by S J Crabb
Before I can speak, Luke says loudly, “We’ll take it.”
I watch in surprise as he pulls the money from his wallet and looks at me and winks.
“A little souvenir from our honeymoon.”
I giggle as the assistant throws up his hands with joy.
“Congratulations. I can tell you will be together forever.”
Luke slides his hand into mine and smiles sexily.
“Yes, I think that’s a definite.”
My heart races as I get carried along by their words. Those girls on the ship were so wrong about Luke. Ok, some sailors may be like that but obviously submariners are a different breed altogether. Luke is now officially mine forever. This necklace cements our love and like the silver it is made from, nothing can break it.
Lunch is an intimate affair, and we feed each other little bits of pleasure from each other’s plates. We enjoy a nice wine and gaze into each other’s eyes. The mood is relaxed and romantic and as last days go it’s the best.
Luke pushes a stray strand of hair from my eyes and says softly.
“I’m going to miss you so much, Becca.”
Ok, that is not what I want to dwell on. Anxiety suddenly comes back with a vengeance and I wonder what he means. Does he mean when he’s at sea, or forever? Is this his subtle way of letting me down gently or is this the end of the line? He must see the confusion in my eyes because he smiles ruefully.
“I never imagined I would meet someone like you. Now I have, I don’t want it to end. How can I return to my old life and leave you behind?”
I nod sadly.
“Me too. It’s been a special week hasn’t it?”
He nods. “The best. The memories will keep me going during the long nights ahead.”
I look at him with interest.
“It must be a strange experience living under water. What made you choose that as a career option?”
Luke’s eyes light up.
“I suppose I’ve always wanted to be in the armed forces. You know, I played it as a little boy and never grew up. War seemed exciting and the thought of a 9-5 job was never really me. I was also interested in building things and finding out how they worked. So, I merged my interests and here I am today. I don’t know how I ended up on the submarine though. It just happened and once again it seemed exciting and like a dream.”
He shakes his head and I see the light in his eyes dim.
“I never knew it would have a shelf life though.”
Leaning forward, I say with interest.
“What do you mean? Can you only stay there for a few years before your body acclimatises, and you grow webbed feet?”
Luke laughs softly. “You and your imagination, Becca. No, the shelf life is not with the job, it’s with me. I suppose I never really looked beyond the here and now. It takes a lot to make someone truly happy, and I have learned that you need to share your life with someone that matters. When my brother told me about his engagement, I was happy and a little envious of him. He had found that special someone and his life was set. I would never find that holy grail cooped up on a submarine. Life goes on and we just get to dip back into it once in a while. It’s no life really, not if you want the dream of a family. One day I want that, Becca. A beautiful wife who I adore and the token two kids and a dog. I want to be a good husband and father and could never be that if I disappeared off for months at a time.”
He looks at me with a determined look in his eyes.
“It’s up to me to make that happen. My future is in my hands and I need to make changes to live the dream.”
He reaches out and takes my hand in his and I feel my heart thumping in my chest as I sense the seriousness of the situation. He says huskily.
“I know I don’t have the right to ask this of you, but will you give us a chance, Becca? I know that I have to leave almost as soon as I have found you but the thought of you in my life will give me hope for the future. I love your funny ways and that you make me laugh. You are also the most beautiful woman I have ever met. If you will just try to see where this leads us, I will be the happiest man alive.”
I look at Luke in total shock. Me-beautiful! I sneak a look at his drink resting innocently on the table in front of us and wonder if the waiter sneaked a tequila in there. Luke must be under the influence because we all know that I am no beauty. In fact, I am the strangest woman alive. I say and do things that most normal people would consider grounds for admittance to an asylum. I am paranoid and neurotic and have the weirdest OCD tendencies. Even my family refer to me as ‘The weird one’ and any friends have a habit of rolling their eyes whenever I speak. However, I’m not mad and this is an opportunity that has been sent by God.
I feel the tears forming in my eyes as I nod slowly. Somehow, I manage to squeak out, “I would love to wait for you, Luke. I’m like you. My job sounds glamorous but most of the time it’s mundane. The crew changes along with the destination but the endless routine doesn’t. Trips like this are extremely few and far between and just fuel our interest for the run of nights ahead to the holiday destinations of the masses. When I return home at the end of the day, it’s to an empty flat that resembles the state of my heart. It’s not living, Luke. This is a job for the unattached. The University of my youth that I appear unable to graduate from. Like you, I want more. My sister is also married and has two beautiful children. The worst part is, she is younger than me and I have to pretend most of the time that I wouldn’t want my life any other way. But I do. This bubble we live in is gradually running out of air. It once excited me but now I crave the ordinary. This is no longer my dream, Luke. I want much more.”
Luke smiles, and a look passes between us. Two lost souls finding a common bond. Both wanting the same things and hoping against hope that the answer is looking right back at them. Maybe this could work. Maybe my fears were unfounded. Maybe everything will work out and I will live happily ever after. Yes, this is fate, I knew it as soon as I laid eyes on Luke. Something ignited inside me and it wasn’t just lust. It was a meeting of hearts and somehow my Angel cat Blackie has worked a miracle. In wrecking one marriage forever, he has given me my future. And what a future it is.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 33
I think I must glide back to the Emporio on a cloud of love. Luke’s hand is firmly in mine and any doubts I ever had are left behind at that amazing little town in the mountains.
As we enter the hotel, the first person I see is Elvis and I realise that in all my happiness, I completely forgot about Marcus.
Feeling the anxiety rushing back, I drag Luke over to the little desk that Elvis calls home. He smiles as he sees us coming and I feel hopeful that Marcus has been found.
“Hello Becca, Luke.” He smiles happily and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Hey, Elvis. Has Marcus returned?”
He nods happily.
“Yes, he came to see me after breakfast. He was fine and just stayed with his friend for the night. He is outside by the pool if you want to find him.”
Smiling at Elvis, I drag Luke behind me purposefully. Marcus better have a good reason for going MIA and I can’t wait to hear all the juicy details.
We find him lying next to Rachel, who I notice has Mark on her other side. My heart sinks once again and I look at Luke with worry. He shakes his head and whispers. “Don’t jump to conclusions. I’m sure they are just friends. Mark knows she is married.”
Shaking my head, I wonder if Luke is slightly mad. I can see very plainly that they are most certainly not and probably never have been - friends! I know this for a fact because I know my friend. She is wearing her sexiest bikini and I see the way her eyes sparkle as she laughs at something he says. They are facing each other and if looks could rival the intensity of the sun, the one he is shooting her would win. I just hope that the only thing on their menu is a mild dose of flirting because one things for sure, Lorenzo is as far away from Rachel’s thoughts as he is physically. This is not good.
“You’re in my sun and I need it to recharge my energy.”
Rachel looks up and grins.
“Hi, guys. Did you have a good day?”
I shake my head and say harshly. “Never mind about that. What about you, Marcus? Did you not think to tell someone you were having a sleepover? The police were informed, and you were officially a missing person. We thought you may have been raped or murdered or had been shipped off as someone’s sex slave.”
His face lights up. “Ooh, if only.”
I look at him with a hard expression.
“Come on, I want to hear your explanation.”
He rolls his eyes and grins.
“You sound just like my mother. Anyway, it was nothing. As you know I was in Los Romanticos with Elvis. We were on a high after the officer’s party and not ready to call it a night. Well, you would never believe it but a face that I recognised came into the club in the early hours.”
I sit down on his sunbed and look interested.
“Who was it? Do I know him?”
Shaking his head, Marcus looks wistful.
“Not unless you are a paid-up member of the Purple Coconut.”
I look at Luke in confusion as Rachel giggles. Shaking my head, I say, “What’s the Purple Coconut when it’s at home?”
Marcus laughs. “It’s a gay club in Brighton. One of the best and membership is hard to get hold of. Well, B.A. Bobby is one of its regulars and one of the craziest guys around. Everyone wants to be his friend and more because this guy is seriously hot.”
I share a look with Rachel and she giggles. “B.A. Bobby is short for British Airways Bobby. He works for the national airline - apparently and is something of a legend.”
Marcus smiles dreamily.
“I couldn’t believe my luck when he recognised me. Ooh, I’ve wanted a piece of that action for as long as I can remember. Well, all my dreams came true because he zeroed in on me like a Hawk on a mouse, and latched himself onto me ready to blow my world.”
Luke nudges me as I try to shake the image of B.A. Bobby blowing Marcus’s world.
He leans back on his sunbed with a smug look.
“So, you see, I wasn’t going to leave the best thing that has ever happened to me just to tell you all where I was. Bobby wasn’t here for long, just minimum rest, you know what British Airways are like. Unlike Jet Air they squeeze every last working hour from their crew due to their impressive route options. So, there you have it. I found my dream in Acapulco and my life will never be the same again.”
I smile at him, glad that he too has found happiness. Wow, Acapulco is like Cupid’s home. He must be staying here too because the number of arrows he’s flinging about makes me think he has a holiday home here.
I look at Marcus with excitement.
“So, are you seeing him when you return?”
Shaking his head, he looks a little wistful.
“I’m not sure. The trouble is, B.A. Bobby is something of a celebrity in Brighton and Hove and all surrounding areas. He won’t be tied down and needs to be free to flit around like a butterfly. I may see him from time to time in the Purple Coconut but I’m realistic. This was my moment and I may never get another one. I expect it will just be a memory to share with my jealous friends when I return. And what a memory it is.”
He sighs and I feel a little unsettled. Despite everything, we have all lived the dream this week. Marcus is the most realistic of us all though. He knows that you wake up from dreams and is fine with it. Jo will be fine, she has her ‘happy ever after’ assured. Jenny, Rachel and I do not. We have a testing time ahead of us and when the plane lands at Gatwick, everything may change.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 34
Luke and I grab a couple of sunbeds and take in the last session of sunbathing of the trip. I am going to miss this. We just don’t have the same heat in the UK. The sun has shed most of its power when it heads our way and we always get the dregs of it. Most of the time it misses us altogether and I wonder what it must be like to live in a country where sunshine on the daily menu is a given.
In the UK cloud and rain is a given. The green fields of home may be grateful for it but I would trade it for sunshine every time.
It isn’t long before Jenny and Flynn join us. I notice that Jenny is carrying some large shopping bags and look at her with curiosity.
“Did you find the Mall, Jenny? I didn’t know there was one here otherwise I would have been there like a bullet from a gun.”
Jenny grins. “I bought us all a little something for tonight.”
Rachel looks at me and we look at Jenny with interest. She laughs with excitement.
“Well, as it’s our last night, I thought we should do something special. After all, this trip has changed my life forever, and I wanted to mark the occasion.”
We watch her rummage around in one of the bags and she removes what appears to be an item of clothing from the bag with a flourish.
“Tada!”
Rachel looks at me with a stunned expression and I hear Luke snort beside me. Jenny looks at us with excitement. “So, what do you think? I thought we could all wear them out on the town. It will be fun.”
Rachel looks at me with horror and I stifle a giggle. Jenny is holding the most outrageous monstrosity of a dress that I have ever seen. It is made up of frills like a mini flamenco dancer’s dress. The material is green and covered in every tropical bird out there. Parrots, flamingos, and puffins. They all adorn the hideous creation and I think I am speechless. Jenny takes our silence as excitement and grins.
“I couldn’t resist them. My mum loved her birds, and it was as if it were a sign. There were only four dresses left, and it was buy one get one free. She would love the thought of us all wearing them on our final night and it will be a great memory to take home with us.”
Marcus looks up and laughs loudly.
“You maniac, Jenny. Those dresses are hilarious. When you’ve finished with them can I have one? I would be the envy of everyone in my local if I rocked up in one of those for Salsa night.”
Jenny grins and I try to wipe the horror from my face. This is a nightmare. There is no way on God's earth that I want to be seen dead in one of those dresses but how can I refuse? It would be like kicking a wounded puppy. Jenny is recovering well but I know she is still on edge. So, I just smile at her and nod, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.
“Sure, it will be fun.”
I try not to look at Luke and Mark who I sense are grinning at each other. Rachel shares my tortured looks but disguises it with a smile.
“Of course, your mum would love it. It’s a fitting tribute.”
Jenny flings us a bag each and turns to Flynn.
“Come on, let’s go and deliver Jo hers and then we can go and get ready.”
I look at her in surprise.
“We’ve got hours before dinner, why the rush?”
Flynn grins as Jenny giggles.
“Let’s just say, Flynn and I take a long time to get ready. We may ... um ... be in our room for quite some time.”
Rachel grins at me as I laugh softly.
“Of course, see you later guys. Oh, and thanks, Jenny. It’s a lovely idea.”
I watch them head off hand in hand and my heart melts. Good for Jenny. If one thing has come out of this trip, it’s the sight of her happiness. Mission accomplished.
“This is a bloody nightmare.”
I stifle a giggle as Rachel grins at me. Jo is furious. She looks ridiculous in her frilly creation and it’s only the sight of her that keeps me from crying. These dresses are hideous.
Rachel shakes her head. “We look like some sort of girl band from the seventies. Jenny seems happy though.”
We look over and see her flamenco dancing in front of Flynn, who is clapping wildly. She is laughing and looks so happy my heart melts.
“It�
�s only one night. We can put up with looking like this if it makes her happy. If she leaves then we must make the most of having her in our lives.”
Jo nods, looking a little ashamed. “You’re right. It’s only one night and I’m sure after a few tequilas it won’t seem so bad.”
Pete comes over and I watch her eyes light up. Ever since their reconciliation we have hardly seen the two of them. They have been seconded in their room for most of the time we had left. I’m glad to see they are back on track because they make the sweetest couple in the world. Jo can be abrupt and hard sometimes but she has a soft heart. We started at Jet Air together and a better friend I couldn’t have wished to find. You know where you are with Jo. She doesn’t pull any punches and tells it how it is. However, she is kind and generous and isn’t one to gossip. I trust her completely and know that she deserves her happy ever after with Pete. At first, I was sceptical when they got together. Pete was a hot new captain that was an instant hit with the crew. He is fun and good company and there were many girls, and guys I might add, that were after him. However, he only ever had eyes for Jo. They clicked on a stopover one night and have been inseparable ever since. It wasn’t long before she moved in with him and in pure Jo practical fashion, rented her flat out instead. This latest drama was out of character for them both and I hope that it’s smooth sailing from here on in.
There are a lot of us tonight so we are meeting in the bar. Our numbers have grown considerably over the length of this trip and my heart sinks as I spy Mark cosying up to Rachel. Oh well, only one more night of worry and then she will return to face her future. Vowing to keep a close eye on my friend, I head over to join them.
Luke is grabbing us some drinks and I sit down next to Rachel and roll my eyes.
“Well, this is different.”
Rachel laughs.
“I never thought I’d wear a dress like this in my life. There must be strictly no photographic evidence of it because I would never live it down.”
