by Shari Low
Sarah stood up. ‘I’m going to go for a wander around the town – if anyone fancies coming they’re welcome to join me.’
‘Actually, I’d really like that. Do you mind if Drew and I tag along?’ Tess piped up, making Mona’s teeth clench. There was no way on this earth that Drew Gold would go wandering around a Sardinian town. He hated sightseeing. And even if Tess had banged him into oblivion this morning, there was still no way he’d agree to it.
‘Actually, I said I’d check in with the office at four, so I’ll pass, honey.’
Mona almost punched the air as Tess’s demeanour visibly deflated. ‘Oh.’ She attempted a bright recovery. ‘Well, I guess it’s just me then, Sarah. Is that OK?’
‘Absolutely. I’d love the company.’
Max put his napkin on the table. The sun was clearly good for him, too. He already had a bit of colour and his white T-shirt and khaki combat shorts looked great on him. Mona knew from old photographs that Piers had looked exactly like that when he was in his thirties. She only wished he still did.
‘I’m going to go for a wander, too. I feel like I should attempt to absorb some culture on this trip. Apparently there are incredible sea caves a little bit up the coast, so I thought I’d go do the sightseeing thing.’
‘Sounds good, son,’ Piers agreed. ‘You up for it, Mona?’
Mona thrust one finely toned calf up in the air in reply, showing an eight-inch spiked heel on a beautiful stiletto. ‘Piers, I’m wearing Yves Saint Laurent shoes. They’re made for sitting and showing off, that’s it.’ Some men just did not get the fact that shoe wear did not multi-task. Not that she’d have gone even if she’d have been wearing her Prada flats.
‘Come on then, ladies, we’ll walk with you until we find a cab or a bar.’ Piers joked to Sarah, who was quick to fire it back at him.
‘Piers Delaney, you are not hijacking our day again. Some of my wounds from that jet ski will never heal. And besides, Tess and I have credit cards and we’re not afraid to use them.’
A conspiratorial wink passed between the two women and Mona noticed again how friendly they were becoming. She was beginning to feel like she wasn’t a part of their little gang. Fine by her. Girlfriends had never been her thing, although she’d make an exception for Donatella Versace and Stella McCartney.
When the others left, she felt a flash of triumph. Just her and Drew. Together. Alone. Drew asked for the bill, only to be told that Piers had already paid it. Typical of him. Flashing the cash once again.
Drew checked his watch. ‘Three thirty. I’m going to head back now.’
‘Yep, me, too. Actually if you don’t mind, I’ll nip over to your cabin later. I want to Skype the office and I’ve only got a tiny notebook with me, so the picture quality is awful.’
Drew shook his head. ‘Nope, no problem at all. Pop over any time.’
She very definitely would.
Sarah
‘Good move on the wedges.’ Sarah gestured to the low-heeled espadrilles on Tess’s feet. ‘With these cobblestones, any kind of heels would be shredded in no time.’
‘The Daily Vista warned about the cobbles,’ Tess replied, then fell quiet.
Sarah knew what she was thinking: Shame the Daily Vista didn’t warn about the husband who was going to be an arse.
Her heart had gone out to the younger woman at the table. Tess’s disappointment had been so obvious. It was bizarre to her that Drew hadn’t learned his bloody lesson. He was three marriages in – you’d think he’d have learned to compromise by now.
She kept her opinions on her ex-husband’s behaviour to herself as they browsed around the old part of the town for a couple of hours. It was an eclectic assortment of quaint little trinket stores, the usual holiday souvenir shops, and a few designer boutiques with high ticket price tags.
Sarah bought postcards, a couple of T-shirts for the twins and a silver cuff bracelet for Eliza. She also tried on a beautiful silver ring with a turquoise stone four times, but she couldn’t decide whether or not to buy it. In the end, she decided against it. Tess splashed out on two beautiful dip-dyed sarongs, but Sarah could see that her heart just wasn’t in it.
‘Shall we stop for a coffee? Or a cold drink, if you prefer?’ Sarah suggested.
‘As long as we don’t end up in the same state as we did when we were in Palma,’ Tess replied with a smile.
Sarah groaned. ‘Don’t even mention that. I can honestly say the last time I got pissed was decades ago. I’ve no idea what happened to us the other day.’
‘Piers happened.’
‘You’re absolutely right,’ Sarah said, laughing, as they stopped at a lovely little pavement cafe. “I bet he’s got everyone in the sea caves singing by now.” They chose a table under the awning, out of the glare of the sun. A waiter appeared almost immediately, and took their order for two coffees, and two large gelatos. ‘Bit of a weird combination, but I’m feeling in need of both,’ Sarah told him. The waiter nodded, obviously used to the strange requests of tourists. Coffee and ice cream. He’d probably been asked for worse.
‘I like him though, don’t you?’ Tess said.
Sarah was confused. ‘Who? The waiter?’
‘No, Piers!’
The two of them thought this was hilarious. ‘I mean, I’m sure the waiter is a very nice man, but I don’t know him that well.’ That set them off again.
‘Oh, Sarah I needed a good laugh,’ Tess told her.
‘I know,’ Sarah replied simply. As always, she didn’t want to probe or interfere, so she thought it best to say nothing more.
‘It’s just that… well, things aren’t great just now,’ Tess continued hesitantly, before adding, ‘Is this too weird, talking to you about Drew? It’s just that, maybe it’s just me, but I feel that you and I have become, sort of friends.’
Sarah nodded. ‘We have. And I suppose it’s a bit strange, but no stranger than going on holiday with your husband and his ex-wives,’ she said with an amiable shrug. ‘You know, I’m always here to listen if you need to talk. Not that I’m claiming to be a marriage expert, though. After all, I didn’t exactly make a roaring success of being married to Mr Gold, did I?’
Tess smiled and they sat in easy silence for a few moments.
‘Was he always like this, Sarah? Dedicated to work. Single-minded.’
Sarah nodded, her sadness palpable. ‘I learned not to take it personally. John went all the way through school with one teacher who thought I was widowed.’
The waiter put their coffees in front of them, and then added large shell-shaped bowls of chocolate ice-cream.
Tess waited until he was out of earshot. ‘The crazy thing is that I thought we were fine. You just fall into a routine and our routine consisted mostly of work and cancelled dinners. My friend Cameron calls himself Drew Gold’s stunt double, because he’s regularly called in to perform the duties my husband can’t manage.’ She suddenly yelped. ‘Oh my God, I just realized how that sounded. I didn’t mean those kind of duties.’
‘I know, I know! Don’t worry.’
‘You’d like Cameron. He’s the funniest guy I know. Easy. Uncomplicated. The way a friend should be. The way a husband should be, too.’
They were both silent while they thought through where to go next with the conversation. Sarah was the first to speak. ‘I suppose you just have to figure out if he’s worth it. Is he worth the alone time? Is he worth hanging around waiting for?’
‘Is he worth not having kids for?’ Tess blurted, then immediately looked embarrassed. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know why I did – it’s not even as if it’s on the table. We agreed that we wouldn’t have children right at the start. I guess back then I definitely thought he was worth it.’
‘And now?’
‘I don’t know. But lately I’ve wondered what will happen ten years down the line if things with Drew don’t work out and it’s too late to go back and make different decisions.’
‘Sou
nds like you have a lot to think about.’ Once again, Sarah felt a wave of sympathy. This poor girl. Drew was a bloody fool.
‘I know. Oh, Sarah, I’m sorry, I’ve been totally hogging the conversation. What about you? Is it OK to ask if you’re seeing someone?’
Sarah popped a large scoop of gelato in her mouth and sighed with pleasure as it gave an immediate cooling effect. ‘It’s fine to ask and no, I’m not. Although, I’m starting to think it might be nice to meet someone now. Eliza will leave home soon and it would be good to have company. How do you meet a man these days, though? I wouldn’t know where to start.’
‘Well, well, well, Max, it’s those two women who follow us everywhere.’ Piers’ booming voice almost made Tess drop her coffee.
‘Erm, I think you’ll find that we were here first,’ Sarah replied tartly.
The two men pulled out seats and joined them, asking the hovering waiter to bring them the same as the ladies.
‘How were the sea caves?’ Sarah asked, genuinely glad they were there – if anyone could cheer Tess up it was this bombastic creature and his son.
‘Amazing.’ Max replied. ‘The one we went to is called Neptune’s Grotto and you go through it by boat. It was quite something.’
‘It was a cave.’ Piers snorted. ‘A cave. All very lovely and all that, but not exactly one of the seven wonders of the world.’
‘You can tell my dad’s up on culture, can’t you? If the cave had a fifty-four-inch plasma TV on the wall, he’d have been totally impressed.’
‘Bloody right,’ Piers agreed. ‘Especially if they found somewhere to plug it in.’
It was impossible not to appreciate a man that could laugh at himself, Sarah decided. He was definitely one to grab life by the horns and live in the moment. Talking of which…
‘I’ve decided,’ she said to Tess, ‘that I’m going to go back and get that ring.’
‘Brilliant! So you should, it’s beautiful. Shall I come with you?’
‘No, you sit here. It’s only around the corner. Five minutes and I’ll be back.’
She was already on her feet when she realized that Piers was doing the same. ‘I’ll pop round with you. Wouldn’t mind a nosy in the shops myself.’
They left Tess and Max ordering another round of coffees and headed to the shop. When the doorbell dinged to announce their arrival, the lady behind the counter opened her arms wide. ‘Ah, you came back! And you bring your husband.’
She had no idea what she’d said to make the two customers laugh so hard.
10.
Shore Leave
Tess
‘Your dad is a scream,’ Tess told Max, as they watched Piers and Sarah turn the corner at the end of the street and disappear.
‘He is now,’ Max said affectionately.
‘What do you mean?’ Tess asked, her interest piqued.
Max shrugged off the question. ‘Och, nothing. Sorry. Didn’t mean to get all profound and heavy there.’
‘It’s the day for it. I’ve just been pouring my heart out to poor Sarah. She must be wishing she’d gone back to the boat with the others.’
‘Why, is something wrong? Are you OK?’ Max sat forward and gave a really good impression of being genuinely interested. This guy definitely got his people skills from his dad. He had a way of making you feel totally at ease and comfortable.
The waiter appeared yet again to deliver their coffees. ‘Right,’ Max told her, ‘I’ve got caffeine, ice cream and I’m sitting in the shade. Shoot. Tell me everything.’
Tess might be comfortable, but she wasn’t insanely indiscreet. ‘Oh, it was nothing. Tell me about your dad.’
‘OK, but then you have to tell me what’s on your mind. Deal?’
She made an agreement she had no intention of keeping.
‘He’s a great guy,’ Max said. ‘But he wasn’t always as much fun as this. When I was growing up he was always charismatic and a bit wild, but lately… I don’t know. It’s almost as if he’s got a new lease of life. He’s more into spending time with people now. I’ve seen more of him in the last year than I did in the ten years before that.’
‘Do you regret the time you missed with him?’
Max shook his head. ‘Nope, just delighted that we’re closer now. There’s no one like him. There have been times in the last few days when my jaws have actually been sore with laughing.’
‘My mate Cameron has the same effect on me. Totally cracks me up.’ The thought was out before she’d even considered it. It was true, though. No one else made her laugh the way that Cameron did. If he was here with them just now he’d be regaling them with ridiculous stories and him and Piers would be having a banter to the death. She missed him. At least she missed him before he went all bizarre and overstepped the line.
They could never work, her and Cameron because… because…
‘Hey, you’re away in another world again. What are you thinking now? Ah, here comes trouble.’
She turned around to see Piers and Sarah returning, Sarah sporting the very large, very beautiful, turquoise ring on her finger.
‘You got it! Wow, it’s beautiful.’
Sarah came over all bashful at the compliment. ‘Right folks, are we ready to go? We’re sailing at six tonight, so we don’t have much time.’ Tess was quick to agree – anything to avoid keeping the promise to share her woes.
There was a tender waiting when they got back to the marina and it whisked them to the boat in minutes. Security checked their passports, sea passes and bags at the top of the gangplank, then they headed for the lift before getting off at different floors to go their separate ways to their cabins, Tess surprised by the sense of dread at the prospect of yet another tense encounter with Drew.
As the doors pinged open on the twelfth deck, Tess saw that Colita was at her desk. Her heart immediately began to beat twice as fast as normal. She had to ask. Had to.
‘Good afternoon, Mrs Gold. How are you today? Did you enjoy your time ashore?’ Tess decided the Brazilian girl’s porcelain white teeth really were the most beautiful she had ever seen.
‘I did, thank you, Colita.’ OK, leave it. Walk away. It’s better that you don’t know. Don’t ask. Do. Not. Ask…
‘Colita, are there any more notes for me?’ The sensible person inside her was now slapping her forehead in despair.
‘Yes, Mrs Gold, I have one right here.’
A manicured hand reached into a drawer and produced a white envelope with her name on it. Tess wanted to swear. Instead, she politely thanked Colita and took the letter with a shaking hand.
She turned the corner into her corridor and stopped, then gingerly pulled the paper out of the envelope.
Tess, no pressure. I know this must be coming over as crazy. I’ll totally understand if you don’t show up and I promise we’ll always be mates even if you don’t come. I’m hoping you’ve discovered that you miss me. If you do, then please… Meet me in Monaco. In the square at noon. Cx
She slumped back against the wall, trying desperately to control her breathing. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. This was ridiculous. And the most ridiculous thing of all was that he was right. She was missing him. If Cameron was here then his sheer exuberance would ensure that they made the most of every single moment of this cruise. They’d try out all the bars, they’d dance until dawn and they’d even be in with the oldies at the bingo. Cameron had been addicted since he won a Cabbage Patch doll on Blackpool pier when he was seven. The very thought of that made her laugh. See! Even when he wasn’t bloody here he could make her smile. She missed him. She just wished that things were so fantastic with Drew that she didn’t give anyone else a second thought.
OK, she couldn’t stand here all day. She stuffed the letter into her handbag and sighed. She was married. Her husband was waiting for her.
She was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear a cabin door opening up ahead of her. However she did see someone step out of the door, turn right, and speed away down the corridor in the
other direction.
As if she didn’t have enough uncertainty and worry in her life, now she had the most surprising question of all: Why was Mona Gold rushing out of Tess and Drew’s suite?
Mona
Mona’s first stop when they’d got back from lunch had been at her cabin for a quick shower to wash away the heat and the aroma of pasta. She opened her wardrobe, thought for a moment, then opted to go for something casual. Tiny denim shorts, a black boob tube and silver flip-flops. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and put on the chunky silver Tiffany double-heart toggle chain that Drew had bought her on their first trip to New York together. God, they’d been so in love then. They’d stayed at the Helmsley, overlooking Central Park, and they’d ate, slept, made love and watched CNN for three solid days without leaving the room. Only on the fourth day did they venture out and they’d gone dancing in the exclusive Rainbow Room at the top of the Rockefeller Center. Last time she was in New York a nostalgic notion had taken her back there, only to discover that the nightclub had shut down, consigned to history. A bit like their marriage. However, she’d since read that it had undergone a complete revamp and was back in business. All she needed was their relationship to follow suit.
She’d knocked twice on Drew’s door before he opened it, and saw that he’d had exactly the same idea as her. Still wet from the shower, he had only a towel around his waist. A twenty-year-old Mona would have playfully snatched it away, confident of the response he would have been unable to resist. A thirty-something Mona didn’t have the balls in case it led to rejection. That admission hurt her. Yep, the aging process was a cruel fucker.
‘Just go ahead and use the laptop,’ he told her. ‘It’s out on the balcony. I left it on after I spoke to Guy.’
‘Thanks.’ She grinned, hoping he was getting a whiff of her Chanel No5. It was his favourite. Classy. Simple. Sexy.
