“No. I taught you to look after yourself and every bar and club on the island knew who you were. You’re always safe here. You know that. Much safer than at home.” She sipped her water. “Lawrie’s heading to Abu Dhabi in another week. He wanted to ask you if you wanted to go with him to see the buildings.”
“I was there not so long ago, and I think Lala will be pissed if I leave so soon.” While I didn’t care for Lawrie, I didn’t dislike him enough to turn that trip down, if it had been somewhere I’d wanted to visit. But just being here, at Safir, the scent of coconuts and figs and flowers in the air, and I knew I couldn’t leave any time soon.
Livi nodded. “I might go with him.”
I put my glass of wine down. Generally, when Livi got to Ibiza she had to be prised away, not going anywhere willingly. “Why?”
She shook her head. “No particular reason. It might be nice to travel with Lawrie for a change. He hasn’t been here much recently.”
An undercurrent dislodged my statuesque peace. Trouble in Livi’s paradise didn’t exist. Everything there was perfect and if something started to turn rotten it was discarded like bad fruit.
“Where has he been?”
“Away on business. He’s trying to develop a new project.”
“What’s the project?” Lawrie had fingers in lots of pies, some obvious and well-known – hotels, casinos, motor racing, some that were vague and murky.Investments.
“A new hotel, I think. I wondered if it would be nice for us to spend some time together before it became busy over here.” She looked over at the hibiscus that had already started to flower. “They’re going to be beautiful this year.”
She was right. They would be.
Chaos didn’t always havea soundtrack.
Lala appeared again just before dinner, her hair wet and her skin glowing. I rolled my eyes when I saw her, the obviousness of what she’d been up clearer than a cloudless night sky.
“You reek of sex.” I kept my words quiet.
She nodded. “I swear, he gets better every time.”
“That’s because he practices fucking with half the women he meets.” I actually didn’t think Carl was that much of a manwhore, although I knew he and Lala were never exclusive. Where would be the excitement in that?
Lala ran her fingers through her wet hair. “I needed that. It had been too long.”
I smiled, wondering whether I should poke the bear, or wait for her explain. “How long’s too long?”
“Probably about a tenth of the time you think’s acceptable. You’re in the prime of your life for easy relationships and good sex – or great sex – and you spend too much time looking at buildings.”
I ignored her. I’d heard all this before. “How long’s too long?”
“Two weeks. How long’s it been for you?” Her eyes pierced mine. “Please tell me you’ve had sex since I’ve last seen you.”
“I have. In Vienna.”
“Tell me he was hot and had a big cock.”
“He was hot and he had a big cock.” I grinned.
Lara shook her head. “It only works if you mean it. Seriously, Jay Jay. I want you to enjoy yourself. Sex isn’t just about being in love with someone.”
“I know that, Lala. But I was in Vienna. He was called Jerome and he was working for the engineering firm we were dealing with.” He’d been tall, blonde and his English was heavily accented. As a lover, he’d been tender and considerate, making sure I came first, making sure the first time was all about me. The earth trembled but didn’t move. An itch was scratched, and I remembered that I had a body as well as a brain.
“You were in Vienna three months ago.” She stood up and looked accusingly at me. “That’s too long.”
I shrugged. “It feels like yesterday.”
“Please, Jay, have fun this summer. Find yourself a Carl, remember what’s it’s like to be free.” She stretched. “Want to walk down to the beach before dinner? Remember what saltwater feels like?”
I stood up next to her, suddenly acutely aware of how similar we were again. I’d lost the bit of weight I’d gained the last time I saw my sister, but in recent weeks more had dropped off, leaving me too slender, too angular for someone who didn’t need to be.
