“Yes, I’m only now realizing that.”
Her widening smile throws me off until she remarks casually, “Butyou’re in luck.”
“Yeah? How so?”
There’s a wicked gleam in her eyes as she continues, “My mate who I came down with, Quinn, quit yesterday and hopped on a flight home to England to get back together with her absolutely naff ex-boyfriend who only realizedaftershe’d left the country for a fun-filled summer withmethat he couldn’t live without her.”
“And she worked at Aura?” I ask as we approach the front entrance. Just like before, the same bouncer is prepared with his clipboard and stern expression. God, he takes his job seriously.
“Yes, she was a server with me. We shared a flat together in staff housing.”
We’re drawing nearer to the bouncer, and I know he won’t let me past. This is going to be embarrassing. “Listen, I know your friend quit, but I’m sure Aura has accounted for staff losses. People probably come and go all summer long.”
“Yes, right. I’ve heard rumors there’s a waitlist, but we won’t need to worry about that because I’ll speak up for you and say you’re an old mate.” She waves away the details like it’s not any of our concern, but isn’t it? There’s no way this will actually work. “Because I was living with Quinn, I’ll put up a stink if they try to stick me with a random stranger as my new flatmate.”
“Can’t they do that, though? Probably happens all the time.”
I doubt every Aura employee came to Ibiza with a friend in tow.
She levels me with a reproachful glare. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”
Unfortunately, now we’ve reached the bouncer, so I position myself slightly behind Simone so I can use her like a shield.
“You again?” he sighs before stepping up to block my way like the real menace he is.
Simone laughs and reaches back to loop her arm around my shoulders. “She’s with me, you git.”
Then she pulls out her ID card and waves it at him, but she doesn’t stop to let him take it like she’s supposed to.
“She doesn’t have an ID card!” he protests.
“Ohbugger off, Felix. You take your job way too seriously. The moment you slip on that earpiece you think you’re suddenly MI6 or something.”
She groans in sheer annoyance as she drags me past him.
“She can’t go in!” he argues.
“What are you going to do? Tackle us?” she goads with a charming laugh.
“I might!”
She continues on, completely ignoring him.
“When are you off?” he calls out after her, apparently done with his protests about me.
She doesn’t even bother turning around as she answers. “Half past twelve.”
“Want to go for drinks?”
“Fine, but you’re paying! And Isabel is coming, too!”
I’ve lost the thread of the conversation. Never mind about drinks—I’min the tunnel. Simone has pulled me down Alice’s rabbit hole and I’m about to come out the other side, but not until we walk through the pitch-black passageway. How they’ve managed to block out the blazing Ibiza sun is beyond me, but the effect is almost eerie. I’m completely blind.
“How do you know where to go?” I ask Simone as I tentatively hold my hands out in front of me.
She giggles. “Just walk forwards.”
My hands suddenly come in contact with layers of silk drapery blocking my way. My hand sweeps along the soft fabric, and for a moment, I panic because it feels impossible to find my way through. But then the thin drapery panels part, and I slip through to the other side with a laugh of delight. I blink to try to help my eyes adjust to the bright light again.
