Tripping On Love

by Carrie Stone

  Putting Mark from my mind, I filled her in on my split from Will, followed by stories of Mel, Edward, my work and finally my incident with Mark. Her eyes grew wide as I told her the story, beginning at my mother's gathering and ending with a dramatic voice that Mark was here in the restaurant. Right at this very moment.

  'No?' her head instinctively flew in all directions and if I wasn't so on edge I would have laughed.

  'Where is he? I can't see him' she said still craning her neck around, attracting attention from nearby tables. The waiter discreetly approached.

  'I'm sorry madam, is there a problem? Would you like to order something else?'

  'No' we said in unison a little too loudly and rudely. There always had to be one person to ruin the moment and the waiter had dispelled our drama.

  'I do apologise. I assumed you were trying to get my attention.' He looked uncomfortable as he scuttled away. I hoped it wasn't his first day.

  'OK, in a moment, look to your left. Past the fat man with Caesar dressing on his chin, beyond the redhead with the pink necklace and fake boobs. He's the one in the light blue shirt, sitting with that old bulldog of a woman.' I instructed Soreena.

  She discreetly turned her head far longer than the few seconds that she should have, and turned back towards me with a shocked expression.

  'Mark Williams?! All this time you've been chatting about Mark Williams?' she picked up her large glass of wine and took a healthy gulp. She burst into laughter. 'I can't believe you turned down Mark Williams!' Good on you for not wasting your energy on that one.'

  I eyed her questioningly. Soreena knew everyone along the coast and if anyone was to know the tit for tat stories that had circulated, it was bound to be her.

  'Firstly, the woman he is dining with is his elderly mother. She had him late in life and they have a notoriously close relationship. Quite frankly, I'm shocked you managed to get as far as your living room with him, without her tagging along.'

  Big strike number one. Moody Mark had an interfering mother. I wasn't sure if I felt relief at the fact she was his mother or horror, seeing as I’d assumed she was flirting with him. Soreena continued.

  'He is also known as a total slag along this coast. I bet you would be hard pushed to find anyone that hadn’t at some point had their legs wrapped around him.' She smirked slyly.

  'You've slept with Mark?' I gasped.

  'Well if you can call it that; I was young and he was available. It lasted a whole two minutes before he had to rush off somewhere. Probably to go and call his mother' she smiled.

  Laughing, I picked up my wine glass.

  ‘Now I’ve discovered he's a sex mad mummy's boy, I don’t feel quite so bad about turning down his advances.’

  Surprisingly, Soreena's revelation had made me feel much better about things. Mark was used to flirting and luring women into his bed; I was only intended as another notch on his bed post. Being disloyal to Edward didn't come into the equation; I had simply been seduced by Mark and thankfully, it hadn’t worked. Looking up, I smiled at Soreena.

  'I think it's about time us girls got around to planning a night out, don't you? Think of all those men waiting for us to change their lives.’ We both giggled and got stuck into the huge seafood salads that were sitting untouched before us.

  During lunch, I had learned all about Soreena's recent relationship and life in Dubai. Amongst the glitter and glamour of it all was a sad, touching side.

  Soreena had been promised a life of diamonds and instead had been forced to endure Swarovski crystal. It was only natural she'd leave him in the end; Soreena would never settle for less than perfection.

  As the wine flowed, so too did further revelations. I learnt that Soreena had recently met a new prospective partner whom she was keeping under wraps. Furthermore, that Mark had once been caught by his mother in bed with another person. Unexpectedly, the other person was a man named Michael. After my astonishment subsided, I felt slightly sick that I’d allowed Mark's tongue to come anywhere near me.

  Soreena excused herself to attend the restroom, as I finished eating the last remnants of my braised pears. Only as the waiter approached to clear our table, did I spot Mark walking towards me. Unable to hide my awkwardness, especially after the stories that had been revealed, I averted my gaze. It wasn't enough to avoid the harsh stare that he fixed upon me as he got closer.

  Hoping to avoid a scene, I focused my attention on the waiter and requested the bill. It worked. Mark carried on walking straight past me; without a word of recognition, he headed for the door. His mother, frail and elderly, followed closely behind him.

  Soreena returned just as my pulse started to settle back to its regular pace.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  Pacing the terrace, I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed Coco copying my every step. I'd already conversed with Ronnie in preparation for my meeting with Sasha later in the day. A photographer would be present along with Sasha's creative design team.

  Despite my workload, Edward plagued my thoughts. No longer could I find excuses for his sheer ignorance. Any feelings of hope and excitement had been replaced with anger and humiliation. He hadn't called in six days.

  Soreena hadn’t skipped a beat when I'd told her the situation. She had looked at me with sympathy before shaking her head in bewilderment.

  'Wake up, Lizzie - it's obvious he already has a girlfriend' was all she had replied. Enough to make me tremble with sickening realisation. I'd been played. Charmed, dined and wooed. And I’d fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

  There probably wasn't even a business trip to Hong Kong or Abu Dhabi. And if there was, his wife or his partner was likely to be sitting by his very side, unaware that he'd planned to shamelessly seduce me. The phone call he'd received at our very first dinner had been the red flag, yet I’d stupidly dismissed Mel's theory, eager to see him again. What a foolish woman I’d been.

  Coco stopped pacing alongside me, tilting her tiny head upwards to look at me. Bending down I scooped her up, allowing the small, wet, puppy kisses against my face. Fuck Edward; I didn't need him anyway. I had Coco for kisses and laughter. At least for another week.

  Three hours later, with my notes and Ronnie's brief secured in my handbag, I made my way to the Venetia Plaza Hotel. As I approached the exit into the centre of Marbella, the grandeur presence of the newly built hotel could be spotted half a mile away. They had certainly done a wonderful job of the concept.

  On approach, I passed through two marble archways until I reached the Venetian style façade, complimented by an extremely large, ornate water feature at its entrance. Mosaic gold and silver flooring added elegance and exclusivity alongside exotic trees and shrubbery. Parking beside a construction lorry, I noticed the sandy beach and blue sea just visible near to the hotel's pool area.

  As I’d agreed to meet Sasha in the main lobby, I took the opportunity to walk the longer route towards the entrance. Even though the hotel was still under construction, it was evident that a huge amount of financing and energy had gone into the project. The attention to detail was unsurpassable, even in its incomplete state.

  Reaching the main entrance, I walked into a vast high ceilinged space to be greeted by walls of water and an oversized statue of a bronzed centurion. A woman with sharp elfin features and hair pulled back so tightly that she'd given herself a face lift, was speaking loudly into her mobile.

  'I don't care. I was told that Teddy or another member of the board would be here this week to oversee things. Once again it's been left to me.' Her pointed jaw was tightening with each word.

  Stepping into her line of view to make her aware of my presence, she raised her finger to me and continued speaking.

  'I know it's my job but I will not be held responsible if the board isn't happy with the overall design. I have a meeting now with an independent agency regarding marketing. We'll have to continue this conversation later.' She hung up the call and smiled politely walking towards me.

&nbs
p; Up close, I realised Sasha wasn’t as young as I'd originally assumed her to be. Her eyes were dark and thundery. Extending my hand I announced myself, expecting a warm exchange.

  'Yes, I know who you are. Let's get started on the tour. The photo shoot is already underway' she commanded, ignoring my outstretched hand. Reaching for her clipboard, she buttoned up her black blazer.

  The tour droned on steadily, Sasha's monotone voice lulling me into a bored state. It was hard to believe this was the same woman I'd had email dealings with. The hint of humour and wit displayed in her written communication was a far cry from the flat energy she exuded. After the first hour I'd already seen most of the important areas that would be included in the review, including the mesmerising indoor garden area, with colourful plantation and water features.

  Workmen and builders continued to go about their jobs around us, oblivious to Sasha's critical stares in their direction. She led me to one of the superior show suites, currently playing host to the design team and photo shoot.

  'That's it babe, just move that cushion a bit to the left' a gruff male voice called out from behind a free standing light reflector.

  Sasha clapped her hands loudly in an attempt to demand the attention of all those present. Her ridiculous endeavour gained sly glances and little co-operation.

  'Let's take five minutes everyone. I need to check the shots so far' said the gruff voice again.

  Grateful for the reprieve from Sasha's rising tension, I walked towards where the voice was situated, obscured behind the light reflector. Coming face to face with the mystery photographer, a hint of a smile played on my lips. The momentum of surprise almost rendered me breathless. Mr 17A was stood staring back at me.

  'You. What are you doing here?' he asked stunned, his face paling. Sasha joined us as I looked in confusion at Mr 17A, my smile vanishing.

  'David, I see you've already met Lizzie?

  David. Mr 17A was called David. I hadn’t paid any attention to his business card since our airport rendezvous - it was undoubtedly somewhere at the bottom of my handbag. Except David didn't look as pleased to see me as I would have expected. He shrugged, lowering his eyes.

  'Yes, we met at the airport' I volunteered, watching as David began to wring his hands. He was acting very strangely indeed. No hint of the helpful, dashing stranger that I’d met five days previously.

  A tall blonde girl entered the room, her silky hair swaying around her shoulders.

  'Here you go' she said in a strong Australian accent, passing David a cup of coffee. Sasha watched with interest, a slight smirk on her lips.

  'Fergie' she said to the tall blonde. 'Meet Lizzie'. Fergie's face lit up into a broad smile as she moved across to shake my hand.

  'Hi, nice to meet you' I said, whilst discreetly surveying the room and its fixtures. David remained quiet, fiddling with his camera, unable to look up. What was his problem?

  Sasha took out her notepad, walking towards David to review the photo's he was staring intently at. She turned back towards me with a glint in her eye.

  'Fergie heads up my design team. She's an absolute star.'

  'I don't disbelieve it, you only need to look around to see what an amazing job you've done' I replied generously. Fergie giggled, a small smile of pride forming on her face. Sasha agreed, nodding.

  'Yes, especially now that her husband David is here to do the photo shoot, capturing all that hard work' she looked at me purposefully.

  The sharp intake of breath from David was enough to cause all three of us to look in his direction.

  Lying creep. He was married. He'd gone out of his way to try to be a knight in shining armour at the airport and yet he was already involved. I looked again at Fergie. Tall, beautiful and talented. Blissfully unaware of what a letch her husband was. My hands trembled in anger and my voice cracked as I forced a chuckle.

  ‘Let's hope David does Fergie justice with his photos. I wouldn’t want her hard work going to waste.'

  Sasha smiled at me tightly. 'Right, I think that's just about everything. Shall we make our way downstairs to tie things up?'

  Ignoring the smug, satisfied look on her face and glancing one last time at David in disbelief, I nodded my agreement and followed her out of the room.

  The next hour was spent discussing proposed content, layout and photo options to be included in the review and by the time we were finished, I was looking forward to getting back to the villa. My energy had been spent. The thought of a home cooked meal and a chilled glass of wine, far more appealing than any date with a man.

  Driving home, I allowed the fears that had burrowed themselves deep after my split with Will, to resurface. Could any man be trusted?

  Too anguished to think about Edward and riled by David’s deviousness, I let out a painful sigh. If staying single meant protecting myself from being made a fool of, or having my heart squeezed as if in a vice, then I was willing to embrace the aloneness. Being in love was far too complicated.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  My Taxi approached the queue of expensive cars lining up outside the venue to park. I was looking forward to my evening of drinks with Soreena. Any thoughts of men and deception had been pushed to the back of my mind. Tonight was about enjoying myself.

  Large naked flames burned brightly from granite holders either side of Silks doorway as the Taxi drew closer. A mixture of international guests poured out through its entrance, champagne in ice buckets prominent fixtures on outdoor tables. I recognised faces from the crème of the Marbella social scene. Slightly visible through the smoky windows and gold signage, a throng of people sipped cocktails and danced amongst themselves.

  With my new tight white and navy striped dress, deeply tanned skin and platform heels, I felt confident I would blend well.

  'Just here will be fine.' I instructed the driver.

  Immediately pulling to a halt, the Spanish driver turned off the engine and pointed at the metre. Opening my purse, I paid him the extortionate fare before smoothing down my hair and carefully getting out of the Taxi.

  Confidently striding the few metres towards the buzzing entrance, I noticed a group of stylish Scandinavian men on the sofa to the right of the doorway. On approach, one of the men gave a nudge and distinctive nod in my direction. I averted my eyes, smiling coyly and throwing my shoulders back to enhance my impressive cleavage. Tonight I was feeling sexy and I wanted everybody to know it. Lizzie had landed and was ready to party.

  My feet had other ideas. With each step, my new shoes loosened, threatening to fly off. Carrying on striding purposefully towards the roped entrance, I tried gripping the inner sole with my toes. Surely it wasn’t possible for my feet to have shrunk in the six hours since I'd purchased them? I would have to head straight for the ladies loo and stuff out the toe area with toilet tissue. Already my glamorous image was fast disintegrating.

  The burly Colombian bouncer stepped aside to allow me access into the heaving bar brimming with an array of people, most of whom were pleasing to the eye and sporting designer clothes and watches.

  Soreena had said she and H would be located in the quieter, back area of the bar. I looked to the raised platforms at the far end adorned with crystal chandeliers and purple velvet seating. Under the glistening crystal, Soreena could easily be spotted in a bright fuchsia dress; her long blonde hair curled into a wild messy mane. She looked stunning.

  Weaving through the crowd and catching many sly looks from competitive women and flirtatious men, I headed for the platform. The small, well built man gazing adoringly at Soreena was clearly smitten. Stepping up onto the raised floor, I smiled broadly at Soreena and her date.

  'Hi.' Soreena stood up to greet me, kissing me on both cheeks. It had only been a few days since our lunch date but she looked slightly slimmer and radiant. H was clearly doing her a world of good. As if on cue, he stood up beside her.

  'Hello babe, nice to meet you.’ His stocky frame, broken nose and square jaw gave him a masculine rough edge. Reac
hing across to kiss me on the cheek I was surprised by his broad East London accent.

  I seated myself next to Soreena in full view of the bar. H stepped past me, his aftershave wafting heavily in the air.

  'What you drinking babe?' he asked stepping down from the platform and signalling to the waitress nearby. A man with manners. I liked him already.

  'I'll have a peach Bellini please.' I reached across to the slightly damp serviette next to Soreena's drink and discreetly scrunched it into a ball.

  'What are you doing?' Soreena asked forehead furrowed. I ignored her; slipping off my shoe under the table and reaching down to put the damp ball inside.

  'Much better' I said testing the shoes tighter fit. 'I've got shoe issues - keep slipping off as I walk' I said turning around to ensure H was out of earshot. Soreena caught on.

  'So' she asked excitedly. 'What do you think? First impression?'

  'He's very manly, I don’t think you'll be getting into any trouble with him taking care of you' I joked. 'Plus I like his manners. Straight up to the bar to get me a drink and refill yours too' I said approvingly. Soreena nodded happily.

  'I know, I keep wanting to pinch myself. I can’t believe I've met someone so nice.'

  H was back within minutes, passing us our drinks. The queue for the bar was at least two persons deep and it hadn’t gone unnoticed that he'd managed to get served immediately.

  Sitting opposite to Soreena and I, he spent the majority of time focusing on Soreena as he spoke, his sharp sense of humour causing us both to laugh heartily and often. Soreena seemed very taken with his supposed role as an import/export entrepreneur. I suspected otherwise. He didn’t strike me as the type to know how to turn on a computer, let alone run a successful business. I kept my opinion to myself, cautious of bursting Soreena's love struck bubble.

  I sipped my third fizzy peach Bellini and allowed myself to take pleasure in the light headedness that engulfed me. I set my head back against the cushioned wall and stretched out my legs. It had been lovely spending time in H's company but the bar was heaving and the music upbeat and danceable. I was desperate to get up and enjoy myself, not sit and play the gooseberry in a love nest.