Daisy beamed at her. ‘They’re heavenly,’ she said. ‘I love how they’re cushioned, especially at the ball of my foot.’
‘Good, I’m glad. They suit you, too,’ Paige said,staring down and admiring Daisy’s slim feet in her heels. ‘You’d make a great foot model.’
Buoyed by the fun she’d had at the fashion show, Daisy decided to put Aaron to the back of her mind and concentrate on her painting. She was also determined not to give Aaron another chance to surprise her and spent the rest of August making the most of Lydia’s garden where she felt completely safe. She found new vantage points from which she could reproduce unusual and colourful views, and not once was she disturbed by anyone other than Lydia’s gardener, or Lydia herself, asking her if she wanted to join her for lunch, a walk on the beach, or simply a chat.
She hadn’t seen Fi for a few days, but was happy to accept her friend’s invitation for her to spend an afternoon off sunbathing at her brother’s house. She’d put on her bikini in preparation.
‘He’s away again for a few days,’ Fi said, throwing towels onto three sunbeds and then straightening them out neatly. ‘Take any one you like. I’ll fetch some drinks.’
Daisy wasn’t sure who else would be joining them and not wishing to lie in between friends, she took the sunbed furthest from the large doors into the living room. She stepped out of her shorts and T-shirt and lay down. ‘This is wonderful,’ she said to herself, looking around the white walls and pale cream tiled area surrounding the large rectangular pool. Taking the lid off a tube of sun cream, she began smoothing it over her skin.
Fi came back outside a short time later carrying a tray with a glass jug of Pimm’s and three glasses. ‘Phil wants to meet you,’ Fi said. ‘I’ve told him to come here and say hi. You don’t mind, do you?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘Of course not,’ she said, excited to finally be meeting this mystery man Fi thought so much about.
Fi nudged her in the ribs. ‘When your man comes back, you’ll have him to drool over.’
Daisy wished Fi didn’t presume that Gabriel was her anything; it only made her daydream and refresh the hope she had that one day they’d find a way to be together. ‘Gabriel is not my man. Please don’t ever say that sort of thing at the hotel, people might get the wrong idea.’
‘I won’t, don’t worry,’ she said, pouring two glasses of the dark amber liquid and popping a strawberry from the jug into each glass. ‘Here you go, drama queen.’
Daisy took her glass and smiled. ‘I’m not. Do you think Francesca would be happy if she thought I liked Gabriel?’
Fi sat down on the sunbed next to Daisy and took a sip of her drink.
‘Yum. Listen, Gabriel is a grown man and I shouldn’t think he’s taken his mother’s advice for years. And as far as Francesca’s concerned, I think she’d be delighted if anyone managed to persuade her son to stay in Jersey. She doesn’t show it too much, but I suspect she misses him just as much as Lydia does. What do you think?’
Daisy knew how much she missed him. ‘Probably. She is his mother, after all.’ She noticed Fi glancing at her watch. ‘What time are you expecting Phil to arrive?’
‘Any time now,’ Fi said. ‘Do you think I look OK in this bikini?’ she asked, staring down at her perfectly toned stomach. ‘Or maybe I should wear one that doesn’t show off quite so much of me.’
Daisy shrugged. ‘I think you look great, but if you’ll feel happier in something else then change.’
Fi considered her reply and stood up, placing her glass down on the small table between them. ‘I’ll be back in a couple of secs,’ she said, running inside the house.
Daisy closed her eyes and dozed. She spent all herspare time painting and for once it felt good to simply lie in the sun and do nothing at all. She heard a sound next to her and smiled. ‘You were quick.’
‘I presume you mean someone else,’ said a familiar deep voice, the sound of which made the tiny hairs on her arms stand to attention and her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.
Daisy opened her eyes and had to cover her mouth to stifle a scream. ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked Aaron, seeing him sitting on Fi’s sun lounger, his feet up and hands resting behind his head as he lay back. ‘You can’t just waltz into people’s homes whenever you choose,’ she said, recalling how he had done just that at her mother’s small flat on several occasions, frightening them both. His uninvited visits had ended up with her mother insisting Daisy travel to Vietnam to try and stay away from him until he lost interest in her. She’d only agreed to go away because it was so out of character for her mother to want her to do something like that. Her heart ached at the thought that this obsessive fool, who she’d once thought to love, could still be chasing her so long after she’d ended their relationship.
‘I’ve been invited, just like you, sweet Daisy,’ he said, his voice so soft and loving it made her blood run cold. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me here?’ Confused, Daisy opened her mouth to retaliate but Fi stepped outside. Instead of her looking shocked to see this stranger in her brother’s home, she beamed and ran over to greet him. ‘Phil, you’re here,’ Fi shrieked.
He lifted her up and swung her around, winking at Daisy as she crossed his line of vision. ‘I’ve just been making friends with Daisy here,’ he said. ‘You never told me she was this pretty.’
Daisy couldn’t believe it.
He put Fi back down and instantly Daisy noticed that her friend’s expression had changed. Why is she glaring atme like that, Daisy wondered?
He took Fi’s hand and led her over to the bar area. ‘This is delicious,’ he said. ‘Can I have a glass?’
Fi smiled at him, though Daisy noticed it seemed forced. She was pouring the liquid into the spare glass when he added, ‘Daisy kindly let me have a sip of hers. It’s delicious.’
‘What?’ Daisy couldn’t believe his cheek. He was so obviously trying to cause friction between them, but she hoped Fi knew her well enough to see through his nastiness. He gave her a sly smile over the rim of his glass when he took a mouthful of his drink, and to Daisy’s horror Fi noticed and glared at her.
Unsure what to do next and aware that he was well-practised when it came to being calculating, she tried to think of the best way to counteract his plan. Failing and hating the way Fi was being upset by his actions, Daisy stood up.
‘Fi, this man you know as “Phil” is actually an ex of mine. His real name is Aaron and he’s been stalking me for three years.’
