Whiskey and Scotch

Chapter 29

DING!

The lights were still off in the bedroom when I was awoken by the sound of a phone going off not far from my head, giving me a serious sense of déjà vu.

Don't tell me they're dragging us back to Casa Amor again...

I reached for the phone and pulled it under the duvet to read the screen.

'Girls, today you will enjoy sun, swimming, and sangria on your very own day out! Please get ready to leave the villa. #ladieswhobrunch #noboysallowed'

I didn't bother stifling the groan that escaped my throat.

We get plenty of sun and swimming in the villa... just bring me sangria and let me stay with the boys...

The bedroom door opened and closed as Priya quietly slipped in from outside, where she had been sleeping with Arjun since their couple had been split up during the dumping. She tiptoed over to my bed and sat at the edge of my mattress, poking my arm with one of her long nails.

"Psst! Josie!" she whispered. "Did you get a text?"

I nodded, only to realize she couldn't see in the darkness of the room. "Yes," I whispered.

"C'mon, let's go get ready!"

She pulled me out of my bed as the other girls began to stir.

"What's happening?" one of the boys mumbled.

"It's okay, go back to sleep," came a whispered response, followed by a grunt and the sound of a body turning over on the mattress.

I followed Priya as we quietly made our way out of the bedroom and upstairs to the dressing room, the other girls following closely behind. We stumbled into the dressing room, laughing.

"Where do you think we're going?" Chelsea bounced over to her cupboard and threw it open to peruse its contents.

"Sun and swimming sounds like the beach."

"Has anyone seen my sunglasses?"

"What do they look like?"

As we bustled about and tripped over each other in the small room, a bleary-eyed Jo wandered in.

"Sorry I'm late," she yawned. "I'm just not a morning person."

"Didn't even realize you were missing," Shannon mumbled under her breath, causing Elisa to stifle a giggle.

"What do you think the boys are going to do today?" Chelsea asked.

Probably something fun. Maybe they'll build a fort and pretend to be knights. They'll use pots as helmets, spatulas as swords, and pool noodles as spears. They'll have a jousting competition, and...

"C'mon, girls, let's go! Our chariots await!"

"Wait, should we say goodbye to the boys? The text didn't say it was secret."

"Nah, let them worry we did a runner."

*********

After a short drive, we arrived at the beach. The day was perfect, and at the early hour the beach was almost deserted, with just a few people taking early morning walks and picking up seashells by the waterline.

We were led to a beautiful cabana with a small pool and bar area. Beside the pool were a number of colourfully patterned tote bags, and a picnic hamper awaited us on the bar along with a tray of fresh tropical fruit.

"This is more like it!" Priya grinned.

"This is lovely," Shannon said.

"This is just what we need after the last few days," Lottie smiled.