‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, it’s my last single night.’
‘You’re not single.’
‘You know what I mean!’
‘Yes, I’ll find a place for us to go. Then you can be a whore for one last night.’
‘Yay! Where’s Duncan?’
‘In the bath which is where I also want to be in, so get lost. I will see you later,’ I said while pushing her out.
‘But I need to know if my clients were okay with him taking over!’
‘They’ll be fine. Bye, woman.’
I closed the door and took my clothes off. I was about to have some hot water sex in my giant Jacuzzi.
I thought I’d fit in a massage before dinner, as I was feeling mad tired from staying up all night trying to write my article. Duncan was taking a nap, Sara was busy freaking out with Abigail, and I could really use the peace. I walked through a long corridor where everything was white marble. There were beautiful paintings of the buildings in Santorini, all white and blue.
I found the treatment room, and that’s when I saw Marc. Also in a robe. Just my fucking luck.
‘Hey,’ he said.
‘Hi.’
‘Are you also…?’
‘Yes.’
No one else was there. I could hear crickets killing themselves. I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe I needed to come back later. I just really wanted that god damn massage.
‘It’s been a while,’ he said.
I couldn’t be stuck in that room for more than five minutes and be forced into small talk with that parasite. There was a voice inside me that was just dying to get out, but I was trying everything in my power to keep it down.
‘Is there an apology coming soon or…?’ I asked.
‘There is, actually.’
Oh, what a shock.
‘Marc, why on Earth would you ever think to fuck me over at work? Like was it not enough to get my ex-husband, live in my flat, play with my dog, hang out with my best friend and ordering my current boyfriend around? Like…do you not think you had enough? Why was my employment such a big issue to you?’
‘I’m so sorry. I really am. But you have to understand…’
‘What?’
‘You have to understand that all I heard for the past year and a half was your name. Leo is so funny. Leo is so handsome. Leo is so smart. Leo could cook anything. Leo would always play with Squall. Leo is just fucking awesome all around. I always had to compete with the ghost of Leo Cotton. Even with Jake.’
‘Jake and I were married. Of course, we had history. And he still lives in the same flat we both shared. Every little crack on the wall, or anything contained in the flat had something to do with me.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Look, I don’t think you’re necessarily a bad guy.’
‘It just gets really lonely sometimes. Especially after Jake dumped me,’ he said while looking at the floor.
‘Oh. I thought you did.’
‘No. Our trip to Japan was a disaster. I had no interest in going. I just bought the tickets because I had heard you wanted to go. Jake was furious at that, even though he never admitted it. We left early; we couldn’t even be in the same room.’
‘So it was you doing all that. Jake wasn’t actually the monster I painted him as all this time?’
‘I think Jake will always love you. Even if just a little. And I kept getting angry at him. I couldn’t imagine why he would love you.’
‘Thanks,’ I said, sarcastically. ‘You’re really working my self-esteem up.’
‘But I do now. I saw Duncan falling in love with you…getting excited at every text you sent, or when he’d see you after work. All I hear around me is Leo.’
‘If only you knew how I’d felt all that time…’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m the opposite of confident. I think I’m fucking up all the time. I constantly compare myself to everybody and, trust me, I am constantly losing. I am surrounded by all these great talented people that are doing what they’re meant to do. I felt left behind. I was in a really dark place only a few months ago.’
‘Here I thought being poor was your only issue.’
‘Oh, it has definitely been a huge issue.’ I smiled.
‘I am really sorry, Leo.’
‘I’ll accept your apology.’
‘Maybe we could hang out some time, have a drink after work…’
‘Yeah, I may have to think about that. I’m not that big of a person.’
‘Fair enough.’
The woman at reception called me over. She said our names in a Greek accent.
‘We have made a mistake with the treatments. I am afraid we only have one room available.’
‘What does that mean then? Do I come back later?’ I asked.
‘We have one room available. We could do couples massage if you don’t want to wait,’ she said, looking at the both of us.
I looked at Marc for a second.
‘I don’t mind,’ he said.
Bleeding Christ.
‘Sure, why the heck not,’ I said.
Of all the things I imagined myself doing in Greece, being naked in the same room as Marc Rhodes was definitely not one of them.
‘Follow me,’ she said.
I followed her and Marc.
I rolled my eyes up and thought back to only a few months earlier. If anyone had told me I’d be spending an hour in the same room as Marc Rhodes, both naked, I would have laughed in their face. Punched them too. But here I was.
Dinner was held in the main hall of the resort. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with white linens and delicate flowers. The napkins had blue ribbons tied to them. Everyone looked lovely. Duncan was wearing a tight white short-sleeved shirt. I looked at him and smiled. I touched his hand under the table. I was so glad to have found him.
Sara and Alfie looked like they weren’t speaking to each other. The pressure was possibly getting to them. Although, she was probably just fed up with his family. There were so many of them. Alfie had brothers that had already been married and had children. There were so many fucking children, my ears felt like they wanted to commit suicide. I was glad to see Sven, enjoying himself. His happy smile warmed my heart. He had to be rolled around in his wheelchair, but he was still there for her. We were all pretty tipsy already, but I somehow must have been shitfaced, because I found myself grabbing everyone’s attention by tapping a spoon to my champagne flute. Like an American wedding wanker.
Sara looked surprised, but I just went ahead anyway.
‘Hi, everyone!’ I said, while standing up. The room went silent. I couldn’t go back now.
‘For those who haven’t had the pleasure to make my acquaintance, I am Leo Cotton, the bride’s best man. I know what you’re thinking. Why isn’t the maid of honour doing a speech? She’ll have her moment. I just thought I’d get to it first. I’ll be doing the honours. Sara Langaard has been my best friend for a good part of the last decade. I have shared everything with her. We navigated into the horrifying dating pools of London and complained to each other at how shit men were. We would be there for each other when one of us would catch a cold and bring food and alcohol when either of us would be upset. Sara is so incredibly precious that she can’t help but being surrounded by people who love her. Everyone is drawn to her. She is pure sunshine. Even if she doesn’t think so. But she hasn’t always been the gracious, beautiful creature you see before your eyes. You see, there was this one time that we both had a stomach bug, and let me tell you…’