Wish You Were Here

by Phillipa Ashley

  Through the nylon of the tent, a high-pitched giggle reached her ears, followed by the rumble of Olivier’s deep laugh. She couldn’t hear Jack laughing, but that wasn’t surprising; he’d hardly got beyond a monosyllable since they’d left Camilla’s flat in Bonifacio. When they’d set off on that first morning, Beth had been worried that her illicit kiss with Jack was written all over her face. Bizarrely, she felt like a scarlet woman, but as the shadows lengthened and the heat ebbed out of the day, she was already wondering how close Jack and Camilla really were.

  The four of them had spent the morning winding their way up hillsides, through forest tracks and dusky clearings before stopping for lunch by a shepherd’s hut. Camilla had initially continued what could only be described as a flirtatious assault on Jack. He, by contrast, seemed lost in his own world, polite when required to be, but focused a lot of the time on his feet or the horizon. Fortunately, Olivier had talked enough for all of them, carrying Camilla’s bag and offering a helping hand at slightest opportunity.

  When they’d finally made it to their campsite, they’d sat round the fire until the sky had turned inky blue. Jack tried to persuade Camilla that pasta sauce and a few olives were not enough to fuel a day’s trekking. After dinner, Olivier had massaged her feet before handing round a large flask of myrte.

  Later, as Beth had climbed back to the camp in the dark after washing in a stream, she’d heard Camilla’s unmistakable laugh from inside the boys’ tent. She’d stood for a moment under the emerging stars, holding her breath, desperate to know which of the boys was actually inside. She must have fallen asleep quickly because she didn’t remember Camilla coming to bed.

  Beth burrowed back down in the sleeping bag, hoping to block out her confusion with the morning light. When she and Jack had shared that bone-melting kiss in her hotel bedroom, she’d come so close to giving everything to him again. She’d hoped that they could move forward in some way, but the arrival of Camilla had crushed her fledgling hopes.

  And yet now… was it possible that Camilla had found a new interest? One who loved dancing attention on her and enjoyed pandering to her every whim? Beth thought back to the previous evening, to Olivier slipping off Camilla’s sandals like a devoted subject before his queen. She could never imagine Jack massaging her feet like that. God, no, he’d have probably handed her a Band-Aid. She found herself grinning at the image before the rasping of a zip made her poke her head out of the sleeping bag.

  ‘Morning,’ said Jack, squatting down in the entrance as she blinked at the light.

  ‘What time is it?’ she asked, hoping she looked more composed than she felt.

  ‘Past eight.’

  ‘Oh, bugger. I’m sorry, have I made us late?’

  ‘I shouldn’t worry. We’re miles behind now. No point rushing,’ he said. ‘Your breakfast’s waiting, unless you’re feeling the worse for wear after Olivier’s nightcap last night.’

  It was the first proper conversation they’d had since their dinner in Bonifacio. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’ She hesitated. ‘I’ll be out in a minute.’

  He started zipping up the tent flap, and then undid it again, his head reappearing in the flap. ‘Beth?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I want the extra stuff you’ve been carrying for Camilla before we leave.’

  Then he was gone. Hearing his retreating boots, she wriggled into her knickers. She could have managed the heavy rucksack again. She ought to be a bit put out, but instead found herself glowing inside from his thoughtfulness. In fact, the little lift her heart gave when he’d spoken, set off a little danger signal.

  When she’d tugged on shorts and a T-shirt, she decided to give Louisa a call. She found her phone and waited for the ringtone. It just clicked into the answerphone as she’d expected. Louisa would doubtless by dead to the world at this hour.

  By one o’clock, they’d reached the halfway point of the second day’s trek and decided to have lunch at a bar in a tiny village. Camilla insisted on going inside into the air-conditioned bar and Olivier had begged to go with her. Beth found a seat at a shady table overlooking the distant coast and tried Louisa’s phone a second time. The answerphone clicked in again so she pushed the mobile back in her bag. Louisa was probably out shopping.

  ‘Penny for them?’ said Jack, placing a tray with two paninis and cool beers on the table.

  ‘I’m just thinking about home.’

  He pulled his chair under the metal table. ‘Marcus not phoned?’

  She glanced at him, but his eyes were hidden behind his black sunglasses. ‘No. It’s Louisa I was trying to call, but she must have her phone switched off.’

  ‘And are you worried?’

  ‘Not really. She’s a teenager. She might have run out of credit or her battery’s gone dead.’

  He pushed his glasses back onto his hair. ‘Maybe she doesn’t want to be available right now. She must be at that age where she doesn’t want big sister checking up on her every five minutes.’

  ‘I just… worry a bit that’s all. Dad’s so busy with the shop and with mum not being around, well…’ her voice trailed off. Maybe she did fuss too much about Louisa, but if she didn’t keep an eye out for her, who would?

  ‘If I were you, I’d stop fretting so much and enjoy the time we’ve got out here. Pretty soon, we’re going to have to go back to reality and I, for one, am not looking forward to that. Despite the… little hitches, I actually don’t want this to end. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is out here. It could turn a man’s head,’ he said, closing his fingers around the beer bottle on the table.

  ‘Turn it away from what?’ said Beth.

  ‘From the rat-race, the eight to ten, the four walls of an office, even one with a view over the whole city. I miss this—trekking, guiding, instructing…’

  ‘I did wonder how you’d been persuaded to join the suits,’ said Beth, tentatively. ‘At one time, you said nothing on earth or hell would get you into a city office.’

  But that was years ago when we were both different people, she told herself. Now she wasn’t sure. Their kiss in her bedroom two nights before had persuaded her, for a time, that they still shared so much. Like now, when they were both longing to stay out here. Was that because they wanted to flee from the city, or would they have felt like this anywhere as long as they were together?

  Jack took a long drink from his beer then wiped his wet lips with his hand, leaving a creamy streak of foam across his strong knuckles.

  ‘We can’t stay away forever,’ she said, toying with the salad on her plate. ‘I’ve got responsibilities.’

  ‘We all have responsibilities. Sometimes circumstances force you into taking steps you’d never dreamed you would. Life just bowls you over. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Shall we eat?’

  When they’d finished lunch, she tucked some money under the bill clip. ‘Shall we haul Camilla and Olivier out of the bar?’

  ‘Good idea. Shall I do it or will you?’

  Before she could reply, the noise of an engine drew their eyes to the road outside the bar. A dusty people carrier had pulled up, its wheels churning a cloud of dust into the air.

  ‘I know that car,’ said Jack.

  ‘It’s Marisa. What’s she doing here?’

  He shrugged. ‘I haven’t got a clue. She wasn’t scheduled to turn up.’

  Laughter beside them heralded the emergence of Camilla and Olivier from the bar.

  ‘How lovely to see you!’ she heard Camilla call as Marisa made her way over. ‘You’re a lifesaver, darling!’

  ‘Hi,’ said Marisa, clearly taken aback by the warmth of her reception. ‘You must be Camilla.’

  ‘What brings you here?’ said Beth, kissing Marisa.

  ‘Thank you for coming so quickly, Marisa,’ cut in Olivier quickly.

  Marisa shrugged. ‘No problem. Your call sounded urgent.’

  ‘Is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?’ asked Jack.

  Camilla step
ped forward, head slightly bowed. ‘Well, I feel so awful about this, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you.’

  ‘Et moi aussi,’ declared Olivier, a rather sheepish expression on his face.

  ‘Um… is everything OK?’ asked Beth, thinking that Camilla looked positively glowing.

  ‘No trouble at home, is there, Cam?’ said Jack.

  She let out a high-pitched giggle. ‘God no! It’s just… oh, this is terrifically embarrassing, but I’m afraid I’ve had an offer I can’t refuse from the Serene Seas Retreat in Sardinia. They want me at the launch of their new holistic spa.’

  ‘Can’t someone else go?’ he asked sharply.

  ‘Jack, don’t be ridiculous. I’m Voyage’s spa expert. No one evaluates seaweed wraps and colonics better than I do and besides, I couldn’t disappoint…’ she whispered the name of a Middle Eastern royal who even Beth had heard of. ‘I can hardly say I can’t accept his generous invitation because I’m camping with you, now can I?’

  ‘Quite,’ said Jack then turned his eyes on his friend. ‘But I don’t really understand why you have to leave us too, Olivier.’

  Olivier shrugged. ‘Mais, I need to escort Camilla to the ferry.’

  ‘Can’t one of your other staff do it? Marisa, perhaps?’

  ‘They are all très occupés,’ he said, looking sheepish. ‘And I have an urgent problem with the—how do you say it—the taxman to sort out. It is best we both go back now.’

  Beth stood aside, struggling to make sense of her feelings. After she and Jack had begun to build a few bridges again, she was disappointed that their trip was going to be cut short. Going back now meant they’d be back in London and back to a working relationship. She didn’t know how she felt about that anymore.

  Camilla climbed, queen-like, into the people carrier as Olivier and Jack loaded in the packs, deep in conversation. Beth went to add her rucksack to the pile in the boot, but Olivier shook his head.

  ‘Mais non, Beth. You will be needing that.’

  ‘Are we walking back to Bonifacio, then?’ she joked. ‘I don’t mind, but it might take a while.’

  Through the window of the people carrier, she could see Jack kissing Camilla.

  ‘Beth,’ said Olivier, taking her hand, ‘it is only Camilla and I who are returning to Bonifacio. I have discussed it with Jack and he agrees, there is no need to spoil the rest of your trip. You have your flights booked for Friday. The weather is fine, so why ruin your trek? Why not carry on with your research?’

  ‘Olivier doesn’t want his problems to affect our experience,’ said Jack, back at her side.

  ‘I am very sorry, but we must go,’ said Olivier, dropping her hand with a kiss. ‘I will collect you on Friday. Telephone me when you are near the rendezvous point. Have a nice trip,’ he said then, to her horror, he winked.

  ‘Jack…’ she hissed, but Olivier was already opening the car door.

  It darted into her mind that Jack had engineered them being alone together, but she squashed down the thought. Now he was standing beside her, waving cheerfully. ‘Be professional,’ he said through his grin as Olivier got into the car and slammed the door. A slender arm shot out of the rear window as the engine started.

  ‘Bye, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!’ shrieked Camilla.

  Then the SUV was gone in a whirl of dust, Marisa at the wheel and Olivier grinning from the back window. Beth found herself alone with Jack and looking at the kit left on the ground between them. They now only had one tent.

  Chapter 23

  One tent: two people. Even with her math, Beth could work that one out. One of them would have to sleep outside. Not that they’d discussed the issue of who was going to sleep where. After their initial exchange at the restaurant, she’d slung her backpack on her shoulders and taken off at warp speed, leaving Jack trailing in her wake. She just didn’t want to face the fact that they were going to be alone together for two whole days. The stakes had suddenly become too high to bear.

  ‘So, it’s just us?’ she said when he’d caught up with her about half a mile down the route.

  ‘Looks like it,’ he said. ‘Just you, me, and a few mouflons. And before you ask, you can stop fretting about having to share a tent with me, if that’s what’s bothering you. I’ll sleep outside.’

  ‘I’m not bothered about anything. I’m absolutely fine.’

  He frowned. ‘Really?’

  Beth tightened the straps on her rucksack ready to set off again, but Jack still lingered. ‘I didn’t invite Camilla on this trip, you know,’ he said. ‘I did issue a general invitation, but I had no idea she was going to turn up here. You must believe I wouldn’t do that without warning you first. I’ve checked with Martha. She says Cam phoned her day before we left and Martha let slip that I was heading out here.’

  His explanation sounded convincing enough to her, but then again, so had his reasons for turning up unexpectedly at the airport. So had his kiss in her room back in Bonifacio. With that kiss, Jack had convinced her for a whole night that she was special again before Camilla had arrived and blown everything apart. And yet he hadn’t acted like a man in love around Camilla, but… Oh, God, thought Beth, I still don’t know him, I still don’t trust him.

  ‘Jack, it’s fine,’ she said quickly. ‘You can ask whoever you like to come with us. You’re the boss, after all. Now, shall we get going? We’ve got a trek waiting for us.’

  He said no more and they set off again, covering the ground much faster without their companions. She had to quicken her stride to keep up with him, as he was setting a cracking pace. With the extra ten inches in the leg department he was bound to have an advantage, but she was determined to match him in every way. No matter how hard she worked to shake him off, she could still hear his size elevens thudding a few feet behind.

  By late afternoon, she was red-faced and hot and desperate for a break. A shepherd’s hut ahead made her sigh with relief. It meant a spring and some shade. She hauled herself up the last few meters of trail and onto the top of the ridge. When she turned round, he was beside her, looking as fresh as a daisy.

  ‘Want to take a break?’

  She nodded.

  He handed over a bottle. ‘Water?’

  She smiled. ‘Yes. Thanks.’

  Later, they sat in the shade of the hut, her back resting against the stones of the old wall. Jack had stretched out with his head on his pack and soon the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest told her he was asleep. She took off her shades and watched him. Even in shadow, she was close enough to see the scar on his chin that hadn’t been there eight years ago. The thick lashes she’d loved so much fluttered against his tanned cheek.

  A cicada in a tree set up a chorus loud enough to wake the dead but Jack slept on. His head was turned to one side, one hand resting across his stomach, the other palm up on the dusty ground. As she watched him, he let out a deep sigh then he shifted uncomfortably as if he was about to wake up. Her eyes instantly became glued to the map on her knees. After a few seconds of yawning and stretching, she lifted her chin up to find a he’d fixed a lazy smile on her.

  ‘Oh shit,’ he groaned, rubbing his eyes. ‘Sorry about dozing off. I must be getting old or maybe I’m just way out of shape these days.’ He sprang up energetically and swung his rucksack onto his shoulders, starting to refasten the straps. ‘Are you ready to find our camp spot?’

  She found herself smiling back. ‘Yeah. Sure.’

  She gave up trying to race him and finally dropped behind, trying not to focus on his rear view. The tightening and relaxing of the muscles in his calves and thighs as he scrambled up slopes was hard to ignore. She hated herself for what it did to her. Once or twice, he paused, with his hand outstretched to help her up a tricky scramble. She was going to refuse, but found herself taking it. His grip was strong as his fingers fastened around hers. Then he just turned and continued, saying nothing while she clenched and unclenched her fingers, as if she could somehow shake off his touch b
y sheer will.

  The sun was slipping down behind the mountains when they reached the night’s stop: a clearing beside a mountain stream. Beth got busy with the tent while Jack started a fire and cooked dinner.

  ‘I wonder how Camilla and Olivier are getting on?’ she asked, as he handed her a plate of pasta. ‘I mean… he seemed to like her…’

  He gave a wry smile. ‘I suppose Olivier’s the type some women go for, not that I’d know about that.’

  ‘He is, take it from me,’ said Beth.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘I mean he’s not my type, but he’s a bit… a bit dangerous I suppose.’

  ‘And is that what women want? Someone dangerous?’

  She decided to laugh that one off. ‘Only in the movies.’

  In real life, she wanted to say, most of us want someone more reliable. Someone they can trust, no matter how risky they may seem on the surface. ‘Camilla must come across plenty of dangerous guys on her spa retreats. What do you think Olivier has that’s so special?’ she added, scooping up a forkful into her pasta.

  ‘Half of southern Corsica, actually.’

  ‘Tell me you’re kidding?’

  He shook his head. ‘Nope. His family has some kind of shipping connections and land. They go back to the Genoans or something. He doesn’t really need to work, but he has to do something.’

  ‘Are you telling me Lorenzelli Tours is a hobby?’

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but he certainly has a good time doing it. He’s his own boss, when he wants to play at being one; he spends a lot of his time outdoors and the rest meeting lots of young, attractive women. And he has money to spare to help out the community. He’s a very happy man. I envy him.’

  ‘I can see his attraction, but do you really think the feeling’s mutual?’

  ‘I think he fancies the pants off her but he’s not daft. They’ll have good time but Olivier won’t be snared that easily, not even by Voyages magazine’s best spa reporter.’

  ‘Perhaps you’re underestimating their feelings,’ she said carefully. ‘The two of them went off for ages yesterday morning and, considering what has happened, I’m not sure it was to look for the wild boar.’