Fair-Weather Friend (4 page)

‘Why is your bag packed? Where are you going?' Melissa demanded as Sophie hauled the case into the bedroom.

‘To stay with friends,' she said cheerfully. She dumped Melissa's case on the bed.

‘What friends? You don't have friends here,' Melissa snorted.

‘Yes I do. Look out the window.' Sophie felt a flicker of annoyance. Did Melissa think she was the only one to make friends with people on holidays? Some friend smarmy Paulo had turned out to be. The Santanders would be far more genuine. She was sure of it.

‘What do you want me to look at?' Melissa demanded crossly.

‘See that silver car over at reception?'

Melissa's jaw dropped. ‘Who are they?'

‘My friends,' Sophie drawled. ‘Sorry I can't stay and explain, Melissa. Have to go.'

‘But you can't go!' Melissa was stunned. ‘You can't leave me! My leg is broken. I'm on crutches. How will I manage?'

‘You'll be fine, Melissa. We're on the
ground floor. You can eat by the pool. You can sunbathe. What more could you want? I've had a few lovely, lazy days. You should try it. It will do you all the good in the world to take things easy for a while.' Sophie was enjoying herself. The look on Melissa's face was enough to stop a clock. She couldn't believe her ears.

‘But how will I get to the airport? You can't leave me like this, Sophie. I won't allow it.' Melissa was red with fury.

‘The rep will bring you to the airport. No worries.' Sophie chose to ignore her outburst. This only angered Melissa even more.

‘But you're a nurse. You have a
duty
to sick people,' she raged. This wasn't the Sophie she knew. ‘You can't leave me here on my own!'

‘Watch me,' Sophie retorted as she
lifted her case from the bed. ‘I just want to say before I go, you are the biggest cow going. You don't know how to be a friend. You use people. You drop them like hot potatoes when it suits. Well I've had enough of you, Melissa Harris. To be honest, I don't care if you have to walk back to London on your crutches. I couldn't give a hoot.'

She strode to the door. She was delighted to have told the other girl
exactly
what she thought of her. She turned and took one last look at her so-called friend.

‘Goodbye Melissa. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. I know I'm going to enjoy mine. To tell you the truth, it's the
best
holiday I've ever had.'

Melissa stood at the window watching Sophie laughing with a man and a little girl. The man put her case into the boot of the BMW.

‘What a bitch!' Melissa swore. Tears of rage wet her cheeks. How dare Sophie Mason talk to her the way she just had? The little jumped-up madam. Who did she think she was? She was just a boring, frumpy little dumpling. If it hadn't been for Melissa she'd have been stuck in London with no one to go on holidays with. And this was the thanks she got for her good deed!

The minute Melissa got back to London she was going to make a complaint to Sophie's bosses. She was going to say that Sophie wasn't fit to be a nurse. Imagine leaving a sick woman in dire straits. It was shocking.

Sophie would probably get the sack when the Matron heard about her cruelty. It would be good enough for her. And she was going to tell everyone at home what a selfish cow Sophie Mason was. Everyone thought she was such a nice goody-goody. Ha! Soon they'd know the truth. Melissa watched with slitted eyes as her former friend sat into the front of the BMW as if she owned it.

‘What a nerve! What a hard-hearted slag,' she muttered as the big silver car sped out of the complex.

Melissa looked around the bedroom. Her heart sank. It was a
grotty little kip and she was stuck here for almost another week. What a horrific thought. Feeling very, very sorry for herself, Melissa sank onto the bed and cried bitterly.

‘And this is your room, Sophie. I do hope you like it.' Elena, Juan's daughter, smiled as she showed Sophie her bedroom.

Sophie stared in delight at the bright, airy room that had its own balcony overlooking the sea.

‘It's lovely, Mrs Suarez,' Sophie declared with pleasure.

‘You must call me Elena,' the other woman insisted. ‘You will become like one of the family.'

‘I feel like one already,' Sophie laughed as Maria hugged her tightly. ‘How about I bring this young lady to
the beach and you can enjoy a little siesta?'

‘That would be wonderful. The baby was kicking all night and I didn't get a wink of sleep. It must be a boy.' She patted her bump with pride.

‘And I will make us the best paella ever for dinner, to celebrate your arrival,' Juan announced. He was delighted that everything was working out so well.

That night as Sophie lay in the big double bed looking out on a moon-lit sea she smiled happily. This was such a comfortable bed compared to the narrow, lumpy one she'd slept on since she'd arrived in Spain. Her
en suite
bathroom was spotless. It had been a pleasure to have a bath and wash the sand away after her afternoon on the beach.

Dinner had been delicious. Juan was
a marvellous cook. And she felt nicely tired after the two glasses of red wine Elena had pressed on her. ‘You must have one for me.' Elena had laughed, sipping her soda water.

Later, Elena's brother had called by. His name was Carlos. He was a doctor.
And
he was drop-dead gorgeous.

Sophie blushed in the dark as she remembered a pair of smiling brown eyes twinkling at her attempts at Spanish.

‘I will have to teach you,' he teased in English. She was very glad that Melissa was nowhere in sight.

For a moment she wondered what the other girl was doing. It had been one of the best moments in her life when she'd closed the door of the apartment. Guilt had not got the better of her. She hadn't been a doormat. For
the first time in her life she had put herself first. It felt very good.

Sophie closed her eyes. She snuggled into the pillows and fell fast asleep as the moon shone silver on the sea and the stars sparkled like diamonds.

Melissa twisted and turned on her hard, narrow bed. Her leg itched inside the plaster cast and it was driving her mad. Needless to say there was no air-conditioning in her poky, little, kippy bedroom. She was afraid to open the sliding doors in case one of those awful little monsters got in. The insects were a nightmare.

How she hated Sophie Mason's guts, she thought grimly. She had spent the most boring time of her life lying on a lounger down by the pool. Four horrid kids had screamed and splashed in the pool for ages. The din had given
her a headache. Later she had hobbled over to the bar and had a revolting burger and chips for her dinner. She'd tried to get pissed on
sangría
. It didn't help. She wasn't in the mood. She'd just got a headache for her trouble.

There wasn't even a sexy barman to flirt with, she thought mournfully. Pedro was fat and greasy. His shirt had tomato sauce on it. His nails were dirty. And he couldn't smile to save his life. She made a face in the dark. She hadn't even made an effort to be nice to him. Grumpy old sod.

This was the worst holiday she had ever been on and it was all Sophie Mason's fault. Tomorrow she was going to phone home and beg her mother to pay for a flight to get her home. She couldn't bear to stay in this hell-hole for another day.

Melissa slept fitfully. When she awoke, she sat up in bed glad that it
was daylight. Her eye felt strange. She rubbed it. It was sore. She rooted in her bag and found her make-up case. A glance in her pocket-mirror caused her to squeal in dismay. Her eyelid had swollen to twice its normal size. It was red and watery and completely gruesome looking. One of those skanky little insects had bitten her. It was the last straw. Melissa found her mobile and dialled home.

‘Mum, you have to send me money to get me home. It's a nightmare; Mum I'm all on my own. Sophie deserted me. I've got a broken leg and something terrible has happened to my eye. I think I'm going blind.' She wept.

‘My poor darling! Of course I'll send you money. What happened? How did you break your leg? What do you mean Sophie's deserted you?' Rose Harris asked with concern.

‘It's a long story,' Melissa sobbed.
‘You'll never believe the way Sophie Mason treated me. She doesn't know how to be a friend. I'm never going to have anything to do with her again.'

Melissa poured her heart out to her mother who promised to organise a flight home that very day if possible.

Twelve hours later Melissa was on a flight to London. A handsome cabin attendant fussed over her and offered her a drink. Melissa sat back in her seat watching the lights of Spain twinkle beneath the plane. Thank God she was going home, she thought. It was a pity she couldn't really flirt with Mister Sexy, but she looked a sight with her swollen red eye and dirty foot peeking out from its plaster cast.

Regretfully she sipped her wine. It had been the worst holiday of her entire life. She was never going to speak to Sophie Mason again.

A year later …

‘Did you hear about Sophie Mason? She's engaged to some rich Spanish doctor. She met him when she was working in Majorca. They're getting married next month. I met her sister in a club last night. Sophie's flying the whole family out to Majorca for the wedding. Imagine! You never told me about the wedding. Are you going?' Ann Kelly asked Melissa as they tidied up the salon after a very busy day.

Melissa's fingers curled. Her lips tightened with envy. What a sly cow
that Sophie Mason had turned out to be. She had left her alone in that grotty little apartment with a broken leg. And then she had gone and wangled her way into that Spanish family. It was galling to think that she had nabbed a rich Spanish doctor and was getting married! Melissa hadn't seen her from that day to this. And now to hear this shocking news. Was there no justice in the world?

‘Don't mention that girl's name to me,' Melissa snapped. ‘I thought she was a friend. Little did I know until she stabbed me in the back what a sly bitch she was.'

‘She stabbed you in the back?' Angie was astonished.

‘Don't be thick,' Melissa said crossly. ‘I invited her to go on holidays and then she met these people and left me in the lurch on my own with a broken leg. Can you believe that?'

‘Really?
I'd never have thought it of Sophie. That's awful. I always thought she was very nice,' Ann remarked in surprise.

‘Well she wasn't. She's as two-faced as they come. I don't want to talk about her,' Melissa declared with venom.

‘Oh, OK. That's understandable. With friends like that who needs enemies?' Ann said quickly. ‘Just as well you have me to go on holidays with this year.' She smiled. ‘I wouldn't do anything like that. Not in a million years. You can depend on me.'

‘I know, sweetie.' Melissa managed a smile. ‘You'll love where we're going to. It has a marina full of yachts. There are loads of rich people hanging around in the cafés. It will be the best holiday ever.'

‘I can't wait!' Ann said excitedly. ‘Thanks for inviting me to come.'

‘You're very welcome,' said Melissa kindly. ‘Could you be a pet and finish off here? I've got a thumping headache.'

‘Oh, OK,' Ann murmured. Funny how Melissa always got a thumping headache on Friday evenings when the salon had to be cleaned.

Melissa swanned out of the salon leaving her new best friend to tidy up. Ann would be an
excellent
holiday companion, she thought with satisfaction. Not like the soon-to-be-married two-faced Sophie.