Clouds Below the Mountains (16 page)

Taken aback by the sharpness in Lucy's voice, suggested to Jenni that she left the rep' alone.

***

“I'm off for a little nap, parents,” said Sonya, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds and dusk began to creep in. “Got to get my rest for all the boogying, I intend to do at the disco tonight.”

“We'll come up as well, Sonya,” said Greg. “Maybe Evan will have a little sleep. Over here, Evan,” he shouted, to where his grandson and Jack were playing on the slide in the kiddie's park.

“I think we'll make a move too,” said Paul to Cheryl. “Say goodbye to Emily, Annabelle. You'll see her later at the Mini disco. See you later Steve, Fiona.”

The two families walked to the lift, then hit the button for the third and fourth floors and just managed to squeeze themselves in.

***

“Well, I don't know how you managed to be pleasant this afternoon,” said Kate, after they had settled Evan down with his blanket and bear and he'd drifted off to sleep. “Didn't you find it boring listening to Paul droning on?”

“No, I found his description of life as a car salesman quite entertaining, but you came in on the end of it, when he was telling us the serious stuff.”

“Oh. Steve and Fiona are very quiet, aren't they? Or were they making funnies, while I was with Evan and Jack in the pool?”

“Are you being sarcastic, Kate? You know I can't remember jokes or funny stories. If I had I would tell you them myself. Anyway,” he said, hoping to put her in a better mood, if indeed she'd been having a go. “There's a fakir on tonight, I think Evan would be excited to watch him, don't you?”

***

“I think that Greg and Steve were very impressed with me this afternoon, don't you think so, Darling?,” said Paul, as he poured out some drinks for himself and Cheryl, while the children fought over the remote control again.

“How so, Darling? Do you mean the funny stories you were telling them, because I've heard them all before.”

“I know, I know and you are a wonderful angel to listen to them again and again, but don't you see, Greg is softening in his attitude towards me.”

“Yes, I must admit he was quite pleasant today, especially as he got the waiter to make that extra space for us. I think if I was asked to describe him, I would use the word dour in connection with Greg. And yet his wife and daughter are really friendly, at least Kate is. Sonya doesn't have a lot to say.”

“Well, I think with another ten days or so in each other's company, Greg might ask me for a quote on our lease hire and maybe part exchange on their private cars. What a feather in my cap, eh, Cheryl, if I went back home with all that in my lap?

“Yes, but may I advise caution, Darling? You know you sometimes get carried away. Let's see how it goes first and don't be pushy, that can cause a deal to fall through.”

“You're right, my love, let's concentrate on our holiday. Shall we drive up to the mountains tomorrow and see how far we can get before we hit the snow?”

***

“Are you seeing the lovely senorita tonight?” Miguel asked in Spanish, as he and Juan checked over the restaurant tables before opening the doors.

“I hope so, she is a very pretty girl. Curvy in all the right places and definitely up for it, as they say.”

“I don't know how you can do it, while you have your fiancee waiting for you in Madrid. I know if I was in love with somebody, I would never look at another woman in my life.”

“I can't say that I am in love with Marie Jose, she has been chosen by my mother and while I find her attractive and look forward to making babies with her, I cannot really say that I am in love.”

“So, you will use this pretty English girl to sow your wild oats, because you are denied intimacy with your fiancee. Poor girl, that is all I can say.”

“Come on, Miguel!”, said Juan hotly. “You know the English girls, it's on offer most of the time with them. Besides, in June I will become a husband, so you can't blame me for sowing my oats before I settle down.”

***

“I see there's one of them fakir's on tonight, according to the poster in the foyer,” said Jean, as the three women came down for their evening meal. “All that eating fire and walking on hot coals, makes you wonder how long those kind of people live for?”

“Yes, I know,” answered Doreen. “You'd think that the hot poker down his throat would burn his tonsils off and the hot coals on the soles of his feet would burn his skin off. Seems a precarious living, if you ask me.”

“I saw one once when I was on holiday in Turkey,” said Milly. “He had this bed of nails and he lifted a volunteer from the audience, a man who weighed about sixteen stone, onto his back and walked across the nails. Then he did the same thing with another man, who was even heavier and walked across a bed of broken glass!”

“There'll be some sort of an illusion in it,” said Doreen, being naturally a rather doubting sort of person. “Though I suppose if it gets him a living, it doesn't matter either way.”

***

“You're looking very nice, Sonya,” said Kate, as she knocked on her daughter's door to tell her they were ready to go down for dinner. “Where did you get that lilac top from? I don't think I've seen it before.”

“Oh, I had to put it into the dry cleaners as soon as I bought it. It had a little stain on it, so I asked the sales assistant to let me have it cheap.”

“Well, I don't see any stain on it now. Those sparkles are really lovely the way they're scattered around the neck.”

Kate edged her way into Sonya's bedroom as she was talking, then she lowered her voice so that her husband couldn't hear.

“How did you get on last night with that waiter? I've been meaning to ask but I haven't had the opportunity.”

“We danced a bit and then he brought me back to our corridor, a bit of a snog and that was it.”

“Oh,” said Kate, sounding disappointed, “ didn't he ask if he could see you again tonight?”

Sonya laughed and pushed her mother's shoulder in a friendly way. “You've been reading too many romantic novels, Mother, he'll probably have his eye on someone else tonight. Anyway, there's not much chance of anything happening with dad hanging around in the Sunlight Bar, is there?”

***

“Put this chain around my neck, will you, Darling?,” said Cheryl, as she found she had difficulty securing the clasp on her gold rope necklace.

“Certainly, my love,” replied Paul, standing very close to his wife so that his warm breath caressed her neck.

“Do you remember when I put this around your neck on our wedding night?,” asked Paul. “We were standing on the balcony of our hotel in Malta, overlooking the city of Valetta with its brightly lit buildings and beautiful red and gold sunset. I think I'll remember that night for the rest of my life.”

“I remember,” whispered Cheryl. “I had never been on a plane before and you bought a bottle of champagne to calm my nerves. You held my hand throughout the journey and we didn't come out of the bedroom until Sunday night.”

“Can somebody fasten the clasp on my necklace, please?”, said a demanding little voice at the side of them.

“Of course, Annabelle, let your daddy put it around your neck. My, I love your pretty peach outfit and those sequins on your bolero are very sparkly.”

“Shrug, Daddy, it's called a shrug. Bolero's are for when you go to dancing class and you wear it over your leotard.”

Paul and Cheryl wore amused expressions over their little girl's head.

“I've been to Reception and ordered packed lunches for tomorrow, Cheryl,” said Paul after they had settled in their chairs ready for the Mini disco to start. “I hope they're not like the ones we were given in Lanzarote last year. Do you remember? A stale white roll with salami and a soggy tomato, a packet of unheard of crisps, an apple and a packet drink. I know I can afford to treat you to lunch up in the mountain, but it is probably wise to have a packed lunch in case we get stuck in the snow.”

“Why Darling, do you think we should venture so far up into the mountain? I thought we would have a little jaunt through the villages, but not to go up too far.”

“Of course you are right, we'll have the children with us, so it is not as if we would place them in any danger. Look at Jack and Annabelle, aren't they the most cutest kiddies on the dance floor?”

***

“Excuse me, young woman,” said an angry looking man to Lucy, as she began to walk towards the stairs that would take her down to the restaurant. “Aren't you the rep' we saw this morning about our room change?”

Lucy was no longer dressed in her company uniform, but in a pair of light beige trousers and a matching coloured linen blouse. She glanced quickly at his wife who was standing by two black suitcases, looking very annoyed.

“We've waited all day for you to get back to us and when you didn't, I said to Bert, “I'm not staying in this hotel a minute longer,” so we've packed up ready to go. We've been to Reception and they know nothing about a room change.” The woman glared at Lucy balefully with her hands on her hips, ready to do battle if it was necessary to do so.

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry,” said Lucy, a pink flush creeping up her cheeks. “It was because of all that bother this morning with the kiddie going missing, that your room change went completely out of my head. I'll see Reception now.”

She went over to Reception, keeping her fingers crossed that there was an empty bedroom for the couple to move into, otherwise she'd be mince meat if this got to Kath's ears.

Dania was apologetic, the only room that was free was over the entertainment room.

“And no one's happy if they're put in there,” said the receptionist. “ Unless of course they have problems with their hearing, which isn't the case with this lady.”

“I'm not going over the Sunlight Bar,” said the woman, who had come up behind Lucy to the desk and was listening intently. “If you haven't got a suitable room, we want compensation. Periquito Travel says on their website that they will go out of their way to make their clients' holiday a happy one. Well, I'm not happy. What are you going to do about it?”

“We could find you a room tomorrow, Senora. There are guests leaving the hotel in the morning, but unfortunately you will have to spend another night in the bedroom we have allocated you.”

“So I've packed these suitcases for nothing,” the woman rounded on Lucy angrily. “This could have been sorted out this morning, we were at your desk early enough. If you had told us this morning, I could have sat out on a deck chair in the sun this afternoon and done our packing tomorrow. As it is we've lost a whole day worrying about it. Isn't that right, Bert?”

Her husband nodded a bit wearily, he had probably had earache from his wife all that day.

“It had better be a nice room,” the wife continued. “Something on the top floor would be nice, so we can have a view of the sea and definitely not by a lift.”

“I'm sure Dania will do her best,” said Lucy. “ Now, can I get the porter for you and he'll help you back with your things?”

***

Jenni sat in a corner of the Sunlight Bar, feeling a little conspicuous because of the non appearance of Lucy. She had decided to go into the restaurant early, thinking that she would look a pest hanging around the rep's desk waiting for Lucy to finish. It was only seven thirty and there wasn't many people in the room, but she still felt as if all eyes were upon her, pitying her being alone.

“Buenos Tardus,” said Miquel, as he came up to her table carrying a tray. “Can I get you something from the bar, Jenni?”

“Oh, thank you, Miguel, but I'm not really sure what to have.”

“May I suggest a cocktail? We make Tequila Sunrise, Pina Colada, Blue Lagoon or Sex on the Beach.”

Jenni started, smiling nervously at the waiter. “Sex on the beach, what on earth is that?”

“Ah,” he answered, tapping the side of his nose. “It is my speciality, I will get you one if you will excuse me for a moment.”

Jenni smiled as Miguel went off to the bar, she hoped she wasn't being treated to a double entendre.

“It's very nice,” she said, after she had sipped the peachy tasting drink cautiously, while Miguel waited for her verdict. “Is it supposed to be alcoholic, because I'm not allowed to drink?”

“No, no it has very little alcohol, Jenni. I put in only a dash of vodka for you, though it should have grenadine in it as well, but I do not like to see young ladies drinking alcohol.”

What a kind young man, thought Jenni, as Miguel went on his way.

***

“Daddy,” Annabelle said, pulling at Paul's arm to get his attention. “Why are we waiting for the disco to start? I'm getting very tired of waiting, my watch says it's almost half past eight.”

“Well, give it a few more minutes, Poppet and then I'll go and have a word with the entertainer chappie. Look he's over there having a beer. You go and practice your dancing with Emily. Sorry about that,” he said to Greg, whose family had joined them at their table, along with Steve and his wife.

“But this is the highlight of Annabelle's day, she loves to dance.”

“Yes, Emily's just the same,” said Steve. “Last year we went to the San Miguel hotel in Ibiza, they had a Mini disco every night, outside in a big courtyard. We couldn't get her out of there, sometimes we had to sit and shiver, because it could get quite cold in early June. While she was busy dancing away, we were drinking hot coffee just to keep us warm.”

“Oh, look it's starting,” said Greg, as Mikey jumped up onto the stage and announced it was “Mini Disco” time! Soon the children were dancing to Superman, which involved them running around, as if they were flying in the air.

***

“What kind of a day have you had?”, asked Jenni sympathetically, as Lucy joined her with a fraught look on her face.