Great.
So that means I won’t be able to use the steam room or thesauna, either. And Lila, who’s already looking super cool in her expensivetracksuit, blonde hair freshly cut and highlighted in a sleek new style, willno doubt look stunning by the pool.
‘Aw, you divvy,’ laughs Katrina when I tell her I’veforgotten my swim things. ‘Maybe the hotel has a shop where you can buy acossie?’
‘What? And pay the equivalent of a week’s wages forsomething that’s way overpriced?’
She grunts. ‘You’ve got a point. Doesn’t seem worth it. Sowhat will you do?’
I shrug. ‘I’ve brought a book. I’ll be fine. I’ll grab alounger by the pool and maybe think about my story.’ She knows that on heradvice, I’ve started to write something else.
‘Ooh, can I read it yet?’
I smile and delve into my bag. ‘Actually, I ran off a copyof what I’ve written so far. Here you go. But you’d better be kind.’ I give myhead a little shake. ‘No, actually, I’d prefer the truth.’
She takes the pages with a look of excitement. ‘Okay. That’sbrilliant. I’ll read it later.’
She goes off to the spa and instantly, I’m wishing I’dstayed at home with Dad. I could have been there for moral support and wavedhim off. But instead, I’m here with a bunch of people who are still mostlystrangers – and Logan hasn’t made eye contact with me once.
My right temple is starting to pulse a warning, so Iquickly take a tablet, hoping to stop a migraine in its tracks, and I try notto mind as I watch Lila and Logan leaving to head off to the spa, laughing andjoking together.
I spend the morning trying to read on a lounger by thepool, but the sounds of my colleagues having fun in the pool are toodistracting to concentrate. (Two colleagues in particular.)
Lila has got her claws into Logan and she’s clearly not planningto let go any time soon. And what’s more, he seems to be enjoying the attentionas she repeatedly flicks water at him as he’s swimming lengths of the pool.
At one point, Lila – looking amazing in her pink and goldone-piece – gets out of the pool, and just before she executes another of herperfect dives, she poses hands on hips, looks over at me and calls loudly, ‘Stillfully-clothed there, Martha? You must be sweating. I hope you’re not worriedabout revealing too much flab?’
As it happens, she’s right. I am too warm. But I don’tdignify it with a reply. Instead, I reach into my bag.
I’d almost decided not to do this, but after that nastycomment, called out deliberately so everyone could hear – including Logan – I’mthinking she definitely deserves it...
I wait a while, though, until Lila’s back to flirting withLogan, trying to sabotage his lengths of the pool. She’s so distracted, sheprobably wouldn’t even notice me if I started doing star jumps by the pool,singing ‘Barbie Girl’ at the top of my voice.
So... fishing the very large andshudderingly realistic spider from my bag, I get up from the lounger on thepretext of pouring myself a beaker of water from the machine at the far end ofthe pool. This takes me on a circuit, which means I have to pass by Lila’slounger and the towel she’s left in a heap on the end of it.
It’s the work of only a few seconds to casually drop thespider into the folds of the towel so that it’s hidden from sight.
Returning to my lounger, I pick up my book, covertly watchingLila as she follows Logan out of the pool and stands talking to him. Sliding thetie from her ponytail, she wrings the water from her long hair and flicks itover her shoulder. She drops something – the hair tie, maybe? Logan picks it upfor her, and she touches his arm in thanks. Then they walk off together,chatting, and as I try not to seethe with jealousy, she casts a smug look at meover her shoulder.
Seconds later, all hell breaks loose.
Picking up her towel and discovering the spider, Lila letsout a blood-curdling shriek and stumbles backwards, dropping the towel on thefloor.
‘Get it away from me! Get itawayfrom me!’ sheyells hysterically, pointing at the spider in horror from where she’s retreatedto safety behind another lounger. ‘Quick! It’s crawling away! It might get inmy bag, then I’ll never find it!’
I watch, fascinated, as Logan strolls over, realises it’sfake and picks it up, to further hideous screeching from Lila demanding to knowif he’s lost his mind (although in slightly more colourful language). With ashrug, Logan dangles the spider in the air, and Lila finally realises it’s nota real one.
She freezes, staring at it for a moment.
Then she hurries over, snatches her bag and scurries offto the changing room without another word.
I chuckle to myself. Revenge is sweet. And Lila’scomeuppance was definitely long overdue...
CHAPTER NINETEEN
‘What the hell was that all about?’ asks Katrina, comingover and sitting down on an adjoining lounger. She’s draped in a towel, herhair wet from the pool and steam room. ‘Where did that massive fake spider comefrom?’
I shake my head. ‘No idea.’
