by Carrie Duffy
‘Are you okay?’ Carla asked nervously.
‘Yeah.’ Sadie nodded her head automatically as she tried to get her breath. She felt the tears threaten to spill again but forced them back. She wasn’t going to cry again, damn it. She was through with crying over Paul fucking Austin, and she wasn’t about to let that bastard spoil this moment for her. Suddenly she felt reckless. She didn’t want to invest the money or spend it sensibly; she wanted to go wild.
‘Fuck it, let’s do something crazy,’ she burst out, grasping Carla by the arm. It was the most animated Carla had seen her for days, as though a light in her eyes had been switched on.
‘Okay,’ Carla agreed enthusiastically. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know. Anything. Everything! We should go away somewhere and see the world. Have an adventure. Where have you always wanted to go?’
Carla thought for a moment. ‘Venice?’ she suggested.
Sadie pulled a face. ‘I’m not sure that’s the place for a woman nursing a broken heart. Come on, we want sun and luxury and partying. Where’s the craziest place you can think of?’
‘I don’t know,’ wailed Carla.
Sadie’s eyes were sparkling as she sat bolt upright with excitement. ‘Vegas,’ she announced decisively. ‘We’re going to Las Vegas!’
13
It was a scene from Jenna’s nightmares.
Ushered straight from her car onto the waiting plane, she found her travelling companions for the journey out to Ibiza were to be Ryan, Kelly and their two pre-school children. The kids were already causing a riot in first class, which was – thank God – largely empty.
Jenna dropped her bag in her seat then greeted Ryan and his wife. Kelly nodded coldly at her and Jenna began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. What the hell was she supposed to say on being introduced to the woman with whose husband she had publicly been accused of having an affair? Talk about awkward. Jenna settled for a bright hello, before retreating behind the pages of a glossy magazine.
She thought about feigning tiredness, so she could simply pull down her eye mask and pretend to go to sleep, but there was no chance of that when Ryan’s kids were either screaming or running up and down the aisle.
Jenna smiled politely. ‘Sweet, aren’t they?’ she lied, as she became aware of Kelly watching her.
Kelly was dressed casually but expensively, and she was extremely pretty – perhaps a little chunky around the hips, her body soft and untoned, but she was in great shape to say she had given birth to two kids. The outline of another bump was just about visible under the light linen trousers and white fitted T-shirt she was wearing.
Kelly smiled back, though her face showed no trace of friendliness. ‘And another one on the way,’ she stated coolly in that Southern drawl as she patted her stomach.
‘Yeah, I heard. Congratulations. When’s it due?’
‘October. I’m nearly four months gone.’
‘Should you be flying in your condition?’ Jenna asked innocently.
‘I’m pregnant, not sick,’ Kelly snapped back, her voice suddenly harsh. ‘Besides, Ryan and I don’t want to be apart for long periods of time. His family are very important to him,’ she added pointedly, placing her left hand on Ryan’s knee where Jenna couldn’t help but notice a huge solitaire next to a gold wedding band.
Ryan shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Jenna opened her mouth, ready to let loose with a stinging retort. Even if Kelly was a raging bag of hormones, she was rapidly losing Jenna’s sympathy.
‘Would you like a glass of champagne?’ An immaculately presented stewardess appeared from nowhere at a highly opportune moment.
Jenna forced herself to stop glaring at Kelly and dragged her eyes up to the stewardess. ‘That would be lovely, thank you.’
‘Madam?’ The stewardess turned to Kelly.
‘No thank you, just an orange juice for me.’
‘Of course.’ Ryan asked for a Diet Pepsi, and the stewardess slipped away as discreetly as she had arrived.
Jenna let her head roll lazily to look out of the window. They were flying over northern France and the cloud covering was dense, like ghostly marshmallow. The sun shone brightly, but Jenna was too preoccupied to notice the view.
‘Daddy!’
It was Ryan’s eldest, a three-year-old boy called Brandon.
‘Daddy, I need to pee,’ Brandon insisted urgently, trying to clamber up onto Ryan’s knee where he held a sleeping baby girl.
‘Okay, okay,’ Ryan pacified him. ‘Daddy will take you – careful, mind the baby, you’ll crush her. Can you hold Lea for a moment?’ he asked, heaving the baby off his lap and passing her to Kelly.
Ryan smiled apologetically at Jenna and, casting a nervous look in the direction of the two women, took Brandon by the hand and led him down the aisle.
Kelly took the baby with a series of coos and clucky noises, gazing at her with a proud, albeit tired, smile. Jenna turned back to the window, determined that Kelly wasn’t going to make her feel inadequate for her own lack of maternal urges. She was only 23, for Christ’s sake. No way did she want sagging breasts and a torn vagina.
Kelly cleared her throat and Jenna wondered if she was trying to get her attention. She smiled tentatively, but Kelly remained stony-faced. Jenna sighed. ‘Kelly …’ she began slowly.
‘What?’
Jenna paused, unsure of what she was trying to say. ‘I know that things are going to be a little awkward between us, but I hope—’
‘We can be friends?’ cut in Kelly sarcastically.
‘Well, that we can at least make an effort to get on,’ Jenna snapped back, feeling wrong-footed by Kelly’s hostility.
‘I’m hoping we’ll be around each other as little as possible.’
‘Kelly, I …’ Jenna faltered. ‘You know nothing happened,’ she finished incredulously.
‘Yes, I know that because Ryan is a good man. But I don’t trust you further than I could throw you, and if I catch you anywhere near my husband I’ll take great pleasure in rearranging that pretty face of yours. I’ll make sure everyone knows what a little slut you are and your career will be destroyed,’ Kelly ranted.
Jenna was open-mouthed with shock, stunned at the vitriol coming out of this tiny woman. ‘You’re crazy! I’m not interested in him.’
‘Maybe not. But I know what girls like you are like. You don’t care about families; you just do what you want. And with me like this, I …’ Kelly broke off, her head dropping as she looked down at her pregnant belly. She had gone very pale suddenly and her eyes had welled up.
At that moment Brandon came running back down the aisle, heading straight for Kelly’s bag to look for sweets as he complained that his ears hurt. Ryan was following closely behind.
‘Is everything okay?’ he asked cautiously, taking in the strained silence and the uneasy body language of the two women.
‘Fine,’ Kelly lied. She gave him a reassuring smile as he took her hand and slipped into the seat beside her.
‘Jenna, would you mind holding Lea for a minute while I try and find some candy?’ asked Kelly, trying to prevent Brandon from pulling everything out of her Hermès bag. ‘It must have slipped to the bottom.’
‘Okay …’ said Jenna slowly, her confusion deepening. Jeez, these mood swings were extreme!
Jenna took the baby awkwardly, trying to hold her in the natural way she’d seen countless mothers do. It didn’t come very naturally to Jenna and a few seconds later came the moment she was dreading as Lea turned puce and let out a long, loud wail.
‘I think you should take her back,’ Jenna said hurriedly, holding her out to Kelly.
‘No, she’ll be fine,’ Kelly assured her, calmly unwrapping a sweet. ‘Just rock her a little.’
‘Perhaps she’s hungry?’ suggested Jenna desperately, but Kelly merely shook her head and did nothing.
‘Maybe you should sing to her?’ Ryan suggested, himself a little surprised by Kelly’s behaviour.
‘
I don’t think that would help,’ put in Kelly tartly. ‘Lift her up to your shoulder and rub her back a little. Maybe she’s got wind.’
‘I’m not sure I’m the best person to deal with this—’ Jenna started to protest, but Kelly cut her off again.
‘You’ll be fine. Just pat her back gently.’
The baby had quietened down somewhat, and Jenna felt a growing sense of achievement as she rocked gently from side to side, rubbing her hand up and down the baby’s tiny back. Perhaps Kelly had meant it as a gesture of reconciliation, Jenna thought. After all, she had trusted her with her baby, so maybe she was trying to make her feel included, even if it was a slightly odd way of going about it.
Suddenly, Jenna became aware of a slightly odd smell. Then she realized that her ridiculously expensive Marc Jacobs cashmere sweater felt wet and sticky at the shoulder.
‘Oh dear,’ Kelly said, in honeyed tones. ‘I think someone had an accident.’
‘Wow.’
Even Jenna couldn’t fail to be impressed as the Mercedes drew to a halt after winding its way down the long, bumpy driveway leading to Casa Santos. Nick’s villa was in the northwest of the island, nestled among the olive groves and pine trees, and a world away from the hedonistic nightclubs and English fried breakfasts of San Antonio further down the coast. It was a stunning location; used to luxury as Jenna was, she certainly wasn’t disappointed with what was to be her home for the next few weeks.
The house was huge. It was built on only two storeys but spread over a vast area, having started off as a simple farmhouse, which had been added to and extended many times over the years. The thick, sandstone walls were painted white, with terracotta shutters enveloping the slatted windows, and the garden was immaculately landscaped, lush with palm and cypress trees swaying drowsily in the balmy breeze that was blowing in from the sea. Pink and red flowers burst from window boxes in a riot of colour, and arched wooden trellises cascading with jasmine and wisteria marked the entrance to the porch. Jenna put a hand up to her eyes to shade them from the sun, and admired the view once again.
‘Beautiful,’ she said to herself, taking in the heavenly scene before her from the solitude of the car. Ryan and his family had taken a separate vehicle from the airport and, after the incident on the plane, Jenna didn’t care if she never saw them again.
‘Jenna!’ Nick descended from the porch steps and bounded over to the car to meet her, enveloping her in a crushing hug. He was wearing stone-coloured cropped trousers and his chest was bare, displaying acres of tanned flesh and a rippling six-pack.
‘Nick, this is amazing. Just amazing,’ Jenna marvelled, as she kissed him on the cheek, unwilling to disentangle herself from his arms. He smelt wonderful, a deliciously masculine mix of soap and aftershave, as though he’d just showered.
‘Nothing but the best for you, senõrita,’ Nick grinned. ‘Welcome to my humble abode.’
His good mood was infectious, and Jenna could literally feel the tension ease away from her shoulders as the warm sun streamed down on her. In these gorgeous surroundings, with Nick so laid-back and charming, Jenna felt sure that everything would be all right with the band. How could anything bad happen in such a perfect place?
‘Come on, let’s get you inside, princess,’ he said, throwing an arm around her and leading her towards the house as the car pulled away down the drive. ‘I’ll show you your room – I think you’ll like it. Or would you rather see the back yard first?’
His American accent had become more pronounced since leaving London, Jenna noticed. She’d always been a sucker for a sexy voice. ‘I don’t mind. I’ll leave myself in your capable hands.’
Nick raised an eyebrow. ‘Okay then. Let’s get you into my capable hands.’ Ignoring Jenna’s protesting cries, he swept her up into his arms and carried her giggling into the house. She was still laughing when Nick gently placed her down in the entrance hall. Unsteady on her feet, Jenna held on to him as she took in the house. His shoulders were broad, and her fingers lingered on the warm skin of his neck.
‘Wow,’ she repeated, looking around her. The terracotta-tiled floor led to a magnificent sweeping staircase cut from a rich, dark wood, and all around Jenna could see evidence of the traditional features that Nick had kept – from the period beams set into the high ceiling to the heavy, wooden furniture.
‘Let’s go see your room.’ Nick took her hand and led her towards the main staircase. ‘It’s pretty special.’
Jenna followed him down a long corridor, brightly lit by the afternoon sun that streamed in through the slatted windows, as they headed towards the back of the house.
‘Oh, I love it!’ she exclaimed, taking in the vast room with its exquisitely carved, solid wooden four-poster bed and antique Ibizan furniture.
‘Now for the best bit.’ Nick looked at her intently for a moment. ‘Close your eyes.’
‘Nick, what—’
‘Just quit arguing and do as you’re told.’
‘Okay,’ Jenna giggled.
Gently, Nick took her hand and guided her over to the double doors that led out onto the terrace. ‘Open them,’ he whispered softly.
Jenna did, and for once in her life she was utterly speechless. The view from the window was absolutely stunning. ‘Wow,’ she said again, worrying that her vocabulary was becoming seriously reduced. ‘This is your back yard?’ she asked incredulously.
The window looked out over Nick’s immaculately kept gardens, stretching in lush, green abundance past a large pool, all the way to a path which Jenna could see led to a tiny private beach. It was enclosed by high, rocky cliffs, and beyond that lay the sparkling, azure sea. The sunlight danced on the waves, giving the scene a magical, shimmering appearance, and, a short way out to sea, Jenna could see a dazzling white yacht, at least eighty feet in length.
Finally Nick spoke. ‘Do you like it?’ he asked nervously.
‘Are you kidding? I love it!’ Jenna tore her gaze away from the view as she turned to face him. Her brilliant green eyes were shining, and she threw her arms around him. ‘Thank you so much! I can’t believe you’ve given me this room – I feel like a princess!’
‘Like I said,’ Nick murmured, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘Nothing but the best for you.’
Jenna felt a frisson of excitement build in her stomach as she looked at him. Her arms were still around his neck, and she could feel his solid, muscular body pressed against hers, the delicious feel of his bare skin against her thin cotton top.
Jenna started, as there was a loud hooting from downstairs.
‘That’s probably Ryan,’ she said reluctantly.
‘Uh huh.’ Nick’s disappointment was obvious as they untwined. ‘Let’s go see.’
They walked back through the villa, Jenna’s heels clacking noisily on the tiles, to find that the car containing Jenna’s luggage had arrived. The driver was keen to leave, but after Nick offered him a large wad of cash, he got stuck into the job of helping to carry the bags up to Jenna’s room. She stayed to watch for a while, amused at the fact that Nick seemed to be attempting to carry twice as much as the burly yet overweight Ibizan.
‘It’s no problem for me,’ he told her airily. ‘I work out a lot.’
Jenna smiled indulgently, wandering onto the sunlit porch as she watched them unload the car. She figured she might as well encourage this display of machismo as it seemed to be directed at her.
Suddenly Nick’s mobile began to ring, shattering the tranquil silence. Jenna recalled him leaving it on the hallway table.
‘Nick,’ she called, as she strode back inside.
‘I’ll be right there,’ he shouted, his muffled voice coming from deep within the building. ‘Just give me a sec.’
‘It’s only Ryan,’ said Jenna, as she saw his name on the caller display. ‘They probably got lost or something. I’ll get it, it’s no trouble.’
‘Jenna, don’t …’ began Nick, but trailed off as he appeared at the top of the stairs, watching her fa
ce anxiously.
‘Okay … no problem, I’ll tell him. Yeah, see you tomorrow … Bye.’ Jenna hung up, her brow furrowed in confusion. ‘Nick, what’s going on?’
His face was a picture of innocence, his eyes open wide to imply he didn’t know what she was referring to.
‘Ryan said to tell you,’ Jenna began slowly, ‘that they had all arrived safely, but weren’t planning to come over tonight because the kids are tired and they want to get them settled in. And then he said to thank you for recommending the villa to them, because it’s perfect.’ Jenna paused, looking up uncertainly. ‘I thought you told me he was staying here.’
Nick looked a little ashamed of himself as he gradually made his way down the staircase. ‘Well, if I remember right, I only said he might be staying here …’
Comprehension began to dawn in Jenna. ‘Right. And Zac?’
‘Yeah … He’s not arriving until later.’ Nick paused. ‘And he’s staying in a hotel a few miles down the road.’
‘So is anyone else staying here apart from you and me?’
‘Not currently …’ Nick’s eyes raked over her body as they heard the heavy tread of the taxi driver upstairs. ‘I can ask him to stay if you want?’
Jenna hit him on the arm. ‘Is this some kind of set-up?’ she demanded suspiciously, simultaneously pissed off and amused. While she loved the idea of being alone with Nick, she didn’t want to be the butt of some joke.
‘Not exactly … oh hell, don’t get mad with me …’ Nick pleaded, taking hold of her hands as the taxi driver came wearily down the stairs. Nick handed him another pile of notes, and with a variety of hand signals and basic Spanish, indicated that he could leave.
‘I’m sorry sweetheart, I really am,’ Nick began to grovel as the car drove off. ‘I did invite everyone but it was all pretty last-minute. Ryan said that Kelly’d rather stay in a villa, so they could have a bit of privacy, y’know?’
Yeah, far away from me, Jenna thought darkly, the humiliation rushing back as she remembered the way Kelly had spoken to her on the plane. She hadn’t deserved that.