortably between Madison and Simonetta. She knew they were behind it, but yet again, how could she prove it? From the sneaky little glances Madison kept giving her, Sapphire guessed Madison was the one who’d actually taken the clothes. On her other side sat Simonetta, silent and sphinx-like, staring out of the window.
Once they’d landed, Brad quickly jumped out and made his way up to the house. He can’t stand to be near me, Sapphire thought. She watched as Madison and Simonetta started to slink up the path, looking as if they hadn’t a care in the world. A sudden fury flashed through her and she ran to catch them up.
‘Madison, I want a word with you!’ Sapphire put her hand on Madison’s shoulder, but the American girl pulled free violently.
‘What, are you going to beat me up now as well?’
‘I know you took my clothes!’ Sapphire said angrily.
Madison opened innocent blue eyes. ‘Er, excuse me? I was by the pool all afternoon. Simonetta will back me up.’
‘I’m sure she will,’ said Sapphire, glaring at Simonetta. ‘Brad hates me now!’
Madison gave a nasty little smile ‘What do you expect if you act like a slut and run around with no clothes on? I’d be surprised if Brad doesn’t kick your skanky little ass out of here!’
Despite herself, tears welled up in Sapphire’s eyes.
‘Oh dear,’ Madison said patronisingly. ‘Is Little Miss Perfect upset now that her true colours are coming out?’
‘You’re an evil cow!’
‘Ooh, don’t get all bitchy. Anyway, I’m outta here. I’ve got more interesting stuff to do, like watching nail polish dry or something.’
She shot Sapphire a final triumphant look over her shoulder. ‘All things aside, sweetie, you should know that no one pushes Madison Mercedes Melody Vanderbilt overboard and gets away with it!’
Chapter twenty-one
Sapphire spent the next few days keeping out of everyone’s way. Even Maggie seemed to be off with her, while Sapphire hadn’t seen Brad since they’d got back from Charlotte Island. One of the few times she’d left her bedroom she’d overheard Simonetta saying to Madison that he’d flown to Berlin for another business trip.
To be honest, it was probably a good thing if she didn’t see the other two for a bit. Right now Sapphire couldn’t trust herself not to pour a whole swimming pool’s worth of water over their heads. I shouldn’t have stooped to Madison’s level, she thought. Maybe if she hadn’t pushed Madison off the jetty, she wouldn’t be Public Enemy Number One right now. But then again, Madison seemed to have it in for her anyway. In some ways Simonetta was even worse. She might not be as obvious as Madison, but she was like a snake, silently watching everything from the sidelines. Sapphire couldn’t work the model out at all, whereas at least she knew what Madison was.
A grade-A bitch.
Sapphire sighed and flopped back on her bed. She’d been trying to read, but was finding it hard to concentrate. Her thoughts kept wandering back to what had happened. She wondered why she was putting herself through the ordeal of sharing air space with such horrible people. But Sapphire was stubborn, and the nastier Madison and Simonetta were to her, the more determined she became to stick it out. It might not matter, if Brad had decided to send her home anyway, but as long as she was here, Sapphire knew she’d have to be extra-vigilant.
Not wanting to waste another second thinking about the Two Not-So-Ugly Sisters, as she had nicknamed them, Sapphire decided to go for a walk. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was just starting to bob down in the sky. The grounds of Casa Eleganza were so beautiful that Sapphire’s mood lifted and she found herself thinking about new lyrics. This place would provide great inspiration for a song about a holiday romance, but, as she reminded herself, she had to have a romance first…
‘Hey, Sapphire! What are you doing out here?’ She turned to see Cam jogging towards her. He was topless, in just a pair of running shorts and high-tech trainers, iPod headphones in his ears. His tan was deeper than ever, making him look like some kind of bronzed statue.
Sapphire’s heart stopped at the sight of him. ‘Uh, I was just taking a walk.’ As he came up to her she could see the droplets of sweat running down his perfect chest. Sapphire longed to reach out and touch that hard, muscular body. Just one touch would satisfy her for the rest of her life…
‘Are you OK? You look kinda spaced out,’ he asked.
Sapphire jumped, trying to pull herself together. Her tongue had probably been hanging out! ‘I’m cool. I was just in a world of my own.’
‘Mind if I walk with you? I’m done anyway.’
‘No, that’s cool,’ she stuttered. Stop saying cool, you saddo! she told herself. They walked along in silence for a few moments. Even though Sapphire had her eyes fixed ahead, she was aware of the sheer strength and bulk of Cam’s body. They were walking so close, arms touching occasionally, and she could literally feel the heat coming off him. He smelt of aftershave, fresh sweat and sheer testosterone. Sapphire thought she had never smelt anything so amazing in her whole life.
‘Where’ve you been? I haven’t seen much of you lately,’ he asked.
Sapphire flushed. ‘Just kind of doing my own thing,’ she responded. She held her breath to see if he would mention what had happened on Charlotte Island, but Cam didn’t say anything. He either didn’t know or was being polite.
‘What about you?’ she asked. ‘It must be really quiet out here, compared to what you’re used to.’
Cam smiled at her, a flash of white in a brown face. Sapphire’s heart did a little skip. ‘That’s why I’m here, remember? I gotta say, I’m really vibing off it. No one hassling me for my autograph every time I go out, no cameras going off in my face. Here it’s just me, y’know? It sounds kind of cheesy, but it’s given me the chance to get to know myself.’ Cam laughed. ‘That does sound cheesy, doesn’t it?’
‘No. I know what you mean,’ said Sapphire, smiling. ‘When you’re away from it all, you have time to stop and think about things differently. See things in a new way.’
‘That’s exactly it!’ Cam studied her. ‘Y’know, I think you really get me, Sapphire. Most girls just want a piece of Cam Tyler, world-famous R&B star, but you — you see beyond that. I like that.’
Sapphire realised she was holding her breath. She couldn’t believe Cam was saying this stuff to her!
‘You’re different, Sapphire.’
‘Am I?’ she said, aware that her voice had suddenly gone very squeaky.
Cam stopped and looked at her. ‘Yes, you are. Sapphire, I’ve been wanting to say this for quite a while…’
Sapphire’s knees went rather weak and she took an involuntary step back. Instead of finding even ground, her foot went in some kind of rabbit hole. She fell back heavily, twisting it as she went. As she crashed to the ground, a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She yelped loudly. ‘Oww, shit!’
‘Are you OK?’ Quick as a flash, Cam was crouching down at her side. ‘Here, let me look at that.’ With the outmost care, he gently lifted her ankle. Sapphire winced as another stab of pain went through it.
‘I think you’ve got a bad sprain,’ he diagnosed. Let’s get you back to the house.’ As he helped her up, the pain was agonising.
‘I don’t think I can walk on it,’ she grimaced.
‘No problem,’ Cam said. ‘I’ll carry you.’
‘You’ll do what?’ gasped Sapphire. But before she knew it, she’d been swept up into his strong arms.
Madison and Simonetta were lazing on the lawn in their bikinis. ‘I wonder where that little runt is hiding?’ Madison said, checking out her flat stomach for the fifth time in as many minutes. ‘Mind you, if I were her, I wouldn’t show my face round here either.’
At first she thought Simonetta hadn’t heard her, until the model gave a low whistle. ‘I can tell you exactly where she is.’
‘Where?’ said Madison, lifting up her sunglasses. She blinked once, twice, then three times before she could actually believe what she was seeing. Striding across the lawn, like something out of an action movie, was a topless Cam carrying Sapphire in his arms.
‘O.M.G!’ Madison sat bolt upright.
Maggie came rushing out of the house at the same time. ‘Sapphire! Whatever have you done to yourself?’
‘I tripped and twisted my ankle,’ Sapphire said.
‘Lord, girl, you’ve got two left feet!’ Maggie exclaimed.
‘I think she’ll live, Maggie, don’t worry,’ Cam said, smiling.
The housekeeper looked relieved. ‘Thank Mary and Joseph for that! Let’s get you inside so I can get an icepack on it.’
‘Did I just see that?’ Madison asked Simonetta incredulously. ‘The runt being carried across the lawn by Cam Tyler?’
Simonetta eyed Madison’s furious face with amusement. ‘You look so ugly when you go red like that.’ She blew a long breath out, thinking. ‘Sapphire, she is like, how do you say it… a cockroach, si? They always survive, no matter what.’
‘Cockroach is about right,’ muttered Madison. She wouldn’t have put it past Sapphire to have made the whole goddamn ankle-twisting thing up.
Chapter twenty-two
Brad’s private doctor was summoned and, after bandaging Sapphire’s ankle heavily, told her to not put any weight on it. Maggie seemed to have forgiven her and was fussing round like a mother hen, bringing Sapphire soup and succulent bowls of fruit picked from the orchards.
‘I’m not ill, I’ve just hurt my ankle,’ Sapphire insisted after Maggie brought her yet another delicious homemade broth. ‘I do appreciate you looking after me though,’ she added with a smile.
‘May as well have you where I can keep an eye on you. At least you won’t get into any more trouble,’ Maggie said, but her voice was kindly. A movement at the door made them both look up. Madison was standing there with a bunch of hand
-picked flowers from the garden.
‘Madison, what a lovely gesture!’ said Maggie. She gave Sapphire a ‘see, she’s not that bad’ look.
‘I just thought I’d come and see how the patient is doing,’ Madison said sweetly.
Maggie smiled. ‘I’ll go and put those flowers in a vase for you.’ She got up and left them to it.
Madison didn’t sit down immediately, wandering round the room instead, carelessly picking up Sapphire’s things. ‘I’ll give you credit, you’re better than I thought,’ she said eventually.
‘Better than you thought at what?’ Sapphire asked in exasperation. She didn’t like the way Madison was prowling round while she was stuck on the bed.
‘Playing the helpless maiden as a way to get back into everybody’s good books.’ Madison came and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Sapphire looked at her fat, swollen ankle. It was aching in time with her heartbeat. ‘You need your head examined if you think I did this deliberately,’ she retorted irritably.
Madison looked down at the bandaged ankle. Very slowly and very deliberately she put her hand down, resting her whole weight on it. The pain was agonising.
‘Get off!’ cried Sapphire, pulling her leg away.
‘Whoops! Sorry, my hand slipped,’ Madison said breathily.
Sapphire rubbed her aching ankle. ‘What is wrong with you?’
Madison leant in towards her, her pretty face a mask of hatred. ‘Not half as much as will be wrong with you if you keep this up.’
‘For God’s sake, Madison! Keep up what? Can’t we just see this as a bit of healthy competition? I’m getting sick of you acting like Cruella De Vil.’
Madison smiled. ‘And I’m getting sick of your skinny little ass hanging around here like a bad smell. You don’t even want the money, sweetie, so why don’t you go back to Dweebsville and leave us big girls to sort it out amongst ourselves?’