I squinted at Eve. She was staring at me, looking puzzled. God, she was hot. I glanced over at Ryan suspiciously. He wasn’t obviously good-looking – wide mouth, long, sloping nose – but I knew most girls found him incredibly attractive. There was this laidback air about him and, if flirting was a sport, Ryan would be an Olympic gold medallist. Earlier this year he’d told me about these six steps which, he claimed, would get me any girl I wanted.
Get me Eve.
Of course it was all bullshit – Ry was just making it up to have an excuse to come round to our house and see Chloe. Still, most of what he said worked. And I had got Eve. Hadn’t I?
“Well?” Eve said. “Is your mum really pregnant?”
“Yes,” I said. “Now, d’you want the really bad news?”
It was the morning we were leaving for Spain. I was all packed, my bag weighed down by the ton of homework papers Mum insisted I was going to have to work my way through. Apparently she’d made sure there’d be a networked computer somewhere in the hotel for me to work on every morning. I still couldn’t believe I was going to have to sit inside and study while everyone else had fun by the pool.
“Never mind,” Eve had said. “We’ll still have all afternoon and all evening.”
This was true. In fact, the thought of it was what was keeping me going.
A soft rap on the door. “Luke?” Matt stuck his head into the room. “Can I have a word?”
I shrugged. My usual way of dealing with Matt was to pretend he didn’t exist. I avoided speaking to him unless it was absolutely necessary, and we hadn’t talked at all since I’d found out about the baby.
What was there to say?
The bottom line was that I hated the fact Mum was with Matt. None of the rest of it seemed real yet. Certainly not the idea of an actual baby. The one thing I had wanted to know was whether Mum getting pregnant meant Matt would move in with us. But Mum had said no – that they’d come to terms with the baby, blah, blah, blah, but that it was too soon after Dad for them to think about living together, blah, blah, blah, and that Matt still wanted his own space.
I’d said nothing, but inside I was deeply relieved. Matt coming round was bad enough. Matt in the house full-time didn’t bear thinking about.
“Your mum wanted me to talk to you before you left.” Matt strolled across the room to the table in the corner. He picked up a pen and, turning to face me, rolled it in his hand.
“What about?”
“You know,” he said. His face flushed a little.
I stared at him. No. I don’t.
Matt tapped the pen against his hand.
“I don’t have kids,” he said, looking down at the floor.
“Yet,” I added, pointedly.
Matt glanced up at me. “Er . . . right . . . yet. But I was your age once so I know what it’s like.”
What was he going on about?
“When you’re on holiday, it’s easy to get . . . er . . . carried away and well. . .” Matt’s face went a deeper shade of red. “Your mum wants you to be careful.”
It suddenly hit me.
Sex.
Jesus. He was talking about me and Eve having sex.
Which we weren’t. Unfortunately.
Which was none of his business.
“Why didn’t Mum talk to me herself?” My chest tightened.
God, the nerve of him. Lecturing me on “being careful”.
“I guess she thought it would be easier for you to hear it from me.” Matt tapped the pen faster against his hand. “Man to man.”
“You mean she thought you’d be a good person to talk to me about . . . about . . . being responsible?” I raised my eyebrows.
Matt looked a little confused. “Well . . . er . . . yes, I. . .”
Unbelievable.
“Yeah. Well,” I said sarcastically. “I can see why she thought you’d be a good person to explain how to avoid getting my girlfriend pregnant.”
Matt shot a look at me. His face was almost purple. “Look, there’s a big difference between you and Eve and what happened with us. We’re adults, for a start, so—”
“Oh.” I glared at him. “So getting someone pregnant by mistake’s okay if you’re old, is it?”
“Fine.” Matt pushed himself away from my table. He clenched his fists, still holding onto my pen. “I’m sure your mum’ll be pleased to hear about your attitude. Maybe she’ll have a rethink about letting you go.”
Bastard. How could you have ever been my dad’s friend?
I itched to punch his stupid face.
Matt strode to the door.
No. Shit. No way was I going to let him stop me going on this holiday. “Wait.”
Matt stood in the doorway. He turned round slowly and tapped my pen against his cheek. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry.” I swallowed down my rage. “Tell Mum I’ll be careful.”
Unlike you were, you disgusting, pathetic excuse for a man.
A triumphant grin spread across Matt’s face.
God. I hated him.
“Good.” Matt chucked the pen at me and left.
I told Eve about the conversation with Matt while we waited for our flight at the airport. She looked totally amazing in this little strappy top she was wearing. Deeply sexy and yet somehow innocent at the same time.
“He was probably just trying to help,” she said.
I frowned. “It’s none of his business what we do,” I said. “Is it?”
The truth was I was half hoping that Eve might be as annoyed by Matt as I had been. Maybe even annoyed enough to rethink her “not yet” position on sex.
This position was something that our relationship was based on – her previous boyfriend, Ben, had pushed her hard to go all the way. When Eve and I had started going out properly, she’d explained to me that sex just wasn’t an option – yet. In fact, one of the main reasons she’d liked me was that I hadn’t been pushy about it. That I’d agreed to wait for her to tell me when she felt differently.
I was still waiting.
Eve grinned. My heart sank. She didn’t look the slightest bit annoyed. “Who cares what Matt says,” she said. “We’re going to have such a great time together.” She leaned over and kissed me. Her tongue flickered lightly in my mouth, sending about a zillion megahertz of lust zapping straight to my groin. She pulled back and I opened my eyes. She was giving me this big, sexy smile. I watched the strap of her top slide off her smooth, creamy shoulder.
Oh, God. She was a drug. I was an addict. Waiting didn’t come into it. It was irrelevant. I’d take however much she gave me. As often as she’d give it.
“D’you want a drink?” Eve pulled the strap of her top back up and peeled herself out of her seat.
I shook my head, turning round to watch as she sauntered over to the coffee bar. The young guy who was serving leaned on the counter to talk to her. Even though I couldn’t see Eve’s face, I knew she was smiling at him. Jealousy twisted in my stomach.
The coffee bar jerk stared at her bum the whole time she was walking back to me. Jesus. I helped her gulp down her frappucino, then suggested we went to the gate for the flight.
“Why?” Eve looked irritated. “We’ve got loads of time.”
Because I can’t stand being here with that guy horning after you.
We caught sight of Ryan and Chloe snogging near the duty free shop. “Look at them,” I muttered. “Don’t they ever stop?”
Eve laughed her gorgeous, throaty laugh. “You can talk.”
I stared at her. What did she mean? Was she saying I was too all over her? Was she saying she didn’t want that? I looked around. Men everywhere were lusting after her. Some out of the corner of their eye. Some quite openly. When we first started seeing each other I remember liking the fact that she was so desirable. Now it just made me feel under pressure.
Under pressure to be better than the rest of them. The other guys.
Eve and Chloe went off to buy some magazines. I slumped into one of
the airport lounge seats and listened to some music. After a few tracks I switched off my iPod and opened my eyes.
No sign of Eve.
“They’re buying perfume now,” Ryan said, stretching out his legs in the seat opposite. “To attract the buff Spanish pool boys.”
I stared at him, wondering how he could possibly be thinking that and looking so relaxed.
“Don’t you mind?” I said.
“What? That Chloe fancies the idea of other guys?” Ryan grinned. “Be weird if she didn’t, wouldn’t it? We do. Other girls, I mean.”
I shook my head. “That’s different.”
“Why?” Ryan laughed at me.
I shrugged. It was too hard to explain. Of course I noticed and fancied other girls. It was like a knee-jerk reaction that had nothing to do with how I felt about Eve. But for her it was different. If she wanted someone else, she’d get them – no question. And if she got them . . . I chewed on my lip. I’d go mad if I let myself even think about it.
Ryan leaned forwards, his fringe flopping over his eyes. “You need to calm down, man,” he said. “Seriously. The worst thing you could do is get all clingy with her. Girls hate that.”
He sat back. I jammed my earphones right into my ears and sank deeper into my seat.
3
Meeting Jonno
Towards the end of the two-and-a-half hour flight, Eve started fidgeting in her seat. Then she disappeared into the aeroplane toilet for so long I started to get worried she’d fainted or something.
At last she re-emerged. She’d changed out of the sexy, strappy top into a pink dress, a big T-shirty sort of thing with a teddy bear on the front.
“Why’ve you put that on?” I said.
“My dad got it for me.” She sat back down next to me. Her forehead creased with an anxious frown. “Does it look okay?”
I stared at her. Eve was one of the least vain people I’d ever met. I couldn’t remember the last time she’d talked about what she was wearing or asked me how she looked.
I took in the pink dress. It was a bit shapeless though at least, I reflected, that might stop other blokes staring at her. More than that, though, it made her look about six years old. Eve smiled at me – a wobbly, uncertain smile.
“Luke?”
“You look great,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
Eve gave a distracted little nod, then sat back in her seat. A minute later I turned round. A tear was trickling down her face.
Jesus. Had I done that?
“Eve?” I leaned sideways and touched her arm. “What’s the matter?”
She looked at me, her lips trembling. “It’s just the thought of seeing my dad. I haven’t – not since before I met you. It’s always like that when he’s setting up a new business and. . .” Another tear trickled down her face. “. . .I miss him and I always worry before I see him. D’you understand?”
I nodded, though I had no idea what she might be worrying about. This was something Ryan had taught me. Always look as if you’re listening – even if you don’t understand what they’re talking about.
It seemed to work.
Eve snuggled up next to me. We kissed slurpily. But not for long. Unlike Chloe, who – I suspect – actually enjoys being watched mid-snog, Eve gets very self-conscious if we’re anywhere remotely public. It’s always, “not here”, “not now”.
Soon she pulled away from me. “Crap,” she said. “I’ll have to check my make-up. Daddy hates it if he thinks I’m wearing too much.”
She disappeared into the toilets again. I sat back, feeling uneasy. I hadn’t given Eve’s dad a single thought so far. Now I wondered what he was going to be like.
At last we arrived in Mallorca. Palma Airport was nothing special on the inside. We might as well have been in London apart from the signs in Spanish everywhere.
Eve and I picked up our luggage off the conveyor belt and trundled behind Ryan and Chloe through customs. The air conditioning in the airport was set to icy. I noticed Eve shiver.
“It’ll be warmer outside,” I said, putting my arm round her shoulders. I’d grown a good couple of centimetres over the past few months and was now almost a head taller than she was. Her shoulder was at the perfect level for my arm. And, normally, Eve was perfectly happy for me to put my arm round her. Not today, though. She wriggled. Then she shrugged my arm off. Then she darted ahead of me, past Ryan and Chloe, towards the exit gate.
I frowned and sped up slightly. Not in a clingy, needy way. Just so as not to lose sight of her.
She rushed through the exit, her hair flying behind her.
I passed Chloe and Ryan.
“Why is Eve wearing a child’s nightie?” I heard Ryan asking.
I gritted my teeth and headed into the arrivals area after Eve. It was packed. Crowds of people were jammed up against the barrier gates, peering in, looking out for their own particular new arrival.
I felt a twinge of jealousy as Eve darted about. Half the people behind the gates were staring at her.
Then Eve gave a squeal. She rushed towards the end of the barriers, where fewer people were standing.
A tall, well-built man stepped out from the crowd. He had slicked-back hair – as dark as Eve’s was fair – and a tanned, slightly wasted face. It was easy to see that he must have once been very good-looking.
He grinned and threw his arms open wide. Eve flung herself at him, wrapping herself tightly round his neck. “Daddy,” she shrieked.
Ryan and Chloe carried on sauntering towards them. I stopped, gripped by my most disturbing feelings of jealousy so far.
For God’s sake. He’s her father.
I repeated this to myself several times. But it didn’t lighten the heavy, sick feeling that was ploughing up my stomach as I watched Eve hugging him. I strolled up behind Chloe and Ryan.
Eve’s eyes were shining. “This is Chloe,” she said.
Her dad held out a large, be-ringed hand towards Chloe. “Beautiful,” he murmured, rolling the word out slowly. “What a beautiful friend you have, Babycakes.”
Chloe blushed. I glanced at Ryan. He was grinning.
That’s Ryan all over. He appreciates good flirting. Whoever it’s aimed at. Personally I was starting to think Eve’s dad was a bit of a sleazeball cliché. His right hand was loaded down with gold rings and his shirt was open, revealing a bronzed chest.
“I’m John Ripley,” Eve’s dad said, pumping Chloe’s hand and gazing at her with hooded eyes. “My friends call me Jonno.”
He turned back to Eve. “You look lovely, Babycakes. More like your mother each time I see you.” He raised his eyebrows. “How is her ladyship?”
“Fine,” Eve lowered her eyes and picked at the teddy bear on her dress. “She says ‘hi’.”
I knew this was a lie. Eve’s mother never talked about her father. Eve had told me many times. He was the love of her life, then he ran off with a cocktail waitress when I was five. He gives her money and stuff, but she still feels really hurt – to be honest, I think she’s scared of him.
I stood awkwardly, wondering when Jonno (and what a freakin’ stupid name that was) was going to notice me and Ryan.
He kissed the side of Eve’s head and whispered something in her ear. At last he turned back to Chloe.
“So tell me, Chloe, which of these young men is your brother and which is your boyfriend?”
I frowned as Chloe introduced Ryan. There was something wrong. Why was Eve’s dad not asking where her boyfriend was?
“And this is Luke.”
I felt the full force of Jonno’s steely grey-green eyes on my face. He looked stern – almost fierce. He shoved out his hand. Quick pump.
“Pleased to meet you,” he said. Then he dropped my hand and turned back to Eve.
“Let’s go, Babycakes.” He put his arm round her shoulders. Right where mine had been just minutes before. “The car’s outside.”
I picked up my bag and Eve’s and struggled after them.
Outside the heat hit me like a flamethrower. It was so steamily hot it was almost hard to breathe.
“Don’t worry,” Jonno said with a wave of his hand. “It’ll be cooler when we get to the hotel. Less humid. Only idiot Brits come out at this time of day, anyway.”
By the time we’d reached the car park and found Jonno’s bright red Jeep Grand Cherokee, I was drenched in sweat. Somehow both Jonno and Eve had managed to remain relatively fresh-looking, though I was pleased to see Ryan pulling his damp T-shirt away from his chest.
“Man, it’s hot,” he said.
“Mmmn.” I watched Jonno opening the passenger doors on one side of the car and ushering Eve and Chloe along the cool, leather seats.
“Which means just one thing . . .” Ryan nudged me in the ribs.
“What?” I said. Jonno had walked round the Jeep now and was getting into the driver’s seat. I suspected he would quite happily have driven off and left me and Ryan behind.
“Girls in very, very skimpy clothes,” Ryan hissed.
I nodded, distractedly. Eve hadn’t even looked at me since we’d left the airport. It was like I didn’t exist. I was suddenly transported back to the days when I used to watch her wandering around school, wondering whether I would ever have the courage to speak to her.
I sat, hunched, in a corner of the back seat as we pulled out of Palma Airport and through snarling queues of honking traffic. Jonno had put the AC on at full blast and I was soon shivering.
Jonno chatted away to the girls, one large hand spread over the steering wheel, the other tapping on the side of the car door. Ryan, who was sitting immediately behind him, leaned forwards and joined in.
He asked loads of questions about the resort – where it was, how big it was – that sort of thing. Ryan’s brilliant at talking to people. You could see Jonno warming to him, starting to volunteer all sorts of information.
“We’re based just up the coast from Cala del Toro. South-east of the island. Nearest big town’s Felanitx. Most of the British operations are in the north, round Pollença, but we’ve got a great spot. Not full, but for a first season we’re not doing so bad. Not far off our rack rates on the suites anyway.”
I watched the four of them, chattering and laughing as we left the traffic behind and sped along an open road. The sun was low in a clear blue sky and the landscape open – dry, rocky, straw-coloured ground stretching away towards green fields with olive trees and little stone cottages in the distance. We rounded a bend onto the coast road and saw the sea – dark blue in the distance, pale green near the bay below.