Bon Voyage

by Michelle Betham

  ‘We’d known each other all of five minutes, Jemma. I was just flattered that this man I’d used to admire from afar…’

  ‘Lust after, you mean.’

  Aimee ignored that remark too. ‘It was a lovely little dream come true, for a little while. But, in reality, I don’t think either of us really knew what we were feeling.’ Aimee was starting to lose her appetite slightly since Jemma had appeared with the interrogation tactics, and she pushed her toast to one side, taking a sip of grapefruit juice instead.

  ‘Have you seen Danny at all? Since Robbie and Davina turned up?’ Jemma asked, breaking into Aimee’s thoughts.

  Aimee shook her head again. ‘No. But I suspect he’s busy trying to patch things up with Davina, isn’t he?’

  ‘You know that for sure, do you?’

  Aimee looked at Jemma, right into her eyes. ‘Danny and me, it was nothing but a dream, Jemma. Okay?’

  ‘How can you say that, Aimee? I mean, look at me and Cal. We’re still seeing each other, aren’t we?’

  ‘That’s different. Cal doesn’t have a glamorous, gorgeous wife hanging around, does he?’

  ‘Okay. Look, this whole “I’m suddenly going back to Robbie” routine is bothering me. I don’t understand – after everything we said and everything that happened… I’d never seen you so happy as I have done when you were with Danny. Remember that afternoon in Barcelona? Do you remember that, Aimee?’

  ‘Of course I remember it.’

  ‘And you’re willing to throw all of that away just because Robbie the Rat’s suddenly turned up?’

  ‘Jemma, just leave it, please.’ Aimee stood up, pushing her chair back under the table. ‘I’m going back to Robbie and that’s the end of it. Okay? It’s for the best.’

  ‘For who, Aimee? Best for who, exactly?’

  But Aimee didn’t want to hang around there any longer, and she almost ran out of the Lido Café in her rush to avoid any more of Jemma’s questions, bumping straight into someone as she charged through the door.

  ‘Oh, God, I’m sorry, I didn’t…’ She slowly looked up, coming face-to-face with a smiling Davina, all cosmetically-enhanced white teeth and bleached-blond hair, her verging-on-orange spray tan making her look a slightly strange colour against the bright white playsuit she was wearing.

  ‘Hello… Aimee, isn’t it?’ Davina asked, adjusting the top of her playsuit so it sat evenly across her rather-too-large boobs. They looked like two ridiculously-over-sized footballs stuck on her chest, Aimee thought. But she’d hazard a guess that they didn’t slip underneath her armpits the second she lay flat on her back – which Aimee reckoned was fairly often, given her reputation.

  ‘Hello… erm, if you’ll excuse me, I’m just on my way…’

  ‘Oh, look, Aimee. Could I have a quick word? Please? It won’t take a minute.’

  Aimee looked at her, all fluffed-out hair and glossed-up lips and she quickly pulled herself up to her full height, remembering what Jemma had told her. Davina Black was nothing special, in fact, it was hard to tell which parts of her were her own and which were liable to fall off at a moment’s notice. That thought caused a slight smile to twitch at the corners of Aimee’s mouth and she had to fight hard to stop herself from laughing.

  ‘Something funny?’ Davina asked, placing a hand on her hip as she cocked her head on one side, studying Aimee through narrowed eyes.

  ‘No. No, nothing’s funny.’ Aimee took a deep breath and sucked the smile back inside. ‘So, what word in particular would you like?’

  Davina stood up straight but kept her hand on her hip, a slight sneer appearing on her face as she continued to fix Aimee with a look that made Aimee feel slightly uncomfortable, and she started shuffling from foot-to-foot as she waited for Davina to speak.

  ‘Look, I don’t know what Danny’s told you this past week but… well, just before he left for this cruise we’d had a bit of silly little fight, you know how it is. A slight disagreement.’

  ‘A slight disagreement? I thought you were getting divorced?’

  ‘Oh, that was just a stupid spur-of-the-moment thing that happened in the heat of the moment. We both said stuff we didn’t mean, but the thing is, Aimee…’ She fixed Aimee with a determined stare. ‘The thing is, the divorce – it’s been called off. Danny and I, we’ve talked things over, we’ve sorted everything out and he’s realised that he just can’t live without me. So, whatever silly little holiday romance you might have thought you were in the throes of, it’s over. Do you understand? You’re much better off with Robbie. He’s so much more your type. So, you stick with him, okay? Because Danny doesn’t want you, he never did. I mean, why would he want anyone else when he’s got me?’ Davina smiled a white-toothed smile that didn’t reach her over-made-up eyes. All Aimee felt was something akin to someone punching her in the stomach. ‘So, you keep away from him, sweetheart. You got that? You and all those other little groupies that are running round this ship, you keep away from him. I’m here now, and that’s all he’s ever going to need.’

  And with that, Davina swung round on her silver wedges and tottered into the Lido Café, every male eye in the room turning to follow her.

  ‘I guess that really is that then?’ Aimee whispered as she started to slowly walk away, out of the Lido Café, not really sure where she was going because, after that, she needed a few minutes to get her head together before she went back to Robbie’s cabin.

  ‘Is everything okay, lass?’

  Aimee stopped and looked up to see Bob standing there, a cigarette tucked behind his ear, his ever-present Sheffield Wednesday football shirt tucked into his denim cut-offs.

  He smiled, an almost knowing smile. A friendly smile. ‘I’m just off out on deck for a quick smoke. Fancy a bit of fresh air?’

  She smiled too, nodding her head. ‘Yeah. That’d be good. That’d be really good.’

  *

  ‘I still think I should talk to her,’ Danny said to Cal as Bon Voyage got ready for another rehearsal in the Vegas Show Lounge. ‘I mean, how do I know Andy’s telling me the truth? How do I really know that?’

  ‘I wouldn’t bother, mate,’ Cal sighed, sitting down next to him on the edge of the stage.

  Danny turned to look at him. ‘Why do you say that? Don’t you think I should at least hear it from Aimee herself?’

  ‘I’ve just heard it from someone as good as,’ Cal went on, not enjoying this but he knew it was something Danny needed to hear.

  ‘What… what do you mean?’ Danny asked, that churning feeling in the pit of his stomach that had been there since Robbie and Davina’s arrival yesterday evening refusing to go away.

  ‘I’ve just seen Jemma. And she’s been talking to Aimee.’

  Danny felt slightly sick. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear this but he had to, really. Didn’t he? ‘And… and what’s Aimee had to say?’

  Cal took a deep breath. He hated being the bearer of bad news but Danny really did need to know this. ‘She told Jemma that she’s going back to Robbie. She just feels it’s the right thing to do, mate. Mind you…’ Cal suddenly stopped himself, because what he’d been going to say wasn’t really going to achieve anything, except confuse matters.

  ‘Mind you, what?’ Danny asked, a sudden glimmer of hope – no matter how faint – piercing the sick feeling in his stomach. ‘What were you going to say, Cal? Come on.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, Danny. It’s nothing.’

  ‘Okay, well, if it’s nothing then just tell me. Cal! Come on, mate.’

  ‘Alright!’ Cal turned to face Danny, wishing he didn’t have such a hopeful look on his face, because that was about to be dashed. ‘All I was going to say was, Jemma doesn’t think it’s a good idea, Aimee going back to Robbie. She tried to talk her out of it, but…’

  ‘But what? Didn’t Aimee listen to her? Couldn’t Jemma try and talk some sense into her?’

  ‘Danny, mate, it was pointless. Jemma tried. She said she tried but Aimee thought it was the be
st thing to do in the long run.’

  ‘The best thing for who, exactly? For her? Did Jemma tell you what he did to her, Cal?’

  Cal nodded. ‘Looks like you and her, though… it’s over, mate.’

  Danny felt as though he’d been punched in the solar plexus – that winded feeling that took your breath away.

  ‘I was going to talk to her,’ Danny began, standing up and pacing the stage, his hands dug deep in the pockets of his faded jeans. ‘I wanted to get to her before he did, before he had a chance to try and turn her head but even then I thought…’ He stopped pacing, pushing a hand through his dark hair. ‘Even then I didn’t think she’d listen to him.’

  Cal stood up too, going over to Danny. Out of all the guys in the band they’d always been the closest, and even after all those years apart that closeness had never really been forgotten. Their relationship was one that had just seemed to pick up where they’d left off all those years ago the minute they’d got back together and in some respects Cal regretted losing touch with Danny in the first place, but things had just got so messed up with the band towards the end. Going their separate ways had probably been the best thing all round, for all of them, in the long run. But Cal cared about Danny, and he hated seeing him so down.

  ‘Look, Danny… maybe this has all worked out for the best, y’know?’

  Danny looked straight at Cal. ‘And how do you work that one out?’

  ‘You and Davina – it wasn’t like your relationship had ever been really bad, had it? I mean, it’s not like you spent every day fighting with each other or shouting the odds or… You didn’t hate each other, did you?’

  Danny threw his head back and sighed, a heavy sigh, pushing both hands through his hair again. ‘No. No, we didn’t hate each other. It wasn’t like that.’

  ‘Then – well, can’t you at least try and work things out? Just talk to Davina; see what she’s got to say?’

  ‘I don’t know, Cal. Everything just seems so mixed up in my head all over again, and I was just beginning to see things clearly. I was actually beginning to gain some clarity in my bloody messed-up life for once.’

  ‘Look, I’m no marriage expert, mate, as you well know. My own track record’s hardly a shining example of how to do things properly but, just hear Davina out, okay? What harm can it do?’

  What harm, indeed?

  *

  Bob placed a cup of tea down in front of Aimee as they sat at a table outside on the Lido Deck, surrounded by the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean as The Atlantica headed briskly towards Morocco – its next port of call.

  ‘You gonna tell me what’s bothering that pretty face of yours then, lass?’ Bob asked, lighting up his cigarette, a kind smile on his craggy face. He really did remind Aimee of her dad. Maybe that’s why she felt so comfortable talking to him, which was good, because, as far as her own mother was concerned, Aimee just didn’t feel as though she could talk to her about this. The fact she might use the whole situation as the basis for another one of her novels bothered Aimee more than she cared to admit, because that’s what was more than likely to happen where Marcie was concerned. It wasn’t that she didn’t care about Aimee and what was going on in her life – she did. She loved Aimee and Aimee loved her back twice as much, and in reality she wouldn’t have her mother any other way. Since her father had left this was the happiest Aimee had seen her so she would never try and change her. But she just wasn’t the kind of mother you went to with every tiny relationship problem you were going through.

  Aimee looked up at Bob and smiled back, although the smile was slightly forced, and Bob noticed that.

  ‘If you don’t feel like smiling, lass, you don’t ‘ave to. Not with me. I’m not one for people trying to put up a front; you just tell me what’s bothering you.’

  He was very perceptive – for a northern bloke. Aimee started fiddling with the spoon lying on the saucer in front of her.

  ‘Remember at dinner the other night, when I told you and Barbara about my fiancé, Robbie? About how he dumped me at our engagement party?’

  ‘Aye. I remember,’ Bob said, blowing smoke up into the air.

  ‘Well, he’s here. On the ship.’

  Aimee proceeded to tell Bob the whole story, about her and Danny, about Davina and Robbie turning up out of the blue – everything. Right down to that last conversation with Davina outside the Lido Café not ten minutes ago, and Bob listened, letting her ramble on, letting her get it out of her system, for which Aimee was more grateful than she could ever begin to tell him – to be able to just get it all out without someone stopping her every five minutes to put their own two-penny’s worth in. She could just talk. And she needed to talk, to try and make sense of everything in her own head because, since last night, everything had just seemed to move at a million miles an hour. She’d never really had time to stop and think – about any of it – until now.

  ‘So, there you have it,’ Aimee finished, sitting back in her seat, pulling her blond hair back into a loose ponytail.

  Bob stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands on the table in front of him. ‘And ‘ow do you feel about this Robbie fella?’

  She started playing with the spoon again, stirring it round and round her gradually cooling coffee. ‘I still love him.’ She looked out to sea, staring at the complete isolation all around them, nothing but blue sea for miles and miles. It was actually quite peaceful, quite calming. ‘At least, I think I do.’ And she wasn’t even sure she’d meant to say that out loud.

  Bob said nothing for a few seconds. ‘And what about the other one? The pop star?’

  Aimee turned back to look at Bob, his kind face making her feel as though she could just sit here and talk to him for hours. ‘I don’t know, Bob. I mean, last week, the past few days – that feels like an eternity ago. In some respects it feels as if it didn’t happen at all, as though it was just some elaborate dream and now I’m back to reality, where I belong.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’ Bob asked, taking a sip of his tea before spooning two more sugar’s into it and stirring it vigorously.

  ‘Why do I say what?’ Aimee asked, slightly distracted by the fact she thought she could hear Marcie’s voice ringing out in the distance, followed by Brendon’s booming laugh.

  ‘Don’t you think you deserve to live a dream?’

  Aimee looked at Bob, frowning slightly. He really was quite an enigma was Bob from Barnsley, the man who loved a good pint, a bit of a bet on the horses, and a game of bingo every now and again.

  ‘No… it’s not that, it’s just… I was going to talk to him – to Danny. Last night I’d thought it was a waste of time even thinking about talking to him but, this morning I thought it might not be such a bad idea to do what Jemma had suggested and go find him, get things straight, for my own sanity more than anything. I wanted to make sure we were both singing off the same hymn sheet, so to speak.’

  Bob narrowed his eyes.

  ‘To make sure that what we’d had really had been nothing but a holiday romance,’ Aimee said in reply to his silent question. ‘But I guess his wife’s already answered that one for me, hasn’t she?’

  ‘So, you’re not going to speak to the lad then?’ Bob asked, taking out another cigarette and scrabbling round in his pocket for his lighter.

  ‘What’s the point?’ Aimee replied, looking out to sea again, her eyes following a seagull as it flew alongside them, level with the deck they were sitting on. ‘Davina’s told me they’re getting back together so there’s nothing more to be said, really, is there? She’s told me all I need to know. We all know where we stand, so, it’s time to move on now.’

  Bob flicked ash into the ashtray in the centre of the table. ‘And you’re quite happy? Being back with this Robbie fella?’

  Aimee turned to look at him again. ‘Yeah. I guess so.’

  Bob just threw her a look that slightly unsettled Aimee. ‘Well, as long as you’re sure, lass. But, think on.�
�� He stood up, picking up his packet of cigarettes, slipping them back into the pocket of his denim cut-offs. ‘This path you’re on – don’t take a wrong turn when the right direction is staring you straight in the face.’ And with a quick wink and a smile he was gone, leaving Aimee more than a touch confused, but that confusion was soon swept away as Aimee caught sight of her mother striding across the Lido Deck dressed in a purple kaftan and a large straw hat, her bangles and necklaces jangling as she walked, Engelbert – resplendent in a beige safari suit – following close behind.

  ‘Aimee! Darling!’

  Aimee groaned inwardly as they approached the table.

  ‘How are you, my darling?’ Marcie asked as she descended upon Aimee, leaning over to kiss both her cheeks before parking herself in Bob’s recently vacated seat. ‘I’ve just heard about that Robbie Cartwright being on the ship. The nerve of that lad! I was just saying to Engelbert, I shall be having words with his mother about this, wasn’t I Engelbert?’

  Engelbert had just arrived at the table after Marcie had almost left him in her wake, panting slightly as he tried to catch his breath, sitting himself down next to her.

  ‘Weren’t you what, my angel?’ Engelbert asked, fanning himself with a serviette.

  ‘Telling you how I was going to be having words with Cora Cartwright, about her son turning up here, upsetting my daughter all over again, the nerve of the lad!’

  ‘Yes, thank you, Mam, you’ve already said that. And it’s fine. Everything’s okay. I’ve spoken to Robbie, we’ve talked it over and… and we’re getting back together.’

  Marcie took a sharp intake of breath, placing a hand on her chest as she sat back in her seat, flicking out a fan that just seemed to appear from the sleeve of her kaftan. ‘Oh, don’t do that to me, Aimee, darling. For a second there I thought you said you and Robbie Cartwright were getting back together.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I said.’