But it is a surprise and she can’t help wondering why he’s mentioned this now.
12
The Charmer
Derreck smiled broadly as they all trooped past him into the villa. Stace could hardly believe her eyes at the sheer opulence of the place. It was like a palace, with a marble floor and a sweeping staircase that led to five double rooms. There were two bathrooms with tubs as big as swimming-pools and a kitchen with modern appliances. The views from the front overlooked the river, and at the back the garden was private, hidden from the other two properties at either side by exotic trees and bushes. Although, according to Derreck, the other properties were vacant. There was also an oval swimming-pool sunk into the lawn and a terrace with an awning and a barbecue.
‘How can Derreck afford this?’ Stace whispered, after they’d all been shown to their rooms.
‘Everything is much cheaper in Thailand,’ said John-Paul, by way of explanation, as he placed his clothes in the polished wooden chest of drawers. ‘And he has a good job now. Investment banking. He’s settled down at last.’
‘Girlfriend?’
He looked up from the suitcase and raised his eyebrows. ‘Why? You interested?’ He laughed. John-Paul wasn’t the jealous type and he was sure of her. Too sure, sometimes, she felt. It would have been nice for him to show a little bit of jealousy on occasion. Anyway, he need not be jealous. They might not have been getting on that well lately but this holiday had come at the right time.
‘Now you come to mention it, this does have a corporate air about it,’ she said, unpacking her new skimpy bikini.
John-Paul laughed. ‘A corporate air! Like you’d know what that is.’
She punched his arm playfully. ‘By what I’ve seen in films.’
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that the villa didn’t feel like a home. It felt like somewhere Derreck had maybe hired for a few weeks to impress. There were no homely touches, no vases with flowers or personal effects. No photos on the walls or art work or anything that showed any individuality. She imagined that both villas either side of this one looked exactly the same inside.
Still, now she was here, now she had survived the hideous twelve-hour plane journey through the night, and the trek from the airport, she was determined to relax and have fun. They were in beautiful surroundings with – thank goodness – air-conditioning and all mod-cons. Hannah, Leonie and Maggie were right. This was a holiday of a lifetime. When would she get to stay anywhere so magnificent ever again?
Maggie and Martin burst into the room, giggling, their arms wrapped around each other. ‘Wow, this is all just … wow,’ exclaimed Maggie, her brown eyes flashing with excitement. ‘Have you seen the bathroom? It’s bigger than my whole flat!’
‘Mate, I could kiss you for sorting this out,’ said Martin, wrapping an arm around John-Paul’s neck and making lip-smacking noises against his cheek.
It made Stace’s heart soar to see the easy way the lads had accepted him into their group. She knew John-Paul still felt he needed to prove himself, even though it was unnecessary.
‘We’d never have been able to afford a holiday like this if it wasn’t for you.’
‘Gerroff,’ laughed John-Paul, pushing Martin away. ‘It’s what mates are for. And, anyway, it’s Derreck you have to thank, not me.’ His cheeks reddened. ‘It was his idea.’
‘Yes, it was,’ agreed a voice from the doorway. They looked up to see Derreck leaning against the door jamb, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal golden skin. He was no longer wearing his hat and he flicked his blond fringe away from startling blue eyes. He was disarmingly handsome and Stace was annoyed with herself when her stomach flipped. She bet he had the pick of most women. ‘My maid is downstairs preparing the barbecue.’
‘You have a maid?’ spluttered Maggie. ‘Blimey.’
‘She comes with the place,’ he said nonchalantly.
The wealth was a stark contrast to the way they all lived their lives back home, in their small flats with not much money. Stace wondered if John-Paul felt envious. She couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy.
‘JP,’ Derreck strolled further into the room, ‘would you mind coming with me? I’d like to catch up properly with my old mate. That’s all right, isn’t it?’ he said, his gaze washing over her. Stace felt it wasn’t really a question.
John-Paul glanced at Stace and she raised her eyebrows. ‘Sure, would love to,’ he replied, following Derreck out of the room and winking at Stace over his shoulder, but she noticed the tension in his body, which hadn’t been there before Derreck walked in.
‘We’ll meet you outside in ten,’ called Derreck. ‘Tell the others.’
‘Well,’ said Maggie, when they had gone, ‘Derreck’s done all right for himself, hasn’t he?’
‘Yeah,’ agreed Martin, pushing the suitcase to one side so he could join his girlfriend on the bed. ‘Do you know much about him?’
Stace continued to hang the rest of her clothes in the large wardrobe. ‘Not much. John-Paul said Derreck was brought up in Australia but his mum is British. They met when John-Paul was travelling in Vietnam. He’s twenty-seven and …’ She shrugged. ‘That’s all I know, really.’
‘Hmm,’ said Maggie, chewing her lip thoughtfully. ‘Well, he seems nice enough and obviously hot.’ Martin swiped at her playfully and Stace felt herself blush. ‘Anyway.’ Maggie jumped off the bed. ‘We’ll leave you to unpack. Come on, Mart.’ She took his hand and led him from the room.
After Stace had finished unpacking she headed to the garden. As she descended the marble staircase she could smell the barbecue and her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since the plane. But as she passed the front-room door she heard raised voices. She stopped, her hand on the door knob.
‘If I’d known I’d never have fucking agreed to come.’
‘Aw, come on, mate. There’s nothing like a freebie in this world, you know that.’ It was Derreck.
Stace’s heart pounded and she was filled with a sense of dread so powerful she felt sick.
‘I thought we could put the past behind us.’
‘We have!’ Derreck sounded jovial compared to John-Paul’s surly tone. ‘But you do owe me.’
‘For Goa, I suppose.’
Stace felt a flash of heat to her face. What did Derreck mean? Why did John-Paul owe him?
‘It’s just this one thing,’ said Derreck, his voice cajoling. ‘Please, mate.’
‘I don’t know. What’ll I tell the others?’
‘That we’re meeting an old friend, don’t …’
The rest of the sentence was drowned out by the sound of Griff and Leonie, followed by Hannah and Trevor coming down the stairs and Stace moved away from the door.
‘Hey,’ said Griff, clapping her on the back and making her cough. ‘Are we going to get a drink, then? Smells like the barbie’s on.’
The door opened and John-Paul stood there, his face pale. She noticed that he couldn’t quite meet her eye as he took her hand wordlessly and led her down the hallway. The titters of Leonie and Hannah from behind her made her hackles rise. She didn’t even have to turn around to know they were flirting with Derreck.