by Lacey London
Resisting the urge to turn the damn thing off, I wander into the bathroom and check out my reflection in the huge floor to ceiling mirror. After the draining search for Lianna’s dress, it took us a further two hours to find bridesmaid dresses that we all agreed on. Strangely, for a bride who wasn’t bothered about what she wore, she had some very strict stipulations on what she wanted us to wear.
Looking at the striking blue, one shoulder dress, I have to admit that it isn’t as bad as it could have been. At one point we nearly gave in and agreed to wear a lime green strapless piece. I think the combination of heat and exhaustion was severely affecting our judgement.
Shimmying out of the dress, I place it on a hanger and pad back into the bedroom. Whilst the girls were out trawling the shops, the boys took to the golf course and I have to admit that they returned even more exhausted than us. Although I still find it hard to understand what is fun about chasing a ball around in the strong Caribbean sun, they do look like they had a fantastic time. Dropping down onto the bed, I take a peek into Noah’s cot and smile as I watch his little chest rise and fall.
After all the chaos of the past few days, I am really looking forward to tonight. As usual, Lianna has flounced off to The Hangout and the Strokers have joined Owen and Eve for a meal out at the local fish fry. Deciding to give the activities a miss, Oliver and I opted for a night in with Noah and pizza, just the three of us. Football, however, was not on the agenda.
‘Can you turn that off now?’ I grumble, reaching over and taking another slice even though I am already fit for bursting. ‘I was promised a romantic night in.’
Muttering something under his breath, he reluctantly reaches for the remote and jabs at the off button before crashing back onto the pillows.
‘You burnt your nose today.’ I grab some moisturiser from the bedside table and squirt a dollop onto the tip of his nose. ‘You should be more careful.’
Rolling his eyes, he makes a grab for the last slice and chews with his eyes closed. I think it’s safe to say that he is as pooped as I am. All this fun in the sun seems to have taken its toll. Drinking cocktails, snorkelling and eating yummy food all day isn’t as easy as it looks, you know.
‘Marc mentioned that Vernon joined you guys earlier?’ Rolling onto my side, I prop myself up on the pillows.
He nods in response and pushes himself onto his elbows. ‘Yeah. Dude has got it bad.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, with a mouthful of pizza.
‘All he talked about all day was Li.’ Oliver shakes his head and laughs. ‘Lianna, Lianna, Lianna. He’s a good guy though. I like him.’
I chew thoughtfully for a moment, letting Oliver’s praise sink in. I am about to confess that I like him too when Oliver starts to speak.
‘He was even talking about moving to the UK.’
Shooting him a frown, I hurriedly swallow my pizza and reach for a napkin. ‘What did he say, exactly?’
‘Exactly that. Marc and I have offered to help with the move if he decides to go for it.’
I lick my lips in a frantic bid to digest this new piece of information. ‘What does Lianna have to say about this?’
‘Well, I guess she’s all for it seeing as though she’s marrying the guy.’
Hitting him on the thigh, I toss my pizza crust back into the box. ‘I suppose it does make sense.’
‘He also mentioned the possibility of Li moving out here…’
‘No!’ I yell, horrified at the thought of losing my best friend. ‘Lianna could never move out of here. She has a business.’
‘Vernon has a business too…’
Choosing to ignore him, I reach for my water and pad out onto the balcony. Dropping down onto the lounger, I lay back and close my eyes as the sound of crickets chirping surrounds me. Lianna can’t move out here, she just can’t. Looking up at the black sky above me, I find myself picturing my life without Lianna in it. Don’t get me wrong, Lianna and I aren’t joined at the hip. In fact, over the past few years we have actually become rather independent from one other. It’s hard to believe that we are the same two girls who would stumble home with a kebab after one too many tequilas. Looking back on the history of our friendship, we couldn’t have become more different from the girls that we once were, although through it all we have become closer than ever. Lianna isn’t just my friend, she’s my sister.
Allowing my eyes to close, I listen to the waves crashing against the shore as a smile plays at the corner of my lips. From dating disasters to fashion faux pas, Li and I have tackled almost everything together. For years now, Oliver and I have wanted Lianna to find a nice man and settle down. We just didn’t plan on her settling down thousands of miles away. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with a British man? There are tons of good looking, rich, eligible men in London, only Lianna could agree to marry a man from bloody Barbados.
The unmistakeable sound of Oliver snoring drifts out of the bedroom and I find myself weighing up the pros and cons of living in London and Barbados. On one hand you have arguably the most cosmopolitan city in the world, filled with bustling bars, revered restaurants and high end hotels. On the other you have Barbados, idyllic beaches, sunny weather and a laid back lifestyle that most city workers would kill for. I know which one I would choose if I were her, although it’s not my decision, is it?
Pushing myself to my feet, I take a final glance at the glistening black water before heading back inside. The heat from outside has gotten the better of the air conditioning, resulting in a very sweaty Oliver crashed out in a pizza induced coma. Deciding to leave him, I clear away the remnants of our dinner and check on Noah before crawling in beside him. My usually pale skin has acquired a rather lovely golden glow over the past few days, even my deathly pasty legs have managed to catch a little colour. Reaching over and flicking off the light, I stretch out on the incredibly soft sheets and allow my eyes to close. The next few days are going to change Lianna’s future forever. I just hope they change it for the best…
* * *
‘Good morning!’ Flashing James a megawatt smile, I slide Noah into a high chair and reach for the water jug. ‘Where is everyone?’ Motioning outside, James hands Noah some chunks of cheese and gets back to his frying station.
‘Could you watch him for a moment? Oliver will be down in a minute.’
Nodding in response, James plays peekaboo with Noah and turns up the radio. Smiling at the two of them laughing, I flash James a grateful wink and slip outside. The sun blares through the patio windows, lighting up the veranda in a blinding white light. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I pad across the decking and raise my hand in acknowledgment as they spin around at the picnic table.
‘What are you doing out here?’ I ask, leaning on the back of Marc’s chair.
‘We were just discussing what we should do today.’ Eve sighs, running her fingers through her blonde bob.
‘I want to go to the beach!’ Madison screams, running across the decking and pointing at the ocean with her chubby fingers.
‘I could think of worse ways to spend the day.’ Marc mumbles, bouncing Melrose on his knee.
Owen looks up from his paper and raises his eyebrows. ‘Sounds good to me.’
‘Me too.’ I let out a yawn and kick a ball back over to MJ.
‘Breakfast is ready.’ Oliver hollers from inside, causing MJ to abandon his ball and make a run for the bacon. Like father like son.
Following suit, Madison wriggles out of Gina’s arms and tries to beat her brother to the post.
‘You not hungry?’ I ask Owen, who obviously has no intention of moving from his seat. Shaking his head in response, he rubs his stomach and sighs dramatically.
‘I’m still full from last night.’
Flashing him a smile, I follow the others inside and pause by the door. ‘Are you sure we can’t tempt you? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…’
Madison screams loudly, demanding more bacon than MJ. Catching Owen’s smile falte
r, I suppress a giggle and leave him to read his paper. Something tells me that his loss of appetite has more to do with a mouthy Madison.
Slipping onto a bar stool, I take a back seat as Eve starts to roll off an itinerary for the day. In true Eve fashion, everything has to be planned like a military operation. Accepting an omelette from James, I sprinkle it with pepper before picking up my fork and diving in. This is what I will miss the most when we return home. Having a hunky man to cook all our meals is something I could most definitely get used to. Not that I would change Oliver, of course, but my husband’s cooking skills don’t stretch further than a greasy fry up.
‘Can we walk around the bay today?’ Gina asks with a mouthful of bacon. ‘I want to try parasailing.’
I lock eyes with Oliver and shake my head. I have tried parasailing once before and it did not end well. Reaching for the water as the heat from my omelette starts to grow in the back of my throat, I shake my head at Gina as she tried to bag a parasailing partner.
‘How about you?’ Pointing her finger at Eve, she leans over and cuts up MJ’s bacon into tiny pieces.
‘I’m not great with heights…’ Flashing her an apologetic smile, Eve tucks into her smoothie.
Only Eve could stick to a low carb, high protein diet whilst everyone else is devouring delicious greasy goodness.
‘I’ll do it with you.’ Chomping on her sausages, Madison dunks a hash brown into a mound of sauce.
‘I think you’re a little young.’ Gina laughs and plants a kiss on Madison’s head. ‘But you can help me pick who’s going to join me.’
Dropping her fork with a clatter, Madison squints her eyes and looks around the table.
‘So, which one is it going to be?’
* * *
‘Are you ready?’ I ask, watching a bead of sweat crawl down Owen’s brow. ‘I have done it before and it’s not that bad. I promise.’
‘Didn’t you throw up mid-air?’ He groans, shielding his eyes from the sun to watch another couple set off on the speed boat.
‘Well, yes, but…’ I am about to say that was because I had a lot to drink that day when I notice the rum punch in his hand.
My words drift off into inaudible mumbles as Gina beckons him over.
‘You will be fine.’ Rubbing his arm encouragingly, I give him a friendly nudge as he takes a deep breath and makes his way over to Gina.
Watching him walk away, I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing and pad across the hot sand. After much deliberation, Madison decided that Owen would be the lucky one to accompany her mother on her adrenaline trip. He did try to protest, but at the end of the day, how do you say no to a little girl?
‘How was he?’ Eve asks, rubbing sun cream into MJ’s shoulders.
‘A little nervous, I have to admit, but he will be fine.’ Jumping onto my sun lounger, I pull the parasol over Noah’s play pen and hand Oliver a bottle of water.
‘Noah smells.’ Madison squeals, holding her nose and running over to Marc.
‘I think you will find it’s your turn.’ I mumble to Oliver, taking a magazine from Gina’s pile. ‘I have done at least the last ten.’
Dusting the sand off his chest, he tugs on a t-shirt and plucks up Noah.
‘Do you want to do Melrose whilst you’re there?’ Marc asks hopefully, holding up the wriggling baby.
‘I don’t think so...’ Oliver laughs and grabs the changing bag before reaching for his sunglasses.
Blowing him a kiss, I watch him head off in search of the changing rooms. With the sun on his shoulders and his chocolate curls blowing in the sea breeze, he looks just as gorgeous as the day that I met him. A few bikini clad women stop him to coo over Noah and I feel my heart swell with pride.
‘I think I’ll go and see if he needs a hand…’ Obviously jealous of the female attention, Marc scoops up Melrose and motions for MJ and Madison to follow him.
‘Doesn’t that bother you?’ Eve asks, frowning at the growing crowd of women.
Popping on my sunglasses, I shake my head and stretch out on my lounger. ‘Not at all, as long as they keep their hands to themselves I couldn’t care less.’
‘That’s what Lianna said.’ She mumbles, examining her glossy manicure.
‘Lianna?’ I scrunch up my nose and watch Oliver disappear into the crowd.
Nodding in response she rolls onto her side and takes a sip of her drink. ‘You should see how women throw themselves at Vernon in The Hangout. As soon as they hear that he owns the place, they are all over him like rash.’
A wave of concern washes over me as I put down my magazine. ‘I guess that’s the same the world over though, isn’t it?’
‘I’m afraid it does come with the territory.’ She sighs and pulls down her bikini straps.
‘Speaking of Lianna, shouldn’t she be here by now?’ I squint my eyes and attempt to see the face of my watch.
Shaking her head, she sprays tanning oil onto her legs. ‘She text whilst you were with Owen. There’s been a problem at the bar. Something to do with a shellfish allergy.’ Eve raises her eyebrows and flops back down. ‘Apparently it was pretty bad.’
Scrunching up my nose, I recall the other issues that have happened at The Hangout over the past few days. ‘Does The Hangout always have so many problems?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, first there was a mix-up with the kitchen supplies, then there was that problem with a VIP client and now this?’
‘Now that you mention it, I guess it has been a little injury prone lately.’
A beach seller stops at our loungers and we politely decline. Wishing that I had Oliver’s wallet with me, I lift my glasses for a peek at his jewellery before he leaves. Watching him move along to another beach bum, I twist my wedding band around my finger.
‘I thought Vernon hired Stephanie to stop stuff like this from happening?’
‘Well, I guess he did, but running a popular beach restaurant isn’t as easy as it looks from the other side of the bar.’
‘Mmm. I guess…’
Rolling onto my stomach, I twist my knotted hair up into a messy bun and stare out at the water. The hot sun shines down onto my shoulders as my eyelids start to become heavy. Part of me thinks that Lianna would be crazy to turn down the opportunity of a life here in beautiful Barbados. Who needs a thriving business and a flash car when you have the sun, the sand and a drink your hand? After all, that’s what money is for, isn’t it?’
‘I can’t wait for Lianna’s hen do.’ Eve sighs, ignoring the admiring glances from passers-by. ‘I have planned it down to the very last detail.’
I flash her a smile as she starts to reel of the details. Truth be told, I am a little bit gutted that I didn’t get to be the one to plan Lianna’s last night of freedom. Being her best friend and all it kind of comes with the territory, but that the fact that I don’t know Barbados brought my plans to a swift halt. Thankfully, Eve stepped in and took control of the situation, meaning that Lianna will have the send-off into married life that she deserves.
‘It sounds fabulous.’ I gush, totally confident that Li will love it.
A Champagne breakfast courtesy of James followed by a beach front massage and an overnight stay at an exclusive five starred resort. I couldn’t have planned it better myself.
‘I wonder what the boys have in store for Vernon?’ I ask, secretly hoping that he gets tied to a lamppost.
‘I’m sure we will find out tomorrow.’ She mumbles, stretching out her lithe arms above her head.
‘Oh, yes.’ I mumble, suddenly remembering that we have been invited to The Hangout to meet Vernon’s family.
‘Have you ever met any of his family?’ I ask, spotting Oliver and Marc making their way back over to us, minus the bevy of beauties.
‘I can’t say that I have, but I’m sure they will be as lovely as Vernon.’
To be honest, I hadn’t thought about Vernon’s family in all of this. My main concern has been Lianna and what we think
about the whole affair. I hadn’t stopped to consider the fact that he will have friends and family who will probably be just as worried as we are.
Oliver appears at the foot of my sun lounger and hands me a freshly changed Noah. Smothering him in SPF 50, I straighten his little cap and smile. The older he gets, the more he looks like his father. Any slight trace of me in there has completely vanished and all that is left is a mini Oliver. I am about to put him into his play pen when Eve leans over and holds out her arms.
‘Let me have a squeeze.’ Taking Noah, she plants a kiss on his cheek before settling down on the sand.
I lock eyes with Oliver and try not to smile. For someone who has been adamant that they don’t want children, Eve has taken quite a shine to the kids on this holiday. From braiding Madison’s hair to building sandcastles and playing hide and seek with MJ, she really has been playing the part of doting auntie very well. Taking the opportunity to escape for five minutes, I push myself to my feet.
‘Fancy a dip, husband?’ Throwing my sunglasses onto the sun lounger, I motion to the water and flash Oliver a smile.
‘I guess I could give you five minutes before my wife gets back. I must warn you though, she doesn’t take kindly to young, hot British women hitting on me.’
Playfully slapping him on the arm, we walk hand in hand across the beach. The waves crash against the sand as a few teenagers chase after each other along the shoreline. Wading into the warm water, I let Oliver lead the way and slip my shoulders under the surface of the sea. The ocean shimmers like glass all around us and I look down to see hundreds of tiny fish darting around happily. Dipping my head back into the water, I watch Oliver float on his back as the strong waves pull him along. Swimming over to him, I shake the salty sea water out of my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck. Pushing his hair out of his face, I rub my nose against his and pull him closer with my legs. A speed boat shoots by in the distance, causing a cheer to erupt from the people on the beach. Looking up at the sky, I squint my eyes at the parasailers and try to work out which one is Owen.