Wedding Woes

Chapter Six

She cuddled her friend goodbye, very reluctantly, and vowed that tomorrow she would make it her mission to find a taxi driver she could call upon. She wanted to go shopping with Annie and see the rest of Miami before flying back to dreary London. She could imagine if she asked Luke to drive her anywhere, he would insist on hanging around and being a nuisance.

The afternoon sun was baking, and she suddenly yearned to feel the sand between her toes. She knew that Annie would be out there now, either by the pool or on the beach, chatting to holidaymakers and making friends along the way. She was as sociable as they came, and seemed to make new friends in every new situation that she found herself in. She imagined the sea frothing against her toes as Luke started the car, and she relished finding a shaded spot and falling asleep with her book, Annie beside her, listening to her precious Robbie Williams on her Ipod.

'You are very quiet today', mused Luke.

She didn't indulge him with an answer, instead preferring to take in the mid afternoon sun, and rows of perfectly maintained mansions with driveways the length of her entire street. As he drove on, even he didn't appear to be in a chatty mood, and she gave him a sideways glance. He looked little like his brother. He didn't share the same chiselled cheekbones, nor the sparkling blue eyes. She didn't remember what colour his eyes were, but they were probably as nondescript as the rest of him. She closed her eyes, feeling the heat of the day against her eyelids as she rested her head on the window. She drifted off to sleep in seconds, dreaming of Drew, and those eyes that melted her heart six years ago.

The sound of a pulsing baseline woke her. She felt her droopy eyes resist her attempts to open them, but the music, wherever it was coming from, was an unwelcome distraction. She could hear slurping too. Someone close by was drinking something. Via a straw. Very noisily.

'Ann!' she slurred. 'Cut that slurping out!' she batted her hand about.

'Welcome back sleepy head' said a vaguely familiar voice, and as she willed her eyes to open she realised she was still in the car. With her adversary, Luke. He passed her the cup he was holding, filled with something neon blue. As he smiled, she caught sight of his tongue, also stained blue.

'Where are we?' she asked, suddenly shaking off the slumber and in taking in her surroundings, she cricked her neck painfully.

'Owwww' she squealed, rubbing it furiously, unbuckling her seat belt. She batted away the cup, and it spilled all over her legs. As the cold liquid hit her skin she shrieked, hastily unlocking her car door and getting out. They had been parked under some tall, shaded palm trees, a Cuban bar the reason why she could hear music.

'Do you have to be such an annoying prick!' she spat at him, trying to dry off her legs with her hands. Under these trees the sun's heat didn't reach her. Checking her watch she realised it was just after eight, or it had been before the impact of the freezing drink. She could see water had entered her watch, and she tapped it angrily, knowing she'd have to throw it away.

'Look what you did! I have sticky, freezing legs, and my watch is ruined! Way to go Luke! A busted toe yesterday and now you're ruining my possessions. I think you'd better stay away from me!'

She stormed away, well aware she had no idea of her whereabouts. She strode ahead, not looking back, until she realised she'd walked onto a beach. She was furious with herself, why had she fallen asleep? Why had she agreed to him taking her home? She was independent, self sufficient and could pay for taxis with no problem. Ellie had paid for everything else. She dragged her phone from her wet pocket, discovering the screen was unresponsive, and she had five missed calls.

'Great! Everything you do ends in disaster!'

'British girls sure are dramatic' he said, no more than a metre behind her.