by Lacey London
‘Come over here, there’s some people that I want you to meet.’ Her eyes twinkle as she takes Vernon’s hand and leads him over to where Oliver and Marc are sitting.
Immediately standing to attention, Oliver and Marc jump to their feet and hold out their hands. In true Marc fashion, he smiles thinly and nods as he shakes Vernon’s hand.
‘Hey.’ Oliver smiles widely and claps him on the back.
‘A fellow American?’ Vernon asks, a relieved smile playing on the corner of his lips. ‘No way!’
Flashing Oliver a wink, I smile to myself as I watch them talk. It must be nice for Oliver to hear another American accent. He doesn’t really talk about it, but I know that he misses Texas and his family across the pond. Leaving the boys to get acquainted, I link my arm through Lianna’s and lead her outside into the sunshine. From our position on the veranda, we can see Gina with Madison and MJ playing in the water. Hearing his friends having fun, Noah instantly struggles to get down and join them.
‘Do you want to take him down?’ Lianna mumbles, stretching out her legs.
Noah lets out an almighty scream and thrashes around like a fish out of water. ‘I don’t think I’ve got much choice. You coming?’
Li looks over her shoulder and flashes Vernon a smile. ‘I should probably stay with Vern and make sure the boys don’t pick on him.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ I scoff, pushing her towards the sand. ‘He’s a big boy. I am sure he can look after himself.’
Popping our heads back into the villa, she nods in agreement as she realises that the boys are already bonding over beer and baseball. Poor Marc. He’s trying so hard to look interested, but I know that he would rather be down at the beach talking nails and cocktails given half the chance. Flashing him a wink, I kick off my sandals and grab Noah’s hat from the deck chair.
‘So, how has your day been?’ I ask, waving at Madison as we make our way down the beach.
Lianna exhales loudly and twists her hair up into a messy top knot. ‘We had a bit of a disaster in the kitchen…’
‘Disaster?’ I scrunch up my nose and frown. ‘What kind of disaster?’
Bending down to pick up a shell, she turns it over in her hands before slipping it into her back pocket. ‘Someone mixed up an order and we ended up with a ton of fish that we didn’t ask for.’
‘Uh oh. How did that happen?’ Noah pulls off his sunglasses and chews on the end happily.
‘I have no idea…’
Her voice trails off as we come to stop at the water’s edge.
‘No idea about what?’ Gina asks as she blows up MJ’s tiny armbands.
Stripping off my sun dress, I hand Noah to Li and wade into the warm sea. Madison demands to be picked up, so I sit her on my shoulders as Li fills Gina in on her kitchen catastrophe. Apparently, if it wasn’t for Stephanie, The Hangout would have been in almighty trouble today. It looks like poaching Stephanie was worth it after all.
Holding Madison’s legs up so that she can pretend to swim, I look along the shoreline at the volley ball contest further up the beach. Dozens of people dive into the sand, their laughter drifting along the beach as the crowd cheers them on. As nice as it is to be nestled away on a secluded corner of the beach, it would be fun to experience a livelier atmosphere for a change. Making a mental note to arrange this with the others, I talk Madison into shell hunting with her brother so that the grown-ups can talk.
‘What’s going on with your hair by the way?’ Li asks, tossing her own locks over one shoulder. ‘Why have you got the whole Diana Ross thing going on?’
Shooting her daggers, I pull a hair band from my wrist and force my impromptu afro into something that resembles a bun. I wondered how long it would be before someone mentioned the hair. Not wanting to be the focus of their jokes, I change the subject to Vernon.
‘How do you think the boys are getting on?’ I whisper, grabbing a handful of sand and rubbing it into my thighs.
‘Great by the looks of things.’ Gina bobs her head in the direction of the villa as we all spin around to have a look.
Clutching bottles of beer, the four of them study the barbecue as though it is made of gold. What is it with men and fire? I don’t think I have ever seen Oliver look so excited. Marc on the other hand is nodding along attentively, desperately trying to be one of the boys.
‘Do you think they like him?’ Li asks, biting her lip anxiously and handing over Noah.
Obviously tiring of tugging on Lianna’s hair, he reaches up and takes a handful of mine and pulls hard. Ouch! When the hell is he going to grow out of that?
‘How can you not like him?’ Gina scoffs, throwing back her head and cackling like a hyena.
‘I hate to admit it, but he is pretty perfect.’ I lock eyes with Lianna and nod in agreement. ‘So, how’s this going to pan out between the two of you?’
‘What do you mean?’ She picks a pink shell out of the sand and hands it to Madison.
‘The whole long distance thing.’ As soon as the words escape my mouth I wonder if I have done the right thing by bringing it up, but I can tell from the look on Gina’s face that she has been thinking the same thing.
She shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly and slides into the water. ‘I haven’t really thought about.’
Gina and I exchange glances and I can’t resist probing the subject further. ‘You must have spoken about it though.’
Li screws up her nose and floats around casually. ‘Not really.’
Flashing her a thin smile, I tell myself to shut up. Her cool as a cucumber attitude towards this relationship is really getting on my nerves, but I don’t want to ruin things by creating an awkward atmosphere between us. Hearing footsteps behind me, I look over my shoulder to see Vernon striding over the sand. Thanking my lucky stars that I shut up when I did, I smile as Vernon takes a seat next to Lianna.
‘How are you guys doing?’ He takes a sip from his beer bottle and wedges it into the sand.
Eyeing him up carefully, Madison holds out her tiny hand. ‘I’m Madison Milan Stroker.’
Trying not to laugh, I watch as Vernon takes her hand and shakes it gently. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madison Milan Stroker.’
‘Do you want to collect shells with me?’ She holds out her pink bucket to show him her collection.
‘Sure.’ His eyes widen as Madison places her bucket between them and instructs him on what to do. ‘And who is this little guy?’ He ruffles MJ’s long curls and tosses a shell into the bucket.
‘This is Marc Junior.’ Gina smiles and pushes MJ forward. ‘Say hello, MJ.’
‘MJ.’ Vernon repeats and shoots him a wink. ‘Cool name.’
Cautiously making his way over, MJ sits down next to his sister and smiles warily. It seems that MJ hasn’t inherited Gina’s bolshie, fearless attitude like Madison. Sitting Noah on the sand between my legs, I grab a bottle of water from Gina’s beach bag and take a sip, grimacing when I realise it’s warmer than the sea.
‘How were the boys?’ Lianna asks, slipping an arm around Vernon’s waist. ‘Did they play nice?’
He laughs and nods in response. ‘Very nice. I actually invited them to the bar tomorrow for the fish fry.’ He digs a shell out of the water and adds it to MJ’s pile. ‘That invitation is extended to all of you, in case that wasn’t clear.’
‘Me too?’ Madison asks, kicking her legs in excitement.
‘And me?’ MJ copies his sister and throws his arms in the air.
‘Yeah you guys too.’ Vernon laughs and whips off his t-shirt to reveal an incredible six pack. ‘I’m going for a dip, who’s with me?’
Madison waves her hands around and runs in after him as MJ throws an almighty tantrum at not being able to join them without his armbands on. Throwing Madison onto his shoulders, Vernon wades into the water and playfully splashes her with water. He’s certainly fantastic with kids, that’s for sure. My mother once told me that if you ever want to know if a person has a good heart, watch how they are with children.
If that’s the case, then Vernon’s a definite keeper.
The distinctive smell of charcoal floats down from the villa and I flare my nostrils greedily.
‘Who wants a burger?’ Owen yells, waving his spatula around in the air.
Not missing a beat, MJ dives out of Gina’s arms and runs across the sand as fast as his little legs will carry him. My stomach starts to grumble and I realise that I haven’t eaten a thing since breakfast.
‘Are you coming up for some food?’ Gina asks, as though reading my mind.
Nodding in response, I push myself to my feet and peel Noah away from the sandcastle. I am about to ask if Lianna is joining us when she strips off her top and dives into the water. Unless she is planning on spearing some fish, she won’t be eating in there. Deciding to leave the love birds alone for a while, I leave Gina to retrieve Madison and make my back to the villa.
Obviously having had second thoughts on the corn rows, Eve has removed the braids and set her now crazy curls free. I think we can safely say that we won’t be doing that again. Placing Noah into a high chair, I grab a plate and fill it with a selection of breads, salads and dips. Biting on a celery stick, I tear up some bread and give it to Noah before taking a seat on Oliver’s lap.
The sun has started to dip in the sky, casting a beautiful shadow over the veranda. Watching Owen and Marc flip burgers as the children wait patiently with their plastic plates, I dip a breadstick into a mound of garlic dip and chew happily. Seeing him chase Li around in the water a wave of relief washes over me. As much as it kills me to say it, I was wrong about Vernon. Normally I hate being proved wrong, but for the first time in my life, being wrong feels so very right…
There’s no place like home… except the beach.
Chapter 9
Padding across the hot sand, I smooth down my jumpsuit and follow behind Owen and Eve as they lead the way to The Hangout. The moon is high in the sky, throwing a strip of light across the beach. After a long day of sunbathing and stuffing my face with James’ fabulous flying fish, I could very easily have spent the evening snoozing on a sun lounger. Not wanting to let down Li, I forced myself to change into something respectable and applied a slick of ruby red to my lips. Fortunately, it appears that my laziness isn’t contagious. Oliver seems to have formed quite the bromance with Vernon and has been itching to get to The Hangout all afternoon.
Turning the corner, I must admit that The Hangout looks a little different to how I remember it. The hammocks that line the entrance are filled with beautiful people who are happily kicking back with a cocktail or three. Spotting a couple of security guards at the door, I pick up Noah and entwine my fingers with Oliver’s. Hoping they don’t tell us that we aren’t on the guest list, I raise my hand and smile as I spot Lianna weaving her way through the crowd. Unclicking the red rope, she smiles brightly and beckons us inside. Wow! This place sure looks a lot different than I remember it. Twinkling fairylights light up the black sky, indicating to the world that The Hangout is the only place to be right now.
Holding out my arms for a hug, I plant a kiss on her cheek as she leads us through to a booth. Noticing that she has even put out high chairs for Noah and Melrose, I mouth thank you at her and slide into my seat.
‘Very nice.’ Gina nods in approval and plucks a menu from the table. ‘Where’s Vernon?’
‘Erm…’ Li scratches her nose and looks around the busy bar. ‘He’s around here… somewhere! You guys get comfortable and I’ll go fetch you some drinks.’
Realising that she knows half of the people in here, Eve excuses herself to mingle with the other customers. Watching her float from table to table like a social butterfly, I take the opportunity to scan the room. The breeze from the ocean causes the palm trees to rustle gently as reggae music fills the open space. I glance at a stunning young couple swaying to the music in an adjacent booth and can’t help but smile. Completely lost in each other’s arms, they seem totally oblivious to the fact that they are in busy bar surrounded by other customers. Tearing my eyes away, I stroke Noah’s hair and turn my attention to Marc. With Oliver and Owen lost in boy talk and Gina chatting away to Stephanie, he looks a little lost.
‘Are you alright?’ I ask, prodding him in the ribs.
He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiles. ‘I’m in Barbados, of course I’m alright.’
Not convinced, I squint my eyes at him suspiciously. ‘What do you think of Vernon?’
‘I think he’s great.’ Marc fires back, not missing a beat. ‘Really great. To be honest, I was expecting another idiot. Let’s face it, Li seems to attract nothing but losers.’
I nod in response and giggle to myself, silently recalling the many, many men that Lianna has deemed to be The One. From the near perfect Pablo to the frankly disastrous Dan, it seems that it could be a case of third time lucky for our best friend.
The music turns up a notch as a flurry of new people float into the bar. There is such as strange mix of people in here. From locals with their families, to glamorous tourists and the odd ‘could be’ celebrity. It seems that The Hangout attracts a wide range of clientele.
‘Hey, guys!’ Vernon’s now familiar voice pierces my thought bubble, bringing me back to earth with a thud.
Smiling as Oliver and Owen jump up to greet him, I wait until they have put him down before offering my cheek for a kiss.
‘How’s it going?’ Vernon flashes us his usual big smile, but I can tell that he seems a little preoccupied.
‘We’re good.’ Gina answers on behalf of us and pulls Madison onto her knee. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m alright.’ He scratches his nose and reaches down to give Noah a high five. ‘We’re gonna start the fish fry soon, you guys hungry?’
Madison and MJ squeal with delight at the prospect of food and I can’t help but laugh.
‘Oliver, could I borrow you real quick?’ He motions outside as Oliver nods and slides out of the booth.
Exchanging confused glances with Gina, I turn my attention to Owen. ‘What’s going on there?’
‘Don’t ask me!’ Owen chuckles, watching the two of them walk away. ‘I’m as clueless as the rest of you.’
I’m about to give him the third degree when Li reappears with a tray of drinks. Accepting a tall glass of rum punch, I take a sip and slide over to make room for her to join us.
‘You’ve certainly found your way around the place.’ I tease, twirling my straw around my glass.
‘Someone’s getting their feet well and truly under the table.’ Gina cackles loudly and prods her in the ribs.
Lianna’s cheeks flush pink and she chooses to ignore us. ‘Where’s Oliver?’ She asks, looking around the table and realising that he’s missing.
‘Erm, he went somewhere with Vernon.’ I point outside and shrug my shoulders.
‘Oh…’ She frowns and glances around the bar. ‘Do you know where to?’
Shaking my head in response, I chew on the end of my straw and wonder when the fish fry will open. I am day dreaming of yummy barbecued treats when I spot Oliver weaving his way through the sea of people. I can tell by the worried look on his face that something is wrong. Flashing him a quizzical look, I am about to ask him where he has been when he taps Lianna on the shoulder.
‘Li, Vern would like to talk to you.’ Oliver wipes a bead of sweat from his brow and takes a big gulp of his drink.
‘OK…’ She mumbles, understandably confused.
‘He’s outside.’ Avoiding all eye contact, he pulls Noah from his high chair and hands him a bottle of water.
The entire table falls silent as we watch Lianna walk away. For a moment none of us speaks, we just sit in an awkward silence. My stomach flips as I chew the inside of my cheek anxiously. This does not sound good. Finally, Gina speaks up.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ She demands, banging her hand down on the table.
Looking over his shoulder to ensure that Li is out of earshot, he lets out a huge sigh and
runs a hand through his hair. ‘I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough.’
‘Oliver!’ Starting to feel worried, I hit him on the arm. ‘Tell me!’
Obviously not wanting to spill the beans, he opens and closes his mouth repeatedly. Not being able to stay in my seat, I put down my drink and make my way through the crowd, quickly followed by Gina. Squinting my eyes, I slip outside and weave through the hammocks. The fact that it’s so dark makes it near impossible to see more than a few feet in front of you. Following the moonlight along the sand, I finally spot the two of them at the water’s edge.
‘There they are!’ I whisper to Gina, kicking off my sandals and creeping across the sand.
Coming to a stop behind a palm tree, I hold a finger to my lips. The waves crash against the sand, meaning that I can’t hear a word that they’re saying. Please don’t be breaking up with her. Peeking around the trunk, I let out a gasp as I realise that Vernon is down on one knee. Is he? My jaw drops in shock as I take in the scene in front of me.
‘What’s going on?’ Gina demands, shoving me out of the way so that she can see.
‘Yes!’ Lianna screams loudly, catching the attention of the hammock loungers. ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course I will marry you!’
A round of applause echoes around the beach as the crowd erupts into whoops and cheers. Steadying myself on Gina’s shoulder, my heart pounds erratically in my chest. Li’s squeals echo around the bay as people begin to run over and congratulate them. Tearing her arm from mine, Gina joins in and dashes over the sand. Watching the hordes of people surrounding the happy couple, I regain the use of my legs and slowly amble over to join them.
Catching my eye, Lianna squeezes her way through the masses and throws her arms around my neck.
‘I’m engaged!’ She yells, so loudly that I’m surprised she doesn’t burst my eardrum. ‘I’m engaged! I’m engaged! I’m engaged!’
‘I can see that…’ I laugh nervously, snatching her hands for a glimpse of the ring.
Pulling her to one side, I hold her ring finger up to the moonlight and let out a gasp.