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
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
Similar Books
