Mates, Dates and Great Escapes

by Cathy Hopkins

  As we drew nearer their hotel, we drove down a narrow street with a few shops and a restaurant where Arianna asked the driver to stop.

  ‘Oh, do let’s go in there,’ she said. ‘I read about it in Harpers. They have a new chef who is apparently the best in Florence. Everyone’s talking about him. Are you hungry, Lucy? Want to give it a try?’

  I was beginning to feel hungry, as I hadn’t had a bite to eat all day and my food poisoning had pretty well disappeared. I nodded my head.

  Arianna said something to the driver, then we got out of the car and made our way into the restaurant. It was very chic with a simple décor of white walls, abstract paintings in vibrant reds and purples, and flowers that looked like birds’ heads on stems. The headwaiter came forward to greet the girls as if they were lifelong friends, took their coats and swept them away towards a white linen covered table. As an afterthought he came back and looked at me as if I had just crawled out from under a stone.

  ‘Yes, I am with them,’ I said and handed him my parka. I reminded myself of Nesta’s favourite quote – no one can make you feel inferior without your permission. I was determined not to give my permission. OK, so I hadn’t been to many places like this. Well, it’s about time I started to, I thought.

  Morsels of tasty bites arrived one after the other on enormous white plates. Each course was beautifully arranged as though there was an artist in the kitchen arranging each leaf, and it almost felt a shame to ruin the design. All of it tasted delicious and, although I hadn’t got a clue what I was eating, I did my best to join in and enthuse with the girls and Teddy.

  After lunch, I still felt hungry as the portions had been tiny and I found myself hankering for a cheeseburger and chips. I must be feeling a lot better, I thought as Teddy asked for the bill, then went off to find the driver.

  Arianna got out her wallet so I followed her lead and pulled out my little Chinese purse.

  ‘How much?’ I asked.

  She looked surprised. ‘It’s OK. I can pay. You are our guest.’

  ‘No, no,’ I insisted. ‘Let’s split it.’ I didn’t want her to think that I was hanging around with Teddy because he was rich or anything.

  She looked at the bill. ‘OK. This should cover our share,’ she said as she put down a wad of euros. ‘Now I must go and visit, as you say in English, the Ladies.’

  Cecilia got up to join her. ‘See you in a mo,’ she said with a smile.

  I smiled back.These girls were OK and really making an effort to be friendly, although I had noticed Cecilia eyeing up Teddy a few times and hanging on his every word. Clearly she doesn’t see me as competition, I thought. She probably thinks that Teddy is hanging out with me because there was no one else around. I wonder if they’re talking about me in the Ladies, asking each other what on earth Teddy’s doing with a scruff-pot like me?

  I picked up the bill to work out my share. One hundred and sixteen euros. A quarter of that would be? Ohmigod. I felt my heart sink. Twenty-nine euros. If only I hadn’t bought so many of those mad David aprons. I only had twenty-five euros left and I still had to pay for my share of the chocolate the girls and I had eaten from the minibar.

  As I was counting out my money, Teddy came back and pulled out his wallet. ‘Here let me get that. You’re my guest.’

  I put my purse away, but I felt mortified.

  I felt doubly bad as Arianna and Cecilia came back and witnessed Teddy paying my share of the bill as well as his, but neither of them said anything.

  Best Thing for Food Poisoning

  Drink plenty of fluid. Rest. Don’t eat anything until the stomach settles and then eat only light food for a day or so. Dr Watts

  Rest. Drink fluids. Have cheeseburger and chips, not posh titbits that cost a fortune. Lucy

  Chapter 14

  Cinderella

  ‘Wow, get you,’ said Nesta as I got out of the limo in front of the hotel. ‘You won’t be speaking to the likes of us mere mortals soon.’

  The school bus had arrived back at the same time and everyone was getting off. Mrs Elwes looked surprised to see me up and about, so I quickly thanked my driver and hotfooted it back to the room with the girls before she did an inquisition and I found myself in trouble.

  ‘Oh yes I will,’ I said. ‘Especially after the day I’ve had.’ I’d never been happier to see my mates. People who understood me. Dressed like me. Spoke like me. Liked me. Not that Arianna and Cecilia didn’t like me but, as the afternoon had gone on, I felt more and more inadequate. They’d insisted that I went back to the hotel with them after lunch and hang out. As it was my last day, I’d just wanted to be alone with Teddy, but he had some errands to run for his dad and so had to take off for a few hours. He wouldn’t hear of me going back to my hotel until the others were back so, in the end, I had no choice but to stay with the stepsisters. I suppose it did make sense in one way, I mean, why hang out in a drab hotel when you can luxuriate in beautiful surroundings. I just wished I’d felt more at home there.

  As they’d unpacked cases of the most stunning clothes, Prada, Gucci, Fiorucci, they discussed a concert with some famous Italian rock band that they had tickets for that evening. As they’d said about the restaurant, anyone who was anyone was going to be there. Teddy included. I wondered why he hadn’t mentioned it. Maybe now Arianna and Cecilia had arrived he wanted to hang out with them and, like most of Florence, I was history. ‘Oh you’ll be able to get a ticket from your concierge,’ Arianna had said.

  Not likely, I’d thought as I pictured the miserable being that inhabited reception at our hotel. We can’t even get a glass of water from him. I wasn’t bothered about going to a concert. I had hoped that Teddy might come over to my hotel like on the other evenings, but he phoned late afternoon and said that he wouldn’t be back at all as he had something he had to do and would arrange for the car to drop me off. He didn’t say anything about the evening. End of story, I thought. So much for my holiday romance. He wasn’t even coming back to Hotel Corelli to say goodbye. Now that the girls had arrived maybe he’d realised that I didn’t belong in his world. I’d served my purpose and was no longer needed.

  ‘Rubbish,’ said Nesta after I’d filled her,TJ and Izzie in.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Izzie. ‘You’re Cinderella, they’re the ugly sisters and you shall go to the ball.’

  ‘Ugly is one thing they’re not,’ I said. ‘Believe me. They are geogorgeous with a capital G. And they were nice. Genuinely. So polite and . . .’

  ‘I bet they have spotty bottoms,’ interrupted Nesta.

  ‘And bad breath,’ said Izzie.

  ‘And three nipples each,’ said TJ. ‘In fact, they sound so perfect, I bet that they’re robots.’

  I laughed. It was mad that I’d allowed myself to get so intimidated. I wouldn’t have done if TJ, Nesta and Izzie had been with me.

  ‘I want to go to the concert,’ said Nesta. ‘Everyone was talking about it on the bus and Mrs Elwes and Mr Johnson seemed cool about our lot going too. Liam and Jay got tickets on the internet before they came out here and Professor Snape, their teacher, is going too with a load of other boys from their school. Mrs Elwes said that if Snape was going, then we could go, as long as we stayed in a group. So . . . all we need are some tickets.’

  ‘We need an insider,’ said TJ. ‘Some Italian who knows where we might get some.’

  Nesta’s face lit up. ‘I know just the man. I’m going to go and ask Marco if he knows anything about it. I saw him go into the dining room when we got off the bus.’

  She disappeared out of the door and, while she was gone, TJ and Izzie filled me in on their day out. It sounded like they’d had a great time and I wished I’d been with them, where I belonged, instead of feeling like an outsider in the Hotel Corelli.

  Nesta returned fifteen minutes later looking flushed and happy. ‘He spoke to me. At least, I spoke to him. He doesn’t speak much English. God he’s so gorgeous . . . Italian boys are so hot. He has the most amazing brown eyes . . .�
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  ‘Tickets, Nesta?’ interrupted Izzie. ‘Can he get us any?’

  ‘Oh. Yes. He’s playing with one of the warm-up bands tonight so he’s got some complimentary ones.’ She fished about in her pockets and produced tickets. ‘So we can go. He’s almost finished his shift and then his band are coming to pick him up. He said we could go with them and squeeze in the back of the van with the equipment. Not exactly a flash limo like you’re used to, Lucy, but us lesser beings have to bum it sometimes.’

  I thought I detected a note of sarcasm in Nesta’s voice. I couldn’t bear to think that they might have felt left out because I’d been swanning about in a limo and going to posh places.The last thing I needed was to be made to feel excluded by my best friends. ‘You know it’s not been like that, Nesta. I’d much rather have been with you today and I don’t mind going in the back of a van. You know I don’t.’

  ‘Er, yes. But . . . um, one small problem . . . Marco only had three tickets.’

  Izzie and TJ looked at each other, then at me.

  ‘Well you obviously have to go, Nesta,’ I said. ‘You got the tickets and you like Marco.’

  ‘Maybe we could all go and get all of us in,’ she said. ‘Maybe we could get tickets on the door.’

  I shook my head. ‘Doubt it.Arianna said it’s been sold out for weeks. No. You guys all go. I’ll stay here.’

  ‘No,’ said TJ. ‘You can’t do that. Nesta, you go on your own.’

  ‘Noooo. Please. In a van with a load of strange boys? I might be mad, but I’m not that stupid. Oh come on, I can’t go on my own. One of you come at least. Maybe we should put names in a hat or something.’

  ‘We don’t need to do that. I can stay with Lucy,’ said Izzie. ‘TJ, you go with Nesta.’

  ‘No honesdy,’ I said. ‘You three go. I’m really not bothered about going. Not now. I might see Teddy and the girls there and I’ve had enough humiliation for one day, thank you very much. It would be awful to go and see him there and he’d get all embarrassed because he’d know he didn’t mention the gig to me. I’d hate to end the holiday on a sour note. So no. You go.’ I held my nose up and tried to do what Nesta does when she’s being melodramatic and trying to be noble. ‘No. I shall stay here alone with my memories. With my broken heart and broken dreams . . .’

  It took a bit more persuading but, in the end, the girls gave in and agreed to go. The room became a flurry of activity with hairdryers, make-up, clothes and shoes scattered all over the place as they got ready. Half an hour later, they looked fabulous. Maybe not decked out in Prada, but I reckoned they could give Arianna and Cecilia a run for their money.

  ‘You sure you’re going to be OK?’ asked Nesta as she put her coat on ready for the off.

  ‘Totally,’ I said. ‘I’ll walk you out.’

  At the back of the hotel, the van was in the car park where Marco had said it would be. The girls piled into the back with the other band members whose faces lit up when they saw that three stunning young girls were travelling with them.

  ‘Now don’t stay out too late,’ I said, putting on my croaky old grandma voice. ‘Don’t take any drugs. And TJ, don’t go licking strangers’ ears. We know what you can be like when you’re allowed out.’

  ‘OK, Ma,’ said TJ, laughing. ‘Now you go get some cocoa and get back to your knitting.’

  ‘Okee dokee,’ I replied, trying to look as cheerful as possible.

  After I’d waved them off, I went back to my room and lay on the bottom bunk. I couldn’t help but feel low. Sometimes I don’t feel that I belong anywhere, I thought as I flicked on the TV. I don’t like it here in this crumby hotel and yet I felt uncomfortable at the Grand Hotel Villa Corelli. Where do I belong? I wish Tony was here, I thought. He’d make me laugh and get me out of this weird mood. Maybe my period’s due and that’s why I’m feeling emotional. Still, at least I know it is due. If I’d had sex with Tony, I might be here wondering if it was going to come at all. I wondered what Tony was doing over in England. If he’d gone to the rave and slept with Andrea Morton. I felt tears sting the back of my eyes. So much for me wanting to be a grown-up, a woman of experience and sophistication, I thought. I’ve never felt so young and so inexperienced in all my life. Pathetic. My one try at getting over Tony has turned out to be a disaster. My first holiday romance and here I am on the last night on my own. Dumped the moment Teddy got a better offer. How humiliating. I might try and kid myself that I can wing it in the world of grown-ups, but all those people in the past who’ve said ‘You’re not old enough’, maybe, just maybe, they were right.

  Just at that moment, I heard a rustling sound at the bottom of the door and saw an envelope being pushed through. As I got up to see what it was, I felt a stab of anticipation. Maybe it was a note from Teddy. It had my name on it, so I ripped open the envelope and went over to the lamp so that I could see better. Inside was a condom and a note, saying: For a night to remember, my room, Number 14. 8.30. Chris.

  OK, Chris, I thought.Yeah. I’ll give you night to remember.

  ‘I thought you might take up my offer,’ he said with a smirk when he opened his door five minutes later.

  ‘Did you?’ I said, putting on my most alluring smile. ‘Yeah. How could I refuse an offer like that? But . . . I thought you might need a bit of cooling down first.’ I produced the condom from behind my back. I’d filled it from the taps to make it into a water bomb so I bashed him over the head with it. ‘But you know the awful thing about condoms? Well, they can burst.’

  Water dripped down his face as it burst over his head. ‘Your loss, you . . . you’re so . . . childish,’ he moaned as he ran back into his room. ‘Anyway, you’re . . . you’re probably too young for me.’

  Story of my life, mate, I thought as I made my way back to my room. Why fight it? I asked myself. Anyway, sometimes it’s fun to act childish.Trying to be grown-up and mature, it stinks.

  I lay back on the bed and giggled to myself. Yeah, condoms, they make brilliant water bombs. I must tell the girls when they come back. A moment later, the phone rang.

  ‘I suppose you think you’re so clever,’ said Chris’s voice.

  ‘Well medium clever,’ I replied. ‘I don’t like to boast.’

  ‘You ought to grow up and act your age . . .’

  ‘So you said. Don’t you have anything new to say?’

  ‘Just that I think you’re a lesbian.’

  ‘Oh. OK. Cool.’ I said and put the phone down.

  A moment later, the phone went again.

  ‘Look, give me a break will you?’ I said into the receiver. ‘Just bog off and leave me alone. I don’t fancy you. I never will and you can take your stupid condoms and stick them up your bum.’

  ‘Lucy Lovering,’ said Mr Johnson’s voice. ‘Who on earth do you think you’re talking to?’

  ‘Oh! Er . . . well, not you,’ I gasped.’Sorry sorry, oh God . . .’

  ‘The dining room is about to close for supper,’ he said in a clipped voice. ‘If you’re eating, you’ll need to be there in five minutes.’

  ‘Yes, Mr Johnson. Sorry, Mr Johnson.’ Oh bugger, Mr Johnson, I thought as I put the phone down.

  And then the phone went again.

  ‘Hello . . .’ I said cautiously.

  ‘Hey Lucy,’ said Teddy’s voice. ‘Phew. I thought I’d missed you.’

  ‘Oh Teddy. Missed me? How? Why?’

  ‘I tried your room about ten minutes ago, but no one picked up. Then it was engaged when I tried again. What are you doing?’

  ‘Oh, going to have supper in a minute, then this and that. There’s a whole crowd of us here, yeah, having a great time . . .’ I was determined not to give away how much he’d hurt me. ‘Why? What are you doing?’ As if I didn’t know, I thought.

  ‘I was going to go to the concert.’

  ‘Yeah, Arianna told me about it,’ I said breezily. ‘Well. Have a good time, must dash. It was nice meeting you.’

  ‘Nice meeting me? Hey Lucy. Are you OK
? You sound a bit weirded out.’

  ‘No. I’m fine,’ I said. ‘Absolutely fine. Couldn’t be better. Anyway, got to go now. Got a million things to do. Leaving tomorrow. So.Yeah. Have a great time at the concert.’

  ‘Oh,’ he said and I could hear disappointment in just that one word. ‘Yeah. OK. Shame. See, I got you a ticket. That was why I couldn’t get back to the Hotel Corelli to see you. I didn’t want to say anything and get your hopes up in case I couldn’t get one for you, but I managed it. Last one I think. But . . .’

  ‘You got me a ticket?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘But aren’t you going with Arianna and Cecilia?’

  ‘They’re making their own way. Meeting a bunch of mates there. And just between you and me, I can only take so much of all their girlie stuff. It gets a bit boring after a while. It’s like they can only ever talk about clothes and who’s the latest in-person. I’d much rather have gone with you. At least I can have a decent conversation with you.’

  I started to laugh. ‘Is that all?’

  ‘I think you know very well that’s not all . . . but you know what I mean. Oh come on, you’re going back to England tomorrow. We can’t not spend our last night together. Who knows when we’ll see each other again. Just . . . please, Lucy . . . I . . . I’ve never met anyone like you before. I really like you. You’re different . . .’

  ‘Like good or bad different?’

  ‘Good. Really good, really, really . . .’

  ‘I will come,’ I interrupted.

  ‘You will? Oh fantastic. I was so disappointed when I couldn’t hang out with you today, but it was really hard getting that ticket. I had to go all over the place. I’ll come and get you. Half an hour?’