The Holiday Home Page 0,90

of her sweatshirt. On the wind came a man’s voice calling her name:

‘Pru! Pru!’

Looking up, she saw him about fifty metres away, running towards her, his blond curls streaming behind him: Merlin. She stopped walking, not knowing whether she should run to meet him. Instead, she opened her arms. When he got to her, he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. Finally he put her down and looked into her soul.

‘Hello, Prudence Carew.’

‘Hello, Merlin Pengelly.’

‘Have you missed me?’

‘No.’

‘Yes you have. A little bird tells me you’ve been moping about down here since I last saw you.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘Him.’ Merlin pointed up the beach to the lifeguards’ hut. A young man in lifeguard red shorts and windcheater put his binoculars down and gave a thumbs-up.

Pru blushed. Had she been so obviously pining for the last ten days? Merlin took her hand and kissed it. ‘I’ve got news for you. I’ve swapped from Newquay to work this beach for the rest of the summer. I am now your personal lifeguard.’

*

‘Come on, Pru, you know we were good.’

Merlin had sidled up to Pru and snaked a hand around her waist.

‘What about a kiss, for old times’ sake?’

‘No. You were a bastard to me. You broke my heart.’

‘And you broke mine when you refused to speak to me.’

‘Merlin, I want to thank you. Because of you, I am the woman I am today: strong, successful, some would say a ball-breaker – and it’s all down to you. I vowed that never again would I let my guard down to another human being. Not even my husband – until this holiday. It’s only now that I realise how much I love Francis. So, no, I don’t want to dance with you or kiss you, Merlin.’

Merlin threw his cigarette butt on the sand and stamped it out with his flip-flop. ‘Plenty more fish in the sea, Pru. Plenty more fish in the sea.’ And he returned to his job as DJ.

There’s nothing sadder than an old hippy on the pull, thought Pru as she watched him go.

*

Janie was dancing very sexily in a silk mini dress with no bra to keep her firm breasts in place and a tiny thong which was noticeable every time she wiggled her hips. She’d made certain she was dressed as provocatively as possible in order to show Greg what he was missing. As she snapped her head to one side, making her long hair flow Beyoncé style, she caught Merlin’s eye and gave him her most sultry smile. He cued up a few more tracks, back to back, and stepped out from behind his decks to join her on the dance floor.

Giving it all he had he threw what he imagined were some impressive shapes and shouted above the noise: ‘Hi! I love your picture.’

She pulled a face that made her cheeks dimple. ‘Huh?’

‘I said, I love your picture.’

‘What picture?’

‘The one I’m going to take of you lying in my bed.’

She stopped dead and thought about slapping his face. But then she saw Greg watching her, so she pulled Merlin close and kissed him as passionately as she could. Thrilled that his new chat-up line was having such a positive effect, Merlin enthusiastically kissed her back.

Greg was behind the buffet table serving dollops of chilli to Abi’s friends. He had seen the whole thing.

‘Janie seems to be getting on well with that idiot plumber.’

The sound of Henry’s voice in his ear made Greg jump, causing him to spill an ugly splat of mince on top of the vegetarian sausages.

Henry patted his shoulder. ‘I’m watching you – don’t forget.’

Belinda appeared with another bowl of punch. ‘Oh, what’s this on the vegan bangers? The veggies won’t eat them now.’

‘They’re not exactly flying into people’s mouths,’ Greg responded drily.

Belinda ignored him. Setting the punch bowl down, she turned to Henry. ‘Great party! And a double celebration! Fancy you and Dorothy not being married!’ She elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Saucy!’

Henry looked down at the sand, embarrassed. ‘Ah well … you know how it goes. These things happen.’

‘Yes. We all have our skeletons.’ She picked up a sausage and munched on it. ‘So why didn’t you get married in the first place?’

Henry was forced to repeat the lie about eloping.

‘Sounds daft to me. I mean, there was nothing to stop you nipping off and getting married at any time, was there?’

The sound of Stevie Wonder blasted from Merlin’s disco.

‘Ooh. I love this one. Would you have a dance with me?’