Bon Voyage

by Michelle Betham

  ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Aimee sighed, thinking that she had enough of a complicated love-life of her own without having to deal with her mother’s too. ‘I guess I’ll have to talk to her, won’t I? But not right now. At least on a ship she can’t run off and do anything stupid, so I think we’re safe for the time being.’

  ‘So, what are we up to today then?’ Jemma asked, squeezing Aimee’s arm. ‘Is Robbie coming with us to this olive oil museum this afternoon?’

  ‘Well, he said he was, but you know what he’s like… No, don’t answer that,’ Aimee laughed, nudging her friend.

  ‘Listen, why don’t we go grab a Bucks Fizz up at the Calypso Bar? We’ve only got a couple of days left now, Aimee. Let’s make the most of them. Once we’re back home breakfast’ll be a Special K cereal bar and a plastic cup of coffee on the bus on the way to work, as usual. So let’s enjoy this while we still can, huh?’

  Aimee smiled, leaning over to quickly kiss Jemma’s cheek. ‘You’re right. There’s no rush, is there? The tour’s not until this afternoon so we might as well chill out, take it easy, and talk about just how we’re going to stop my mother marrying Ricardo the Ridiculous…’

  *

  ‘Have you set a date yet, Robbie?’ Davina asked, sidling up behind him in the queue for a late breakfast in the Lido Café. He’d got tired of waiting for Aimee to get back and the pull of a bacon sandwich had been too much to ignore. He’d catch Aimee later, when she got back from wherever it was she’d disappeared off to.

  ‘None of your business, Davina.’

  ‘Erm, actually, Robbie, I think you’ll find it is. It’s very much my business. Mine and Andy’s. You don’t really think you’re here for a holiday, do you?’

  Robbie slid half a dozen rashers of bacon onto his plate. ‘Do we have to do this here?’ he hissed, reaching over to pick up a couple of bread rolls.

  ‘The thing is, Robbie, Andy’s starting to blame me for the fact your girlfriend can’t keep away from Danny. And it’s not up to me to do all the work, is it? That wasn’t the plan.’

  Robbie grabbed a pot of tea and made his way to an empty table by the window, closely followed by Davina, who slid into the seat opposite him. Robbie looked at her, shovelling a forkful of bacon into his mouth.

  ‘What do you want me to do, Davina? I’ve asked her to marry me, haven’t I? And she’s said yes. Isn’t that what you and Andy wanted?’

  ‘Well, yes. It is. But Danny and Aimee – they’re still hanging around each other, Robbie. We’ve seen them talking to each other…’

  ‘And that’s a crime now, is it?’

  ‘Look, the whole point of bringing you here was to make sure you kept her out of Danny’s way. How hard can that be?’

  ‘She wants to hang out with her mate, Davina. What am I supposed to do?’

  ‘Try playing the loving boyfriend a bit more. Insist that you spend more time with each other.’

  ‘I did that yesterday.’

  ‘Not just once, Robbie! Jesus…’

  Robbie shoved more bacon into his mouth before smothering a bread roll with butter. ‘Okay! Christ, stop going on, will you? Can I just finish me frigging breakfast in peace?’

  Davina sat back in her chair, looking out of the window at the Lido Deck, still full of people enjoying a leisurely late breakfast out in the Spanish sunshine. She’d honestly thought this was going to be a lot easier than the headache it was turning out to be, but she was determined to see it through. After all, Andy had told her it would be worth it. And she believed everything Andy told her. She trusted him implicitly.

  ‘What’s up with you?’ Robbie asked, frowning at Davina as she suddenly sank down into her seat, quickly pulling a copy of Celebrity Secrets out of her bag and hiding behind it.

  ‘Danny,’ she hissed from behind the magazine. ‘He was out there. On the deck.’

  ‘So?’ Robbie asked, mopping up his fried egg yolk with his buttered bread roll.

  ‘So, you frigging idiot, what’s he gonna think if he sees me talking to you like this?’

  Robbie looked at her, still frowning. ‘He isn’t going to think anything, you dozy paranoid cow. He knows we know each other, so why would this be a weird situation for him? What’s the matter with you?’

  ‘Has he gone?’

  Robbie looked out of the window. ‘Yes. He’s gone.’

  She slipped the copy of Celebrity Secrets back into her bag and leaned forward, resting her arms on the table as she looked straight at Robbie. ‘Where’s Aimee right now?’

  ‘How the hell should I know?’ Robbie said through a mouthful of mushrooms. ‘I’m not her frigging keeper. What do you want me to do? Fit her with a tracking device?’

  ‘It would be a whole lot easier,’ Davina sighed, reaching over to grab a rasher of crispy bacon from Robbie’s plate. ‘He could be going to see her now for all we know.’

  ‘There’s nothing going on between them, Davina, Jesus, there never was.’

  ‘There nearly was.’

  ‘Nearly isn’t the same thing though, is it?’

  ‘I can see it in his eyes, Robbie. When I look at him… he’s not totally focused, he’s got other things on his mind.’

  ‘And what makes you think any of those things are to do with Aimee?’

  ‘He was never that keen on this reunion, Robbie. You see, Danny being Danny, he was happy just ticking along with the life he had…’

  ‘His business was doing well, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. But his business was painting and decorating.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘So… he has the chance to become famous again, Robbie. Why wouldn’t he want that? Why isn’t he ambitious and…’

  ‘Is there a point to this, Davina?’

  She looked at him as he spooned three sugars into his tea. ‘Out of all the guys in the band, Danny wants this the least.’

  Robbie stared at her. ‘I’ll ask you again… So?’

  Davina sighed heavily, pushing a hand through her hair. ‘She’s distracting him, Robbie. He needs to forget about her, he needs to forget that there’s anything else out there except getting Bon Voyage back together because…’

  Robbie threw his fork down onto his now-empty plate, sitting back and sighing. ‘Otherwise you don’t get the celebrity career you so desperately want and Andy doesn’t get the fame he’s so desperate to have back. Yeah, I know, you’ve already told me this.’

  ‘If I’m seen with somebody high-profile that gets me noticed, doesn’t it? So we need to make sure Danny is focused, that he’s directing all his energy into Bon Voyage’s comeback. Which means that you have to make him believe, once and for all, that Aimee is not on the market anymore.’

  ‘Whatever,’ Robbie sighed again, turning his attention to two pretty young girls in pink bikinis walking past the window.

  ‘Andy can’t go back to just running a pub, Robbie. That isn’t who he is, it never was. He deserves a second bite at the cherry.’

  ‘God forbid he should have to tackle some real work like the rest of us,’ Robbie said, turning back to face Davina. ‘And anyway, I thought you and Danny…’

  ‘That’s none of your business,’ Davina sniffed, cutting him off mid-sentence as she got up, pushing her chair under the table and sliding her handbag up onto her shoulder.

  ‘Oh, but me and Aimee are very much your business, is that the way it works?’

  She fixed him with a glare before pushing her over-sized dark glasses down over her eyes. ‘Just remember why you’re here, Robbie. Do the job properly, and everyone’ll get what they want. Okay?’

  3:00 pm

  ‘I wonder why he’s suddenly making an effort,’ Jemma said to Aimee as they waited beside the coach for Robbie who was, apparently, taking a very important phone call.

  ‘Cut him some slack, Jem. I told you, he wants us to spend some time together as a couple, that’s all. That’s the only reason he’s decided to come on this excursion with us. Stop being so suspicious of
him. And I really think he’s enjoying himself, don’t you?’

  ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you? I’ve never seen anyone look so bored in all my life as he did when we were being told the exact amount of olives needed for a bottle of extra virgin, although, his eyes did light up at the word virgin…’

  Despite having to contend with the odd snipe or two between her best friend and her boyfriend, Aimee had actually enjoyed that afternoon’s shore excursion. Laugh-A-Minute-Lydia had put together an interesting few hours, beginning with a ride through the Tabernas Desert – which had probably been Robbie’s favourite part due to the fact many a spaghetti western had been shot there over the years. Rather than being a flat desert full of sand dunes – the image the word desert usually conjured up – this one looked very much like the Wild West with its mass of rugged hilltops and plains dotted with cacti and assorted other hardy plants. Robbie’s interest had petered out slightly by the time they’d reached their next stop though, an olive oil factory in Castillo de Tabernas, although Aimee had found it quite interesting, finding out how the oil was made and the many different types of olives that were used. She’d even enjoyed the tasting session at the end of the tour, dipping chunks of fresh, crusty bread into little bowls of various oils, ignoring the faces Robbie pulled at the thought of that bread going anywhere near his mouth. He’d never really been a fan of foreign food, unless it was a chicken madras down the Rajmahal back home.

  Now they were on the final stop of their afternoon excursion; the pretty little hilltop village of Sorbas. Built on the top of a mountain, the village was known for its traditional terracotta and ceramics, and Aimee couldn’t wait to have a look around the many pottery shops and workshops and explore this quaint village with its whitewashed buildings and stunning views, but what else could they be when this village literally hung over the edge of a cliff!

  ‘Just leave him alone, Jemma. Please. For me, okay?’ Aimee asked, looking at her watch. ‘He’s making an effort, isn’t he?’

  ‘That’s the least he can do,’ Jemma sniffed, sticking her head round the open door of the coach. ‘Oi! Come on, Robbie! We’re taking root here!’ She looked at Aimee, leaning back against the coach beside her, folding her arms. ‘Who’s he talking to anyway?’

  Aimee shrugged. ‘Someone from work, apparently. Said it was important.’

  ‘What? A welding emergency? And what exactly is he going to be able to do from halfway up a mountain in the middle of Spain? Oh, here he is. At frigging last!’

  ‘All sorted?’ Aimee asked, smiling at Robbie and ignoring Jemma. She wasn’t going to get drawn into one of their spats, not when the afternoon had been fairly pleasant, so far.

  ‘Yeah,’ Robbie sighed, pushing a hand through his dark hair, slipping his other hand into Aimee’s, kissing her quickly. ‘All sorted.’ He smiled, and Aimee instantly relaxed. Whatever Jemma might think, it had been lovely having Robbie around on this excursion. It had finally felt like they were really back together again; finally felt like they were that proper couple she’d always wanted them to be. ‘Listen, Aimee… can we…?’

  ‘I’m gonna leave you guys to it,’ Jemma said, spraying sun lotion onto her shoulders. ‘I’m going to help Barbara keep Bob amused.’

  ‘Jemma…’

  Jemma smiled, running back over to drop a quick kiss on Aimee’s cheek. ‘I’ll be fine, go on. Spend some time with your fiancé.’

  ‘If you’re sure?’

  ‘I’m sure. See you guys later.’

  ‘Was she having a dig there?’ Robbie asked, still holding tightly onto Aimee’s hand as Jemma ran off to catch up with Bob and Barbara, who were doubtless keen to explore the many pottery shops for more souvenirs. They were building up quite a collection.

  ‘Of course she wasn’t. Stop being so paranoid. Anyway, what were you going to say before?’

  ‘Huh? Oh, that. No, I was just gonna say, could we not spend some time alone, just the two of us. But she’s saved me the job.’

  They started walking hand in hand towards the village, the afternoon sun still red hot on their skin, and Aimee was glad of the wide-brimmed hat and the factor 25 she’d brought with her. She’d managed to build up a really nice tan this holiday, without any hint of sunburn.

  ‘I’ve really enjoyed this afternoon,’ she said, leaning into Robbie as they walked, and she meant it. For the first time since he’d arrived on the ship she wasn’t missing Danny or thinking about what could have been – she was just enjoying being with the man she loved. Because she did love him – Robbie Cartwright. She did love him.

  ‘Yeah, I’ve enjoyed it too,’ Robbie smiled, slipping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him for a long, slow kiss. ‘It’s been nice.’

  Nice? Well, that was one way to describe it, she supposed.

  They continued to walk in relative silence, Aimee fascinated by the myriad of pottery and ceramics on show, the sun bouncing off the whitewashed buildings from a clear blue cloudless sky, so she didn’t really take much notice of how distracted Robbie was. Until his phone went off again.

  ‘Are you not gonna answer that then?’ she asked, putting down a beautiful, colourful ceramic jug she’d been looking at. It would go lovely on the shelf in her and Jemma’s newly decorated kitchen. She could just see it nestled there between the chilli plants and the bottles of olive oil.

  ‘Erm…’ Robbie looked at the caller ID, and Aimee frowned as his expression changed. ‘Yeah. Okay. I… I won’t be long.’

  Aimee folded her arms against her as she watched him walk away from her, finally sitting down on a low wall a good distance away before he answered the phone. What was so important that he had to hide it from her? She shook the doubts and the paranoia away; she was probably just being stupid. If it was work he probably just needed a bit of peace and quiet, that was all. Nothing more than that.

  ‘All alone?’

  She swung round at the sound of a familiar voice, her heart missing about ten beats, causing her breath to catch in her throat, and seeing him standing there didn’t help – all sexy as hell in his combats and trainers, a tight white T-shirt clinging to his toned body, showing his perfect tan off to perfection, his dark hair back off his face, those ice-blue eyes prominent.

  ‘Erm, no… Robbie, he’s… he’s over there. On the phone.’

  Danny looked over to where Aimee indicated, catching sight of Robbie sitting on the wall, obviously in the middle of a very intense conversation. Aimee followed his gaze, frowning even more at the sight of Robbie’s animated movements.

  ‘What’s all that about then?’ Danny asked, his hands firmly in the pockets of his khaki combats.

  ‘It’s work,’ Aimee replied. And why did she suddenly feel as though she was covering for Robbie? Defending him in some way?

  Danny raised an eyebrow. ‘Okay. Must be important. He looks a little stressed, I have to say.’

  Aimee looked at him, her arms still folded across her chest. ‘What are you doing here? I didn’t see you on the coach.’

  ‘We’re filming shots of us looking cultured,’ he replied, rolling his eyes, and Aimee found it hard to keep the smile that was twitching at the corners of her mouth from appearing.

  ‘Cultured?’ she said, giving in to the smile.

  Danny couldn’t help smiling too. ‘Yeah,’ he laughed. ‘Us. Cultured. As if! Still, they can probably work wonders in the editing process.’

  She couldn’t help staring at him, squinting slightly as she looked at his handsome face. ‘It’s good to see you,’ she said, her voice quiet because the mood had suddenly changed. The sun was still shining, the sky was still a clear, cloudless blue but it felt as though a blanket of sadness had just washed over her.

  ‘It’s good to see you too,’ he whispered, and all he wanted to do was reach out and touch her face, kiss her mouth; run his fingers over her shoulders and feel her soft skin. But he couldn’t, could he? Because she was with someone else now. He’d missed his chance. Idiot!
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  ‘Is everything alright, Danny?’ she asked, still in no hurry to unfold her arms – a defence mechanism? Probably. She didn’t want him to get too close because if he got too close that was only going to hurt, dig up feelings she’d only just got used to putting to one side – that stupid, stupid dream that she and her favourite pop star could one day become a couple. How ridiculous had she been? Good job it had all come to an end before she’d made a complete fool of herself.

  ‘No,’ he replied, and his answer shocked her. She hadn’t actually been expecting him to say that; she’d expected him to say that everything was fine, that him and Davina were working things out, that the band were getting on with planning their big comeback; she hadn’t expected this. ‘No. Everything isn’t alright. Aimee, I just don’t know if it’s what I want anymore.’

  She felt her heart give another little skip. Was he talking about him and Davina? Was he going to tell her that it had been a mistake, him trying again with his wife? Was he going to tell her that it was her he really wanted to make a go of things with? ‘Don’t know if what’s what you want anymore?’ she asked, the anticipation she felt in the pit of her stomach verging on the ridiculous.

  ‘The band, Aimee. I don’t know if the band is what I want anymore.’

  She felt her heart sink like a lead weight. ‘Oh.’ It was all she could manage to say while she waited for the disappointment to disappear. ‘So… you and Davina…?’

  ‘Oh, that. That’s ongoing. Not important. I can deal with Davina.’

  He can deal with Davina? What did that mean? She quickly looked behind her – Robbie was still talking into his phone, only he looked a lot calmer now, in fact, he was smiling. Quite a big smile. What the hell was that all about? And why was this afternoon suddenly turning into something very confusing?

  ‘Erm, sorry, Danny. You… you said something about the band?’

  He looked at her, frowning slightly. ‘Are you okay? You look a bit distracted.’

  She forced a smile back on her face, looking over his shoulder at Jemma throwing herself into the arms of Cal Connor. She was happy for her best friend, of course she was, but she also felt a stab of jealousy that she’d never felt before.