by Lacey London
‘Very well, my friend.’ Andrea smiles warmly and puts her hands on her hips. ‘Please, let me show you to your table.’ Pushing chairs out of the way, she beckons for us to follow her.
We follow the bar around to the right and out onto the balcony. Blue waters stretch out as far as the eye can see, setting the scene for the perfect, uninterrupted sunset. Sliding into a seat, I place Noah between Oliver and myself and laugh as Gina struggles to get in with her big bum. To say that none of us were really up for coming out tonight was an understatement, but this place really is beautiful. Picking up my menu, I lick my lips as I eye up the many intriguing appetisers.
‘What are you having?’ I ask Gina, not wanting to order a starter if no one else is.
‘Everything!’ She scoffs, grabbing a handful of peanuts from the table.
Shaking my head, I try to keep Noah occupied with my phone as the rest of the group order drinks with Andrea. Deciding that I have had enough rum punch to last me a lifetime, I opt for a Diet Coke and look out over the calm water.
‘It’s such a shame Lianna had to run off.’ Eve takes Melrose from Marc and bounces her on her knee. ‘We could have toasted the happy couple.’
‘It’s definitely going ahead then, this wedding?’ Owen asks, dabbing a napkin on his forehead.
‘It is indeed.’ I confirm, twisting my own wedding band around my finger. ‘In six short days, Lianna will be a married woman.’
‘I’ve got deja vu.’ Marc chuckles as a little laugh goes around the table.
‘I know, but this time I think she actually has something with Vernon.’ I lock eyes with Marc who eventually nods his head in agreement.
You can’t blame Marc for being a little pessimistic. After every one of Lianna’s messy breakups, it was Marc and myself who had to pick up the pieces. Although you have to give it to Vernon, he actually seems just as infatuated with Lianna as she does with him. Breathing in the salty sea air, I watch another table clink cocktail classes together happily and immediately regret my decision to order a soft drink. The restaurant is buzzing with the excitement, but at the same time keeps a laid back ambience, in the way that only Barbados can. This relaxed pace of life is something that I will miss when we return to the UK. The hustle and bustle of London’s cosmopolitan streets seem a million miles away right now.
‘So, apart from Lianna’s impending nuptials, is there anything else you guys wanna do for the rest of the trip? Oliver asks, accepting an ice cold glass of beer from Andrea.
‘I want to do a catamaran trip. You know, the one where you can swim with the turtles?’ Handing MJ a bottle of water, Gina reaches into her handbag and produces a selection of pamphlets. ‘There’s actually a few things we could do. Rum tours, surf lessons, scuba diving… oh, and there’s a golf club.’
I spot Oliver’s eyes light up at the mention of golf.
‘Could I see those for a second?’ He reaches over and takes the golf leaflet from Gina.
Strategically placing it between himself and Owen, he gives him a little nudge as they both become engrossed in the text. Locking eyes with Eve, I shake my head and turn my attention to the tasty looking menu. Deciding between the chicken and the fish takes me a good five minutes. If it were just Oliver and I, I am not ashamed to admit that I would have gone for both, but seeing as though we have company I decide to be a lady and plump for the chicken. Waiting until the rest of them have placed their orders, I take the pile of pamphlets and flick through the pages. If we had the time I would do each and every one of these. Let’s face it, I don’t think I have much chance of swimming with turtles back in London. Not unless I put a few in my bathtub with me anyway.
‘When did we arrange to go wedding dress shopping with Li?’ Gina’s brow furrows as she fights with Madison for her lipstick.
‘Day after tomorrow.’ Eve confirms, licking her lips.
‘Please tell me you didn’t just say wedding dress shopping?’ Oliver runs a hand through his hair and sighs dramatically.
‘I’m sure we can give the boys a day pass to enjoy the golf. What do you say, ladies?’ Tearing apart a bread roll, I hand a piece to Noah and wait for them to reply.
‘I guess so…’ Gina muses, devouring a handful of nuts in one giant mouthful. ‘But wouldn’t you be terribly upset at missing out on hour after hour of trying on bridal gowns?’
‘I think we would survive.’ Oliver laughs, reaching for his drink.
Taking a sip of my Diet Coke, I giggle as Noah reaches out for more bread.
‘What about you, Marc?’ Eve asks, handing him the leaflet. ‘Are you joining the boys on their little golfing trip?’
‘I guess so, but you do know that if we’re going down the boy/girl route, the boys can come with us and you can take the girls along to your shopping trip.’ Leaning back in his seat, he flashes me a wink and motions to the kids.
‘That seems fair enough.’ Eve smiles at Madison and pulls her ponytail gently.
I let out a quiet scoff and look over at Gina. Being childless, Eve doesn’t really understand just how difficult everyday tasks can be when you throw kids into the mix. Truth be told, I would take Noah and MJ over Madison and Melrose any day. Eve hasn’t been exposed to one of Madison’s mega meltdowns before, so I don’t think she really knows what she is letting herself in for. We have definitely pulled the short straw on this one.
The boys chat animatedly about their impending golf trip as Gina and Eve discuss what kind of wedding dress Li will go for. Turning around in my seat, I watch a young couple walk hand in hand along the shore. Pausing to take photographs of each other, they ask a passer-by to take one of the pair of them and fall about laughing as a couple of locals photobomb them. The trees rustle behind them as they continue on their journey, creating the perfect background noise to the pretty scene. Exhaling quietly, I pluck Noah from his high chair and plant a kiss head. Music starts to play down on the beach and the entire table erupts into laughter as Gina starts to dance in her seat. Accepting another drink from Andrea, I take a sip and join in the laughter.
Looking around the table at everyone’s smiling faces, I try to commit the moment to memory. Vernon might have stolen Lianna’s heart, but I think it’s safe to say that Barbados has gotten a hold of ours…
Time wasted at the beach is time well spent…
Chapter 11
‘Are you sure you’ll be OK?’ I bite my lip anxiously as Eve takes hold of Noah.
‘We will be fine.’ Laughing off my concerns, she tickles Noah on the tummy and turns to face Owen. ‘Isn’t that right, Owen?’
My eyes flit to Owen as he looks down at Melrose dubiously. Why do I have a feeling that this is not going to be as easy as they think? Over dinner last night, Gina decided that today we would do a catamaran trip. What she didn’t realise at the time, was that the kids didn’t meet the minimum age requirements to take part. Suddenly deciding that she could do with some practice, Eve jumped in and offered to play mummy for the day. Now, if you don’t know Eve you would be forgiven for not finding this unusual, but ever since I met her, she has made it crystal clear that children are not on her radar. The fact she has volunteered for an afternoon of chasing around after four excitable children is more than a little out of character.
The sun shines brightly down on us as I hover on the harbour, not knowing whether or not to stay behind.
‘Are we going to the beach yet?’ Madison asks, jumping up and down on the spot.
‘In a minute.’ Owen whispers, looking frankly terrified.
Stifling a laugh, I pull my bag up onto my sunburnt shoulder. A few more people have gathered at the pickup point, signalling that it is almost time to leave. Pushing my sunglasses up into my hair, I let out a sigh plant a kiss on Noah’s cheek.
‘Clara!’ Oliver yells over the music. ‘They’ll be fine. Let’s go!’
‘You have all of our numbers if you need anything at all.’ Blowing them a kiss, I pause for a moment before squeezing my way through the crowd.
Smiling apologetically at Gina, I take a sip from my water bottle and look over my shoulder. ‘I’m really worried about them!’
‘About who?’ Marc scoffs. ‘The Lakes or the kids?’
‘Very funny, but I’m being serious! I just hope they can handle it.’ I’m trying to stay positive, but my mothering instincts are causing me to fret.
Lianna links her arm through mine and shoots me a wink. ‘Don’t worry!’
‘Trust me, when you have three of them, you will be thankful when someone foolishly agrees to take them!’ Cackling loudly, Gina adjusts her tiny swimsuit and waves at the cute captain.
Rolling my eyes, I apply a layer of SPF to my lips. I suppose they’re right. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? Telling myself not to worry, I try to shake it off and get into the spirit of things. Swimming with turtles has always been something that I have wanted to do. We actually came close in Mexico, but opted for a dolphin trip instead. Fiddling with my ticket, I glance at Marc and try to work out what he is up to. As you already know, Marc can’t swim, so I am very puzzled as to why he has chosen to come along today. For as long as I have known him, Marc has avoided any situation that could possibly put him in deep water. For him to have a sudden change of heart and voluntarily be taken out to sea to be thrown in with the turtles is more than a little perturbing.
Following the rest of the group onto the boat, I slide onto the bench and get settled to listen to the welcome speech. From what I can gather, we are going to eat, drink, swim with the turtles and then eat and drink some more. Accepting a glass of rum punch, I pull down the straps on my dress as the motor kicks in and we pull away from the harbour. The ocean sparkles like diamonds under the strong sunrays as we move along the water. Feeling myself start to relax, I enjoy the sensation of the wind in my hair. Other customers clink their plastic cups together happily and pose for photos against the amazing backdrop.
‘Isn’t this amazing?’ Lianna breathes, stretching out in her seat. ‘I could live on one of these.’
‘Some people do…’ Vernon muses, whipping off his top and joining her.
‘Really?’ Struggling with the zipper on my shorts, I finally manage to wiggle out of them and collapse onto the bench with a thud.
‘Yeah. They got rum, fish, the open water. What more do you need?’ He rubs SPF into his shoulders and chuckles. ‘I’ve often thought about it myself.’
I look around and have to admit that he has got a point. Glancing over at Oliver who is talking animatedly to the crew, I take a sip of my punch and stretch out to enjoy the sunshine. A group of girls opposite have learner plates taped to their t-shirts, signalling to the world that they are on a hen do.
‘Are you having a hen do?’ I ask, rolling over to face Lianna.
‘A what?’ Vernon laughs.
‘She means a bachelorette party.’ Li laughs, resting her head on his shoulder.
‘Damn straight she’s having a bachelorette party!’ He slips off his sunglasses and throws an arm around Lianna’s shoulders.
‘Does that mean you’ve already planned your stag do?’ I ask, raising my eyebrows in mock horror.
‘Bachelor party.’ Li translates, entwining her fingers with his.
‘What are we doing for a stag do?’ Marc chips in, not one to miss out on a party.
‘Funnily enough, my brother asked me the same thing.’ Vernon shrugs his shoulders as Marc looks at him expectantly. ‘I’m just going to leave that to him. I don’t want anything crazy though, just a traditional Bajan bachelor party.’
‘What exactly does a traditional Bajan bachelor party entail?’ Oliver asks, tearing himself away from the friendly instructor.
‘A little fishing, some rum, dominoes, a cigar or two...’ Vernon pushes himself to his feet and leans over the railing. ‘You guys up for that?’
Oliver’s face lights up at the prospect of fishing and they immediately begin discussing their plans. Taking the opportunity to quiz Li about her own hen do, I accept a refill on my punch and turn to face her.
‘So, that’s Vernon’s sorted, what are we doing for yours?
‘Can we get a stripper?’ Gina’s eyes gleam as she rubs tanning oil into her already brown legs.
‘I don’t think so…’ Lianna wags a finger and looks at us sternly. ‘I don’t want anything stupid.’
Locking eyes with Gina, I flash her a knowing wink. We both know that Lianna would love a crazy hen do. This, I don’t want any fuss protest is all an act. Deciding to leave it for now, I roll onto my side and watch the boys chat happily. Boats have never really been my thing, but this is strangely relaxing. All this bobbing around would normally make me sea sick, today however couldn’t be more different. With the sun shining down on me and the wind in my hair, I couldn’t feel more at ease.
Noticing that the boys are out of earshot, I slide over to Gina and point at Marc. ‘What’s going on there?’ I ask, chewing on the end of my straw.
‘What do you mean?’ Shielding her eyes from the sun, she rocks her shoulders in time to the music.
‘Marc hates water.’ I whisper, pushing my sunglasses up into my hair.
Pursing her lips, Gina raises her eyebrows innocently. ‘I don’t know.’
I squint my eyes suspiciously as she rolls on to her stomach. ‘Yes, you do! What’s going on?’
‘Nothing!’ She protests, holding up her hands in defence.
‘Gina!’ Slapping her on the bum, I take her beaker and refuses to give it back until she fesses up.
‘Alright!’ Shuffling into a sitting position, she snatches back her drink and lowers her voice to little more than a whisper. ‘James has been teaching Marc how to swim.’
‘What?’ My brow creases into a frown. ‘James the chef?’
‘Yes, James the chef.’ Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that no one is listening, she motions for me to keep my voice down.
‘That’s amazing! So, can he swim now?’ I look over at Marc and feel a swell of pride.
Shrugging her shoulders in response, she finishes her drink and pushes herself to her feet. ‘I honestly don’t know. I didn’t want to pressure him by bugging him about it.’
Taking that as my cue to shut up, I reach over for my bag and pull out my sun cream. I notice a faint tan line on my shoulders and feel a wave of excitement. I am going to catch a tan on this holiday if it kills me. Eyeing up Oliver’s brown back enviously, I stand to attention as the boat comes to a sudden stop. Watching the instructor throw the anchor overboard, I sneak a peek at Marc. Laughing heartily, he takes a life jacket from the pile and slips it over his head. I don’t quite believe what I’m seeing here. If he gets in there and starts whirling around like Nemo I am going to die.
‘Alright!’ The instructor claps his hands together to get everyone’s attention and smiles brightly. ‘As most of you now know, my name is Lucas and I will be your instructor for the day.’
A little cheer echoes around the catamaran as we get ready for the main event. Lucas instructs us to all to put on our life jackets and hands out snorkelling equipment. Looking rather smug, Oliver declines and pulls out his own snorkel mask. Unlike the green plastic pieces that Lucas is handing out, Oliver’s is striking silver with chrome edges. Quietly wishing that I had bought one too, I tug on my mask and join the queue. As Lucas helps a young girl down the steps, a couple behind us decide to dive straight in off the edge of the boat. I lock eyes with Lianna as she smiles and tugs on her mask.
‘Where are you going?’ Gina asks, tearing herself away from her cocktail.
Tightening the straps on her bikini, Lianna positions herself on the edge of the boat before jumping straight into the sea. Before I have the chance to join her, another three bodies crash in beside her. Letting out a laugh when I realise that the other bodies belong to Oliver, Vernon and Gina, I am about to dive in after them when I spot Marc hovering by the steps.
‘Are you getting in?’ I ask casually, not wanting to put any pressure on him.
‘Thinking about it…’ He smiles uneasily and fiddles with his mask.
Returning his smile, I squeeze past him and make my way into the water. A few people let out squeals as a turtle shoots past us. Kicking my legs, I swim over to the others and discreetly watch Marc out of the corner of my eye. Dipping his toe into the water, he takes a couple of steps forward before retreating back onto the boat. Come on, Marc! Mentally cheering him on, I bite my lip as he adjusts his mask and slowly makes his way down the steps. Just two more steps! I am about to nudge Gina when I realise that they are all watching too.
Pausing on the final step, he seems to contemplate his next move for an eternity before falling back into the ocean. He did it! I can’t believe that he is actually in the water! Splashing around like a lost dolphin, he splutters and coughs for a moment before doggy paddling over to us. To anyone else he will surely look ridiculous, but I couldn’t be prouder. Yes, he has a life vest on and therefore couldn’t drown if he tried, but this is a huge achievement for him. I am about to let out an almighty cheer when Gina grabs my hand and shakes her head.
‘He won’t want the attention.’ She whispers, holding out her arms as he comes to a stop besides her. ‘Well done!’
Resisting the urge to squeal, I smile brightly and give him a congratulatory high five. Lucas beckons us over to hand feed the turtles and I follow the crowd like a happy fish. The turtles were supposed to be the main attraction, but seeing Marc face his fears like this has really made my day. A thirty-something making a splash in a life jacket might not be the biggest triumph in history, but I am a big believer in that all achievements should be celebrated. After all, every accomplishment both large and small starts with the same decision to try…
Palm trees, ocean breeze, salty air and sun kissed hair…
Chapter 12
‘Can you believe that Marc actually got into the water yesterday?’ Li asks, holding the frankly horrible garment against her body.
