‘Kinda. Her name is Jess. She’s a new mum. I’m trying to get my head round how she feels. I think she thought this was more of a detox retreat where I’d magically help her get in shape…I’m just wondering if there are other ways to help her.’ There is silence on the end of the phone again.
‘You still there?’ I check.
‘Yeah. This is when I like that you’re my little brother.’
‘That almost sounded like a compliment, Norah. So what do I do?’
‘You’ll know. That’s what you do. I have to go. My pasta is overboiling. Don’t snog pretty Chloe, yeah? BYE!’
The line goes dead and for a minute I stand quietly, absorbing the emptiness of the kitchen.I’ll know what to do. I’m glad Norah’s got such faith in me. At least the women are all well-fed and hopefully they will sleep well tonight. I need to clarify what exactly they want from this break because, at the moment, their needs feel simple: sleep, sitting still and eating meals they haven’t had to plan are all luxuries for them. Zara obviously wants a break from being a mum. She wants to be fed and watered in wine. She likes ham. Jess needs some respite from her baby twins but she also needs an injection of self-confidence to feel comfortable in her own body.
This leaves me with Chloe: pretty but angry Chloe. I’m still trying to work her out, to understand why she booked this trip, why she’s here. There were moments when she was in the pool when she looked relaxed and carefree, but there were also times at dinner when she cradled her wine glass close to her chest, looking unsure, like she was deciding whether or not she should get drunk. I stand and pour myself a final glass of red, wondering what that means. I open up Google on my tablet to do some final research for the day. We had Googled other retreats onthe island before launching ours.Maybe I should learn how to lead a meditation? Invest in a yurt and some crystals?I scroll silently in the darkness before I hear a voice coming from the poolside.
‘I am sorry, Julian. Rosie in HR approved this. The tender will have to wait until I get back,’ the speaker says with an air of desperation in her voice. I look out the kitchen window to see Chloe pacing gently; she’s wearing a vest top and soft shorts, and her hair is bundled on top of her head. ‘I don’t quite know what that means. Nancy got time off for her honeymoon. I haven’t had a proper holiday in two years…Julian, that was Christmas Eve, no one else came in that day…I know there are deadlines. I appreciate it’s a team effort. I’ve done the work, I always do the work…’
There is a long pause.
‘Let me look at the drawings then. Give me two days,’ Chloe says quietly.
The conversation ends and she stands there holding her phone to her chest for a moment. She’s biting her bottom lip and a single tear runs down her face that she wipes away with the palm of her hand. She sits on the edge of a sun lounger and looks up to the stars but as she does that bloody cat appears again. Chloe sees her and beckons her over with a kissy sound. She scampers over, winding her way around Chloe’s legs. ‘Yes. I know. I should have told Julian to piss off,’ she says to the cat. He purrs softly in response and she smiles. ‘I think I’m going to call you Salsa,’ she says, ‘because you’re a bit spicy, no? I like that.’
That is a ridiculous name for a cat, I think. I’d vote for Diabla, the she-devil. But the newly christened Salsa senses Chloe’s sadness and doesn’t leave her side. Chloe’s face is still damp with tears. I don’t know what to do.Maybe offer hersomething?I head over to the fridge then walk outside and stand by the patio door.
‘Oh hi,’ I say. I’m astounded by my terrible acting. Salsa sees me and runs off. I really don’t know what I’ve done wrong with that feline. Chloe watches the cat slink into a neighbouring bush but then sits up when she sees me and runs a hand through her hair. ‘I was about to deliver some water to you all…For the evening.’ I hand her the two-litre bottle. ‘It’s important to hydrate in these warmer temperatures.’ I sound so very wise.
Chloe smiles as she takes it, unscrewing the lid and taking a large gulp. ‘Thank you. Sorry for being down here. I noticed the lights were still on in the pool. Were you thinking of going in?’ she asks me.
‘No. I was having a medicinal wine and then I’m going to call it a day. Feel free to have a swim if you want,’ I tell her.
Chloe shakes her head and looks up to the sky again. ‘It’s quite a thing, eh? All those stars?’ she says, her eyes scanning the sparkling dots in the clear night sky. Her spine almost reaches up to look at the constellations, and she rests a hand gently to her chest. ‘This ain’t London, for sure.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure. My flat in London overlooks a flyover: I can see brake lights for miles. It’s truly magical,’ I say.
She laughs but stops herself, still cautious. ‘Where in London?’
‘Harlesden.’
‘I’m in Seven Sisters,’ she says, still looking up, entranced by the night sky, her eyes wide and curious.
I sit down on a neighbouring sun lounger. Telling me where she lives is the most personal information that she’s revealed so far today. Maybe it’s the silence, the stars or the fact it’s late and we’re alone. Perhaps it’s given her some space to breathe, to share.
‘Make sure that you get up for sunrise one morning, it’s pretty spectacular,’ I say.
‘Will do,’ she replies. I can only catch a glimpse of her from the corner of my eye but I’m pleased that the view has brought her some calm – I can tell by the way she takes long deep breaths to savour the moment, to hear the gentle whirring of the breeze and the buzz of cicadas in the background. She takes another sip of water, wiping the corners of her mouth as she does so. ‘I don’t drink enough water,’ she tells me.
‘People rarely do. I always think it strange when it’s a basic human requirement. We are all sixty percent water,’ I tell Chloe, trying to dazzle her with my statistics knowledge.
‘Then I think I’m about twenty-three percent,’ she jokes. I like the curve of her smile when it appears, the way it lifts her cheeks and hits her eyes.
‘That’s precise.’ I push another bottle in her direction. ‘Then please hydrate, let’s up those percentages. Especially as you’ve been…’ I pause mid-sentence. ‘Let’s take care of you.’
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and bends her knees to her chest when I say that.
‘So apart from the rehydration, is there anything else you think you might need from this holiday?’ I ask.
Chloe pauses for a moment before answering. ‘Well, is Pedro around? You’ve not wheeled him out yet.’
‘He’s my day-three special surprise.’
