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Two Days After I Didn’t
Audrey woke up the next morning full of fresh resolve. Her night alone had allowed her time to pull her thoughts into focus, to work out what she wanted to say. She threw on a sundress and picked up the keys to her hire car.
As she drove across the island towards Josh’s hotel, Audrey reflected on some of the clarity she’d gained last night on the beach. She knew that in any relationship there would be conversations about council tax and arguments about who left crumbs in the bed. There would be friends the other person didn’t love as much as you did, hobbies you didn’t share, and that was okay – that wasreal life, not just the highlights reel. Love couldn’t be all dancing around bandstands or throwing yourself off Ferris wheels – frankly, that would be exhausting. Perhaps love was not about finding a jigsaw piece to fit you, or a mirror to reflect you, it was simply about finding another human being who made your heart sing. Why did it all seem so obvious to her now? Would she be too late to convince Josh that she knew all this?
Never. Give. Up.
The Mirador Agroturismo was an exclusive boutique hotel on the east side of the island, near Cala Llonga. The sprawling villa was all square white walls, dark wooden shutters, and tasteful wicker furniture. As she walked up the pebble pathway, under a trellis of pink bougainvillea, Audrey tried not to feel sorry for herself that she wasn’t staying here. The hotel looked just like it did on the website. Neat palm trees lined a pale-blue, kidney-shaped pool. There were artfully placed wooden sun loungers, with plush taupe cushions, and at the far end of the pool, two white four-poster beds with billowing linen drapes. It looked like the set of a music video, or somewhere Gwyneth Paltrow’s de-stressing therapist might come to de-stress.
To the left of the pool was a polished wooden bar. To the right, a cobbled patio framing an old olive press, and around the corner she could just make out the goat field and meditation yurt. She remembered looking over Josh’s shoulder when he found this place. It had been his turn to choose their holiday, so everything had been planned to perfection. She even knew which room they’d booked and recognised the Juliet balcony of the honeymoon suite, overlooking the patio.
Well, if it was good enough for Romeo, it was good enough for her. Surely there was something romantic about proclaiming your love from beneath a balcony? The hotel looked practically deserted, with only a uniformed barman behind the bar and one elderly man in swimming trunks, face down on a sun lounger. It was siesta time, everyone was probably asleep, which worked in Audrey’s favour – she didn’t need an audience for this.
Standing below the balcony she called up, ‘Josh! Josh!’
What would she do if he wasn’t here? She called his name again, just as a figure opened the door to the balcony. Audrey couldn’t see his face, with the sun shining right into her eyes.
‘Josh, it’s me! I just want to say one thing, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the week,’ she called up to the balcony, shading her eyes with a hand. ‘When I met you, I don’t think I was looking for love, but you showed me how amazing it can be. You ground me, in the best possible way. That guy, Fred, might have been a long ago “what if”, but Josh, you are my “what is”. I’m so sorry that I hurt you. And you know, I don’t think love is destined, I think you choose who’s worth fighting for and, Josh, I choose you. I’d choose you every time. I just hope you can forgive me for ever giving you a reason to doubt that.’
‘Audrey?’ A figure stepped out of the shadows, and Audrey saw that it wasn’t Josh standing at the balcony. It was Granny Parker.
‘Oh hi, Granny Parker.’ Audrey felt her shoulders slump in disappointment, her chest redden and her brow start to sweat. ‘Is Josh there? That was kind of meant for him.’
‘That depends.’ Granny Parker adjusted the hotel robe she was wearing. ‘Is there more to this speech of yours?’
‘Um, no. That was pretty much it,’ Audrey said, offended. She thought that had been a pretty good speech. People were coming out of the hotel now, populating the bar and pool area. Some guests eyed her with idle curiosity as she stood calling up to the balcony. Before she could think of what to say next, a voice by the pool squealed, ‘Audrey!’
It was Keeley, the girl from the plane. She was wearing a huge straw sun hat and a bright blue shoulderless playsuit. ‘Oh my God it is you! Jenny, look it’s Audrey from the plane – Team Audrey!’ The whole group of dancers from the plane was here. Was everyone staying in the lap of luxury but her?
‘Is Josh here? Are you trying to get back with him?’ cried Keeley. ‘Oh my God, are you staying here?’
Audrey opened her mouth to reply, but then Granny Parker gave an indiscreet cough.
‘Sorry, I’m kind of in the middle of something here,’ she explained to Keeley, nodding towards the balcony.
One of the managers from the hotel had come out of the reception building and was now walking briskly towards Audrey.
‘Don’t worry, she’s with me,’ Granny Parker called down. ‘She’s come to deliver a romantic speech.’
‘Well, I’ve kind of done the speech, I don’t have much more to say,’ Audrey said, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. Romantic declarations really should be appreciated for quality not quantity.
‘I bet it’s going to be dead romantic,’ said one of Keeley’s friends, clapping her hands in excitement.
Audrey looked back and forth between the group by the pool, the confused hotel manager, and Granny Parker. Keeley and her friends had shifted their loungers in her direction, ready for whatever performance they thought they were about to witness.
‘If you want to be romantic, you should sing it,’ offered an elegant Spanish woman who had now joined the crowd of onlookers.
‘Definitely do a song,’ said Keeley, clapping. ‘Everyone loves a song.’
Audrey felt the flush of embarrassment creep across every inch of her skin. ‘I don’t have anything prepared...’ she muttered, but the crowd of guests were now all watching her, waiting expectantly.
‘I’d like to hear a song,’ said Granny Parker brightly. ‘I’m sure Josh would too.’
Audrey thought back to the conversation she’d had with Josh about romantic gestures. Hadn’t he once joked that all the great love stories end with a dance routine? Fine, if this was what it took to get Josh to come out here – a public, musical declaration, in front of all these people, then so be it. Audrey closed her eyes, trying to think where to start when Keeley cried, ‘Wait!’
Audrey snapped her head left, to see Keeley having a quick word with the barman. He turned on a music system and a backing beat started to play on outdoor speakers. It gave Audrey something to work with, and she started to sing, freestyling as best she could.
‘Oh Josh, you are the only man for me,
