by Shari Low
They chatted easily for an hour or so, before he reached over and put his hand on hers. ‘I hope you don’t think I go around dancing with strange women on ships every day of the week. Last night was real good, Sarah.’
‘It was,’ she agreed, finding herself slightly tongue-tied. Urgh, she was rubbish at this. She felt like she was sixteen again, but without the flared hipsters and the really bad perm.
‘If it’s OK with you, I was thinking that maybe we could meet up again later.’
Flush. Tongue stuck. Inner beam of happiness. Eventually, she managed, ‘Sure. Same place?’
‘Same place,’ he told her, then checked his watch. ‘Darn, I have to go. I’m having dinner at eight.’
‘Is it eight o’clock already? Oh, bollocks, I was supposed to meet the family fifteen minutes ago.’
She jumped to her feet and this time she took the initiative by leaning down and kissing him. On the mouth. Yes, the mouth. Patsy would be proud.
Walking swiftly, she made her way down to the Italian restaurant on deck ten, where everyone was already seated around a long, rustic wooden table. They burst into a round of applause as she sat down, turning her face the same colour as the red candles sticking out of Chianti bottles in the middle of the table. She sat down at the one free seat between Tess and Max. Excellent. The last thing she wanted was to be sitting next to Mona all night. She still had the strangest feeling that the other woman was up to something. She winked at Eliza who rolled her eyes in return. All normal there then. Last night when she got back to the cabin, Eliza was already asleep, so she still hadn’t managed to have that chat about her daughter’s newfound friendship with Kai. Not that she was exactly on the moral high ground these days, given her newfound tendency to spontaneously snog a man in cowboy boots.
‘Where have you been, then?’ Drew said with a smile. He looked tired, she noticed, and his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
‘Just… talking to a friend.’
‘Mum’s got a boyfriend,’ Eliza interjected in a tone that suggested it was the grossest thing she could imagine. Sarah busied herself unfolding her napkin while simultaneously trying to kick her daughter under the table and change the subject. ‘So what did I miss?’ she asked, deflecting Drew’s curious stare.
‘Nothing much, we’ve not been here very long,’ Tess replied, then leaned closer and whispered, ‘but I’m dying to hear what you’ve been up to.’ Sarah gave her a conspiratorial wink but said nothing. One of the best things about this trip so far was her newfound friendship with Tess – a real delight, despite the tangled family ties and the age difference.
The theme of the restaurant was traditional, family-style eating, so the waiters immediately began delivering large trays of antipasti and breads for them to share.
‘What did you do to today?’ Sarah threw the question out in the direction of Tess and Drew.
‘We went on an excursion to the places where The Godfather movies were filmed,’ Tess replied. Ah, that explained why Drew didn’t look too chipper. He hated organized trips. He once threw a fit halfway round the Caves of Drach in Majorca because the tour guide kept screeching information at them. She was momentarily surprised that the younger woman didn’t know to avoid excursions at all cost, even ones that were based on his favourite movie. But then, hadn’t Tess said that she hadn’t been away with Drew since their honeymoon?
‘Speaking of excursions,’ Max spoke up and everyone turned to look at him, ‘Dad and I are heading to Sorrento tomorrow. Apparently there’s a boat trip that includes some water sports, so we thought we’d give it a try. Anything but jet skis.’
Piers, Tess and Sarah automatically laughed at that, leaving the others bemused.
‘You’re all welcome if you fancy it. I’m sure there will be plenty of room on the boat.’
John was the first to answer. ‘Sounds great, Max, but Penny and I will pass, thanks. We’ve got ourselves into a great routine on here. We’re loving it. I can’t thank you enough for this, Dad.’
Drew smiled at his son, and this time Sarah noticed that it reached his eyes. It gave her a little gush of pleasure to see her son and his family so happy.
‘I’ll pass too,’ Mona said dryly. ‘Not my thing.’
Of course it wasn’t, Sarah mused. Mona’s “things” were more designer clothes, snide comments and flashing her gynaecological anatomy to unsuspecting women with hangovers.
Sarah knew she was going to have to get over the fact that she found it difficult to look Mona in the eye these days.
‘Not mine either, Max, sorry,’ Drew said. ‘I’ve got some calls to put in to the office, so I think tomorrow is aboard ship for me.’
Sarah sensed Tess tensing beside her and realized that she was biting her bottom lip. Oh dear, things were not good there at all.
‘I’m up for it, Max.’ It took a few seconds for her to realize that the voice was hers. Wow. One night with a cowboy and she’d turned into an impetuous adventurer. The thought sent another little gush of pleasure to her toes.
‘Well, I’m in too, then,’ Tess blurted, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Drew. Sarah just happened to be testing her ability to look straight at Mona at that point, when she saw a shadow of something that resembled smugness cross her face. Sarah’s teeth clenched but she stayed silent, feeling distinctly uneasy
‘What about you, Eliza? Will you come with us?’ she heard Tess say. She really did appreciate how friendly Tess was to her daughter. It couldn’t be easy taking on a sixteen-year-old part-time and, much as she loved her, she was under no illusion that Eliza was the easiest girl to deal with.
‘Erm, if it’s OK, I’ll stay aboard, too.’
‘Don’t tell me! You’re spending the day with Kai!’
Eliza nodded gleefully, setting off another round of applause, a raised eyebrow from Drew and another reminder that Sarah needed to have “a chat” with her daughter.
‘You know, son, I’m just thinking – leave it to me to organize. I might have a couple of contacts.’ Piers told Max.
‘Oh God, not again,’ Sarah roared. ‘Tess, brace yourself, Piers is in charge.’
“I’ll call my insurance company straight after dinner,” the younger woman replied. Good on her for coming along and refusing to sit and wait for Drew to pay her some attention.
Her response drew a chorus of hilarity from the table that filled the whole restaurant.
Glancing at John, Penny and Eliza, Sarah sighed with contentment. Her whole family was happy. And as she reached over for a chunk of garlic bread, she realized that she could honestly say that she was, too.
12.
Naples
Tess
‘Well, looks like it’s going to be just the four of us again. Do you think the rest of them are trying to tell us something?’ Tess asked, with a breezy grin that belied the way she was truly feeling. Drew had barely even spoken to her this morning and she knew it was because she had decided to desert him, without even discussing it with him. One half of her was feeling bolshie and defiant, the other was feeling guilty at leaving him on his birthday cruise. Bugger it, he would only spend half the day on the phone to the office anyway. She was here now so she may as well have a good time and deal with the fallout when she got back to the cabin It wasn’t every day that she got to cruise the Med and while he might be content to sit on board, she wanted to make the most of it.
She hadn’t been sure how to dress today, so she’d covered all bases by going with shorts and a vest top, with her swimming costume underneath. The cossie had cost a tenner in Primark and she wasn’t sure that yellow was her colour, but hey, it wasn’t as if she was trying to impress anyone and it sure beat the sheep from their previous excursion.
‘Is that our boat?’ she asked Piers as they walked along a jetty lined with an assortment of vessels, from fishing boats to the gleaming white yacht in front of them. About twenty feet long, it had a dark wood deck, white leather booth seats, and a large canopy structure
on the front, surrounded by chrome railings. Tess was dumbstruck.
‘Bloody hell, that looks like it’s right out of Miami Vice,’ Sarah whispered.
‘What’s Miami Vice?’ Tess replied, causing Sarah to shake her head and mutter playfully, ‘So young. What am I doing here with these toddlers?’
‘Signore Piers!’ A man on the boat waved to Piers, answering their question.
‘Piers, how does he know you?’ Tess asked, despite realizing that it was probably best that she didn’t know the answer.
The older man laughed. ‘Decided not to bother with the official excursions and got my secretary to track down Leo here. He’s an old acquaintance. Once had a stag night here with an Italian mate and ended up ten miles out at sea on Leo’s boat. It’s a long story.’
‘Were there donkeys involved in that, too?’ Sarah asked, cracking them all up.
Piers and Max climbed on board and then helped the ladies in and introduced them to Leo, with much shaking of hands and salutations. ‘Beer in the coolbox, Mr Piers.’
She had never had aspirations to excessive wealth, but she had to admit that after hanging out with Piers for a few days, she could see that it definitely had its advantages.
For the next half an hour, the boat whipped around the coastline, the breeze sending her hair flying behind her, leaving her breathless when they finally slowed down to approach the shore at Sorrento. Leo brought the boat to a standstill and then opened two cupboard doors right underneath where he was standing.
‘We have snorkels, waterskis, and downstairs we also have a couple of windsurfing boards. You are welcome to everything. I will make lunch at one o’clock, but until then I will leave you to go for a sleep. My wife kept me up all night last night,’ he added with a wink, before heading down into the galley.
Tess and Sarah looked at each other then shrugged gleefully. ‘Swim?’
‘Race you,’ Max dared them and suddenly there was a flurry of clothes as they all stripped to their swimwear. Max hit the water, followed by Piers, then Tess, then Sarah.
‘Not fair! I’m at a disadvantage,’ Sarah hollered. ‘At my age arthritis sets in and everything takes a bit longer.’
They spent the next couple of hours diving out of the boat, climbing back in, floating on lilos and just generally acting like they were fifteen again.
‘Much as this is glorious, I’m going out to dry off,’ Tess announced. ‘My hands are turning to prunes.’
‘Right, son, I’ll race you to that buoy over there.’
‘You’re on!’ The two men took off like torpedoes, remarkably keeping abreast of each other, despite the fact that Max’s broad shoulders and lean physique should have left Piers’ generous torso floundering in his wake.
‘They’re like big kids, those two,’ Sarah said, as she grabbed a towel and handed one to Tess. ‘I love it.’
‘Me, too. I can’t believe that this time last week I was trying to come up with a new and original way to market Doggie Doo Bags, and today I’m on a yacht in the middle of the Med.’
‘I was making a tit cake,’ Sarah replied, making them both burst into a fit of giggles.
Drying off as they walked, they moved to the front of the boat to lie on the bow.
‘I’ll never be able to go back to a normal two-week package holiday after this,’ Sarah said, as they slapped on the sun cream and stretched out.
They passed a few minutes watching Piers and Max in the distance, keeping an equal pace with each other as they swam.
‘Are you OK?’ Sarah asked her eventually. ‘Sorry, tell me if it’s none of my business, but you seemed a bit upset again last night.’
Tess shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to burden Sarah with her woes again – not when they were having such a fabulous time. ‘I’m fine, Sarah, but thanks. And thanks for listening to me the other day. I’m sorry if I got a bit deep and melancholy.’
‘No, not at all. Look, I know it’s odd, but at least in a strange way I can understand what you’re dealing with. I’m always here if you need some words of little wisdom.’
Tess returned the grin and tempting as it was to share and get Sarah’s input, she chided herself. Nope, she wasn’t going to do this now. Today was about fun, not rehashing her woes and bringing everyone down. Before she could share this thought, Max jumped back on board first, beating his father and celebrating by shaking water all over them both. Piers followed, declaring that he let his son win, to hoots of derision from the rest of them.
After an hour or so’s rest, Max dug out the snorkels and they all took to the water again until Leo called them back for lunch.
They feasted on fresh crab salad, delicious slabs of lasagne and thick bread seasoned with garlic. They were picking at the most mouth-watering fresh fruit salad when Tess yawned. ‘I could absolutely just go for a sleep now. All this doing nothing except enjoying myself is exhausting.’
She realised that the first part of that sentence was absolutely true. She was having fun. She wasn’t worrying about Drew, there was no guilt about leaving him behind, and she hadn’t thought about Cameron and his crazy notes all day. She was in the moment and planning on staying there.
‘What happened to windsurfing and waterskiing?’ Max teased her.
‘I’ve realized that I’m clearly not an action woman. Angelina Jolie can rest easy, I’m no competition.’
‘I’m with you there,’ Sarah agreed. ‘I’ve hurt muscles I didn’t know I had this week. And there was me thinking I was coming for serious lounging and shopping. Talking of which – Piers, would you mind if I ask Leo to drop me ashore for an hour? I’ve been buying the twins T-shirts from all of the places we’ve docked and I’d love an excuse to wander around Sorrento for an hour. I’ve always wanted to go there.’
‘Jesus, Sarah, you might not be an action chick, but if shopping was an Olympic event…’ He winked and let the rest hang in the air. ‘Tell you what, I’ll take you in the dinghy.’
Sarah almost choked on a strawberry. ‘You’re going to row a dinghy?’
He squinted towards the shore. ‘Doddle! What is it – two hundred yards?’
Leo nodded. ‘Approximately, yes.’
‘Right, that’s my workout for the day then. Come on, love, and there had better be a cold beer at the other end for me. What about you son? Tess? Fancy coming along?’
‘Not me, dad – wouldn’t want to put extra weight in the dinghy and have to take over the rowing when your old man body gives out.’
Tess loved the banter between these two. ‘And I’ll pass too thanks. There’s a spot on that sundeck with my name on it. This is wonderful, Piers. Thank you.’
‘My pleasure, love. Right, Shopaholic Sarah, let’s get going’
They both changed back into their street clothes and set off, with Sarah squealing as the dinghy rocked from side to side. ‘If you drown me, Piers Delaney, I’ll come back and haunt you.’
‘Don’t talk to the captain when he’s concentrating on his seamanship,’ Piers retorted.
Back on deck, Tess was in stitches. ‘Can I say something totally inappropriate and borderline bitchy?’
‘Absolutely,’ Max said, as he rubbed sun cream on his reddening shoulders.
‘Your dad seems much happier when he’s not with Mona.’
He shook his head. ‘I’ve noticed the same thing. There you go – I’m in the bitch club, too. Think I’ll let Leo’s ridiculously big lunch settle before I tackle the windsurfing and, at the risk of sounding less than macho, I might just top up my tan.’
They were both still laughing when they climbed up on to the sundeck and assumed chief sunbathing positions. As the sun beat down, competing with the glorious cooling breeze from the water, every single inch of Tess tingled with bliss.
That’s when she realized that Piers and Mona weren’t the only ones who were much happier when their partner wasn’t around.
Mona
Sometimes, it was all just too easy, Mona decided as sh
e pulled on a Chanel one-piece swimsuit, then draped a tiger-print Roberto Cavalli kaftan over the top of it. Bronze Gucci flip-flops and a long gold chain with a shark’s tooth on the end of it completed the look.
She’d spent the morning at the spa having a deep-tissue massage and now her muscles throbbed in a delectable sensation that sat between pleasure and pain. Just the way she liked it.
Another hour or so and she’d go knock on Drew’s door, but for now, what to do? She was bored in the cabin on her own. She didn’t want to go mingle with a million tourists by the pool. And she definitely wasn’t going to go swimming and destroy an ensemble that had taken hours to put together.
She flicked through the ship’s brochure – how ridiculous that they’d been on this ship for six days now and she hadn’t even got around to exploring it – and realized that there was an area of deck fourteen called Seclusion, which was billed as an ‘adults-only haven of serenity’.
Right now, an adults-only haven of serenity sounded perfect. With copies of Vogue, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair accessorizing her look, she managed to find her way to the ‘haven of serenity’ with only one false turn on the way.
Tucked away at the back end of the ship (yes, she’d picked up that it was called the ‘aft’ area, but ‘back end’ just made so much more sense) was a minimalist paradise. The wood deck was punctuated by large bamboo plants that appeared so real she wondered if they actually were. Each one semi-obscured dark wicker loungers with thick cream upholstery and hooded cabanas that contained overstuffed double day beds for two. It was simply stunning, made all the more perfect by the lack of screaming brats, and she cursed the fact that she hadn’t found it earlier.
Kicking off her flip-flops, she plumped for a double day bed, and sat back against a stack of pillows with her legs crossed and her pile of magazines in front of her. As always, a waiter immediately appeared at her side and she asked Anders, Norway for a sparkling water with ice and lemon. No alcohol yet. She wanted her head clear for later. Lying on the massage bed that morning she’d thought it all through, planned her strategy. She was going to go to Drew’s suite around lunchtime, order something magnificent from room service, then act as confidante as she further explored the problems in his marriage. By putting the right slant on everything, she had no doubt that he would soon admit that he had made a huge mistake. She’d be there for him. Be his rock. Listen to him. Flatter him. Take care of him. And if he happened to fall into her arms and take it further physically, then that was even better. The important thing was not to push, or to make the first move, but to be there while he found his way back to her. Closeness. Opportunity. Result. That was her strategy.
