Page 79 of Benidorm Again

‘He has? I wondered if it was his spoiled pampered upbringing. Expecting everyone to be at his beck and call.’

‘The opposite probably. From what I’ve heard.’

‘He’s rich Norwegian Royalty,’ I say in a disbelieving tone. ‘How bad can it have been?’

‘He was shipped off to boarding school at a very early age, then more or less left to his own devices until he started to act out. After that, they palmed him off on the Maestro who, really, is the only family member to ever take care of him in any meaningful way.’

‘Sounds lonely.’

‘I know. And even now, his mother is always doing charity work while his father does politics. He barely knows or sees his parents other than at royal engagements. Do you know, they’ve never once been to hear him sing? Makes you wonder why they had him in the first place.’

‘Blimey. It sounds so sad and depressing when you put it like that.’

Dolly laughs. ‘It makes me grateful for the friends and family I have, put it that way. And I know it’s not for me to say…’ Dolly leaves the sentence hanging before she continues. ‘I know he’s been awful, and Lord knows, he has attachment issues but… upgrading the hotel, the locket, and I’m pretty sure he pulled in some big favours to kill the Royal love triangle story. It’s as though he genuinely has feelings for you. Real feelings.’

‘What are you saying?’

‘I just think… that, Luke, may be… or at least in his mind… he thinks he is in love with you. Unrequited love seems to run in the family.’

A nauseous feeling swells in my stomach as I remember him asking to marry me and then snorting cocaine like it was going out of fashion. ‘No. It’s a crush. It will pass. He’s into Liberty now anyway.’

‘Well, let’s hope it is a crush and not history repeating itself like the Maestro. But I know one thing for sure. He’s not after your friend. You best warn her off him. Luke might be a nice guy underneath it all, but he is ruthless when it comes to breaking hearts. Besides, he’s a sapiosexual.’

‘Christ Almighty. Who isn’t, these days?’

I click off the call, no better off. I have no idea how to handle this situation. I take the locket from around my neck. I flick the catch open and admire the picture of my mother staring back at me with my eyes. I marvel at how much I don’t know about her. Her life before I came into it. Did she know about the Maestro’s unrequited love? How did she handle it?

I place the locket carefully on the console table under the mirror and go off for my run. I need to go through my mental checklist of what needs to happen in Las Vegas for every minute of every day that we are there because the list of additional problems is growing by the second.

After an hour of running the length of both beaches in Benidorm, I arrive at the villa to find almost everyone around the kitchen table.

‘She’s not come back home,’ states Ged immediately. ‘I say she’s fine and probably with Luke.’

‘She could also be murdered somewhere behind a bin,’ says Cherry.

‘Youneed to stop listening to those podcasts, hun. You really do.’ Big Sue is shaking her head at Cherry. ‘She’s a big girl. She’ll ring if she’s in any trouble.’

‘Wait. Are you saying Liberty didn’t come home last night?’ I say, catching up. They all nod at me. I shrug my shoulders. ‘Big Sue’s right. Liberty and Luke can do what they like. They’re both consenting adults.’ There’s a thorny silence while we digest this information. ‘I know it feels off, but I suppose we just have to let them get on with it.’

‘Okay. You’re right. Let’s not waste the whole day debating whether to track her down. Me and Ged are going to Algar Falls to wash this bloody orange stain off,’ Liam says briskly. ‘Apparently, the waters there contain the same minerals that you find in washing powder.’

Liam and Ged have turned a few shades darker since yesterday. Any darker, and they will be undetectable against the terracotta tiles.

‘I’ve always fancied going to the waterfalls up there,’ says Big Mand.

‘Me too,’ agrees Big Sue.

‘Come with us,’ says Ged. ‘The more the merrier.’

Cherry looks green and pale. ‘I’ll skip it if that’s okay. I might rest up so that I’m good for tonight,’ she says. ‘Plus, I need to take up some of the costumes.’

‘And I have so much shoppingstill to do,’ I say, holding up my hands. ‘Ready for tomorrow and…’

‘LAS VEGAS!’ we all shout together.

‘So that’s settled then,’ sums up Big Sue. ‘Me and Mandeep will take the bridezillas to the waterfall to scrub them clean. Cherry, you do a recon of the costumes and accessories. Connie, we still need a pink sequined suit and pink shirt for the Oscars Ken outfit. We’re short on one white fluffy coat too. Here’s the list. And Tash, you…. Where’s Tash?’

‘She’s gone back to bed. I heard her throwing up earlier,’ says Big Mand.

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