by Lacey London
‘Fair enough…’ I reply, stifling a giggle as Marc returns with two more cases and collapses onto the sofa.
Taking a cold glass over to him, I sit on the arm of the couch and laugh as he drains the contents in one swift gulp. Wearing a pink shirt with a pair of white jeans and his favourite Suave boots, Marc’s conservative style looks worlds away from Gina’s I’ve just stepped off the beach vibe. His dark hair is perfectly slicked back and his trademark rectangle glasses are perched on the edge of his nose, finishing the look perfectly.
As I stare at my good friend, a whole rush of memories come flooding back to me. Marc and I have been through so much together and these last two years have really tested the strength of our friendship. The stress of the difficult takeover of Suave hit us all hard, but no one more so than Marc. The tension in the office turned him into a monster and I did worry that the old Marc was gone for good. However, I am pleased to say the Marc we know and love is back and we are now closer than ever.
‘I need this holiday.’ Mark mumbles, leaning back onto the cushions. ‘No spreadsheets, no conference calls and no training sessions. I just want to eat and sleep for five days straight…’
‘Aren’t you forgetting a few things?’ Gina interrupts, waving her glass around merrily. ‘Cocktails, sunbathing, dancing…’
As Gina reels off her itinerary for the holiday, I catch Oliver’s eye and feel my stomach flip. The flutters that signal an awaiting adventure on the other side of a flight are back with a vengeance. Being too consumed with my guilt over leaving Noah behind I haven’t allowed myself to properly look forward to this trip, but now the time has finally come to leave, sun and sand are all I can think about.
Twirling my fingers around the stem of the glass, I tune my focus back into the conversation.
‘And don’t forget swimming!’ Gina adds, reaching for the bottle once more. ‘You’ve been like Nemo since you learnt how to swim in Barbados!’
Marc scowls with embarrassment as we all burst into laughter.
‘Do we have time for another?’ He asks, in a desperate bid to change the subject.
Glancing up at the clock on the wall, I shake my head in response. ‘I’m afraid not. Li and Vernon should be here any minute now. Bottoms up, guys!’
An adrenaline-fuelled buzz rushes around the room as the four of us hurriedly check we have our holiday essentials in place. Satisfied that our passports and boarding passes are safely tucked away in the zipped compartment of my handbag, I clear away the used glasses and wait for the others to gather their belongings.
‘Everyone ready?’ Oliver asks, as Marc carries the last of the suitcases into the lobby.
A chorus of cheers rings around the group as I frantically ensure all the windows are locked. Casting a final glance around the apartment, I grab my keys and shoot Gina a frown as she hangs back from the others.
‘Why are you walking like that?’ I ask, watching her waddle out of the apartment like a duck with a bad case of trapped wind.
Popping a button on her playsuit, Gina points to a hidden bottle of wine and smiles mischievously.
‘Gina! How old are you? Fifteen?’ I scold, reaching into her playsuit and confiscating the offending fizz. ‘If you want more alcohol you can buy it at the airport.’
Dumping the wine in the fridge where it belongs, I lock the door and slip the keys into my handbag.
‘That’s your first strike!’ Gina grumbles haughtily, fastening her playsuit and deliberately leaving one too many buttons open. ‘There’s to be no mothering on this holiday.’
‘I wasn’t mothering!’ I protest, linking my arm through hers as we follow the rest of the gang to the lift. ‘But there’s no point in bringing wine to the airport as you can’t take liquids through security. And if you tried to drink it in the car it would probably spill…’
Holding up her hand to silence me mid-sentence, Gina stops in her tracks as Oliver and Marc step into the lift.
‘That is your second strike.’ She curses. ‘One more and you won’t be getting on that damn plane with us.’
A giggle bubbles in the back of my throat as I pretend to zip my lips together. ‘Point taken.’
Flashing me the thumbs-up sign, Gina drags me into the lift and we immediately start to travel towards the ground floor. Turning to check out my skinny jeans and camisole combo in the mirror, I can’t help but smile when I realise how funny we look. All dressed in our we’re going on holiday outfits, we have officially become those adults who are desperately trying to recapture their youth and strangely, that makes me very happy.
Being in my thirties is fabulous and being a mother is even better, but a tiny part of me misses being a twenty-something young woman. There’s something so magical about being in your twenties. To be footloose and fancy-free is a gift we so often take for granted in our younger years, but once that freedom is gone, it is extremely difficult to claw back. Of course, I don’t resent getting older and I take each birthday as a huge accomplishment, but the idea of rediscovering my old self, even just for a few days, ignites a spark inside me that has been missing for so long.
Without warning the lift doors spring open, bringing my train of thought to a swift stop. Grabbing my suitcase, I leave the others to chat in the foyer and lead the way outside. My eyes narrow as they adjust to the bright light and I automatically dive into my handbag for my sunglasses.
Pausing for the others to catch up, I wave my arms around in the air as I see Lianna and Vernon in a minibus to my left. Immediately spotting me, Li leans across the driver’s lap and presses his horn repeatedly.
‘Shh!’ I hiss, as passers-by stop to see what all the fuss is about. ‘People are looking!’
Coming to a stop in front of the minibus, I smile broadly as Vernon pulls open the door.
‘Hey!’ He says with a grin, holding out his hand to help me inside. ‘Ready to take on Mykonos?’
‘You bet I am!’ I reply, raising my eyebrows at his Hawaiian shirt. ‘You do know that Greece isn’t in Hawaii, don’t you?’
‘Of course, I do!’ He adjusts his Panama hat and jumps down onto the pavement to grab my suitcase. ‘What the hell was I supposed to wear? A toga?’
‘I think you’d suit a toga.’ I say teasingly. ‘It would totally set off your dreadlocks.’
Vernon laughs and bats my arm playfully as I clamber over the seats. Holding onto the headrest to steady myself, I gasp as Lianna turns around to face me. Her usually blonde hair is now an icy shade of silver. Random streaks of pink, purple and blue run through her waves like a rainbow as she fluffs up her hair with her fingers.
‘Your hair looks incredible!’ I gush, dropping down onto the seat next to her and reaching out to touch her platinum mane. ‘You look like a unicorn!’
‘Do you like it?’ Moving her head back and forth, she holds up a few stands of lilac and lets them fall back down. ‘I was at the salon after our video call last night and I realised that my hair has been every single shade on the colour wheel.’
I nod along, recalling the many hair colours Lianna has rocked over the past few years.
‘So…’ She continues, looking at her reflection in the window. ‘I thought, why not have all of them at the same time? I was a little worried I might look more like a unicorn vomited on me rather than an actual unicorn, but I think it’s turned out alright.’
Gaping at her new style in awe, I catch a glimpse of my boring dark curls and make a mental note to visit the hairdresser when we return.
‘I love it! Noah has been obsessed with unicorns lately…’ My voice trails off as I spot a bottle of bubbly at her feet with a straw in the neck. ‘What the hell is that?’
Before she can reply, the door closes with a bang as the rest of the gang jump into the minibus and take their seats.
‘All aboard?’ The driver shouts above the chatter.
‘Yes!’ We all yell in unison, as the vehicle slowly pulls away from the kerb.
‘Who wants a drink?�
� Li asks, holding the bottle of fizz in the air.
‘You spill that and you pay for the valet!’ The driver grumbles, turning up the music to drown out the sound of Gina’s cheers.
With a quick reassurance to the driver that she will be very careful, Lianna proceeds to pass the bottle around the group.
‘Come on, guys! We’re not on an 18-30s holiday!’ Holding my head in my hands, I open my mouth to say something more, but a quick scowl from Gina makes me change my mind.
‘Weren’t those holidays just the best?’ Gina muses, taking out the straw and swigging straight from the bottle. ‘Ibiza, 1999. Now that was a holiday to remember…’
A wistful silence falls over the group as we all wonder what went down on Gina’s infamous Ibiza trips.
‘Ibiza has been my favourite holiday destination so far, hands down.’ Draping her legs across Marc’s lap, Gina sighs wistfully. ‘What about you, Li? Barbados?’
‘Barbados isn’t exactly a holiday destination for us, it’s our second home, but it’s definitely our favourite place.’ Lianna says with a fond smile. ‘Isn’t it, Vern?’
‘It certainly is.’ Vernon nods and wraps his spare arm around Lianna’s shoulders.
Looking at the two of them together, my heart swells as I recall our trip to Barbados to meet Vernon for the very first time. What started as a typical holiday with the Lakes soon transpired into Lianna and Vernon tying the knot and it was the most beautiful wedding you could ever imagine.
‘What has been our favourite holiday?’ I ask Oliver, who is squashed between Marc and Vernon like a sardine. ‘Mexico?’
‘Mexico?’ He repeats, raising his eyebrows. ‘I suppose seeing you hurl on my mom’s boots was pretty memorable.’
Laughter titters around the minibus and I blush in response. ‘Not that part…’
‘Wasn’t Mexico where you bumped into Oliver’s crazy ex?’ Li asks, taking the wine bottle back from Gina.
‘Erica was not an ex!’ Oliver corrects, in a voice that makes his statement crystal clear. ‘That woman was insane.’
‘Maybe Orlando was our favourite holiday.’ I mumble, my mind drifting back to wild roller coasters and the best cheeseburgers I have ever tasted.
A frown appears on Oliver’s face and I immediately know why. As time has gone by, we can now laugh over our infamous trip to Mexico and our encounter with Erica, but any mention of Janie’s ex-boyfriend, Paulie, is strictly off-limits.
‘Who’s to say this holiday won’t be your favourite?’ Gina says excitedly, a playful glint in her eye. ‘This could be the holiday to top all holidays…’
‘She’s right.’ Marc adds teasingly, shooting Lianna a wink. ‘Maybe this will be an extra special holiday.’
I look over at Li as she giggles into the bottle of wine and frowns in confusion.
‘What are you talking about?’ Oliver asks, obviously as clueless as I am. ‘Seriously, what’s going on?’
Seemingly speaking on behalf of the others, Vernon leans forward in his seat and fixes his gaze on Oliver. ‘We have a bet going.’
The driver takes a sharp right and I hold on to the railing overhead.
‘A bet on what?’ Oliver replies uneasily.
‘The four of us…’ Vernon continues, a silly smirk on his face as he points at Gina, Marc and Lianna. ‘We have a bet that Stelios is going to propose to Janie.’
‘Lordy halleluiah.’ Oliver curses, shaking his head at Vernon in disbelief. ‘Well, I’m going to save you all some time and money by telling you it isn’t going to happen.’
‘It better happen!’ Gina yells. ‘I’ve got a twenty riding on Janie having a ring on her finger by the end of the trip!’
I inhale sharply and glance over at Oliver. Knowing his hatred of Stelios is deep-rooted, I’m very aware of just how much this innocent bet is going to get under his skin.
‘I have twenty on it not happening.’ Lianna says softly, giving Oliver’s arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘Don’t sweat it. I’m in your corner.’
‘There are no corners!’ Batting her hand away, Oliver forces himself to laugh and shakes his head. ‘It isn’t happening. Period.’
Trying not to laugh, I lean towards Vernon and lower my voice to a whisper. ‘What do you have on it?’
‘Clara!’ Oliver cries, sounding completely appalled. ‘Stop stoking the fire!’
‘I’m just curious!’ I reply, looking around the minibus. ‘Who is down for a proposal?’
To Oliver’s disgust, Vernon and Gina raise their hands in the air.
‘Marc’s with me.’ Lianna says, giving him a high-five. ‘We’re going with no proposal.’
‘Okay…’ Plucking the bottle of fizz from Li, I take a big swig and clear my throat. ‘How much can I bet on Janie proposing to him?’
Chapter 4
Smiling apologetically at the prissy air stewardess, who is desperately trying to squash Gina’s mammoth collection of duty-free into the overhead lockers, I fasten my seatbelt and get comfortable. Despite my numerous warnings, Gina went completely crazy in the shops and came away with no less than ten bags of useless tat, resulting in her having to pay a fortune to bring her excess baggage onboard the aircraft.
With a final shove the air stewardess finally closes the locker, causing Gina to whoop raucously in the row behind me. The time she spent at the perfume counter has resulted in Gina smelling like a thirteen-year-old girl on her way to a One Direction concert and unsurprisingly, no one wanted to be her neighbour on the plane. Not that she’s complaining, having an entire row of seats to herself appears to suit Gina just fine.
Peeking between the seats, I watch Gina flip through the in-flight magazine as the others chat about their plans for the trip. Joyous smiles are plastered on their faces and I automatically grin back. Being excited is a great feeling, but watching your friends when they’re excited is even better. In the same way that giving a gift releases more endorphins than receiving one, hearing the laughter of my friends makes me deliriously happy.
Gina’s cackle sets off Lianna’s high-pitched giggle and within seconds, the guys are all laughing, too. This trip was worth it for this moment alone. After all, a holiday isn’t about the expensive hotel rooms and materialistic keepsakes. It’s about the memories that etch onto your heart and stay with you forever.
As I look on, my eyelids suddenly become heavy and I snuggle down into my seat, yawning lazily. The vast amount of fizz we consumed in the airport lounge is starting to take effect, causing me to feel incredibly sleepy. Allowing my eyes to close, I pull the complimentary blanket up to my chin and groan as Lianna appears beside me.
‘We’re playing Jenga!’ She exclaims, dropping down onto my lap. ‘Come on! I want you on my team.’
‘Do I have to?’ Letting out a whimper, I silently curse her as I kiss goodbye to my nap. ‘I could really do with a little downtime.’
‘Don’t be such a party pooper!’ Li scowls back at me and hiccups loudly. ‘We’re on holiday!’
‘Right now, we’re on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport.’ I correct, not realising until it’s too late that I do, in fact, sound like a fun sponge. ‘Sorry. I’m just exhausted. You guys play without me…’
My words fade into silence as an announcement floods into the cabin.
‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your pilot speaking.
I am afraid we are in for a bit of a delay.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, a flight destined for Manchester has been rerouted to Heathrow.
We’re currently working to clear the traffic and we should be on our way to Mykonos as soon as possible.
Your cabin crew will update you with more information as and when it comes in.
Apologies for the inconvenience.’
A groan echoes around the aircraft and I frown at Lianna when I realise she’s beaming brightly.
‘Why do you look so happy?’ I mutter, grabbing a safety card from the pocket in front of me. ‘We’re going to be stuck here for blo
ody ages!’
‘Exactly!’ She replies, reaching down and unclipping my seatbelt. ‘Now you have no excuse not to join in!’
Rolling my eyes, I grudgingly allow her to drag me out of my seat. ‘Fine, but once we set off, I’m definitely sleeping!’
Quickly tidying my hair, I follow Li along the aisle and join the others by the window. Luckily, the business class cabin is completely empty and therefore we’re able to enjoy the entire area to ourselves.
‘I’ve recruited another one for Jenga!’ Lianna says cheerfully, tipping the wooden blocks onto the tray in front of Marc. ‘Let’s do this!’
‘You will have to put that away very shortly.’ The air hostess grumbles curtly, frowning at us as she kicks Lianna’s bags under the seat in front of her.
‘The pilot just explained that we’re in for a bit of a delay.’ Gina replies with a smile. ‘But don’t worry, we’ll make sure it’s all packed away before we take off. In the meantime, is there any way we could get some drinks?’
Adjusting her navy blazer, the air stewardess puckers her brow. ‘There shall be no beverage service until fifteen minutes after take-off. Until then, enjoy your… game.’
Turning on her heel she marches down the walkway, leaving a trail of musty perfume in her wake.
‘I’ll take that as a no.’ Gina replies cheekily, sticking her tongue out. ‘Who rattled her cage?’
Trying not to laugh, I cover my smile with a Jenga block as the air stewardess fires Gina a glare.
‘Well, as there’s no alcohol on offer, whoever causes the tower to fall has to up their bet.’ Vernon says, stacking the wooden blocks on Marc’s tray. ‘That should make it more interesting.’
Oliver curses under his breath as the rest of the gang hoot in agreement.
‘Alright!’ Marc claps his hands together and places the final block on the tower. ‘Who’s going first?’
* * *
Feeling the ground rumble beneath my feet, I stir in my sleep and slowly peel open my eyes. My mouth is drier than the desert and my bum is numb from sitting on a seatbelt buckle, but catching a glimpse of the azure water out of the window makes none of that matter.
