would always be there for him. But in a few years, he’d leave CHERUB, Lauren would probably get a serious boyfriend and they’d slowly grow apart.
Lauren’s mini-skirt was almost like a sign hanging off her butt saying that she was looking for someone to replace James in her affections.
‘What are you looking so miserable for?’ Kerry asked, as she whacked James across the shoulder.
‘Am I?’ James said, pretending to be mystified.
Ten minutes later everyone except Kyle was in the bubbling spa pool on James’ balcony. It felt beautiful because the water was really hot; the November air was crisp and the balcony looked out over a motorway, with headlamps snaking along it and a nearby village with a huge church lit up in the centre.
‘Where’s Kyle got to?’ Gabrielle asked, as she popped up in the middle of the pool and ran her hands through her long braided hair.
James shrugged. ‘He took my spare room-key and said he had to go fetch something from the van.’
Kyle arrived a few minutes later, holding a cardboard box and still dressed in his shirt and jacket from dinner.
‘What’s that?’ James asked as Kyle put the box down and ripped into the cardboard.
‘Champagne,’ Kyle grinned, before leaning over the pool and passing a bottle to James. ‘Mind you, it’s not actually champagne. It’s Australian sparkling wine, six ninety-nine a bottle in Sainsburys.’
‘Don’t let Meryl see that,’ Lauren said nervously. ‘She’ll skin us alive.’
‘I think there’s a tray of glasses by the mini-bar,’ Kerry said.
Kyle tutted. ‘And what did your last servant die of, Miss Chang?’
‘I seem to remember kicking his head in after he refused to fetch a tray of champagne flutes,’ Kerry smirked.
As Kyle fetched the glasses, James popped the cork out of his bottle and downed a few mouthfuls before passing it along to Kerry.
‘There you go, cow face,’ Kyle grinned as he set the glasses down at the edge of the pool beside Kerry. He threw off his jacket and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Kerry poured glasses of fizzy wine and passed them around the pool as James popped another bottle and Kyle pulled down his trousers, revealing a complete absence of underwear.
‘Go put something on,’ Gabrielle yelled as she covered her eyes in mock disgust. ‘I don’t wanna look at that thing all night.’
Kyle broke into a smile as he stepped into the pool. ‘Sorry dudes, but the Kyle bathes naked. At least, he does when he forgets to pack swimming shorts.’
‘Perfect,’ Lauren grinned as she furtively sipped her sparkling wine. ‘Now all we need is for James to start farting.’
*
By 1 a.m. James’ skin was wrinkled, the empty bottles were hidden under the bathroom sink and everyone except Kerry had gone back to their rooms.
‘You’re all shrivelled like a prune,’ James giggled, as he lay on his bed kissing Kerry’s back.
‘You’re just Mr Smooth aren’t you?’ she said, as she rolled over.
They were both a little drunk. James reached across to his bedside table and grabbed a small foil package. ‘I looked in the bathroom cupboard,’ he explained. ‘This hotel doesn’t miss a trick.’
Kerry was shocked. ‘Put the condom down, James, you won’t be needing it.’
‘Come on,’ James said gently. ‘Why not?’
Kerry groaned. ‘We’ve had this conversation a million times already. If we have sex before we’re sixteen, we’ll both get kicked out of CHERUB.’
‘Who’s gonna know?’
‘They’ll know if I get pregnant.’
‘That’s what this is for,’ James said sarcastically, as he jiggled the condom.
‘I’m fourteen years old and they’re not a hundred per cent effective.’
James tutted. ‘I’ll be really gentle Kerry, I swear. Just do this one little thing for me.’
Kerry’s eyebrows shot up and she shoved James away furiously. ‘One little thing? What the hell is all this?’ She spread her arms out wide. ‘I shopped for your presents, I looked up this hotel and the dune buggy place on the internet. I even polished your rotten bloody shoes.’
‘I know Kerry, but …’ James couldn’t think what to say. ‘It’s not as if we’d be the only underage cherubs ever to have sex.’
Kerry pointed at the bottom half of her swimming costume. ‘My body, my decision. Maybe, if we’re still together when I turn sixteen. But right now I don’t even know if we’ll still be together tomorrow morning. I’m sick of you always pestering me. You’re like a dirty old man.’
James heard Kerry sob as she picked her hotel robe off the floor. It made him feel really guilty. ‘Come on Kerry, don’t cry. You’ve had a few