Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals

by Archer, Julie

  Poppy grinned. “Alik is Nate's best man and we thought we could do some wedding planning. If I had mentioned something, you'd definitely have said no. Am I right?”

  Caro smiled and sprayed some Prada perfume on her wrist. “Jesus, that's awful, if you were trying to repel men then that ought to do it.”

  Poppy gave her a sidelong glance. “Are you trying to repel men? Or one man in particular?”

  Caro sighed. “Poppy, you know it's complicated. Alik's in a relationship with Edie and I'm...seeing Jonny." She picked her words carefully and hoped Poppy could understand the underlying meaning of how she categorised her own liaison with Jonny. “If things were different...” Shaking that thought from her mind, she headed over to the DKNY counter.

  When the girls finally caught up with Nate and Alik in The London Bar, the boys had already sunk a couple of pints.

  “Another round?” said Nate.

  Caro checked the time. “We should really be heading to the boarding gate now.” She looked up at the departure board and saw that they were calling their flight to Rhodes. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we can all start drinking.”

  “What do you mean, start?” said Nate.

  * * *

  By the time they had landed, got their luggage, and completed the hour and a quarter transfer to the villa, none of them wanted to do anything else except stretch out by the pool and relax.

  Situated on the coastal road between Lardos and Pefkos, their villa was in a prime location, ten minutes from the beach and around a half an hour walk to the nearest bars, shops, tavernas, and restaurants. The three-bedroom villa was well-equipped, with air conditioning and wifi, an enclosed lawned garden containing an inviting pool, and a covered pergola with seating for alfresco dining. Poppy and Nate bagged the massive downstairs bedroom, with tiled floors, a huge king-sized bed, and light and airy en suite with a huge shower. Alik and Caro took a room each upstairs at either end of the house. Alik graciously let Caro have the larger bedroom with the en suite and balcony.

  They made plans to chill out for the afternoon, before heading into Pefkos for dinner that evening. Alik and Nate clearly had no interest in lazing by the pool and decided to check out the nearby beach, leaving Caro and Poppy stretched out under the massive umbrella that protected them from the strongest rays of the sun. Tall glasses of freshly-squeezed, chilled orange juice stood on the table between them as they debated whether or not to add alcohol to the mix. With the heat, they both decided it might be better to keep a clear head.

  Caro had a notebook and pen balanced on her thighs, having decided that this would be a good opportunity to start making plans for Poppy's hen night. “Right then, missy, who's coming, where are we going and what do you want to do?”

  “Aren't you meant to organise it all as maid of honour and then all I have to do is turn up?” asked Poppy, taking a large sip of her juice. Why did things always taste so much nicer in the sunshine?

  “I could, but then where's the fun in that? Plus, I have no idea of your friends, so would invite Olivia and that would be it!”

  Poppy laughed. “Yes, you're probably right.” She reeled off a list of about twenty people, then stopped. “God, how big do I want this thing? At this rate the hen night will be bigger than the wedding!”

  “Do you know what Nate's doing for the stag?”

  “Apparently it involves guitars, surprise surprise. And he mentioned something about speed boats. He’s having it on the same weekend.”

  Caro reached for her phone and did a quick internet search, to find a website that had heaps of hen night ideas. “Okay, listen to this...” She read out a list of ideas, ranging from relatively sedate activities such as afternoon tea, chocolate making, and karaoke, to things like cheerleading, belly-dancing, and go-karting. “What on earth happens in foreplay lessons?” she said, scrolling down the page.

  “Oh God, do I really want to know?”

  “Apparently it's the perfect naughty girly hen night and will give us the chance to learn the sexy foreplay techniques that will have him on his knees, not to mention being cheeky hen night fun with some great techniques for the wedding night!” said Caro, trying not to laugh as she read out the description.

  Poppy rolled her eyes. “Maybe if I was about seventeen and naive, but somehow I think we might be past all that.”

  “Come on, give me some clues here otherwise it will be tea at the Ritz and a matinee at The Globe.” Caro tossed the phone over to Poppy to look through the list of activities. She stood up and stretched, before sitting on the edge of the pool and dangling her legs in the water. The temperature was pleasantly cool and refreshing in contrast to the air and it was very tempting to just dive in.

  “How about a burlesque night?” Poppy said. “They do lessons and then you get VIP seats at one of the evening shows.”

  Caro turned round. “Really? You think people would be interested in doing that?”

  “More importantly, it's what I'd like to do, so who cares about other people?” Poppy reread the description to Caro. “Come on; drinking, dancing, dinner, what's not to like? And we can pretty much stay at the same place for the whole day, no faffing about with taxis or anything except to get back to the hotel.”

  “Sounds like you've already got it sorted, my work here is done! You do need to give me a clue on the guest list though.” Caro got up and moved back to her sun lounger. She took the phone back from Poppy and reread the details, making some notes and taking down the numbers to call. She yawned. It had been an early start and the heat was making her sleepy. She settled down on the mattress and closed her eyes.

  She came round to the feeling of strong hands running gently over her back. She didn’t know how long she had been sleeping. Caro turned her head to see a bare chested Alik rubbing after sun cream into her skin, running his fingertips over the 'C&J' tattoo on the back of her neck.

  “You were getting burned,” he said, softly. “How long have you been lying here?”

  “No idea.” She settled back down again, enjoying the feel of his touch as he gently massaged the lotion in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Poppy wink at her and turn away. Suddenly she felt extremely self-conscious about the situation, being so scantily dressed and having Alik behave so intimately with her. His hands moved up to her neck and shoulders, pushing her hair to one side, and she found herself becoming aroused as his fingers worked around the knots in her neck. Alik placed a tiny kiss between her shoulder blades as he finished and Caro shivered involuntarily. She watched as he dove cleanly into the pool and began stroking up and down, his arms cutting powerfully through the water.

  She wondered whether he was doing that to cool off.

  Just like she felt she needed to.

  Chapter Twenty

  Caro got dressed for dinner, and suddenly realised that she was wearing the same white and black butterfly-patterned dress that she had been wearing in Mallorca when she and Alik first met. She rifled through the rest of the clothes she had brought with her, but there wasn't a sensible alternative and it was too late to get something else. Hoping that she wasn't sending him the wrong message, she slipped her feet into the same silver jewelled sandals. She looked at herself in the mirror, after applying some light make up, and decided to pull her caramel-coloured hair up into a half ponytail, streaked tendrils falling around her face. Caro pulled on an oversized cardigan, in an attempt to mask the similarity, threw a few things in a small clutch bag, and decreed herself ready.

  Alik was the only one in the living room when she came downstairs. A bottle of chilled rosé was open on the coffee table. He held out a glass to her, which she took gratefully and took a large sip before setting it down on a side table.

  His eyes ran over her outfit. “Nice dress.”

  He remembered.

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a tissue-wrapped package. “I saw this when Nate and I were out earlier and it reminded me of you.” He handed it to Caro.

  “
You didn't need to get me a present,” she said, tucking her bag under one arm so she could open the parcel. Inside was a beautiful leather and turquoise beaded wrap-around bracelet, interspersed with silver. It complemented her current outfit and worked with her image.

  He knew her well.

  She struggled to fasten it. Alik took it from her.

  “Here, let me help.” He wrapped the leather around her wrist a couple of times, tying it with ease. As he did so, his thumb traced a line on the inside of her wrist over her infinity tattoo. She shivered as her groin tightened in response to his touch and she drew away sharply, reaching for her wine glass.

  “Thank you, it's gorgeous,” she said.

  Alik clinked his own glass with hers.

  Caro drained her drink. “Shall we go?”

  * * *

  They took a leisurely walk to Terpsis, a lively restaurant in the centre of town. They were shown to a table in one corner, with stunning views over the sea. Their waiter appeared with menus and began regaling them with stories about how the restaurant's name came about, explaining that Terpsichore was one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology and ruled over dance and choral song. She was a goddess that ruled over the arts and inspired all artists; especially poets, philosophers, and musicians. Nate and Alik laughed, stating that was the reason why they had chosen the restaurant - two musicians with their muses. They listened intently as the waiter went on to describe the menu - slow-cooked Greek dishes in traditional clay pots - and the chef's preference for recreating family recipes using the finest local ingredients, including basil, mint, bay leaves, rosemary, and oregano from the kitchen garden, as well as meat from nearby farms. The most popular dishes were chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese, fresh tomato, and fresh mint, and pork fillet in a sauce of plums, honey, and wine, not to mention the traditional baklavas. Leaving it up to the waiter to decide on their dishes, they turned their attention to trying some of the best in Greek wine. With Greece being one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, they were pleasantly surprised to find that there were some delicious options to choose from. After some deliberating and tasting, they chose a couple of reds. They talked incessantly throughout the meal; about the band, the club, the wedding. Alik avoided mentioning Edie, and Caro didn't speak about Jonny. It was almost as if they were a foursome enjoying a holiday together. Which, in some ways, they were.

  It was close to midnight when they finally left. They walked back to their villa along the beach. Caro tried to not get too close to Alik, or to think of how much the night reminded her of Mallorca.

  * * *

  The villa looked beautiful at night; twinkling fairy lights in the trees reflecting in the pool, creating splashes of sparkly light. The temperature was still balmy enough for them to sit out by the pool, and when they got back it seemed the only sensible thing to do was to have another drink. Nate had discovered a bottle of port in one of the kitchen cupboards - so dusty it was hard to tell how long it had been there - and took four glasses out onto the terrace. Pouring generous measures into the tumblers, he sat down on one of the couches and Poppy snuggled in next to him. Alik and Caro sat on the sofa opposite them, Caro with her legs tucked under her at one end and Alik at the other. There was some distance between them.

  “Gosh, it's so lovely out here,” said Caro, feeling delightfully full after a lovely meal, not to mention the copious amounts of wine. “I almost feel like I've relaxed.”

  “About time too,” said Poppy. “You work far too hard.”

  “Yeah, it's not as if I'm opening a club or anything.”

  Nate took a long sip of his port and swirled the remaining liquid around the glass. “Have you got a live act lined up for the opening?” he asked, glancing over at Alik.

  Caro shook her head. “Not yet, Jonny has suggested a few people, but I haven't had chance to contact them yet.”

  “There's always Blood Stone Riot...” said Alik.

  “I'm not sure we could afford you.”

  Alik laughed. “Come on, I'm sure we would be able to work out mate's rates or something.”

  “Or you could play for free?”

  The two of them continued to banter back and forth, each of them coming up with the pros and cons of the band playing at the opening. After a few minutes, Poppy nudged her fiancé. She took Nate's hand and the two of them quietly slipped back into the villa, unnoticed by Alik and Caro.

  It was several minutes later that Alik realised Caro was practically sitting on his lap. Over the course of their conversation, the distance between them had lessened and they had managed to meet in the centre of the couch, their bodies gently touching. Caro still had her legs pulled up underneath her and Alik was resting a hand on her thigh. It was comfortable, relaxed. And felt right.

  Alik turned towards Caro, his eyes on hers. He lifted a hand to her face, his fingertips tracing a soft line down her jaw, his thumb gently running along her bottom lip. He leaned in as if to kiss her, but she pulled back.

  Alik sank back against the cushions, defeated. “There's something I need to get off my chest, Caro. We have this undeniable chemistry and you must know by now that I care about you. Most girls love a guy they can live a great life with, make each other laugh...”

  Caro wasn’t most girls, though and she cut in. “I love your company and we do have the best times, but what you're pining after with me just isn't going to happen. It can't happen.”

  “I've told you several times that I want to be with you. I want to be the person that makes you smile and that makes you happy.”

  “You do make me smile and you do make me happy,” said Caro. “But all I can offer you right now is my friendship.”

  Alik sighed. “I know, but it's not quite the same. Stuff's just going to have to change.”

  “Like your relationship with Edie?”

  He paused. “If our friendship changes, which it will, that means I won't get to see you as often as I'd like to...”

  “I know.” Caro took a final sip of her drink and stood up. “That's pretty horrible for me too, but I can't be that selfish and I'm not going to tell you that I want your company and you should leave your girlfriend because that's not fair to either of us. To any of us.” She placed the empty glass on the table. “Goodnight, Alik, I'll see you in the morning.”

  Alik watched her retreating figure as she walked into the villa. He went to put his own glass on the table, but misjudged where the edge was and watched as the tumbler shattered into pieces. Like his friendship with Caro just had.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Caro and Poppy were stretched out on one of the large, canopied, four-poster sun loungers by the side of the pool, sipping mimosas in the vain hope that the sharp, citrus grapefruit juice would cut through their immense hangovers. Both of them were wearing huge shades that covered their eyes from the blazing close-to-midday sun. They had only just got up and were enjoying a relaxing start to the day.

  “I can't wait any longer,” Poppy said, throwing her magazine to one side and taking a huge swig of her drink. “What happened last night?”

  Caro pulled her sunglasses down her nose and stared at Poppy over their rim. “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “You and Alik, what else?” Poppy said, launching a cushion in Caro's direction.

  Caro ducked and the cushion flew over her shoulder.

  “You two were up late,” Poppy said.

  Caro chose to keep her in suspense a little longer, sipping some more of her mimosa as she decided how to reply to Poppy's question. “We were talking and...”

  “And...?”

  “Nothing happened. Well, we almost kissed, but I stopped it.”

  Poppy squealed. “I knew it! But, Jesus, Caro, why'd you stop? It's not as if you don't already know him better than that.”

  “Because he's with Edie.”

  Poppy pulled a face. “But you're much nicer and much better for him than her.”

  “Obviously, but I'm not in the mark
et of shagging some bloke when he's got a girlfriend. I don't particularly want to be painted as the scarlet woman who split them up. I can imagine the media would have a field day with that.”

  Poppy sighed. “Alik's a big boy, no pun intended and I haven't personally seen the goods. I'm sure he didn't invite you out here to 'almost kiss.' Besides which, aren't you forgetting what happened in Mallorca? A certain one-nighter?”

  “I didn't know who he was then!”

  “Not sure that's any excuse, hon.” Poppy shook her head. “You still shagged someone with a girlfriend.”

  Caro sighed. The conversation with Alik the previous evening had been playing on her mind, and she had barely been able to sleep for thinking about him. Much as she wanted him, what she had said to Poppy was true - she wouldn't go there until he was single. There would be no playing second fiddle to anyone and she certainly wasn't prepared to be sneaking around.

  She’d been there, done that, got the scars, literally, to prove it. But she wasn't about to share that part of her life with Poppy.

  * * *

  The night that Josep Leon walked into The Roca Bar was the night that Caro's life changed. But she didn't know that at the time.

  Before Caro started working there, The Roca Bar was at best half-full on a good night, but mostly pretty empty. Caro had sweet-talked the manager into giving her a few shifts when she had first arrived on the island, even though there didn't appear to be that many punters. When Caro and Mariella started working shifts together, there seemed to be more people in the bar. Particularly men.

  Caro and Mariella swiftly became firm friends, both having escaped a somewhat dreary existence in their own countries - Mariella hailed from Norway - after university to travel and experience the Spanish life. It hadn't been long before they had moved into a shabby, one-bedroom apartment near to the beach.

  They became a familiar pairing around the town, usually partying together on the nights they weren't working and spending their days at the beach. They made for a striking couple; Mariella with her Scandinavian parentage - blonde, sharp good looks, and glacial eyes - and Caro with her darker-haired, rock-chick-slash-boho appearance. They certainly weren't short when it came to admirers.