Wanderlust (6 page)

The next afternoon, Selina walked along the freshwater creek and watched as Loki bounded over the small rocks to fetch the stick she’d just thrown. After the bonfire last night, she’d gone back to the bungalow with Alex and they’d stayed up until almost two in the morning, sitting on the sofa and swapping snippets of information about each other. Tonight, they’d be going to the party he’d invited her to, and she had the inexplicable feeling that the night ahead would be one where anything could happen. She’d woken up this morning with a stomach full of nerves, debating whether going to the party would be a good idea after all.

‘Good boy,’ she said, crouching down to take the stick from Loki’s mouth when he returned. His tail wagged with a sense of accomplishment and he looked up at her expectantly. She threw the stick again and pulled her mobile from her pocket.

She’d been trying to decide what to do all morning but what she really needed was advice, and Natasha, her oldest friend was just the person to talk to. Colinas Verde might be a hippy-like commune but it had Wi-Fi that was so strong, it reached the fields and the creek. She’d already sent a message to her parents, reassuring them that she was still alive and doing fine, but she’d yet to speak to Natasha. London was two hours behind and, with any luck, Natasha would be on her lunch break.

After signing into the Skype app, she dialled her number and the hundreds of miles between Ibiza and London fell away when she saw the familiar face of her friend on the screen.

‘Well, it’s about bloody time.’ Natasha grinned.

‘It’s only been four days,’ Selina replied, rolling her eyes, but it was only now that she could see her best friend that she realised how much she missed her. With jet-black hair hanging in a perfectly cut bob and a bright red fringe, Natasha looked like she should be a model starring in music videos instead of managing a bookshop.

‘So? I need regular updates from my world-travelling bestie. What’s it like? Is it hot? Are there any hot guys?’

Selina laughed. ‘Yes, it’s hot, and it’s really nice. I’ll send through some pics later, but this is where I am right now.’

She held the phone away from herself and turned in a circle to give Natasha the panoramic view of the creek. Sunlight shone through the trees lining both sides of the sparkling water that was so clear she could see the smooth stones and small fish beneath the surface. A hammock was strung up between two trees just ahead and the ever-present sound of cicadas filled the air.

‘It looks like paradise,’ Natasha said, resting her chin in her hand.

Selina nodded. ‘You should see the other side where I’m staying, it’s unreal. There are huge Buddha statues everywhere, and the bungalows are all painted in different colours. And then there’s the fields where they grow all their own fruit and veg. It’s taking a bit of time to get used to, but it’s great.’

‘Meanwhile, in London…’ Natasha gave Selina a view of the cafe she was sitting in, with its faux leather booths and laminated wooden walls.

‘At least it’s not raining,’ Selina said, catching a glimpse of the busy street outside the huge window. ‘And is that sunshine I can see?’

‘Well, it
is
August. Unfortunately for me, that means sweaty tube rides and gnarly feet in flip-flops everywhere I look.’ She shuddered. ‘I bet it feels like a different planet over there.’

‘It does, especially without you. I miss you.’

‘So much so that’s taken you four days to call.’ Natasha pouted, but her eyes were bright. ‘You’re lucky I love you, or I’d never speak to you again.’

‘I love you, too. And someone wants to say hello.’ Selina crouched down next to Loki and ruffled his fur. ‘This is Loki. Can you believe walking him counts as work?’

‘He’s cute, but I was hoping to see something with two legs and a six pack.’

The memory of Alex’s toned body streaked itself across Selina’s mind but she frowned as she stood back up. ‘You know that’s not what I’m here for.’

‘No, but a little eye-candy can’t hurt, can it?’

‘I suppose.’ Selina chewed at a nail. ‘As it happens, there is a guy here, but he’s leaving in a few days.’

‘Is he fit?’

‘Yep.’

‘My kind of fit, or your kind of fit?’

Selina laughed. Natasha often said that one of the reasons their friendship worked so well was that they had such different taste in men that there was zero chance of one ever coming between them. While Selina tended to go for guys who looked like they could model for Hollister, Natasha preferred hipsters with waxed hair, beards and upturned jeans.

‘My kind of fit. Tall, blonde, great body, crazy blue eyes.’

‘Sounds nice,’ Natasha replied and took a bite of a sandwich.

Selina walked over to the hammock with Loki following closely behind and sighed as she folded herself into it.

‘Actually, I really didn’t like him at first. He came across as a bit of a twat.’

‘And now?’

‘Now…’ Selina tried to think of a way to sum up her confusing mix of emotions. ‘Now I don’t know. He’s nice. We’ve kind of become friends.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Alex.’ Selina draped a leg over the side of the hammock and pushed her foot into the ground to make it swing. ‘He’s from Berlin but he’s half-English, and a Buddhist, sort of. And he used to be a rock-climber.’

‘That sounds like a good mix. Have you got a photo of him?’

‘No, and before you ask, I haven’t friended him on Facebook, so you can’t go and be all MI5 by stalking him.’

‘Well that’s just taken the fun out of today. Is there a little flirtation going on?’

‘Of course not. Have you forgotten the reason I left in the first place?’

‘As if I could. But it’s not a stupid question to ask. You’re travelling. You’re going to be meeting new people all the time and a huge portion of them are probably going to be hot guys.’

‘I know, but it doesn’t mean I can’t just be friends with them. I’m really not looking to get involved with anyone again after what Liam did.’

‘That arsehole.’ Natasha cracked open a can of coke. ‘Have you heard from him at all?’

Selina shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t dare. I don’t expect to have contact with him ever again. Until we go to court, that is.’

It was the one thing Selina wasn’t looking forward to over the next few months. Her parents had told her she needed to stay in London to see the proceedings through, but the idea of staying in a place where it felt like every third person knew what she looked like half-naked was one she simply couldn’t bear.

‘I know this is all really tough, but are you really going to let that little prick turn you off guys altogether?’

Selina sighed. ‘It’s not as simple as that Tasha.’

‘I’m not saying you need to sleep with Alex, but you jacked in your job, withdrew all your savings and jumped on a plane to leave what he did behind you and have an adventure. So have one. Screw that, have many. You only live once.’

‘I
am
having an adventure. I’m here, aren’t I?’

‘Yes, and I’m proud of you for it, but what’s the point if you don’t let yourself experience things while you’re there?’

‘He’s leaving in a few days anyway,’ Selina replied, trying to ignore the slightly sinking feeling that had started to creep in whenever she thought him heading away from Colinas Verde.

‘There you go then. That’s even better. You can have a little flirt and after that you don’t have to see him again. It’s not like you have to marry the guy.’

Selina sighed. She’d known that Natasha would tell her to go for it, because she always did, with anything. The decision to leave England had initially only been a fleeting one, but it was Natasha who’d made it happen by helping Selina to scour the internet for volunteering opportunities. Her response was exactly why Selina had called her in the first place.

‘I don’t even know if he likes me,’ she said in a half-hearted attempt to argue back.

‘And you won’t know if you don’t at least send a signal that you’re interested.’

‘He walks around barefoot.’

‘So? It’s not like you need to kiss his feet.’

A smile tugged at Selina’s lips. She was clutching at straws and both she and Natasha knew it.

‘He’s a sort of Buddhist. He might even be celibate.’

‘And I like to cook pasta, it doesn’t mean I’m really Italian. You’re going to have to come up with something better than that.’

Selina laughed. ‘Okay, okay. I hear you. We’ll see. We’re going to a party tonight and -’

‘And that’s totally the reason you called me.’ Natasha interrupted with a grin. ‘You needed a kick up the arse and to be told you should go and see what happens, and you knew I’d tell you so.’

Selina laughed. This was why she loved Natasha, because she always seemed to know what Selina needed and even if it took a beat-around-the-bush phone call, she always delivered.

‘I fully expect to hear every single detail tomorrow. No waiting for four days, okay?’

Selina nodded. ‘Brownies honour.’

After a few more minutes of catching up, Selina hung up. Despite the quietness of her surroundings, she felt invigorated. Natasha was right. The last four days had flown by before she’d even had a chance to blink, and the next few months would probably be the same. Maybe she should be more open to whatever experiences came her way. There was nothing to say that Alex even liked her like that but she knew she’d hate to see him leave and then wonder,
what if?

Alex pulled on a t-shirt, looked in the mirror and then took it off again. It was the third one he’d tried on and he only had a few more hanging in the wardrobe. They were all perfectly acceptable for a night out, but today they just seemed a bit...shabby.

He looked in the mirror and raked his hands through his hair, tying it back. It hadn’t been cut for almost six months and it almost reached the nape of his neck. It wasn’t a style he’d ever envisaged for himself, but it was easier to just let it grow. Why couldn’t picking a t-shirt be just as easy? Selina probably wouldn’t even notice anyway.

The switch from disliking her to being increasingly attracted to her was something he couldn’t quite get his head around. Maybe it was because he’d really been impressed by her gusto, injuring herself just to save face and show him she could cope with life at Colinas Verde.

Alex shook his head and pulled the t-shirt back on. Enough faffing around. He didn’t have all night to stand around trying on clothes. He picked up his wallet from the bed, just as his phone vibrated on the chest of drawers and his shoulders dropped. He knew who it was before he even looked at the screen and hesitated for a moment before unlocking the screen. WhatsApp would leave a date stamp and Marie would know he’d been online but he couldn’t go on ignoring her forever. Her constant messages weren’t only reminding him about what he was running away from, they were hindering what he was hoping to move onto.

He looked at the time. Selina was in her room getting ready and they were supposed to be leaving for the party soon, but he sat on the bed and opened WhatsApp anyway. Reading the inevitable barrage of abuse was the last thing he wanted to do, even if he did deserve it, but he didn’t want to go to the party with Marie in the back of his mind either. He scrolled through his screen, shaking his head as he read her erratic messages.

- The least you could do is answer me after the way you treated me.

- How’s Ibiza? Was thinking of flying out for a holiday, whereabouts are you? Xx

- You know you’re making me look desperate don’t you? Why the fuck don’t you write back?!

- Fuck you, Alex. You’re a fucking coward.

- Hi, from all of us! It’s not the same without you here! <3 <3

She’d sent a photo with the last message of her and friends in what was their favourite club, grinning from ear to ear. He looked at the crowd of people behind them, basking in the sun, playing in the sand or lying on the deck chairs in the outdoor area and didn’t feel a single jolt of longing. Marie’s photo only reaffirmed why he’d left in the first place.

He exhaled loudly and put his phone away with unease sitting heavily in the pit of his stomach. She might have been smiling in the photo, but her earlier messages had relayed her anger perfectly.

He got up from the bed and left the room. In all honesty, reading those messages had killed his mood. The last thing he wanted to do now was go to a party, but Selina had seemed excited about it. Maybe they could just go for a couple of hours and then come home.

‘Selina?’ Alex knocked on her bedroom door. ‘Are you almost ready? I’m going to get the keys for the truck.’

‘Okay, I’ll be five minutes,’ she called back, her voice barely audible over the music playing in her room.

Alex left and went to pick up the keys from the cupboard hanging in the wood store. Even the cars were shared here and as long as they were returned with the same amount of petrol they’d been picked up with, there was no problem with taking one. They weren’t Maserati’s or Ferrari’s, but they had four wheels and an engine, and were reliable enough for the most part. He took the key to the blue pick-up truck and stopped at Penny’s on the way back to the bungalow. She was watering the plants dotted around the porch and she smiled, straightening up when she saw him.

‘You off?’ she asked

He nodded and threw the keys up into the air before catching them again. ‘Yep. We’ll only be a couple of hours, I think.’

Penny pulled a face. ‘Why so short?’

He shrugged. ‘I could just do with an early night.’

‘Is everything okay?’

One of the first things Alex had noticed about Penny was that she rarely missed anything. She could sniff out the slightest whiff of a lie simply by detecting small facial expressions and changes in tone. He knew she had a daughter back in England and maybe that was why, because the only other person he knew with such an acute bullshit radar was his mum.

‘Yeah, fine. Just stuff from back home, that’s all.’

‘Marie?’ Penny tilted her head to one side. Alex hesitated to reply and she smiled. ‘I haven’t seen that look on your face since you first told me about her.’

He scratched the back of his neck. He’d told her about Marie a few days after he’d arrived. Penny was so easy to talk to and non-judgmental, that it had simply fallen from his mouth before he’d even had the chance to think about it.

‘She sent some more messages and they were…I don’t know.’ Alex shook his head. ‘They were strange. One minute she was pissed at me, the next she was asking where I was because she was thinking of flying out for a holiday. Her last message was a photo of her in a club, saying she wished I were there. I don’t know what I’m supposed to think.’

‘She’s hurt, Alex,’ Penny said, putting the watering can down on the floor. ‘It’s going to take some time.’

‘We were only together for a few months.’

‘Time isn’t relevant in situations like this.’ She sat on one of the chairs and crossed her legs before patting the empty one next to her. Alex obeyed and joined her. ‘You know, Alex, sometimes you can meet someone for the shortest of times and forge a bond so strong it’s as if you’ve known each other a lifetime.’

It wasn’t a concept he was unfamiliar with. His parents had met at the age of seventeen and were still together to this day. The difference was that their love was real, whereas anything that might have even resembled love with Marie was almost certainly chemically induced.

‘You upped and left without telling her. It’d be selfish to think she wouldn’t be hurt by that.’

Alex sighed and looked at the ground. ‘I know. I just didn’t know what else to do.’

‘Look, I’m not saying you’re a bad person,’ Penny said softly, placing a hand on his bouncing knee. ‘In fact, I think the opposite is true. I can see how this whole situation is playing on your mind and even though the way you left was questionable, it was the right thing to do. Otherwise you would have ended up just like her.’

He played with the keys in his hand. ‘I just thought it would have died down by now, that’s all.’

‘Problems will always catch up to you sooner or later.’

Alex nodded. ‘I know. I’m going to have to call her. And soon.’

‘Tonight’s not the night to do it. You’re going to go to this party and have fun. You’ve worked hard since you’ve been here, you deserve it. There’s a beautiful girl in that bungalow looking forward to a night out and you don’t want to keep her waiting. Go, have fun, and make sure you look after her.’

She left him on the porch and he looked over at the light shining from Selina’s room before heading back to the bungalow. Just as he took the steps to the porch, Selina stepped out of the front door.

‘I’m ready.’

She was putting in a dangly earring and all Alex could do was stare at her. She was wearing a short, cream playsuit with a brown belt tight around her waist. It accentuated her curves perfectly, as well as doing a great job of showing off her long legs. Paired with dainty flat sandals and a tiny bag, she looked perfect.

He swallowed and nodded, holding up the keys in his hand. ‘Let’s go.’

She closed the front door and stepped down from the porch, and Alex led the way to the truck. What would happen if he were to loosen up on the promise he’d made to himself and make a move? They’d got closer over the last couple of days, or at least he thought they had. It was probably just his imagination. Besides, she’d told him she’d left London because of a cruel and mean break-up, and he’d used the same words to describe why he’d left Berlin.

He swung open the passenger door and she climbed up into the truck. He only had two days left, and it would be a lot easier if he kept his intentions to himself.