Bon Voyage

by Michelle Betham

‘Thanks, Jem.’

  ‘Don’t mention it… Bob! What are you doing?’

  ‘Taking a photo of the two of you. We’re on our ‘olidays, incase you ‘adn’t noticed. I want to show the lads down the social club the kind of women I got to ‘ang around with on this cruise.’

  ‘I haven’t got any lipstick on,’ Jemma muttered, scrabbling round in her bag for her lip gloss, which Aimee was sure would have been a much easier task if her bag hadn’t been the size of a small suitcase.

  ‘You two don’t need make-up,’ Bob said, framing them both for another snap. ‘Wait ‘til you get to ‘er age,’ he grinned, indicating Barbara who was talking to another couple from the cruise who were also having lunch in the restaurant. ‘Then you’ll need Polyfilla, never mind chuffing lipstick.’

  ‘Bob!’ Aimee giggled, smiling at Barbara as she returned to her seat, looking around at the three of them as they carried on laughing.

  ‘Is he being cheeky again?’ Barbara asked, but she couldn’t stop smiling.

  ‘Aye. Just telling these two pretty young lasses ‘ow they shouldn’t be worrying about make-up and all that chuffing nonsense at their age.’

  ‘And no doubt making some remark about my age at the same time,’ she smiled, playfully punching her husband before they shared a very quick kiss, an act that made both Jemma and Aimee go ‘Awww’.

  ‘Do you think you and Robbie’ll ever be like that,’ Jemma said, checking the bill and rummaging around in that bag again for her purse.

  ‘Never,’ Aimee replied, probably a tad too quickly.

  Jemma looked at her. ‘Really? What do you think you’ll be like then?’

  Aimee shrugged. ‘Who knows? I just don’t think we’re anything like Bob and Barbara, that’s all. Well, Robbie isn’t, anyway.’

  Jemma frowned. ‘Is everything alright, Aimee?’

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Aimee smiled, putting her share of the bill down on the small silver tray the waiter had left in the centre of the table, only for Barbara to pick up the euros Aimee and Jemma had left and give them straight back to them.

  ‘This is on us, my lovelies,’ Barbara said with a non-nonsense tone. ‘To say thank you, both of you, for making this holiday one to remember. You’ve kept us oldies young and we can’t thank you enough.’

  ‘Oh, Barbara,’ Aimee gasped, slightly overwhelmed by this wonderful couple’s generosity. Their company, and their tremendous warmth and friendship had been something both Aimee and Jemma would cherish.

  ‘Not another word,’ Barbara smiled, patting Aimee’s hand. ‘You’ve made this cruise for us. We’ve not had such a good time in a long time, have we, Bob?’

  ‘We certainly ‘aven’t,’ Bob said, giving Aimee a look that silently asked if she was okay, and she smiled at him, giving him a brief nod. She had a lot to thank him for. A couple of short conversations with him and her head had become clearer than it ever could have done without him. ‘Now, shall we get a shift on, love, and ‘ave that walk round the shops? God knows we could with a few more souvenirs.’ Bob rolled his eyes after that last sentence, which made Aimee and Jemma giggle. Bob and Barbara’s souvenir spending habit had become almost legendary aboard the MS Atlantica, so much so that there was a rumour there’d been a whip round in The Pub the other night for a new suitcase for them so they could transport their souvenir stash back home!

  ‘Yes, let’s go and walk off some of that gorgeous food,’ Barbara sighed, hauling herself up out of her chair and adjusting the spaghetti-strap top she was wearing over her more-than-ample chest.

  ‘I must have put on at least half a stone during this cruise,’ Jemma said, looking down at her legs, which were still in rather good shape, all tanned and still toned from the hours her and Aimee had put in down the gym before this holiday. Hours they probably wouldn’t be repeating until they had another holiday on the horizon.

  ‘Get away!’ Barbara tutted, looking both Aimee and Jemma up and down. ‘There’s not a pick on either of you. Those young men of yours are lucky to have you, two beautiful girls like you.’

  ‘You’ll have me blushing in a minute,’ Aimee smiled, her and Jemma linking their arms through Barbara’s as they walked slowly around the shops and bars of this pretty resort, Bob happily bringing up the rear, puffing away on another cigarette.

  ‘Now, maybe I should buy something new for this party tonight,’ Barbara said, stopping in front of a little boutique. ‘I mean, it isn’t every day you get to go to the engagement party of a famous novelist, is it?’

  ‘Famous…?’ It took a few seconds for Aimee to realise that Barbara was talking about her mother. Marcie really did have herself a little fan club here, didn’t she? ‘I’m sure my mam is really looking forward to one of her biggest fans being there tonight.’ Aimee smiled, squeezing Barbara’s arm, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘Well, it’ll give me something to tell the girls back home at bingo,’ Barbara said, patting Aimee’s hand as it rested on her arm.

  Oh, it’ll give you that, alright, Aimee thought. Something to tell them, and then some. Depending on what Brendon unearthed.

  ‘I’ll just pop in here and see if they’ve got anything in my size,’ Barbara carried on.

  ‘She’ll be back out again in a minute and a half then,’ Bob grinned, receiving a gentle smack on the upper arm from his wife.

  ‘Cheeky bugger! You coming in, girls?’

  ‘I’ll wait out here,’ Aimee smiled, feeling the need to stay out in the fresh air. ‘Anyway, Jemma’s very much the Gok Wan out of the two of us. She’ll be more help than me.’

  ‘Gok who?’ Bob asked, taking a drag on his cigarette.

  ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Aimee laughed, absentmindedly looking down at her left hand, the engagement ring Robbie had given her glinting in the Spanish afternoon sun. She stared at it for a second. When had the shine suddenly worn off this re-engagement? She couldn’t remember. If the shine had ever returned, that is. She wasn’t altogether sure now.

  ‘You okay, lass?’ Bob asked, noticing her sudden mood change.

  Aimee looked at him, smiling a small smile. ‘Yeah. I think so. Look, I’m… I’m just gonna go for a little walk, okay?’

  Bob just nodded – a nod that said he understood. Then he stubbed his cigarette out on the wall behind him and hacked out a mammoth cough.

  Slipping on her sunglasses, Aimee started to walk slowly along past the row of shops, bars and cafes, quickly tapping out a text to Jemma telling her she’d just gone for a little walk to clear her head, everything was okay, but she just needed to think about things for a few minutes, and even though she knew that would only fuel Jemma’s need to know exactly what was going on, Aimee needed to be alone right now. She really did need to clear her head, and she’d had enough company for one day. She could do without the distractions now; right now she had to make sure she knew what she was doing tonight, make sure it all went the way she wanted it to. Best laid plans and all that.

  Text message finished, Aimee slid her phone back into her bag and continued to walk, loving the feel of the sun on her back, the view of the sea and the beach and the constant hum of chatter and noise that filled the air, the sound of people enjoying themselves surrounding her. This had certainly been one hell of a holiday, she couldn’t deny that. And if she played her cards right tonight, it was going to end just the way she wanted it to. Although, part of her didn’t want it to end at all.

  Walking past a kiosk selling drinks and ice creams, she stopped for a second to buy a fresh bottle of water and as she received her change, slipping the coins into the pocket of her short denim skirt, she peered matter-of-factly into the bar next door, mainly because it was playing an Enrique Iglesias track she really liked. The bar was busy, the music making it seem like a fun place to stop and have a drink and she thought for a couple of seconds about grabbing that free front-line table – perfect for taking in the stunning views – but as she started to walk slowly towards the bar, her eyes fell
on somebody sitting at a table set back slightly from the front. Somebody familiar. Somebody very familiar. Somebody who was sitting there, bold as brass, holding the hand of a girl Aimee recognised from the entertainment team. One of the dancers. She’d seen her perform many a time over the course of this holiday during the regular West-End-style shows the team put on in the Vegas Show Lounge so there was no mistaking who she was. A young and pretty girl, and she was looking into his eyes as though he was the most wonderful thing in the world. Well, Aimee had made that mistake once, hadn’t she? And look where that had got her. Just as well she’d already made up her mind that she wasn’t going to let that happen again, although she hadn’t realised just how close to total humiliation she’d been until she’d seen this for herself. So, here was the more-than-obvious-reason for all those furtive phone calls then; the panicked looks and his sudden distracted behaviour. Robbie Cartwright – one hell of a lying bastard!

  And whilst seeing him there, with another woman, well, it stung a bit. But it didn’t fill her with any sadness, it wasn’t painful; she didn’t feel upset or hurt. She felt angry. That was the only emotion she could come up with right now. Anger. And a touch of confusion. Okay, so seeing him with another woman wasn’t a complete surprise – she’d half expected this after all the phone calls and that change in his behaviour; his lack of physical contact when they were alone. All of those were certain giveaways that something hadn’t been right in their relationship. But what it didn’t explain was why he was in huddled, heated conversations with Davina Black. And why – when they were in public, and especially if Danny was anywhere close by – he was always eager to hold her hand or have his arm around her shoulders. It was also the only time he kissed her now, too – when they were in company, but never when they were alone.

  Turning away from the bar Aimee headed towards the main street in search of a taxi back to the boat. Because there was only one person she needed to talk to now. One person she needed to see. And maybe he could help shed some light on what was really going on here.

  4.10pm

  Vegas Show Lounge

  Despite his mood being less than enthusiastic, Danny had decided to quit with the sniping at Andy and get on with whatever it was they had left to do; pull his weight and get this all over with, because once he was home he had a lot of decisions to make – about both his personal life and his future with Bon Voyage. Neither of which he was 100% certain about at this point in time.

  He couldn’t get that brief conversation he’d had with Aimee that morning out of his mind. She’d asked him what it was he really wanted, and still he hadn’t been able to just come out and say it – that what he really wanted was her. How hard could it possibly be to just say those words? Because, if he had her then he knew everything else would just fall into place. He was certain of it.

  ‘Penny for them,’ Cal smiled, sitting down on the edge of the stage next to Danny as they took a break from the almost relentless round of rehearsals they’d undergone that day.

  ‘Not sure you could afford them, mate,’ Danny sighed, pushing a hand through his dark hair.

  Cal stared down at his clasped hands. ‘Is it Aimee’s engagement party?’

  Danny looked at Cal. ‘Huh?’

  ‘This engagement party. Is it on your mind? I mean, I know how you feel about…’

  ‘No. You don’t, Cal. You don’t know how I feel. Nobody does. Not even me.’

  ‘That complicated, huh?’

  ‘That complicated.’

  ‘Hey, come on, guys!’ Andy shouted from the back of the stage, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. ‘Let’s get back to work here. We’ve only got this place for another hour and I reckon we could do with another run-through before we’re done here.’

  ‘He speaks, we jump,’ Danny sighed, pulling himself up to his feet.

  ‘Danny, mate, what is it with you two?’

  ‘You don’t wanna know, Cal. Really. You don’t.’

  Cal decided it was best just to leave things the way they were. Despite that snipe just there, it appeared that a truce between Danny Johnson and Andy Crabtree had finally been called, and who was he to ruin that? Especially if it meant the rest of these rehearsals remained uneventful.

  But then, suddenly, the doors to the Vegas Show Lounge were flung open, and everybody swung round to see just who it was that was making such a grand entrance, Danny’s face breaking into a smile the second he saw Aimee, although his expression changed slightly when he noticed hers – she looked a bit stressed. She certainly looked tired, like she’d been in some kind of a hurry.

  ‘Everything okay, Aimee?’ Danny asked, squinting slightly, shielding his eyes as he looked over at her, the theatre lights meaning he couldn’t really see her as clearly as he wanted to from where she was standing.

  ‘Can I have a word, Danny? Please?’ Aimee asked, clutching her side. She had a bit of a stitch now. That’d teach her to assume she was fitter than she really was and run up the stairs to the Show Lounge two at a time instead of taking the lift.

  ‘Yeah. Yeah, of course you can,’ Danny replied, immediately jumping down off the low stage.

  ‘Hey, Danny, where you going?’ Andy shouted after him. ‘We’re still rehearsing here! Listen, sweetheart, you can’t just barge on in here like this and pull him out of here, we’re in the middle of something.’

  ‘Shut it, Andy,’ Danny shouted back, without turning round to look at him. ‘You don’t decide what I can and can’t do so back off.’

  ‘Jesus Christ! Danny! Come on!’

  ‘I’ll be back in a bit, Andy.’

  Danny followed Aimee out of the Show Lounge, neither of them saying anything until they were back up on the still-deserted top deck, taking refuge by the shuffleboard court, well out of earshot of any prying eyes, ears or reality TV cameramen.

  ‘I’ve just seen Robbie, when I was down in La Manga, in a bar, with one of the entertainment team. A female member of the entertainment team. And they were holding hands, and she was looking into his eyes, and…’

  ‘Whoa, whoa, slow down there,’ Danny said, gently holding onto her arms as she looked away from him, out to sea, the cool breeze that had suddenly materialised from somewhere blowing her hair into her eyes. Why did she now suddenly feel like crying? Because Robbie Cartwright had made her look an idiot. Again. That’s why. ‘You saw your Robbie?’

  ‘Well, he certainly isn’t mine anymore, Danny, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Are you sorry about that?’

  She looked at him – right into those ice-blue eyes. ‘Do you know what? No. I’m not sorry about that, in fact, I don’t think I ever really wanted him back. Not really. I guess all I was doing was trying to convince myself that taking him back was the best thing to do because Davina had told me that you certainly didn’t want me anymore…’

  ‘Okay, hold it there. Just… just rewind back a bit there, kidda. Davina told you I didn’t want you anymore? When did she tell you this?’

  ‘The day after her and Robbie joined us on the ship.’

  ‘She actually said those words? That I didn’t want you anymore?’

  Aimee shrugged, still looking into those incredible eyes of his. ‘As good as. She said you’d called off the divorce and that I should stick with Robbie and forget about you because you’d realised that you couldn’t live without her…’

  Danny held up his hands, silently telling her to stop talking now. He’d heard enough. ‘Well, you’ve probably already guessed that that’s not true. In any way. And I never, ever said that I couldn’t live without her, or that I didn’t want you anymore.’ He was looking right into her eyes now - right into them. Almost as if he was staring into her very soul. ‘I absolutely, categorically, never said that I didn’t want you.’

  Aimee felt her heart jump around in her chest, her breath catching in her throat as she listened to him speak.

  ‘So…’ Danny carried on, still looking right at her, ‘… because Davina told
you what she told you, is that why you agreed to go back to Robbie?’

  Aimee nodded. She really could not tear her eyes away from him. ‘If you didn’t want me then there didn’t seem much of a reason not to give it another go with Robbie. Despite the fact it’s now become evident there are a million and one reasons why I should never have trusted him again. I was stupid, and weak, and sucked in by him. For a second time.’

  Danny pushed a hand through his hair, finally breaking the stare, looking away for a second as he tried to get everything he was hearing into perspective. And everything he’d been told. ‘So, I’m going to hazard a guess here that you didn’t – at any point – tell Andy that you didn’t want me?’

  Aimee frowned. ‘No. Is that what he’s been saying?’

  Danny turned back to face her. ‘He said he saw you outside Sirocco’s… He said that you told him you were going back to Robbie – you were definitely going back to Robbie, so I should just…’

  ‘Hang on. Was this the first night Robbie was on the ship?’

  ‘I… I think so, yes.’

  ‘I hadn’t actually decided if I was definitely taking him back at that point. I mean, we were talking and stuff, but… I hadn’t made any concrete decisions. Not really.’

  It was Danny’s turn to frown. ‘So… let me try and get this straight… you didn’t speak to Andy at all that night?’

  Aimee shook her head. ‘To be honest, Danny, although I stupidly thought I was still in love with Robbie, until Davina told me that you didn’t want me anymore I hadn’t made that final decision to go back to him. I guess I still hoped, y’know, that maybe you and me… But, once I’d seen Davina, I didn’t see the point in trying to talk to you anymore. She’d already told me all I needed to know so what was the point of me banging my head off a brick wall?’

  ‘You were gonna talk to me?’

  Aimee nodded. ‘Yeah. The morning after Robbie and Davina turned up. I was coming to look for you when Davina cornered me on my way out of the Lido Café. I’d wanted to get things straight in my own head, y’know? Get it all sorted. I wanted to hear how you felt before I made any decisions but, well, Davina she – she kind of sorted that for me really, didn’t she?’