turned and opened one eye. Dominique was lying next to me, leaning on one elbow, her uncovered breasts hanging down towards the smooth rock. A smudge on the inside of her forearm caught my eye, as though there were a patch of make-up that had picked up the sand. Odd.
‘Ça va?’ she said with a smile that could have been seductive, or could have been mocking, or could have been both.
I turned the other way. It was rude, perhaps, but it was the only way to make my point I could think of.
The other way was Ingrid. She too was topless, as was every woman on the beach apart from Mel. Although her skin was a lovely warm golden colour, her breasts were nothing like as full as Dominique’s, and she didn’t have Dominique’s curves. She was quite ordinary looking, really. But suddenly a girl my own age seemed so much more attractive than the supposed sophistication of Dominique.
I realized that Ingrid was watching me through her dark glasses. She grinned.
‘Sorry,’ I said and closed my eyes, too wretched to feel embarrassed. The sun beat down on my back and I think I fell asleep.
Some time later, I heard the hiss of a beer can being opened next to me. Then the shock of cold aluminium on my overheated back. My head jerked upwards. Tony was sitting where Dominique had been. I looked round. The others had gone. I scanned the waves and saw them splashing in the sea.
‘Want one?’ asked Tony.
‘No thanks,’ I said.
He took a swig of his. He was sitting a foot away from me, staring out to sea.
‘If you touch my wife again, I’ll kill you,’ he said matter-of-factly.
My throat went dry. I swallowed. ‘I understand.’
‘Good. Now tomorrow morning you are going to ring your parents in England. They are going to tell you that there is a family emergency and you have to fly home immediately. What the family emergency is, is entirely up to you. I will drive you to the airport and you will catch the four o’clock flight to Heathrow. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the ticket.’
‘All right,’ I said. That was fine with me.
‘Good. And let me make it absolutely clear. I don’t want to see you ever again.’ His eyes glinted. ‘If Guy invites you here or to any of my other properties you will say no. Do you understand?’
‘Perfectly.’
‘Excellent. Now, I think I’ll join them.’
Without looking, he poured the remains of the beer over my stomach. I flinched as the cool liquid touched my skin, but I let him do it. I watched him climb down towards the waves: a rich, powerful man who wanted to prove to himself that he was still as young and good-looking as his son. Which, of course, he could never do. However much power he had, however much money he spent, however many young girls he seduced, he would always be twenty-eight years older than Guy. It was sad to see someone otherwise so successful in life fail to grasp this inescapable truth. But I wasn’t going to argue about leaving so soon. The prospect of six more days had been weighing heavily on me and now Tony Jourdan had given me the perfect way out. I wouldn’t miss him.
As soon as we arrived back at the house I excused myself, saying I wanted to go and lie down. Guy walked with me back to the guest cottage.
‘What’s up with everybody, Davo?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ I said.
‘Everyone’s acting weird. Mel’s gone ice-cold on me. Something’s up.’
I didn’t answer.
‘At least Dad seems in good form. You should talk to him more. He’s a great guy. It’s cool when you can talk to your parents like normal people, don’t you think? It’s hard to believe he’s forty-six. I just wish I’d had a chance to see more of him these last few years.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘What he’s doing with that French tart, I don’t know. Sure,she looks hot, but I think Dad can do better than that. What do you think? You’ve spoken to her more than I have.’
‘I don’t know,’ I mumbled.
‘Jesus, Davo, you as well! Cheer up, will you? What’s
‘Ça va?’ she said with a smile that could have been seductive, or could have been mocking, or could have been both.
I turned the other way. It was rude, perhaps, but it was the only way to make my point I could think of.
The other way was Ingrid. She too was topless, as was every woman on the beach apart from Mel. Although her skin was a lovely warm golden colour, her breasts were nothing like as full as Dominique’s, and she didn’t have Dominique’s curves. She was quite ordinary looking, really. But suddenly a girl my own age seemed so much more attractive than the supposed sophistication of Dominique.
I realized that Ingrid was watching me through her dark glasses. She grinned.
‘Sorry,’ I said and closed my eyes, too wretched to feel embarrassed. The sun beat down on my back and I think I fell asleep.
Some time later, I heard the hiss of a beer can being opened next to me. Then the shock of cold aluminium on my overheated back. My head jerked upwards. Tony was sitting where Dominique had been. I looked round. The others had gone. I scanned the waves and saw them splashing in the sea.
‘Want one?’ asked Tony.
‘No thanks,’ I said.
He took a swig of his. He was sitting a foot away from me, staring out to sea.
‘If you touch my wife again, I’ll kill you,’ he said matter-of-factly.
My throat went dry. I swallowed. ‘I understand.’
‘Good. Now tomorrow morning you are going to ring your parents in England. They are going to tell you that there is a family emergency and you have to fly home immediately. What the family emergency is, is entirely up to you. I will drive you to the airport and you will catch the four o’clock flight to Heathrow. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the ticket.’
‘All right,’ I said. That was fine with me.
‘Good. And let me make it absolutely clear. I don’t want to see you ever again.’ His eyes glinted. ‘If Guy invites you here or to any of my other properties you will say no. Do you understand?’
‘Perfectly.’
‘Excellent. Now, I think I’ll join them.’
Without looking, he poured the remains of the beer over my stomach. I flinched as the cool liquid touched my skin, but I let him do it. I watched him climb down towards the waves: a rich, powerful man who wanted to prove to himself that he was still as young and good-looking as his son. Which, of course, he could never do. However much power he had, however much money he spent, however many young girls he seduced, he would always be twenty-eight years older than Guy. It was sad to see someone otherwise so successful in life fail to grasp this inescapable truth. But I wasn’t going to argue about leaving so soon. The prospect of six more days had been weighing heavily on me and now Tony Jourdan had given me the perfect way out. I wouldn’t miss him.
As soon as we arrived back at the house I excused myself, saying I wanted to go and lie down. Guy walked with me back to the guest cottage.
‘What’s up with everybody, Davo?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ I said.
‘Everyone’s acting weird. Mel’s gone ice-cold on me. Something’s up.’
I didn’t answer.
‘At least Dad seems in good form. You should talk to him more. He’s a great guy. It’s cool when you can talk to your parents like normal people, don’t you think? It’s hard to believe he’s forty-six. I just wish I’d had a chance to see more of him these last few years.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘What he’s doing with that French tart, I don’t know. Sure,she looks hot, but I think Dad can do better than that. What do you think? You’ve spoken to her more than I have.’
‘I don’t know,’ I mumbled.
‘Jesus, Davo, you as well! Cheer up, will you? What’s
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