Living it Arg

by James Argent

  On one balmy afternoon, our travels nearly got us into serious trouble. We decided to get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way back to Aunty Melissa’s villa with the hot sunshine blazing down upon us. I was convinced that I knew the way but, after a few streets, Lydia and I discovered that we were well and truly lost. Worse still, we seemed to be drawing the attention of all the local guard dogs. Every villa that we passed had a huge beast tethered in the yard for security, and as we walked by every one of them would go into a ferocious frenzy.

  Bark! Bark! Bark!

  Pedestrians were not welcome in these parts and the dogs all went absolutely wild, making a deafening racket as they tried to jump up at the flimsy-looking fences to get at us. Meanwhile, we spent ages walking round in circles to try to find our bearings. All the time there was not a soul in sight – just the incessant snarling of guard dogs. After a while we became terrified that one of the dogs would escape and savage us. Finally, Lydia snapped.

  ‘They’re going to kill us! What are we going to do?’ she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

  The only time I’d ever seen her that afraid was during a trip to Winter Wonderland at Christmas, when we were at the top of a scary ride.

  It sounds crazy, but we genuinely feared we’d be savaged. Here we were starting our new dream life, and we thought we were about to be eaten alive by the slavering beasts of Mijas. In the end, we had to phone Aunty Melissa, who came out in her car with Peter to find us and bring us home safely. It felt as if Lydia and I had literally gone to the dogs!

  Within a couple of weeks we felt under huge pressure to find our own place, but our search proved to be fruitless until one day, by chance, Lydia got talking to an old lady in a hair salon. The woman said she had a second-floor apartment to let near the Bull Ring in Puerto Banús for €1,000 a month. It wasn’t a particularly modern building, but it was clean and large, and it was in the right area, so we agreed to move in. There was enough room for a third person, so we hit upon the idea of sharing it with a friend called Danielle, who was also in the area looking for somewhere to live. Danielle was dating a friend of mine back in England called Fabian. I also knew her uncle, who was called Jamie and lived up the coast at Estepona. Lydia and I liked the thought of her staying with us because it meant we could share the costs. With hindsight, we realised it was a mistake, because I think Lydia and I would have benefited from our own space without a third person. It was going to be enough of a test for us to live together for the first time as a couple. Having somebody else on the scene just complicated matters. I’d always been told that a relationship can seem perfect when you are living apart, but once you share the same roof it can change things. It’s when a relationship can come under stress, and that was what happened with Lydia and me. We found that living together and working in Marbella were very different from going on holiday there.

  Thankfully, Lydia soon found a job working as a waitress in a cocktail bar (just like in the song). It was at a place called the Lounge, which was next to Linekers Bar on the main strip. The money was OK and she earned a lot in tips, but the hours were extremely long. She would start at six or seven in the evening and work right through, sometimes until four or five in the morning. It was very tiring and I don’t think either of us had thought about the effect that the long hours would have on our relationship. Lydia rarely got a night off, and during the days she would be tired and often needed to catch up on her sleep. After a while, it began to get her down and she became very tired and irritable. We would go shopping and visit sights in what little spare time we had together, but Lydia mainly settled into a pattern of constant working.

  Life in the apartment felt very crowded with Danielle around, and at first she and Lydia would clash over petty things, although, as time went on, they seemed to form a solid friendship. Meanwhile, I had some success at finding singing work. A friend booked me to perform at a birthday party for his mum and I also found work in several bars and restaurants, including a karaoke pub called Comfort and Joys. I was pulling in reasonable money – about €150 a night – so I could earn in two or three nights as much as Lydia was making in an entire week. It also meant that I had plenty of time on my hands, especially during the day, when I could do whatever I wanted. It was while we were in Marbella that Spain won the World Cup, and Lydia and I joined a huge street party to celebrate. Meanwhile, poor Lydia was stuck working long shifts and I felt that she was starting to resent my having such an easy time while she was grafting so hard. We began to have a lot of petty arguments, which made things awkward when Danielle was there to get in the way. A lot of our rows were because I wanted to spend more quality time with Lydia, but, to be fair, she was exhausted during the daytime, so I would go off and do my own thing. When we argued, Lydia started to turn to Danielle for support and I would feel isolated and alone. Looking back, I suppose I should have seen the warning signs much earlier, but I genuinely didn’t realise how unhappy Lydia was. We still loved each other, but the arrangement in the apartment and with our respective jobs just wasn’t working out.

  Things came to a head when I landed a big singing gig at Nikki Beach in one of the trendiest parts of town. I was delighted because it was exactly the sort of place I had dreamed of performing at while I was in Spain. It was at one of the most beautiful venues in Marbella, with a big stage and an open-air restaurant, all set amid perfect scenery. Mark and Jack happened to be in Marbella at the time and they booked a table for dinner at the venue so that they could come and see me. I was really excited and I wanted Lydia to come too. Whenever I sang at a big event I would look for Lydia in the audience and I could always tell from her eyes that she was really proud of me. I naturally assumed she would come along but, on the eve of the Nikki Beach gig, Lydia and I had a petty argument. It was over nothing in particular, but suddenly it meant there was a question mark over whether or not she would come along. I still hoped she would be able to wangle time off from work, so, before I went to the gig, I left her a note pleading with her to come. I also left her some cash so that she could catch a cab and, if need be, bring Danielle along for a few drinks. When I arrived at Nikki Beach I caught up with Mark and Jack and it gave me a real lift to see them both.

  ‘Where’s Lydia?’ they asked.

  Sheepishly I told them that I hoped she’d be coming along later, but, unfortunately, she didn’t show up. I was gutted that Lydia wasn’t there to see me perform, and, looking back, I can see that it was another signal that we were heading for the rocks. Things were now about to take a very unhappy turn.

  I was due to fly back briefly to the UK to honour a longstanding commitment. Prior to going to Spain, I’d been booked to sing at the Duke of Essex Polo Trophy event (the one where Lydia and I had first met). I also had a couple of other minor singing gigs back home on the same weekend, so I’d arranged to travel back to the UK while leaving Lydia in Marbella. It was something that both Lydia and I had known about and agreed on in advance. Even though things weren’t great between us in Spain at this point, we were still very much a couple and sleeping in the same bed. So, as I packed my bags and headed to the airport, I assumed everything would be fine again when my trip was over. What I didn’t know was that Lydia had other plans – and they were about to hit me like a bolt from the blue.

  When I arrived back in Essex, I popped around to see Debbie to say hello. Ironically, we were in the middle of talking about the minor ups and downs that Lydia and I had experienced in Spain when a text arrived on my phone. It was from Lydia and the contents stunned me. It read along the lines of,

  James – I still love you and I want to be with you, but things are not working out here in Marbella. Instead of you coming back and things getting worse why don’t you stay in England and visit me every few weeks.

  I was shocked because I had no idea how deeply unhappy Lydia must have been in order to send me such a text. She was basically telling me that she didn’t want me to go back out to Spain. I knew tha
t things weren’t right between us, but I’d assumed it was nothing serious. In truth, Lydia was probably right that we needed some personal space, but I was very hurt. I felt rejected that she didn’t want me to be out there with her.

  ‘No,’ I angrily texted back. ‘I don’t want that, Lydia. That is so unfair.’

  By now my mind was racing and I didn’t know what to think. How could Lydia say such a thing? What had brought on such a change between us? It seemed like just a few short weeks ago that we’d been happily planning our future in Spain. Within a few moments of exchanging our text messages I called Lydia to demand an explanation and we got into a huge row. I pleaded with her to think again but she was adamant that she didn’t want me to go back to Spain. In the end I got angry and we exchanged a few harsh words and the conversation ended on a bombshell.

  ‘If you can’t accept this then maybe we shouldn’t be together at all,’ Lydia yelled.

  I was confused and upset after our row. I couldn’t understand how Lydia could be feeling this way. I wondered whether Danielle had somehow influenced Lydia’s thinking against me. I was probably being unfair to Danielle, but I got it into my head that maybe she was partly to blame because Lydia seemed to go off with her on so many occasions. One thing I was certain of was that I was still madly in love with Lydia and I hated the thought of her being in Marbella without me. Debbie did her best to console me.

  ‘Lydia loves you,’ she said. ‘You’ll be absolutely fine together, but she’s finding it hard out in Spain, so she just needs a little time and some space.’

  Much as I should have taken Debbie’s advice and stayed in the UK for a while, I decided instead to take the first flight back out to Málaga after I’d performed at the Duke of Essex polo event. Mark and Jack were in agreement with Debbie that it was a bad idea to go, but I ignored them, too.

  ‘Arg, just let’s chill. Don’t fly out there,’ said Mark.

  Mark says that I have a habit of thinking with my heart instead of my head, and this was one of those occasions. When I arrived back in Marbella I went straight to Puerto Banús, where there was a very posh Dolce & Gabbana boutique where Lydia and I would often window-shop. I knew that they stocked a bikini set that Lydia adored, because she had often commented on how much she liked it. It was very expensive and it featured a very cute Minnie Mouse design. I’d gone through most of my savings by now but I thought it would be a nice gesture to buy the bikini for Lydia to show her how much I loved her. I paid for it and decided to surprise Lydia by giving it to her at work. As I walked through the hot sun I was still convinced that everything would be all right, but when I arrived at Lydia’s workplace there was no sign of her. While I was looking for Lydia, one of her workmates must have recognised me and called her, because the next thing that happened was that she rang me on my mobile.

  ‘James, what are you doing here?’ she snapped.

  ‘I thought I would surprise you. I’ve bought you a nice present,’ I said.

  I soon discovered that Lydia was very upset and cross because I’d gone against her wishes. Despite my best efforts, things were going from bad to worse.

  ‘Why have you gone against everything that we discussed? Why are you back out here?’ she demanded.

  At first I was speechless, but then I felt angry and we had yet another row. Lydia insisted that I was pushing her away by refusing to let her have her own space. I felt that I had gone out there to declare my undying love and to give her a nice present, only for it to be thrown back in my face. Wearily, I trudged round to the apartment and unpacked my things. It was very miserable there that night. I stayed in our bedroom but Lydia insisted on sleeping in Danielle’s room, and that was how things carried on for the next few nights. We were living separate lives under the same roof and it was very awkward and miserable. As far as Lydia was concerned, we were no longer an item and I felt very unwelcome. Lydia and Danielle would go off and do their own thing with their workmates while I felt isolated and lonely.

  The monotony was eventually broken when three of my friends arrived to stay with us. One of them was Danielle’s boyfriend, Fabian. He was accompanied by two more of my mates from back in Essex, Danny and JB. I knew that I couldn’t spend the rest of the summer in the apartment with Lydia and Danielle with things as they were, so I decided that I’d spend a few days with the boys. I hoped I’d patch up things with Lydia in the meantime. If not, I planned that I would fly back to the UK with Fabian, JB and Danny at the end of their holiday. I must have seemed pretty down, because the first thing the boys commented on was how low and miserable I was.

  ‘Come on, Arg! We know you’re down and depressed, but keep your chin up,’ they urged me.

  As far as they were concerned, they were on holiday and they wanted to have nonstop fun. I made a go of things for a few days, but my heart wasn’t really in it. Then, on the last day of their holiday, the boys had arranged to attend one of the wildest parties in Marbella. It was called a ‘Champagne Spray Party’ at the Ocean Club in Puerto Banús. It’s a fantastic all-day event, where hundreds of people descend upon the Ocean Club’s luxurious pool area for a giant party with DJs and dancers and all sorts of entertainment. There are huge beds for people to relax on and everybody gets roaring drunk and sprays champagne over one another. Fabian, Danny and JB were determined to have a great time and they agreed I could come along – but on one condition: that I perk up and join in with the fun.

  ‘We’re on holiday,’ they said. ‘We know you and Lydia have had a tough time, but you’ve got to put that at the back of your mind. Just come and have some fun with us.’

  ‘Boys, I don’t want to ruin your holiday. I’m going to go for it today!’ I promised.

  And that was exactly what I did. When we arrived at the Ocean Club the sun was blazing and there was the usual array of beautiful women surrounding the pool. The boys had booked their own giant bed and the champagne soon started to flow. I was on good form laughing and joking with the lads and joining in with all the usual banter. I still had Lydia in the back of my mind but I was determined to finally snap out of it and give the boys a good send-off. Before I knew it, I was quite tipsy and we had a laugh slipping and sliding on our bed after it had been doused with champagne. It was the first time I had smiled for days and I was really getting into the swing of the party. After a while I noticed that an attractive girl kept looking over in my direction. I wasn’t looking out for anyone else but she caught my eye because Lydia and I had previously noticed her at a different party, and on that occasion Lydia had remarked how good looking this girl was. She had a very striking figure and brunette hair. Every time I glanced in her direction she seemed to be smiling back at me.

  By now I was very drunk and, amid all the sunshine and wild chaos of the pool party, things seemed to have gone to my head. When I looked up again the girl had walked over and come up to me to say hello. We started to exchange a few words and chat about the party. What happened next wasn’t planned. Events just seemed to get out of hand, and I suppose the booze was partly to blame. While I was talking to the girl my friend JB came up behind us and pushed our heads together so that our faces were very close.

  ‘Come on, come on!’ he yelled, as if to urge us to kiss.

  Then it happened.

  Our lips came together and snogged for a few seconds.

  It was only a brief kiss and when we parted I remember thinking, What the hell was that all about?

  I must have come to my senses a bit because the girl soon got bored and wandered off into the crowd. The whole kiss can’t have lasted more than five or ten seconds and it meant nothing, although I hoped that nobody had noticed. After that we carried on partying until the evening, and my cheeky snog with the brunette was soon forgotten. Or so I hoped.

  That night I went back to the apartment with the boys and slept in my bedroom, while Fabian joined Danielle, and Danny and JB slept on the sofas. I was soon fast asleep, with all thoughts of my poolside snog with the mystery girl no
w long forgotten. I assumed Lydia was out working and amid a boozy haze I drifted off to sleep. During the night something disturbed me and I awoke to discover somebody was opening the bedroom door. At first I thought it was one of the boys, but it turned out to be Lydia. She crept into the room and lay beside me on the bed. I could sense that she wanted to make up and she was soon cuddled up beside me.

  ‘James, I do love you,’ she whispered. ‘I know things haven’t really worked out for us here but I still want to be with you. I don’t want us to break up. Maybe we just need to think about what we can do to sort things out.’

  ‘Lydia, I love you so much,’ I responded.

  We chatted for a while and then we started kissing. Suddenly, I felt as if it was all going to be all right. It seemed as if a bad dream had ended and that finally Lydia and I might be able to get our relationship back on course. We kissed some more and then we made love. I felt that I had finally won her back.

  I awoke the next morning feeling on top of the world. Lydia was mine again and I felt sure that we’d be able to put all our troubles behind us. The fact that she had said that she still loved me meant everything to me. Lydia was still asleep in the bed next to me, so I quietly left the room and went to the kitchen to get a drink and make some breakfast. I was in a good mood as I pottered around, enjoying the peacefulness of the morning while Lydia caught up on her rest. I’d been gone from the bedroom for about an hour when I heard a loud noise.