‘Where’s the Sapphire II?’ she’d asked.
Barely raising her eyes from her clipboard, the girl pointed down the far end of the harbour.
Sue looked, and then looked again because her brain didn’t want to confirm what her eyes were seeing. They’d walked past the boat earlier and Sue had actually shuddered with relief that she wasn’t on the tacky-looking vessel that looked like a cross between a nightclub and the ship from Pirates of the Caribbean.
She had watched a bunch of young people swagger up to the vessel. They were all wearing sombreros and one of them appeared to be clutching a large inflatable cactus. Sue watched as he stuck the cactus against the bottom of one of the other men and did something rather unseemly with it.
‘There has to be a mistake,’ she said.
The bookings girl had shook her head. ‘Susan and Neville Croft, I’ve got all the details here.’ She looked up for the first time and Sue caught the malicious gleam of amusement. ‘I did think, you know, given your ages and everything that it was a bit weird you booking on the rave cruise.’
Nev was over six foot tall, but Sue had felt him shrinking beside her.
‘I’m sorry, but I’m not getting on that boat,’ she’d told the girl. ‘I’ll leave my husband to sort out the refund.’
With that she maneuvered her suitcase round in an awkward semi-circle and walked out.
*
And that was where they were now. Nev found her in a café fifteen minutes later, fizzing with a cold, furious anger. Her husband was as a white as a sheet: the same colour as the crew’s uniforms had been on the five-star Seraphina, Sue noted perversely.
‘I can’t believe I booked the wrong boat. The names, they were so similar…’
‘When the refund comes through we’ll just have to rebook,’ Sue said briskly. ‘There must be another luxury cruise setting off from Dubrovnik this week.’
There was a long silence. ‘They won’t refund it.’
‘They have to refund it,’ Sue said quietly, dangerously. ‘We booked a luxury cruise and I’m fucking going on it, Nev.’
Her husband flinched again. Sue rarely said the ‘f’ word and even then it was normally under her breath, as if she was apologizing to herself for saying it.
Nev opened his mouth to apologise again. ‘Don’t,’ Sue said. The word came out like a gunshot.
‘Look, I’ve been down to the Sapphire II,’ he said hesitantly. ‘I know it’s not as fancy as the Seraphina, but our cabin is still there if we want it. The other passengers seem pretty friendly, even if they are more Steph and Dom’s age.’ He tried a grin. ‘Can you imagine their faces when they hear their boring old parents have booked themselves onto one of these rave cruises!’
His face fell when he saw his wife’s expression. ‘Sue, I know I’ve messed up. If I could do anything to change it I would. I really am so sorry.’
‘Stop,’ she hissed though a throat tight with angry tears, ‘saying you are sorry!’
Nev looked at his hands. ‘OK, love,’ he said after a long time. ‘We’re here now so why don’t we try and make the best of it?’
As Sue looked across the jaunty red and white tablecloth at her husband, she had never felt such hatred for another human being. She wanted to get up and press her hands round his throat until he stopped breathing. Or at the very least, rip every single hair from his head, the little he had left of it anyway. This man had ruined the holiday she’d saved so hard for, the holiday she had so been looking forward to. The holiday I so needed. Now he wanted her to make the best of it?
Nev got up. ‘Come on, love,’ he said awkwardly. ‘We’re in a beautiful place and we’ve got each other. It can’t be that bad, can it?’
The Sapphire II was that bad. Boxes of beer were piled up everywhere haphazardly (no crisp G & T for Sue here) and music pumped through a sound system that took up half the cramped deck. Their fellow passengers were mainly Antipodean and half Sue’s age and dress size. They were already sprawled out on the deck on their towels and had greeted the couple in a friendly, blasé fashion, but Sue had caught the amused looks when her suitcase wheel had got stuck and Nev had tried to come to her rescue (she’d elbowed him off with a satisfying jab to the ribs). Their cabin, which had been referred to as a “generous double” by that bitch of a booking girl, turned out to be a shoebox in the bowels of the vessel that didn’t even have enough room for Sue to swing her Liz Earle face cloth.
‘You can have the top bunk bed love,’ Nev said generously, as if that would make up for everything. He hovered in the doorway as Sue started to unpack her belongings. It was so small in there only one of them could stand upright at a time.
‘For God’s sake Nev!’ she snapped a few minutes later. ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do?’
‘I just thought…’
Sue fixed him with a murderous look. ‘You didn’t think. You never bloody do. That’s why we’re in this mess in the first place.’
Her husband opened his mouth and then thought better of it. ‘I might go up on to the deck.’
Sue heard his footsteps disappear down the wooden boards and sat down on the narrow bed, rigid with rage and disappointment. It was like a horrible nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from.
There was a beep from her handbag. It was a text from her friend Julia.
Hope you’re reclining on the deck with a cold glass of something! I’m so jealous! Enjoy every minute! Xx
Sue flung the phone down and burst into tears.
*
Half an hour later they set sail. Sue stayed in their coffin-like cabin staring up at the ceiling. Nev came down to tell her there were welcome drinks on the deck. ‘Are you sure you don’t fancy it?’ he asked. ‘I’ll leave you this.’
Sue looked down at the plastic shot glass he was offering her. ‘It’s a vodka jelly.’
‘Get out Nev,’ she said wearily.
Sue didn’t leave their room for the rest of the day. She didn’t come up when Nev came to tell her she was missing a spectacular sunset, or that dinner was being served. Her husband eventually came to bed past midnight and judging by the way he kept bouncing off the bunk beds, a bit drunk.
‘You awake, love?’ he whispered.
Sue kept her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. She spent the rest of the night listening to Nev’s snores and the thud thud of music that finally went off at 5am.
The next morning, delirious with anger and lack of sleep, all Sue wanted to do was stay in bed, but this time Nev was firm. ‘Come on, the fresh air will do you good.’
At this early hour at least they had the deck to themselves. Nev already seemed to know his way round. ‘Breakfast is a buffet, love,’ he told her. ‘The coffee’s not up to much but they’ve got nice bread rolls.’
Sue ignored him and laid out the scrappy little beach-towel that had been provided. Her Monsoon kaftan and the jeweled sandals that had looked so pretty and dainty in the shop were wasted in this place. Ditto all her new evening clothes, which were now lying crumpled on a shelf in their cabin. The Sapphire II didn’t stretch to a proper wardrobe, let alone the luxury shampoo and complimentary slippers.
One by one their fellow passengers started to materialize, bleary-eyed and beautiful. Two young men with arm tattoos and six packs greeted Nev as ‘Nevvo,’ and turned to Sue.
‘How’s it going? Headache gone?’
Sue looked at Nev and managed a nod. They’d probably all been laughing at her, the stuffy old cow with her hostess suitcase. She lay back and closed her eyes. A moment later the music started up again.
Wordlessly, Sue got out her iPod and tried to let the sounds of Michael Buble take her away to a place far, far away.
*
By lunchtime the deck was as crowded as their local Waitrose on a Sunday morning. Lithe young bodies were sprawled everywhere. Sue stayed firmly under her kaftan, self-conscious about the soft, middle-aged body that had seen her bear two children. Their eighteen-year-old daughter
Steph would have loved this place. Sue felt like she’d been accidentally parachuted in from another universe.
‘You’re from Surrey right?’ an Australian voice said.
Sue looked round. It was a blonde girl in a fluorescent pink bikini with a stud through her lip.
‘That’s right,’ Sue said.
‘I’ve got an aunt who lives in Guildford. Do you know it?’
‘Yes, they’ve got a very nice cathedral.’
‘Awesome,’ the girl said disinterestedly, before turning back to the others. That was her duty done to speak to the boring old crone in the corner.
Across the deck Nev was talking to the young couple from New Zealand. He was wearing those ridiculous board-shorts that Sue had told him he was far too old for, but he seemed to have no qualms about showing off his greying chest hair and paunch. He hasn’t got a care in the world, she thought, as the little group all laughed at something. How could he be so blasé about ruining their holiday?
It was no mean feat to isolate yourself on a small boat with fifteen other people, but somehow Sue managed it. The rugged coastline and deep blue sea that she had lusted over for months were wasted on her. She was trapped on this claustrophobic tin can of a boat, feeling older, fatter and hotter by the second. Everything was a reminder of what she was missing out on the Seraphina. Her seething anger grew and grew.
The next morning she even blamed Nev unfairly for stubbing her toe against the cabin door.
‘Let me take a look,’ he said as she was bent over double.
‘Just leave me alone! Haven’t you done enough damage?’
After he’d gone Sue had sat stewing in the dark cabin rubbing her foot. Their friends and family would have a right old laugh about this. ‘Typical Nev!’ they’d say. ‘Trust him to book the wrong holiday.’ They’d all think it was funny but then they hadn’t had their dream holiday taken away from them because of their stupid, brain-dead idiot of a husband. Everyone loved Nev but they should try being married to him.
The irony was, Nev’s easy-going attitude to life was one of the things that had attracted Sue in the first place. She had always felt burdened by responsibility, even as a child, but Nev had softened her edges and taught Sue to enjoy life more. That had been alright when they were young and carefree, but as mortgages and then children had come along, Nev’s blasé attitude had started to infuriate Sue.
‘It will be alright, love,’ he’d always say. ‘Don’t stress so much.’
It was only alright because she bloody did it. Their finances, the house, Steph and Dom, their life: Sue was in charge of everything. She had to be – look what happened when Nev was!
Their marriage had been in trouble for some time. Nev had tried talking to Sue but he always chose the wrong moment, like when she was picking up his dirty socks from the bedroom floor for the umpteenth time, or she’d had a stressful day at work. Sometimes Sue wanted to scream when she found him on his laptop again, or watching Game of Thrones with Dom while the list of things to do mounted up. Had Nev not got the memo like everyone else – that he had to grow up at some point and become an adult?
When she eventually emerged the boat had anchored in the choppy waters. A crowd had gathered on deck. Sue looked up and saw several of the young men had clambered up onto the roof of the boat. They’re mad, she thought. It had to be at least a thirty foot jump. The next moment the young Kiwi with an iron bolt through his ear hurled himself through the air and disappeared into the deep blue with a resounding splash. Sue held her breath. Moments later he popped up, triumphantly exuberant.
‘Who’s next?’
The others seemed hesitant. ‘We haven’t got a death wish, Dyl!’ someone else called. The guy looked up at the crowd on deck.
‘Nev, mate? Come on!’
Everyone cheered. Nev caught sight of his wife. ‘Maybe next time!’ he called.
The next hour was taken up with everyone – apart from Sue and Nev – jumping like lemmings off the side of the boat. Only Dylan, the boat-jumper, seemed brave enough to jump from the roof.
Pink-bikini girl, who it turned out was called Kylie (you couldn’t make it up!), came over and breathlessly flopped onto her towel. Water streaked off her young, firm body.
‘That’s got rid of the hangover! Nev, you still coming partying with us when we get to Hvar?’
Sue frowned at her husband. What was Kylie talking about?
‘I’m not sure,’ he said hurriedly.
‘There’s this amazing club called Zeus, apparently it’s up in the hills behind the old town,’ Kylie told Sue. ‘It’s built on the site of this old temple or something and it’s meant to be amazing.’
‘Do you fancy it love?’ Nev asked cautiously.
‘I think my clubbing days are well behind me,’ she said pointedly. And so are yours.
Kylie laughed. ‘I guess when you’ve got a toy-boy it’s harder to keep up!’
There was a long pause. ‘I’m eighteen months younger than Nev.’ Sue was mortified.
‘No offence,’ Kylie said casually. ‘I guess you just seem more,’ she searched for the right word, ‘mature.’
Two hours later they sailed into Hvar, a glossy resort that was called the Croatian St Tropez. Normally Sue would have delighted at this enchanting little town with its whitewashed buildings and pink roofs, but as the Sapphire II chugged into the harbour and pulled up next to one of the huge yachts moored there, she had never felt so embarrassed.
Everyone on board had been drinking all day, although it had remained good-natured, if in a boisterous kind of way. Sue jumped as someone came up from behind and put their arms around her – she’d seen someone get thrown over the side of the boat earlier – but it was her husband.
‘Didn’t mean to startle you,’ he said.
‘You didn’t, I was just admiring the view.’
Nev brushed his hands over Sue’s bottom. ‘Me too.’
‘Nev,’ Sue said uncomfortably.
Something flickered in her husband’s eyes. Reproach? Disappointment? Sue looked at him properly for the first time in days. The office pallor had been replaced by a decent tan and the whites of his eyes sparkled. He looked younger and freer, as if he was living in the moment without having to worry about what tomorrow would bring.
Sue glanced over at their fellow passengers, who were all expectantly waiting to get off. Nev looked like one of them.
‘What do you fancy doing?’ he asked.
‘I thought I might go for a walk.’ She waved her hand around the boat. ‘I just need to get away from all this.’
‘Do you mean get away from me?’
She laughed awkwardly. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
Nev shoved his hands in his pockets. ‘You have to try, Sue.’
‘What do you mean I have to try?’ she snapped. ‘I’ve been trying ever sisnce we bloody got here!’
‘Guys?’ called Dylan. ‘Still up for Zeus? We’re going for some drinks beforehand to warm up, if you fancy it.’
‘Nev does,’ Sue said, before he had a chance to answer. ‘I think I’ll go and explore instead.’
Hvar turned out to be even more intoxicating up close, a winding myriad of cobbled back streets and the 13th century architecture that Sue had read about in her guide book. She had been looking forward to exploring, but now she was here Sue just felt intensely weary. The expensive boutiques held no appeal (not that she could have afforded their prices anyway), so Sue found a tavern on the edge of the main square and ordered a large glass of wine.
The sun was starting to set, casting a deep-pink glow across the sky that matched the colour of the rooftops below. Hvar was obviously a town that started its evening late; Sue was practically the only one in the restaurant.
The young waitress had been watching Sue like a hawk for the past ten minutes. As soon as Sue had finished her drink, she was at the table.
‘Would you like another one?’ she said in heavily accented English.
‘Yes p
lease.’ The chilled house white had gone down like a shot.
The girl nodded and looked questioningly at the empty seat opposite. ‘Is anyone…’
Sue shook her head quickly. ‘Just me.’
Was this a glimpse of her future? she thought. Going on holiday by myself? She’d always relished the idea of eating alone with a good book to hand, but it actually felt rather lonely. Especially in such a romantic place like this. Sue picked up her glass and went back to people-watching but it only reminded her of her own plight. She should be one of those women walking past, tanned and relaxed, holding hands with their husbands. Instead he was out clubbing with a bunch of people half his age and Sue had been the one who had made it happen.
Nev had looked relieved when Sue had given him the go-ahead to go out. To be honest she didn’t blame him. It was his get out of jail card from the miserable wife.
When did I stop being fun? she wondered. She and Nev used to have a right laugh, back in the old days. But then life had got in the way, and while Sue had shouldered her share of the burden, Nev had just gone on being Nev. She felt the familiar anger that flared up instantly these days. It was easy to carry on doing the fun stuff when you always had someone else to pick up the pieces.
‘Can I get you anything?’ the waitress asked again.
Sue looked up. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed the place had started to fill up with evening diners. It was clear she’d outstayed her welcome: the table for four in a prime window seat was wasted on her. ‘Just the bill please.’
Emboldened by the wine, Sue stopped another waiter on her way out. ‘Excuse me,
do you know a club round here called Zeus?’
He looked confused. ‘Zeus?’
‘Actually don’t worry,’ Sue said hastily, convinced she could read disdain on the young man’s face. ‘I just wondered.’
She walked out into the warm night air. She had a bit of a headache anyway. It was time to head back to the boat.
SUNLOUNGER 2: Beach Read Bliss (Sunlounger Stories) Page 13