‘Gosh, that’s pushing you straight into an eating disorder,’ India says, sitting up. ‘It must have been hard.’
‘Yeah, it was. It is. My mom is one of the most driven people I know, and she can be really funny. But tough. Very tough. We lived out of a suitcase for years and she never had relationships. Not that she didn’t date, but it was never about men: it was about my career.’
They both digest this.
‘I used to weigh myself every morning,’ Keera goes on. ‘Part of Mom’s rules but I stopped doing it in rehab. It was all so much about self-hatred.’ She shudders.
‘You’re so gorgeous and lovely, you shouldn’t hate yourself,’ says India earnestly. ‘Body-shaming is so toxic and it’s everywhere. I could never do what you’ve done, for that reason. Everyone saying you’re too thin or too fat. It’s horrible. Are you going back to that world after this?’
Keera hugs her knees to her chest.
‘I don’t know. It’s lovely here: nobody knows I’m here, nobody’s trying to pap me coming out of a shop or a club. I’m notonall the time. That’s lovely. If I’m honest, I …’
She pauses. Even saying it feels weird.
‘I could totally retire from music and TV but we have very little money left and if I want to settle down somewhere and do something else, I’ll need some more money.’
There, she’s said it.
Said to another person that she wants to retire from music.
Not from writing it, she thinks, but from performing.
Saying it aloud has real power.
India seems to sense this and smiles at her new friend.
‘Georgie likes to say “Courage, ma chère.” Be brave, darling. So be brave, Keera!’
‘Hey ladies,’ says Dan appearing behind them, tall and wonderfully tanned from barely a day and a half in the sun. ‘Lunch is ready.’
‘I can only achieve that colour with fake tan,’ says Keera jokily.
‘This?’ Dan holds out an arm in confusion.
‘Yeah, that,’ Keera replies.
Dan looks happier than he did yesterday, India thinks.
Lighter, almost.
The women leave their sunbeds and India grabs Keera’s hand as they leave, squeezing it in sisterly support.
‘This place is beautiful,’ Dan says as they walk up to the terrace. ‘If my job allowed remote working, I’d love to live here.’
‘What about your girlfriend? Would she like it?’ asks India guilelessly.
Dan is stumped.
‘It’s a bit quiet for her. She’d like a wilder island. She likes Ibiza. And she’s my ex,’ he adds formally, as if he feels obliged to correct this information.
Keera and India nod and say nothing, but India secretly pokes Keera in the ribs.
‘He’s absolutely gorgeous,’ she whispers to Keera as they make their way back to their seats on the terrace.
‘I thought you were here to work out why you keep dating the wrong men,’ Keera hisses back.
‘Am I?’ asks India, and they grin at each other.
