Fair-Weather Friend

by Patricia Scanlan

  ‘We’ll collect you. Just give me the address,’ Juan offered. ‘We will pick you up. Won’t we Maria?’ He spoke in Spanish to his little granddaughter.

  ‘Sí, sí.’ She hopped up and down with delight.

  ‘See you in an hour then,’ Juan said briskly.

  Sophie couldn’t believe how impulsive she was being. But this was a chance of a lifetime. She’d kick herself if she let it pass. Although she didn’t realise it, Melissa had done her a huge favour leaving her on her own.

  ‘Thanks, Melissa,’ Sophie murmured twenty minutes later as she flung her clothes into her suitcase. Life had just started to get a whole lot better.

  Chapter Seven

  Sophie had just packed her books when the door of the apartment burst open. She almost jumped.

  Melissa appeared, red-eyed and on crutches.

  ‘Thank God I’m here. That pig was so cruel,’ she raged. ‘I broke my leg on the yacht in Marbella. It was a nightmare. I had to go to hospital. He wouldn’t even stay with me.’ She looked at Sophie forlornly. ‘Can you believe it?’

  Sophie shook her head. She couldn’t believe her bad luck. Another ten minutes and she would have been gone. Melissa plonked onto her bed and threw her crutches on the floor.

  ‘And then do you know what the bastard said when I got back to the yacht?’ she said. ‘He had the nerve to suggest that I fly from Malaga to Palma so I wouldn’t delay their departure for Tangiers.’ Her lips tightened into a thin line. ‘I told him only if he paid for my flight and taxis to and from the airport.’

  ‘And did he?’ Sophie asked faintly.

  ‘No he didn’t!’ retorted Melissa indignantly. ‘The skinflint. It was only when I threatened to sue that his friends started to panic. They chipped in € 50 each for the taxis and he had to pay for the plane ticket. What a miser! He couldn’t get rid of me quick enough. I even had to hang around the marina. They let me off and then they sailed away before my taxi arrived. Can you believe it?’ Melissa burst into tears. ‘My luggage is in reception. Can you collect it for me?’ she sniffled.

  ‘Sure.’ Sophie’s heart sank as she headed off to reception. Trust Melissa to do something dramatic like break her leg. She wasn’t too surprised at Paulo’s behaviour. She hadn’t liked him at all. But of course all Melissa had seen was the expensive clothes and jewellery – and the smarmy charm. They were two shallow people who were well suited to each other, she thought glumly. She grabbed Melissa’s case angrily. Typical. Melissa was only back five minutes and already Sophie was running after her like a little skivvy.

  She saw a big silver BMW drive up to the entrance. It was Juan and Maria. She couldn’t really go with them now and leave Melissa alone.

  She’d leave you.

  The thought popped into her head.

  Don’t fool yourself that she wouldn’t!

  Sophie stood still. What kind of a fool was she? Melissa wouldn’t think twice about putting herself first. It was a way of life with her. It was time Sophie did the same. For once in her life she was going to be number one. She wasn’t going to be a doormat for Melissa for the rest of her life. She lugged her friend’s case back to the apartment.

  ‘Why is your bag packed? Where are you going?’ Melissa demanded as Sophie hauled the case into the bedroom.

  ‘To stay with friends,’ she said cheerfully. She dumped Melissa’s case on the bed.

  ‘What friends? You don’t have friends here,’ Melissa snorted.

  ‘Yes I do. Look out the window.’ Sophie felt a flicker of annoyance. Did Melissa think she was the only one to make friends with people on holidays? Some friend smarmy Paulo had turned out to be. The Santanders would be far more genuine. She was sure of it.

  ‘What do you want me to look at?’ Melissa demanded crossly.

  ‘See that silver car over at reception?’

  Melissa’s jaw dropped. ‘Who are they?’

  ‘My friends,’ Sophie drawled. ‘Sorry I can’t stay and explain, Melissa. Have to go.’

  ‘But you can’t go!’ Melissa was stunned. ‘You can’t leave me! My leg is broken. I’m on crutches. How will I manage?’

  ‘You’ll be fine, Melissa. We’re on the ground floor. You can eat by the pool. You can sunbathe. What more could you want? I’ve had a few lovely, lazy days. You should try it. It will do you all the good in the world to take things easy for a while.’ Sophie was enjoying herself. The look on Melissa’s face was enough to stop a clock. She couldn’t believe her ears.

  ‘But how will I get to the airport? You can’t leave me like this, Sophie. I won’t allow it.’ Melissa was red with fury.

  ‘The rep will bring you to the airport. No worries.’ Sophie chose to ignore her outburst. This only angered Melissa even more.

  ‘But you’re a nurse. You have a duty to sick people,’ she raged. This wasn’t the Sophie she knew. ‘You can’t leave me here on my own!’

  ‘Watch me,’ Sophie retorted as she lifted her case from the bed. ‘I just want to say before I go, you are the biggest cow going. You don’t know how to be a friend. You use people. You drop them like hot potatoes when it suits. Well I’ve had enough of you, Melissa Harris. To be honest, I don’t care if you have to walk back to London on your crutches. I couldn’t give a hoot.’

  She strode to the door. She was delighted to have told the other girl exactly what she thought of her. She turned and took one last look at her so-called friend.

  ‘Goodbye Melissa. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. I know I’m going to enjoy mine. To tell you the truth, it’s the best holiday I’ve ever had.’

  Chapter Eight

  Melissa stood at the window watching Sophie laughing with a man and a little girl. The man put her case into the boot of the BMW.

  ‘What a bitch!’ Melissa swore. Tears of rage wet her cheeks. How dare Sophie Mason talk to her the way she just had? The little jumped-up madam. Who did she think she was? She was just a boring, frumpy little dumpling. If it hadn’t been for Melissa she’d have been stuck in London with no one to go on holidays with. And this was the thanks she got for her good deed!

  The minute Melissa got back to London she was going to make a complaint to Sophie’s bosses. She was going to say that Sophie wasn’t fit to be a nurse. Imagine leaving a sick woman in dire straits. It was shocking.

  Sophie would probably get the sack when the Matron heard about her cruelty. It would be good enough for her. And she was going to tell everyone at home what a selfish cow Sophie Mason was. Everyone thought she was such a nice goody-goody. Ha! Soon they’d know the truth. Melissa watched with slitted eyes as her former friend sat into the front of the BMW as if she owned it.

  ‘What a nerve! What a hard-hearted slag,’ she muttered as the big silver car sped out of the complex.

  Melissa looked around the bedroom. Her heart sank. It was a grotty little kip and she was stuck here for almost another week. What a horrific thought. Feeling very, very sorry for herself, Melissa sank onto the bed and cried bitterly.

  ‘And this is your room, Sophie. I do hope you like it.’ Elena, Juan’s daughter, smiled as she showed Sophie her bedroom.

  Sophie stared in delight at the bright, airy room that had its own balcony overlooking the sea.

  ‘It’s lovely, Mrs Suarez,’ Sophie declared with pleasure.

  ‘You must call me Elena,’ the other woman insisted. ‘You will become like one of the family.’

  ‘I feel like one already,’ Sophie laughed as Maria hugged her tightly. ‘How about I bring this young lady to the beach and you can enjoy a little siesta?’

  ‘That would be wonderful. The baby was kicking all night and I didn’t get a wink of sleep. It must be a boy.’ She patted her bump with pride.

  ‘And I will make us the best paella ever for dinner, to celebrate your arrival,’ Juan announced. He was delighted that everything was working out so well.

  That night as Sophie lay in the big double bed looking out on a moon-lit sea she smiled happily. This was such
a comfortable bed compared to the narrow, lumpy one she’d slept on since she’d arrived in Spain. Her en suite bathroom was spotless. It had been a pleasure to have a bath and wash the sand away after her afternoon on the beach.

  Dinner had been delicious. Juan was a marvellous cook. And she felt nicely tired after the two glasses of red wine Elena had pressed on her. ‘You must have one for me.’ Elena had laughed, sipping her soda water.

  Later, Elena’s brother had called by. His name was Carlos. He was a doctor. And he was drop-dead gorgeous.

  Sophie blushed in the dark as she remembered a pair of smiling brown eyes twinkling at her attempts at Spanish.

  ‘I will have to teach you,’ he teased in English. She was very glad that Melissa was nowhere in sight.

  For a moment she wondered what the other girl was doing. It had been one of the best moments in her life when she’d closed the door of the apartment. Guilt had not got the better of her. She hadn’t been a doormat. For the first time in her life she had put herself first. It felt very good.

  Sophie closed her eyes. She snuggled into the pillows and fell fast asleep as the moon shone silver on the sea and the stars sparkled like diamonds.

  Melissa twisted and turned on her hard, narrow bed. Her leg itched inside the plaster cast and it was driving her mad. Needless to say there was no air-conditioning in her poky, little, kippy bedroom. She was afraid to open the sliding doors in case one of those awful little monsters got in. The insects were a nightmare.

  How she hated Sophie Mason’s guts, she thought grimly. She had spent the most boring time of her life lying on a lounger down by the pool. Four horrid kids had screamed and splashed in the pool for ages. The din had given her a headache. Later she had hobbled over to the bar and had a revolting burger and chips for her dinner. She’d tried to get pissed on sangría. It didn’t help. She wasn’t in the mood. She’d just got a headache for her trouble.

  There wasn’t even a sexy barman to flirt with, she thought mournfully. Pedro was fat and greasy. His shirt had tomato sauce on it. His nails were dirty. And he couldn’t smile to save his life. She made a face in the dark. She hadn’t even made an effort to be nice to him. Grumpy old sod.

  This was the worst holiday she had ever been on and it was all Sophie Mason’s fault. Tomorrow she was going to phone home and beg her mother to pay for a flight to get her home. She couldn’t bear to stay in this hell-hole for another day.

  Melissa slept fitfully. When she awoke, she sat up in bed glad that it was daylight. Her eye felt strange. She rubbed it. It was sore. She rooted in her bag and found her make-up case. A glance in her pocket-mirror caused her to squeal in dismay. Her eyelid had swollen to twice its normal size. It was red and watery and completely gruesome looking. One of those skanky little insects had bitten her. It was the last straw. Melissa found her mobile and dialled home.

  ‘Mum, you have to send me money to get me home. It’s a nightmare; Mum I’m all on my own. Sophie deserted me. I’ve got a broken leg and something terrible has happened to my eye. I think I’m going blind.’ She wept.

  ‘My poor darling! Of course I’ll send you money. What happened? How did you break your leg? What do you mean Sophie’s deserted you?’ Rose Harris asked with concern.

  ‘It’s a long story,’ Melissa sobbed. ‘You’ll never believe the way Sophie Mason treated me. She doesn’t know how to be a friend. I’m never going to have anything to do with her again.’

  Melissa poured her heart out to her mother who promised to organise a flight home that very day if possible.

  Twelve hours later Melissa was on a flight to London. A handsome cabin attendant fussed over her and offered her a drink. Melissa sat back in her seat watching the lights of Spain twinkle beneath the plane. Thank God she was going home, she thought. It was a pity she couldn’t really flirt with Mister Sexy, but she looked a sight with her swollen red eye and dirty foot peeking out from its plaster cast.

  Regretfully she sipped her wine. It had been the worst holiday of her entire life. She was never going to speak to Sophie Mason again.

  Chapter Nine

  A year later …

  ‘Did you hear about Sophie Mason? She’s engaged to some rich Spanish doctor. She met him when she was working in Majorca. They’re getting married next month. I met her sister in a club last night. Sophie’s flying the whole family out to Majorca for the wedding. Imagine! You never told me about the wedding. Are you going?’ Ann Kelly asked Melissa as they tidied up the salon after a very busy day.

  Melissa’s fingers curled. Her lips tightened with envy. What a sly cow that Sophie Mason had turned out to be. She had left her alone in that grotty little apartment with a broken leg. And then she had gone and wangled her way into that Spanish family. It was galling to think that she had nabbed a rich Spanish doctor and was getting married! Melissa hadn’t seen her from that day to this. And now to hear this shocking news. Was there no justice in the world?

  ‘Don’t mention that girl’s name to me,’ Melissa snapped. ‘I thought she was a friend. Little did I know until she stabbed me in the back what a sly bitch she was.’

  ‘She stabbed you in the back?’ Angie was astonished.

  ‘Don’t be thick,’ Melissa said crossly. ‘I invited her to go on holidays and then she met these people and left me in the lurch on my own with a broken leg. Can you believe that?’

  ‘Really? I’d never have thought it of Sophie. That’s awful. I always thought she was very nice,’ Ann remarked in surprise.

  ‘Well she wasn’t. She’s as two-faced as they come. I don’t want to talk about her,’ Melissa declared with venom.

  ‘Oh, OK. That’s understandable. With friends like that who needs enemies?’ Ann said quickly. ‘Just as well you have me to go on holidays with this year.’ She smiled. ‘I wouldn’t do anything like that. Not in a million years. You can depend on me.’

  ‘I know, sweetie.’ Melissa managed a smile. ‘You’ll love where we’re going to. It has a marina full of yachts. There are loads of rich people hanging around in the cafés. It will be the best holiday ever.’

  ‘I can’t wait!’ Ann said excitedly. ‘Thanks for inviting me to come.’

  ‘You’re very welcome,’ said Melissa kindly. ‘Could you be a pet and finish off here? I’ve got a thumping headache.’

  ‘Oh, OK,’ Ann murmured. Funny how Melissa always got a thumping headache on Friday evenings when the salon had to be cleaned.

  Melissa swanned out of the salon leaving her new best friend to tidy up. Ann would be an excellent holiday companion, she thought with satisfaction. Not like the soon-to-be-married two-faced Sophie.

  A sunbeam danced through the stained-glass window just as Carlos placed the wedding ring on Sophie’s finger. She smiled at him and felt as though her heart would burst with happiness. It was so hard to believe that she was standing beside him and the priest was blessing them as man and wife.

  The past year had flown by. In fact, it was a year to the day that Melissa Harris had swanned off to Marbella and left her to holiday alone. What a difference a year makes. It had been the happiest year of her life.

  She and Carlos had got on like a house on fire. He had a great sense of humour and delighted in teasing her. He had taught her Spanish. She could now speak it fluently. He’d shown her all around the beautiful island of Majorca, taking her to hidden beaches and whitewashed villages never seen by tourists. They’d fallen in love easily, with humour and affection. She had never felt more comfortable with anyone in her life.

  She turned and smiled at her parents and sisters. It was wonderful to have them here. Juan and Elena had been so kind. She could hear Elena’s baby boy cooing happily. He was a little angel. She couldn’t wait to have a baby herself. Carlos loved children and they loved him. Maria was their flower girl. Sophie smiled at her husband and he smiled back. ‘Hi, wife,’ he whispered.

  ‘Hi, husband,’ she whispered back, squeezing his hand.

  They kissed each other. It was
the most perfect day of Sophie’s life.

  ‘What do you mean you’re going up to Deya with that guy you met on Saturday?’ Ann Kelly stared at Melissa in dismay.

  ‘Oh sweetie, don’t be like that. He’s gorgeous. He’s spending a fortune on me. Come on, I need to find a nice man after the rats I’ve been with,’ she pouted.

  ‘But you came on holidays with me. You asked me to come. What will I do by myself?’

  ‘Look, I’m not your nanny,’ Melissa said crossly. ‘I’m going to Deya with Ramon and that’s it. Deal with it.’ She marched across the room, grabbed her case and walked out of the apartment.

  Ann sat on her bed, stunned. Melissa had been a wagon from the moment they had come on holidays. It was clear she didn’t care a bit about Ann or her holiday. Melissa wanted a man. She had gone all out to get one. She certainly wasn’t going to let a so-called friend stand in the way.

  Ann shook her head. It was starting to dawn on her that she had been used. Was this what had happened to Sophie Mason? Had Melissa treated her like dirt too? Most likely, Ann thought glumly.

  It looked like she was on her own. She’d have to make the best of it. She packed her beach bag and headed for the sea.

  Later, she strolled down to the marina. A wedding group passed by, car horns tooting and beeping. The bride looked radiant. Ann looked at her with a tinge of envy. Her eyes widened. It was Sophie Mason. Today was Sophie’s wedding day. What a coincidence. It was a pity Melissa couldn’t see her. What a kick in the ass that would be for the skanky slapper.

  At least Sophie had had a happy ending, surrounded by family and friends. It was more than Melissa Harris would ever have. She didn’t know the meaning of the word ‘friend’. That would be her loss in life.

  Look at how Sophie Mason’s life had changed after coming on holiday with Melissa Harris. Sophie had been in the same boat as she was. Something good might happen to her too, Ann thought excitedly. Feeling happier, she joined in the cheers of the onlookers as Sophie and her husband drove past waving.