I walked towards Jonno, hoping to keep his eyes away from my bed. He was looking round the room.
“Bloody mess in here,” he snapped.
“I know,” I said uneasily. “Sorry. We were gonna tidy up.”
Jonno glared at me. Then his face split into a huge grin. “Yeah, right,” he said. “Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.” He rubbed his hands together. “We have to talk.”
I nodded. What the hell was coming now?
“My crèche manager tells me she found you with one of the girls. Is that right?”
I nodded again. Oh crap.
Jonno stared at me solemnly. “Do you remember my number one rule?”
“Yes sir. Don’t embarrass the guests. Er . . . but I didn’t . . . there weren’t any. We were in the store room.” I suddenly remembered Eve was listening. “Not that anything happened, sir,” I added hastily. “It was all a misunderstanding.”
“Stop, stop, stop.” Jonno grinned at me. “I told you, I don’t care who you shag on the staff. I know who the girl was. Between you and me I wouldn’t mind some of that myself. No, what I’m talking about is you getting your end away on my time. And upsetting my crèche manager. Running that rug-rat hellhole’s a nightmare job. I don’t want her walking out on me.”
“No, sir,” I breathed. “It won’t happen ag— I mean. . .”
“Relax.” Jonno clapped his meaty hand down on my shoulder. “What’s done is done. But apart from apologising to Pilar, which I want you to do as soon as I’ve gone, I don’t want you going near the crèche again. No more shift-swapping. Deal?” His eyes twinkled.
I looked at him, uncertain if he really meant everything was all right.
“And you do double shifts at the restaurant tomorrow to make up. Okay?”
I nodded.
“Good.” Jonno strode over to the door. He turned, his fingers resting on the handle. “By the way, you haven’t seen Eve, have you?”
I blinked. “No, sir.”
He pursed his lips. “Well, if you do, tell her we’re going out at eleven. See you later, Lance.”
As the door slammed behind him I sank down onto Ryan’s bed, my legs suddenly shaking.
Ryan peered out from the bathroom door, now fully dressed in his shorts and T-shirt. “Bloody hell, that was close,” he said. “What was all that about the crèche store room?”
I glanced at Eve, who was scrambling out from under the sheet hanging over my bed.
“Tell you later.” I glared at Ryan to shut up, then ran my hand through my hair. It was okay. Jonno hadn’t seen Eve. He wasn’t even that cross about me messing up my shift.
I breathed out slowly. Relief flooded through me. We’d made it. I grinned, suddenly feeling exhilarated.
“Thank God he didn’t see Eve,” I said. “He’d have gone ballistic at me.”
“At you?” Ryan raised his eyebrows. “I was the one standing here in my freakin’ boxers.”
We both started laughing.
I looked over at Eve. She was standing in front of the bed, hugging her arms round her chest. Her face was as white as the sheet she had hidden behind.
“What is it?” I stopped laughing and strode over to her. She was shivering. “Hey. Hey.” I pulled her into a hug. “It’s okay. He’s gone. Nothing happened.”
Eve backed away from me. “Nothing happened?” Her lip trembled. “What about what he said?”
I frowned. “Said? About what?” Oh God. “You mean about Catalina and the store room?”
“Catalina?” Ryan said.
I held out my hand, trying to shut him up. A tear was rolling down Eve’s face. “Eve? What is it? I told you. Nothing happened.”
She stared at me. “I don’t mean that. It was my dad. Didn’t you hear him? The way he was talking about Catalina. She’s my age. And he was all . . . ugh . . . it was disgusting. Like he fancied her himself. . .” Her voice cracked. “Like it was all boys together. ‘Shag who you like except if it’s my daughter.’ He’s such a hypocrite.”
I shook my head, not knowing what on earth to say to her.
Ryan put his hand on her arm. “Hey, Eve. It’s not such a biggie. Your dad just likes girls. You know?”
Eve threw him a disgusted glance, then looked back at me. “I’m not going out with him tonight. I’ll do my songs. Then I’m going to tell him I’m not feeling well.” Her mouth set in a determined line. “I’m going to come to the Garito and have fun with you and everyone.”
I threw my arms around her and hugged her. Yes.
Over her shoulder Ryan was mouthing “Catalina?” at me.
“Go away,” I mouthed back, jerking my thumb towards the door for added emphasis.
Ryan stood there for a second, staring at me. Then he picked up my iPod and left.
15
The row
It was eleven. The Garito was just starting to get going, the music pounding so hard it made the floorboards jump. Eve wasn’t there yet. I’d already seen Catalina in the distance – looking murderously sexy in a black mini-dress – and was trying to avoid her.
I got plenty of looks and nudges from the other male staff. Gossip about what I’d done in the store room had been flying round the hotel all day, getting wildly exaggerated on the way. Chloe heard a version of the story in which Catalina and I had been caught without any clothes on, while Ryan heard a rumour that three other girls were involved too. I’d apologised to a very sniffy Pilar earlier, and had to promise never to go near the crèche for the rest of my stay.
“You’re going to have to say something to Marco too, you know,” Ryan shouted in my ear. “Apparently he’s off his head about it. God knows what he thinks you actually did.”
“Why?” I groaned. “Why can’t everyone just forget about it?”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so lame. Anyway, he knows we’re friends. If you don’t explain, he’s not going to want to hang out with me either.”
I glared at him.
Ryan grinned. “I’ll talk to him first, okay?”
Marco was sitting in a corner, hunched over a beer. I watched Ryan stroll over. At first Marco turned away, but Ryan sat down next to him anyway. He started talking and smiling and somehow, gradually, Marco shifted round and started talking too. Ryan looked up at me. I saw Marco follow his gaze. Christ. He was glowering at me like he wished I was dead.
I’d be lucky if he didn’t try and punch me.
A few minutes later, Ryan sauntered back. “He’s pretty pissed at you,” he said. “You’re going to have to tell him about Eve. I don’t think he’ll believe it otherwise.”
“But suppose he tells Jonno?”
Ryan let out an exasperated sigh. “You should have thought of that before you got into a bloody snogfest with Catalina, shouldn’t you?”
Ryan, of course, had guessed exactly what had happened in the store room. I made a face at him and wandered over to Marco. He didn’t look up.
“Can I talk to you?” I shouted over the music.
Marco nodded curtly. We went outside and wandered down to the trees. There was a strong wind blowing off the sea tonight. The palm tree branches swayed and creaked above our heads.
“Nothing happened,” I said, my stomach churning. “Me and Catalina. Nothing. We were just looking for a mop.”
Marco stared at me blankly.
“Cleaning things.” I mimed mopping a floor. “There was a mess on the floor. Lots of paint. We had to clear it up.”
I held my breath.
Marco squinted at me. He was quite a bit shorter than me. I had the strong feeling that he was weighing up his chances of beating me in a fight.
“Before. When I say I know lots of girls for you. I do not mean for you take my girl.”
“I told you, I didn’t. I—”
“Then why you at crèche?”
I took a deep breath, realising Ryan had been right. “I was there because I wanted to see Eve. You know. Eva. Ly-eeha-del-effy.”
Ma
rco stared at me. “La hija del jefe? Eva? Señor Ripley’s Eva?”
I nodded.
Marco’s eyes widened into circles. “Eva?” he said incredulously. “Eres loco. You mad. If Señor Ripley know this, he—”
“He doesn’t know,” I said. “But Eve is my girlfriend.”
With perfect timing, Eve chose that minute to wander into view. I waved her over. She ran up, smiling at me. I put my arm round her. Instantly the smile fell and she pulled away.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I just told Marco about us. I had to,” I said meaningfully. “He didn’t understand why I was doing a crèche shift.”
“Oh.” Eve turned to Marco. “Please don’t say anything, Marco,” she pleaded. “My dad would be sooo mad.”
I put my arm round her again and kissed her on the side of the head – just to make sure Marco had got the message.
He beamed. “Okay. I see now. I say nothing.” He looked up at me. “I sorry for no believing you and Catalina.”
“No worries,” I said, feeling only slightly guilty. After all, nothing had happened with Cat. I had to keep reminding myself of that.
Marco went back into the Garito. Eve took my hand. “Don’t you want to go in and dance?” she said.
“In a bit,” I said. Apart from not wanting to be anywhere near Catalina, I was enjoying having Eve to myself for once. “Why don’t we go for a walk, first.”
Eve grinned at me. Exactly the same sexy grin I’d seen her give her boyfriend Ben, the first time I’d ever seen her.
“Mmmn,” she said. “How far should we go?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Far as you want,” I smiled, curving my arm round her shoulders.
We walked a long way down the beach. The sea hissed and spat at the shore, throwing up a salty breeze that gusted across our faces. Eve talked about her dad again. How much she loved him, but how little he understood her.
I listened as she raged and cried, wishing there was something I could do or say that would make her feel better.
At last she stopped and turned to me. “I’m sorry for going on and on,” she said. “You’ve been so brilliant. And you’ve stopped being jealous and everything. And all I do is get upset about my dad.”
I ran my hands down her back. She gave a tiny, sexy gasp.
“Maybe not all you do,” I murmured.
An hour later we strolled back to the Garito, our arms wrapped round each other. We went inside and danced for a bit. Ryan and Chloe were both there too and even seeing Catalina across the room couldn’t spoil how I felt. This was what being on holiday should be about. Friends. Good music. Having fun. Being with Eve.
We left at one-thirty, so Eve could get back to her room before Jonno came back from his meal out. I walked with Eve up to the main lobby, then slipped away to the room Ryan and I shared. I fell asleep instantly and woke the next morning feeling that nothing could possibly spoil the rest of the holiday. . .
It was a hard day. A late-morning pool shift with Chloe, followed by my usual homework for Mum, then two exhausting shifts in a row in the restaurant. I staggered out at eight o’clock that evening and went back to the room to change. At quarter to nine I was out and heading towards the pool. I was, for once, actually looking forward to Open Mike Night. Ry and Chloe were planning on singing a duet – and because Lola only had to perform for the first half-hour, there would be no breaks, which meant Eve wouldn’t have to sing herself. I was hoping that after we’d heard Ry and Chloe, the two of us could sneak off somewhere together.
As I got closer to the pool I could hear raised voices.
Was that Jonno? I had never heard him shouting. Eve told me he frequently lost his temper with the senior members of staff, but never in public.
I sped up, turned the corner past the trees and came face to face with Lola and Jonno having a massive argument by the pool.
I joined the crowd of hotel guests watching them from the pool bar. Lola was still in her jeans. For some reason the first thought that struck me was that she wasn’t changed, even though she had to be on stage in less than fifteen minutes. What was she doing?
“Shit, Jonno. How can you be so blind?” Lola’s face was scarlet, her arms waving wildly through the air.
“Be quiet.” Jonno’s face was bright red as well. He was obviously making a huge effort not to shout again. Instead he kept reaching out, trying to pull Lola away. More hotel guests were arriving, clearly drawn by Lola’s shrieks. The few remaining little kids still in the water, were being bundled away by anxious-looking mums and dads.
I spotted Eve, Chloe and Alejandro standing on the terrace by the lobby entrance and raced round to them.
“Get your hands off me,” Lola screamed.
I reached the others. “What the hell’s going on?” I said.
Eve shook her head. “Lola’s gone mental.”
“Totally off her head.” Chloe glanced at me. “She was talking to Jonno at the bar and then, out of nowhere, boom.”
“Like she exploded,” Alejandro added.
“No waaaay.” Lola’s ear-splitting screech made me jump. “Don’t you dare say that. I wasn’t drunk. It was her.”
A large crowd had now gathered behind Lola on the grass. Jonno glanced round, taking in all the people watching them. He moved even closer to Lola, talking rapidly. His face was grim: jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. He looked to me as if he’d like nothing better than to push Lola into the pool.
“Talk about embarrassing the guests,” Chloe giggled.
“For Crissakes,” Lola shouted. “Don’t you even want to know who she was with?”
Jonno shook his head in frustration. I could see his mouth forming the words, “calm down”.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Lola shrieked. “Just because you can’t accept your daughter’s more adult than you want her to be.”
What?
Eve was wide-eyed beside me. “Why’s she talking about me?”
“SHUT UP!” Jonno exploded.
There was a shocked silence round the pool. Lola stared at him triumphantly. “I saw her last night,” she said. Her voice was quieter now, but the pool area was so still she would have been heard if she’d whispered. “I saw her going into a boy’s room at two-thirty last night.” Lola pointed to where we were all standing on the grass near the hotel terrace. “She was with him.”
Now everyone was looking at us.
I blinked rapidly. Lola must have been drunk. I hadn’t been with Eve that late. I’d left her at the hotel at, what, one-thirty? Certainly not after two. And she hadn’t been in my room at all yesterday evening.
And then I realised Lola wasn’t pointing at me. I looked down the line of us – from Eve, to Chloe to Alejandro.
I stared at Alejandro. The tan had turned to a deathly grey. There was fear written all over his face. And something else. Something unmistakable. Guilt.
No. It couldn’t be true. It must have been some other girl. Eve would say so. I gripped her arm. “Eve?” I said, hoarsely. “What’s she talking about?”
But Eve was pulling away from me, moving towards Alejandro. Jonno was pounding over, breathing heavily. Seconds later he was beside them, fists clenched at his side. He looked at Eve.
“Is this true? Did you go to his room last night?”
The whole world shrank to Eve’s face.
She stood in front of Alejandro, her arms spread out, protecting him from her father.
“Yes,” she said.
16
The truth about Alejandro
I know Eve carried on talking, but I didn’t hear what she said. I couldn’t breathe. I just stood there, feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach.
It couldn’t be true. She was with me. We were perfect. Together. Why would she go after someone else?
I thought of Catalina. How easy that would have been. My heart sank.
The pianist from the band was tugging at Jonno’s arm.
“Is nine o’clock, Señor Ripley,”
he moaned. “We have no singer. No drummer.”
Jonno loomed over Alejandro, his nostrils flaring, his whole face clenched with rage.
“I’ll deal with you after the Open Mike.” He grabbed Alejandro’s arm and dragged him into the main lobby and towards the stairs down to the nightclub.
In the distance I could now hear the pianist and Lola shrieking at each other. But my eyes were fixed on Eve.
“Eve?” I said, hoarsely. “Please. What’s happening?”
I still couldn’t believe that she had been with Alejandro last night. She turned to me distractedly.
“Luke, it’s not how it looks.”
“What happened?”
Eve glanced into the hotel. “I did go to his room. He called me. But nothing happened, I promise. He doesn’t even fancy me.”
“You’re telling me—?”
“I have to go and make sure Alejandro’s all right.” Eve edged towards the hotel door. Her eyes were full of tears. “Please, just trust me on this. Nothing happened.”
She turned and fled into the hotel.
I stared after her. There was this empty hole where my insides should have been, like someone had ripped them all out. I felt Chloe’s hand on my arm.
“Luke?” she said gently.
“Did you know?” I realised my hands were shaking and balled them into fists.
“I knew they were close, but . . . look, if Eve says nothing happened you should believe her.”
I gazed at her, numbly. “She went to his room in the middle of the night, Chlo.”
As I said the words the knowledge that it was true – and of what that must mean – finally sank in. The shock I’d felt lifted. Rage boiled up from my stomach. I tore my arm away from Chloe’s hand and strode indoors.
Dimly, in the background, I could hear her calling after me. I saw Ryan in the main lobby.
“What’s going on?” he said, seeing my face. “Luke?”
I raced past him and down the steps to the nightclub.
Jonno was already on the stage. He was standing further back than usual, next to the drum kit.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Open Mike Night at La Villa Bonita.”