‘Get off, idiot.’
‘Agree to come to my party then.’
‘Why?’ He never usually asked her to join him at parties.
‘It’s a party, Iz, you might enjoy yourself.’
‘Party?’ Jess said, appearing next to Alex, blowing her nose and looking a little less forlorn.
Izzy pulled a face at her friend; she guessed she wouldn’t have gone too far.
‘Yeah, it’s tomorrow night at the Dive,’ he said smiling at her appreciatively.
Jess dabbed at her damp eyes with a corner of her tissue.
Izzy could tell she was perfectly aware she was showing her enviably long legs off to perfection in her tiny denim shorts. She sighed, causing Alex to grin knowingly at her.
‘It’ll do you both good to have a bit of fun for a change,’ he said, winking at Izzy and trying his best to be persuasive.
She barely contained a groan. Watching her brother and Jess was almost like seeing two peacocks showing off. ‘We’ve got so much to do though, Alex,’ Izzy argued.
‘You’re always working too hard.’
Unlike him, she thought. ‘Great, I suppose all the people you’ve invited will be surfers and beach bums,’ Izzy teased, beginning to warm to the idea.
He laughed. ‘Of course. Who knows, you might surprise yourself and like one of them, or even,’ he widened his eyes in mock shock, ‘have fun.’
Jess giggled. ‘I think we should go, Iz. We can have a few drinks, a bit of a dance, and forget about this bloody mess for a bit.’
Izzy thought for a moment. What else would they realistically be doing on a Saturday night? All they could do was phone around their contacts, update their website, and put the word out on social networking sites that they were now available for last-minute bookings. It was all so humiliating and not the sort of image they were hoping to project. So much for the well-organised business persona they were hoping to build locally.
‘I suppose we don’t need more than a few hours to get everything in place,’ she admitted. Jess was right, it would do them good.
Later that afternoon, after spending a couple of hours trying unsuccessfully to drum up business, the two girls were repacking the linen for Catherine’s wedding into boxes in the tiny living room of their Rozel Bay cottage.
They worked quietly, each lost in their own thoughts, till Izzy felt compelled to check, yet again, if anyone had contacted them about a booking. She stood up and stretched, glancing outside. Their lawn was awash with daisies and buttercups.
‘We really need to mow soon, you know?’ she said, reaching for the laptop and opening up their website.
‘Never mind the garden,’ Jess said nervously. ‘Anything online?’
Izzy shook her head. ‘Nothing.’
Jess sighed. ‘It’s all my stupid fault, I should’ve listened to you.’ She placed the lid over the last box and carried it over to the table at the far side of the room. ‘I’m sick of being miserable,’ she said, a hint of the Jess Izzy knew seeping back. ‘Let’s go for a walk along the harbour wall and treat ourselves to a Chocolate Mountain.’
Izzy smiled, even though it really was too hot to enjoy a hot chocolate. ‘Oh, yes,’ she said relishing the elaborate drink, desperate to keep the positive vibe going.
Jess pushed a tenner into her back pocket and they headed outside. She leaned against the low garden wall, which boasted ormer shells along the top. Grazing her hand lightly across them while Jess locked the door, she turned her face up to the early evening sunshine. She couldn’t imagine ever tiring of living in this pretty island.
‘Bloody Catherine, eloping like that,’ Jess said, almost to herself. ‘I know it was stupid not to get her to sign, but there’s no point in us wallowing.’
‘Exactly,’ Izzy agreed, linking arms with Jess as they turned and walked along the narrow road towards the pier, the sun warming their bare arms. ‘We knew we’d have to take a few chances and sometimes they don’t pan out. This was one of those times.’
‘I suppose it was,’ Jess said, smiling for the first time that day.
The wide granite pier was busy with others making the most of the summer weather. Izzy loved this place, with its pretty little houses and huts on the left and the tiny C-shaped bay to their right. She looked down onto the tourist-packed sandy beach.
‘I love living here,’ she said, recalling when Jess had asked her to consider moving into the cottage soon after her grandmother had passed away. Izzy hadn’t even taken the time to consider the pros and cons of moving in with her best friend before saying a hearty yes. Looking back, Jess had always been so supportive of her when she’d lost David. Her friend had never felt sorry for herself because her own mother had died giving birth to her. Jess had always insisted she loved her gran like a mother anyway, but Izzy suspected Jess’s toughness came from her putting on a brave face about not ever knowing her real mother.
Izzy realized it all could have gone horribly wrong, ruining the friendship they had enjoyed since primary school. But everything had worked out nicely in the cottage that was so different from her mother’s cool, simplistic tastes. It even had a mysterious room they’d discovered shortly after she’d moved in. Izzy had been outside and noticed a window at the top of the building. When they’d tried to discover how to get to it, they’d unearthed a locked door behind a wardrobe in her bedroom, but despite searching everywhere still hadn’t discovered where Jess’s gran had hidden the key – and Jess was loath to damage the house by breaking down the door.
‘Despite the lack of parking?’ Jess asked. Parking was a nightmare through the summer when they needed to bring their small van to the cottage and load it up for parties.
‘Even that is worth coping with to live here.’ She breathed in the warm salty air. ‘How many other people can say they have a slip onto a beach at the end of their road? We’ll find a way round this, you know, Jess.’
‘I hope so,’ Jess squinted out to sea. ‘I feel so guilty about this mess.’
‘Don’t,’ Izzy smiled. ‘It’ll be OK.’
‘But what if it isn’t?’
Izzy stopped walking and grabbed Jess’s arm. ‘The only people we have to prove ourselves to are ourselves, Jess. So what if this doesn’t work out?’ she said. ‘I believe we’ll only fail if we don’t try, and we are trying, so no more negativity. Let’s enjoy this gorgeous evening and make the most of going to a party.’ She laughed and pulled Jess on towards the hut once again. ‘Let’s face it, we’re never free on a Saturday night.’
Jess nodded. ‘You’re right. We don’t get to do this very often.’
They reached the red-painted snack hut and ordered their jumbo hot chocolates.
‘We’re going to be enormous if we keep on having cancellations,’ Jess laughed.
‘Only if we treat ourselves to these each time they happen.’ They leaned over the metal railings while they waited for their order, looking down on the groups of families and teenagers sharing picnics, making the most of the summer. ‘Or, we could start walking along the cliff paths when the weather cools, like we said we’d do last winter.’
Jess nudged Izzy to let her know their drinks were ready. Thanking the café server, they carried their cardboard cups further along the pier.
‘We should do that, you know. We’re always moaning about needing to do more exercise and there are some gorgeous walks around the island.’ Izzy pictured the cliff path on the north of the island she’d walked several months before with her mum. ‘One of the people I was talking to at a party mentioned a good book of paths.’
Izzy pulled the chocolate flake from her drink and bit into it, moaning happily. ‘I think it’s a good idea. I’d rather burn off calories walking, these drinks are far too delicious to give up.’
They sat on a bench, lost in their own thoughts. Izzy looked across the beach to the hill, with its pretty houses dotted all the way up, partially hidden by pine trees and the narrow road wending its way towards the rest of
the island. There really was no place like home. She’d enjoyed travelling to India and the Far East with David during a nine-month getaway when they’d both worked as English language teachers, and there was her original ambition to be a horse trainer, but his death weeks before she was about to go away to study had crushed her ability to focus on anything much.
After giving in to Jess’s coaxing to join her with the venture they’d chatted about over the years, and with her friend’s constant urging her to meet prospective clients and keeping her busy, Izzy had come out of herself. They worked hard building up Lapins de Lune and eventually she’d stopped cursing fate for stepping in and guiding her on a different future to the one she’d expected.
‘We’re pretty lucky, Jess,’ she said, taking a tentative sip of her hot drink. ‘I know things are a bit lousy at the moment, but we’ve got a lovely place to live in and we will find a way to claw back some money, I’m sure of it.’
Jess shrugged. ‘We’ll give it a go and we can always go to Plan B if we don’t find a solution.’
Intrigued, Izzy raised her eyebrows. ‘And that is?’
Jess laughed. ‘I haven’t figured it out yet, but I will.’
Chapter Two
The club was packed but it wasn’t hard to locate Alex and his cronies. All confident, tanned, and even the less attractive of his friends seemed to have some appealing quality about them. Jess elbowed Izzy sharply in the ribs.
‘Ouch, what?’ she said, wincing.
‘Look, who’s he?’
She gestured towards a tall, dark-haired man, laughing with her brother, who had olive skin and slate-black hair. He looked like a 1920s silent movie star. They were talking to a taller man with fairer hair, but there was something strikingly similar about the two strangers. ‘They look like brothers,’ she said to Izzy.
‘Hmm, I don’t recognize either of them.’
Izzy did. ‘I’ve seen him at the manor where Catherine lives,’ she said, indicating the fairest man. ‘I think he works there in the gardens or stables or something.’ She didn’t mention she’d spotted him galloping across one of the fields a few weeks before as she was dropping off a wedding plan to Catherine. She’d nearly had palpitations at the sight. It was like something out of a period movie, very Darcy-esque. She sighed at the memory.
‘Poor sod, working for that cow. Gorgeous though,’ Jess said, flicking her long dark hair. ‘Mind you, he’s not as pretty as your brother, a bit too rough and ready for my liking.’
‘Please don’t go there, Jess. Alex is fine as a brother, but he makes a horrible boyfriend. I don’t think he understands the concept of one man for one woman.’ Izzy had known about her best friend’s crush on Alex for years. She’d even teased her on the odd occasion, but secretly hoped they didn’t ever get together. Someone would end up getting their heart broken, and she’d be stuck right in the middle.
‘Come on,’ Jess said, grabbing her by the elbow. ‘Let’s go and introduce ourselves.’
By the time they reached the table the darker man had gone. Izzy stifled a sigh. She spotted Alex waving at them and pushed their way through the crowd to get to his table. He stood up to greet them. ‘Hey, shortie, you came.’
She refrained from telling him where to go. She wasn’t short at all, in fact growing up she’d been teased about her long skinny legs and height, although thankfully her friends had pretty much caught up with her by the time she was eighteen, but his teasing never ceased. ‘I keep hoping you’ll get bored of making fun of me,’ she said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.
‘Never. I enjoy it far too much.’ He grabbed her cheek between his index finger and thumb and squeezed it. ‘Little Cheeky Chops.’
She swiped his hand away. ‘Get off me,’ she forced a smile on her face, since the fairer-haired guy had just appeared from the bar.
‘Meet Ed, he’s an old school mate,’ he said. ‘He’s been telling me all about a trip he’s going on with a group of friends.’
‘Are you going too?’ Jess asked.
‘Too busy, unfortunately.’ He smiled at Jess and motioned for her to sit next to him. Poor Jess, Izzy thought, aware her friend was going to take this attention a little too much to heart.
Izzy said hello to Ed and sat down next to him.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. ‘Haven’t I seen you at the manor?’
Izzy nodded. Not wishing to think about Catherine and their awful dilemma, she forced a smile. It wasn’t difficult to pay him attention he was incredibly handsome. ‘So, tell me about your trip then.’
Alex disappeared over to the bar, leaving Jess and Izzy to listen to Ed. He was very well-spoken, which wasn’t surprising if he’d attended the most expensive school in the island, as Alex had done. ‘Ten of us are picking up a yacht at La Vielle Port in Marseille and sailing down to Nice over the next three weeks.’
‘Sounds amazing,’ Izzy said truthfully. ‘Have you done this sort of thing before?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but a close friend delivers yachts to people as part of his job. He’s delivering this one for a friend of his, and the friend suggested he take some people along for the ride.’
‘I wish I could do something like that,’ Jess said, looking across the room at Alex leaning over the bar as he gave his order to the attentive barmaid. She crossed her long bare legs when he turned to look in their direction. ‘Has Alex told you about our disaster?’
Izzy glared at Jess, not wishing to insult Ed’s boss’s daughter at a party.
‘Ahh, Catherine’s elopement, yes I heard about that,’ he said, looking slightly awkward. ‘How did it affect you two?’
Izzy explained about their event planning and hiring business, and their stupidity at not making Catherine sign their contract. ‘So, you see, we’re a bit stuffed at the moment work-wise, and this is supposed to be our busiest time of the year.’
‘I’m sorry you’ve been left in such a difficult position. Catherine can be very thoughtless at times.’
That was an understatement, Izzy said to herself, but nodded.
He stared at them both silently for a bit. She wasn’t sure how to break the awkward silence, so asked, ‘When do you go?’
‘Go?’
‘On your cruise,’
‘Bastille Day.’ He laughed. ‘We thought it would be a perfect way to celebrate. Any excuse.’
Alex arrived back at the table carrying a tray of drinks. ‘I thought it would save us going back too soon for refills.’
Typical Alex, always ready to save any time he could, Izzy thought. ‘Cheers,’ she said taking a vodka and tonic. Jess gave him a wide smile that went on for rather a long time, Izzy thought, though he didn’t appear to mind.
‘I met your father recently with Alex,’ Ed said. ‘He’s a fun guy.’
‘He’s not my dad, only Alex’s.’
Ed looked mortified. ‘Hell, I’m sorry; I never think before opening my mouth.’
She didn’t believe that for a second. Wishing to put him at his ease, she placed a hand on his forearm. It was impossible to miss the hard muscles under his blue shirt. Working outside had a lot to answer for, it seemed. ‘It’s fine. Alex’s dad was Mum’s husband and mine was a boyfriend she met when he was away on business.’ She smiled to soften her words. ‘I’m surprised you don’t know that bit of scandal, it’s still very much on the locals’ lips.’
He shook his head. ‘Must have been before I came over here.’
‘I’d have loved my dad to be a flash businessman like yours,’ Jess said to Alex, her head tilted to one side.
This was getting a little worrying. ‘Jess?’ Izzy said widening her eyes for emphasis. ‘Can I have a quick chat in the Ladies’?’
‘What? Oh, all right then,’ she said getting up.
‘We won’t be a sec.’ Izzy ignored Alex’s amusement as they left the table and grabbed hold of Jess’s arm, pulling her into the Ladies’. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing.’
She looked so angelic that if Izzy didn’t know her quite so well she’d believe her.
‘I know my brother is only three years older than you, but he has so much more experience than you do and I just know that he’d end up hurting you. I’d hate for that to happen.’
‘I’d be fine,’ Jess said dreamily.
‘But don’t you think you’ll be a bit out of your depth with him?’
‘Don’t get mad.’ She laughed and pushed Izzy’s left shoulder. ‘He’s great fun.’
‘Well –’ Izzy said, about to continue when Jess interrupted her.
‘I’m a big girl, Iz. You don’t have to look out for me anymore. All that business with Shaun was a big fuss over nothing.’
It hadn’t seemed like it at the time, Izzy recalled anxiously, or for about a year after Jess’s first love had unceremoniously dumped her by text on her birthday two years before. Izzy sighed. ‘I’m just worried about you,’ she explained, disliking the tug of guilt as she tried to persuade Jess that Alex wasn’t someone she should bother with. ‘Alex might say all the right things, Jess, but he’s no Prince Charming.’
It wasn’t like Jess had ever taken her advice over anything anyway, so she freshened up, reapplied her pink lip gloss, and they returned to the table where several others now congregated.
‘Don’t you think, Iz?’ Alex shouted, waving them over. ‘I was telling Ed about Mum’s latest creation in her studio. ‘I thought it looks like an ugly bear.’
Izzy laughed. ‘He’s right, but someone will be paying a small fortune to own it.’
‘We’ll never make a fortune now, small or otherwise,’ Jess pouted. ‘Bloody Catherine, eloping like she did.’
Izzy noticed Ed tense and glared at Jess. Didn’t she realize how awkward this must be for him? Although aware he and Catherine probably got along, it was hard to imagine someone as snobby as her spending time with a bloke who worked at the manor. Then again, Izzy thought, taking in his handsome face and broad shoulders, you would have to be a nun not to appreciate Ed’s physical attributes.
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 66
