Ibiza Summer (14 page)

The top deck was less packed with people and there were groups of girls and guys sitting on the floor or on blankets that presumably they’d brought with them.

I stealthily slipped through the bodies, tilting my hat down over my face as far as it would go, and found a quiet corner where I could stand and look down at the sea from over the edge of the
boat.

The moonlight hit the dark black water, illuminating the reflection of the boat’s lights. Tiny beams shimmered and danced like naughty fairies across the surface, and I stood mesmerised
for a few moments and leaned forward, resting my arms on the bars of the boat’s edge, and let my chin sink on to my hands.
I should be sharing this moment with Rex,
I thought sadly.
Here we both were, on the same boat at this amazing party, together but not together. He was so close that I could almost feel his presence, and it was torture not being able to lean back into his
arms as he crossed them over my body and pulled me closer against his tanned and strong bare chest.

Instead, I was incognito underneath Charlotte’s Stetson, slinking around in the shadows so as not to be seen like some kind of freaky cat-burglar.

I took a last look at the sea, its vast great blackness staring back at me, and turned to go.

‘Oh God, Iz . . . IZ – Izzy, is that you?’ Rex was standing in front of me, stooping down to get a better look underneath my hat. ‘Oh my God, it is! Iz, what the hell are
you doing here?’ Before my brain could quite fully register his presence, he had picked me up and was twirling me around in the air and laughing and saying, ‘You’re here,
you’re here. This is mental!’

It felt so good to be held by him, even if I did feel a little light-headed after all that spinning. I was shaking uncontrollably, see-sawing between waves of extreme happiness and sharp shocks
of blatant terror – he had found me. My quest to see the stars had brought him to me. I guess I should have known.

He was holding both my arms with his hands and beaming as he took a few steps back to look at me.

‘I can’t believe we’ve been on the same boat together and haven’t bumped into each other,’ he said, his eyes shining wildly with what I hoped was happiness.
‘How unlucky is that?’ But luck had had little to do with it.

‘I thought you were playing at Adam’s Temple tonight,’ I said, my eyes quickly darting around to check for an unexpected sister-arrival moment.

‘Change of plan,’ he said. ‘Oh God, Iz, I’m gutted. You should have called. We could’ve hung out, really made a day of it and everything, especially since . .
.’ I knew he was about to say something like, ‘especially since we haven’t exactly got loads of time together’. But he stopped short of saying it and I wondered if it was to
protect his own feelings as much as mine.
Does he really like me as much as I like him?

‘This is just amazing!’ he said, picking me up again and spinning me round until I begged him to stop. ‘Well, now that you’re here, why don’t you introduce me to
these friends of yours? He smiled. ‘Maybe I can introduce them to mine as well and we can all hang out.’

I had to think fast.

‘Er, well, I would – if I could find them,’ I said, laughing nervously. ‘I’ve been looking for them for the last twenty minutes myself! I’m sure they’ll
turn up though, I mean it’s not as if they could go very far, is it?’

Rex looked at me, beaming with surprise. He was wearing a thin cheesecloth shirt that was open, and the cut-off denim shorts I’d seen him in earlier, and he looked so gorgeous I wished
that everyone else on the boat could just disappear and leave the two of us here alone together.

‘Maybe they’ve been kidnapped by pirates,’ he said, laughing, ‘made to walk the plank –
ooh arrrgggh
.’ I forgot myself (and the situation) for a moment
and started to giggle.

‘Well, if we can’t find your pals, then let’s check mine out. Come on, we’re all chillin’ over here,’ Rex said, leading me by the hand. I had no choice but to
let him.

‘Hey, Izzy,’ Steve said, looking up. He seemed as surprised to see me as Rex had been. ‘Have you been here all day?’ He leaned in towards me and kissed both my cheeks,
which shocked me a little. I wasn’t used to people greeting me like this. It wasn’t exactly something that the lads I knew back home did.

‘Yeah,’ I said, unable to stop thinking about Ellie – she would probably be wondering where the hell I was.

‘I thought you . . . well, Rex said he was going to DJ at Adam’s Temple, you see . . .’

‘Last-minute change of plan.’ He smiled. ‘What a fantastic day though, eh? We’ve had a completely mental one, haven’t we, Rex? Shame we never knew you were here.
Who did you come with?’

They were all sitting down on a blanket on the floor of the top deck: Steve, a couple of other guys I’d never seen before and the two blondes from the other night, Chloe and Clare. They
smiled at me enthusiastically. ‘Hi honey!’ Clare said. ‘Not wearing your dancing shoes tonight then?’

‘Thought it best to wear flip-flops,’ I replied, the word ‘flip-flops’ sounding decidedly stupid as it left my lips.

‘You know it, babes,’ she said and I saw her turn to Chloe and say something but I couldn’t make out what.

‘I’ve lost my friends,’ I said, trying not to sound like a child whose lost its mum in a shopping centre. ‘But they’re around somewhere . . . Erm, wasn’t the
DJing fantastic today?’ I said, hoping that a change of subject would prevent any further questioning.

Rex nudged me softly in the ribs. ‘Oh yeah?’ he said, pretending to act hurt, ‘not as good as mine I hope.’

‘As if,’ I replied, lowering my eyes a little and suddenly feeling shy.

‘Well, you just chill out with us here, girl,’ Steve said, patting the space next to him. ‘This little spot is where it’s all happening, dude.’

I smiled and looked at Rex, and he winked at me as we sat down.

‘We’re all heading off back to ours when the boat gets back,’ he said. ‘You’ve got to be there, Iz, bring your mates as well. It’s not going to be too rowdy.
Just some drinks and tunes and stuff.’

‘What time does the boat get back again?’ I enquired.

‘Around midnight,’ Steve said. ‘That’s when the real fun starts!’

‘Worried you might turn into a pumpkin?’ a female voice suddenly said from behind me. It was Jo-Jo. Queen of the one-liners, no less. She sat down gracefully next to Rex and looked
at me, amused, waiting for a response.

‘
Jo
,’ Rex said sternly, giving her a warning look.

‘Well, I – er, if I can find my friends, I’ll ask them if they want to come,’ I said, ignoring Jo-Jo’s question and answering Rex’s. I was visibly shaking now
and Rex, having clearly noticed this, edged closer to me and put a reassuring arm around my waist – which while welcome, only seemed to make matters worse, and I shook more than ever.

‘So tell me, Izzy,’ began Jo-Jo, ‘what
is
it that you do again?’ She had reclined on to her side now, a position that I felt sure she knew accentuated her
delicately slim curves, and was resting on her elbow.

‘I’m at uni, studying to be a vet,’ I said, quickly, trying to remember if I’d ever told her this in the first place and wondering why she was asking.

‘A vet?’ she said, pulling a face. ‘You mean animals and stuff, right?’

‘Yeah, animals and stuff,’ I said, my voice trailing off towards the end.

‘Sounds hideous,’ Jo-Jo said, lighting a cigarette, ‘having to stick your hand up cows’ bums and all that messy business. Hardly a glamorous vocation, is it?’ She
began to laugh.

‘Shut up, Jo,’ Steve said, waving the smoke away from his face in annoyance. ‘Has it ever crossed your champagne-addled mind that some people think there’s more to life
than fashion?’

Jo-Jo glared at him and turned back to face me.

‘So how old will you be when you graduate?’ she asked, looking at Rex, then Steve and finally, at me again.

I was rooted to the spot. I knew I would have to answer such a direct question – I was cornered.
Call me, Willow. Please, dear God, phone me now and save me!
But despite my best
telepathic efforts, my phone didn’t ring.

‘I’ll be twenty-five,’ I said finally.

‘Uh-huh,’ Jo-Jo said, boring holes into me with her eyes. ‘Couldn’t do all that university stuff myself, being skint for years. Much better to be out there earning money.
Me – well, as a part-time model and fashion designer, I don’t get out of bed for less than —’

‘Twenty quid,’ Steve interjected, sarcastically. Rex started to laugh.

‘Get stuffed, Steve,’ Jo-Jo shot back, venomously.

‘Guys, guys . . . please,’ Rex intervened. ‘If you can’t say anything nice to each other then don’t say anything at all.’

I shifted uncomfortably on the blanket. I was worried Jo-Jo was fishing for information because she didn’t believe me. I suppose I couldn’t really blame her. I had thought it was
pretty amazing myself that no one had rumbled me already, because even though I knew I did look a bit older than sixteen, especially with the assistance of make-up and Ellie and Co.’s
wardrobe additions, I felt sure I didn’t look twenty-two either.

I had to think of something, an excuse to get away. Ellie would be starting to stress now and it would only be a matter of time before the search party would commence.

‘Can I get anyone a drink?’ I said, starting to get up, but Rex held me back slightly.

‘It’s OK, Iz,’ he said softly, ‘I’ll go. You stay here. Steve will look after you.’ He nodded at Steve, who nodded back in assurance. ‘Beers all round,
is it?’

I would have to leave while he was gone. I was out of my depth and I was convinced Jo-Jo knew it. Besides, the last thing I needed was for Ellie to catch me drinking beer.

Rex kissed me lightly on the cheek as he got up to make his way to the bar, and I wanted to leap into his arms. I would be safe there, away from Jo-Jo’s persistent questions. I knew there
was no going back now. It was bad enough that I had lied so blatantly about my age to him, but to do it in front of all his friends was the point of no return. He would be a laughing stock if they
ever found out.

As soon as Rex disappeared into the crowd I made my excuses.

‘Just nipping to the Ladies,’ I said, mainly to Steve. ‘Be back in a bit.’

‘OK, darlin’,’ Steve said, and I felt a bit weird that he’d called me darlin’, as if he knew me really well.

I could feel Jo-Jo’s eyes on my back as I turned away, making it difficult for me walk normally, and I had to seriously concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

I could only have got a few steps when I saw Ellie striding towards me.

‘There you are!’ she said loudly. ‘We’ve all been looking for you –
again.
Where have you been?’

I tried to edge her forward so that the others wouldn’t be able to get a proper look, or worse, hear her.

‘Just chatting to some people. What’s the big deal, Ellie?’ I said, crossly, my emotions beginning to spill over.

I glanced back over my shoulder; Jo-Jo was watching me. She had a wry smile on her face as she blew cigarette smoke from her mouth in an over-accentuated manner and mouthed to me,
‘Everything OK?’ I quickly smiled back and nodded.

‘Who’s that?’ Ellie snapped, spotting Jo-Jo.

‘Oh, er, just this girl I met. She’s dead nice,’ I said, clocking up another lie for the list.

‘Aren’t you going to introduce me then?’ Ellie said, her tone relaxing slightly.

For a second I wished I had drowned when I had dive-bombed into the sea earlier, then I wouldn’t be here, in this unbearable mess.

But it was too late. Before I could answer Ellie, I saw Rex making his way back towards us. He was carrying beers in both hands and trying to wave. There was no alternative. I had to make a run
for it.

‘Need the loo,’ I said quickly, beginning to half-run in the other direction, leaving Ellie standing there, mouth open in confusion.

‘Izzy!’ I heard him calling my name. ‘Iz, your bee—’

But I was already halfway down the stairs.

aught up in the excitement of the past few days, I’d almost completely forgotten about Edie. That was until she
came looking for me. We were all having breakfast at the café by the swimming pool the following morning when I saw her purposefully striding our way. Frantic she would come running over and
say something about the time I had cancelled on her, I had stuffed the remains of my croissant in my mouth and gulped the dregs of my orange juice and made my way towards her before she could reach
us.