I strip and put on my new bikini – a 1950s-style halter-neck in a floral yellow and green print bought on a lunch-break shopping trip. Then I carefully apply sun cream, grab my sunglasses, beach towel, and phone, and head to the garden.
Compared to my air-conditioned room, outside is skin-blisteringly hot, even in the shade, so instead of chilling on a sun lounger, I toe off my flip-flops, and venture into the pool.
I swim a few laps, then float on my back, enjoying the peace and solitude. London and Alexandra Palace feel like a million miles away, but then my mind snags on the fact that Mark will be here tomorrow, and the rest of the holiday won’t feel quite so relaxing.
I had a missed call from him last night, but he didn’t leave a voicemail and I didn’t ring him back. With any luck he’ll get the message that I don’t want to talk about that night, and he’ll never mention it again.
I’m back on the sun lounger when Pen arrives, carrying two glass bottles of Coke.
‘You’re an angel,’ I say, manoeuvring the straw so I can drink without having to sit up. ‘Are Tig and Theo coming, too?’
‘No, they’re having a “siesta”,’ she says, doing air quotes.
She flops down on the lounger next to me even though it’s in full sun.
I throw my Ambre Solaire at her. ‘Put this on, you idiot.’
‘Yes, Mum,’ she says, but even with my eyes closed, I can tell she’s smiling.
We lie in silence for a while before the calm is pierced by Tig shrieking.
We both sit up, on high alert.
A second later, Tig tears through the garden with Theo following her at a more sedate pace.
‘Is it gone? Is it gone?’ she yells.
‘What on earth happened?’ I demand. ‘You frightened the life out of us.’
‘One of those lizard things fell on me.’ Tig’s waving her hands in front of her like it might secretly still be hiding in them.
‘I caught it,’ says Theo, from the other side of the garden. ‘It’s outside now.’
Tig doesn’t slow till she reaches us. ‘Oh, God, that was horrible.’
Pen checks her watch. ‘Enjoy your twenty-minute … nap?’ She winks at me, but Tig doesn’t react.
‘I couldn’t sleep because I’d seen the bloody lizard when we walked in but then it disappeared so I spent the whole time looking for it.’ She stops to catch her breath. ‘Fuck, it’s hot.’
‘Probably why he wanted a quick pit-stop in the air-conditioning,’ says Theo. ‘Poor blighter.’
Pen and Tig share a smile.
‘What did I say now?’ asks Theo.
I give Tig an ‘explain yourself’ head tilt.
‘We have this running joke that Theo talks like a retired country doctor from the nineteen forties.’ Tig turns towards him. ‘No one under seventy-five says “blighter”, babe.’
‘Or “bad show”, or “it’s just not cricket”,’ adds Pen.
‘I don’t say either of those,’ he protests.
‘She’s just teasing,’ says Tig. ‘Now then, are we going to get into this pool?’
Theo looks up at the clear blue sky. ‘You know I heard there might be a heat storm.’
‘No chance,’ says Tig. ‘Where’d you hear that?’
