“Final call for flight GY2184 to London Heathrow.”
Carla’s stomach lurched at the tannoy announcement, anxiety making her pulse quicken. If only it was down to pre-flight nerves.
The stifling humidity was making her blouse stick to her back, her agitation growing by the second as yet another bead of sweat ran down her nose. Had they never heard of air conditioning?
“Where is he?” she muttered, unable to see any trace of the man she sought amongst the many bodies filling the tiny tropical airport, all scurrying to their departure gates.
Carla still couldn’t believe she’d done it, actually travelled to the other side of the globe on her own. Her parents had called her crazy, pleading with her to travel with a friend, but she’d needed the two-week break from everyone and everything. There was only so much sympathy and hand-patting a girl could handle.
The holiday had been Megan’s idea; a fortnight in the sun to escape the gloomy English winter. They had trawled the travel agents together every lunchtime for a week and then pored over the brochures at home.
Home…
Carla swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. Home was the three-bedroom house they had bought six years ago, finally fleeing the coop together. It was all hers now, but it felt desperately empty without Meg there. No more dirty cups lurking in every room or glossy magazines littering every available surface. Meg was the messy one, like a tornado, so full of life and vitality that you couldn’t help but love her despite her passion for clutter.
The best of friends as well as twin sisters, neither she nor Meg had felt the urge to settle down. Sure they had both dated but as soon as anyone got too deep or hinted at commitment, it had been game over. Men had been the source of many laughs over their morning coffee, as well as the source of many tears over a bottle of wine at the end of the day.
When it came down to it, they had each other; that’s how it had always been.
But Meg was gone now.
Killed in a road traffic accident at the age of twenty-eight, the idiot that had ploughed into her had been many times over the legal limit when they breathalysed him. Carla’s fists clenched and her jaw tightened. Why couldn’t he have died instead? At least he was locked up, though it was poor consolation.
Faced with picking up the pieces and trying to move on, Meg’s sudden death had terrified Carla, having been part of their double act for so long. Losing a kidney, or even an entire limb, would have been preferable. The fact that a person’s future could change in the blink of an eye had forced her to re-evaluate her life and this holiday was just the kickstart she’d needed.
The travel agents had offered her a full refund on both tickets, of course, but Carla felt like she owed it to Meg to see it through. It was to be her final goodbye to Meg and her old life, a great big hello to the new.
As the sun set on her first week, Carla knew she’d made the right decision and was glad she had followed her instincts. Sipping cocktails in the glorious sunshine, the beautiful scenery had already granted peace to her soul. Her lone walks along the scorching sand, the sun doing its utmost to burn her pale skin, had also brought much-needed clarity.
By the eighth day, she had felt recharged and ready to take on the world.
Right up until it was tipped upside down again.
Quite literally…
Carla had been soaking up some rays on the poolside, frequently slipping into the pool to cool off and take advantage of the swim-up bar, when he had walked into her life. Or should that be swam?
Having just finished her drink, she’d been swimming back to her sun lounger when - WHAM! - an arm, closely followed by the rest of a man’s body, had smacked right into her and knocked the air out of her lungs. Sinking fast, she hadn’t had time to draw a single breath before going under. Unable to focus, the water blurring her vision, Carla had watched as the aqua tiled floor got closer.
Paralysed with fear, she truly believed that she was going to die. Death by drowning. Alone. Miles away from home. What a depressing way to go… Her poor parents would never forgive her if they ever found out, maybe they wouldn’t anyway after what she’d done since?
A pair of strong arms had suddenly wrapped tightly around her, pulling her back towards the surface. Finally breaking through, her first gulping breaths had felt like fire, burning her lungs.
It was all over though and she was still alive!
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry”, her rescuer had blurted, towing her toward the shallow end. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?” His voice had been laced with panic, his eyes checking for injuries as he helped her to stand.
Carla had taken a good long look at her villainous hero - or was he her heroic villain? - and she could remember the exact moment her heart had started to race and the butterflies had taken flight.
Tall, toned and bronzed, with a shock of golden sun-highlighted hair, piercing blue eyes and full kissable lips, he was undeniably handsome. More alarmingly, he was exactly her type. “What the hell were you playing at?” she’d yelled at him, “you nearly killed me you idiot.”
“I know, I really am sorry,” he’d said, looking utterly shaken. “Do you need a Doctor?”
Speechless, she’d watched, spellbound, as water ran in rivulets down his taut chest towards his shorts before re-appearing and running down his lean thighs, returning to the pool that was swirling around his knees. She shook her head, knowing that her voice would have come out as a croak if she’d tried to speak at that moment.
“Is there anything I can get for you?” he’d asked, looking right at her with eyes like sapphires. “Your towel maybe? Or a drink?” He was certainly persistent, looking so sorry. And he really was gorgeous…
“Okay, why not?” she’d said, emboldened and relieved to hear that her voice sounded almost normal. At least her breathlessness could be attributed to her near drowning. “But as pick-ups go, that stunt has got to go down as the worst and most stupid attempt in the history of bad pick-ups.”
His eyes had almost popped out of his head and his face had flushed instantly, looking adorably embarrassed as he scrambled for something to say. Unable to stop the corners of her mouth from twitching, laughter had bubbled up inside her like a volcano until it had exploded out of her in one great burst.
That had then set him off. He had such a wonderful free-spirited laugh and a generous wide smile. The overall effect was unforgettable.
“Jack Fulton,” he’d said eventually, holding out his hand to her.
“Carla Walsh,” she’d replied, enjoying the feel of his hand engulfing hers. “And mine is a margarita thanks.”
And that had been that.
It transpired that Jack had been working out there for the winter season, looking after the fitness classes and watersports but his six-month contract was almost at an end and he wasn’t sure where to go next, bored of the beach and lonely.
Over the next few days, they spent many hours and meals together. Talking and laughing, enjoying each other’s company. And yes, they’d shared kisses and they had been magical every single time. Just thinking about Jack brought a smile to Carla’s face and set fire coursing through her veins.
It reached a point where he was spending every moment of his free time with her. He even convinced her to try windsurfing and water-skiing just so they could spend more time together. Was it your typical holiday romance? Carla had no idea, but with just three more days left before his job ended and her holiday was over, one thing she did know for certain was that neither of them wanted to say goodbye.
A few phones calls later and she had successfully extended her trip by a further week. Jack was all set to leave his staff accommodation and move into her two-bedroom villa for their final week together in paradise.
And what a week it turned out to be…
So where was Jack now?
Carla looked across at the attendant dressed in the red cabin crew uniform, feeling her eyes boring into her, giving her ‘that’ look. The one that says, “hey, you’ve been stood up so forget him and get on the damn plane so we can go already.”
Carla had made the trip to the airport without him, travelling in the transfer coach, along with her luggage, whereas Jack had a few errands to run first before returning his motorbike on route. She had a few more minutes before she had to get on the plane.
What if she’d been a fool?
No, stop being silly, Jack wouldn’t do that to her, he’d be here. Wouldn’t he?
How could she be sure? She’d only known Jack for a couple of weeks, after all, what if she’d got it disastrously wrong, thinking it was so much more than a holiday fling when really it was just an elaborate fairytale?
Oh please no.
Nauseated and gasping for air, Carla’s chest felt like it was being crushed. Panic set in as tears pooled in her eyes until she could barely see. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in half. Shame gripped her. After everything that had happened the past couple of weeks, her parents would be horrified if she went home alone now.
What had she done? Carla’s legs turned to jelly and she sank into the nearest seat, letting her head fall into her hands. How could he do this to her?
A hand appeared on her shoulder and hope swelled inside her. ‘Jack! You made it!” Whipping her head up, ready to leap into his arms, she found herself staring into a woman’s face, the same one she noticed at the gate before. Carla felt like she’d been punched.
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but the aeroplane is ready to leave,” the attendant said softly. “If you still wish to travel on this flight, I must ask that you take your seat now.”
Nodding stiffly, Carla forced herself to stand, grabbing her cabin bag by the handles. Her legs felt like lead as she tried to walk, her world collapsing around her ears again. Resigned, she knew had to get on that plane. She’d be out of her job if she took any more unplanned time off.
With a heavy heart, she made her way to the gate, all hope lost, ignoring the sound of running footsteps. That was that then.
“There she is, that’s Mrs Fulton right there!” cried a voice she had given up hope of ever hearing again.
Throwing his arms around her, Jack scooped her up in a big hug, letting out a deep sigh that matched her own. “Where have you been, Darling? The plane is about to leave and I panicked when you still hadn’t boarded.”
“Sorry, Jack,” Carla smiled, allowing her new husband to take her bag. “I got held up.”
He need never know that she’d doubted him. He was here and that’s all that mattered.
Smiling brightly, his eyes full of warmth and love, Jack nodded and took her hand. “Let’s go home.”
Home!
What a difference a few weeks could make. Carla couldn’t wait to share her home with him, where they would hopefully raise a little family one day. Meg would have liked that.
Thank you Meg… oh, and goodbye.
Carla’s stomach lurched at the tannoy announcement, anxiety making her pulse quicken. If only it was down to pre-flight nerves.
The stifling humidity was making her blouse stick to her back, her agitation growing by the second as yet another bead of sweat ran down her nose. Had they never heard of air conditioning?
“Where is he?” she muttered, unable to see any trace of the man she sought amongst the many bodies filling the tiny tropical airport, all scurrying to their departure gates.
Carla still couldn’t believe she’d done it, actually travelled to the other side of the globe on her own. Her parents had called her crazy, pleading with her to travel with a friend, but she’d needed the two-week break from everyone and everything. There was only so much sympathy and hand-patting a girl could handle.
The holiday had been Megan’s idea; a fortnight in the sun to escape the gloomy English winter. They had trawled the travel agents together every lunchtime for a week and then pored over the brochures at home.
Home…
Carla swallowed hard, fighting back the tears. Home was the three-bedroom house they had bought six years ago, finally fleeing the coop together. It was all hers now, but it felt desperately empty without Meg there. No more dirty cups lurking in every room or glossy magazines littering every available surface. Meg was the messy one, like a tornado, so full of life and vitality that you couldn’t help but love her despite her passion for clutter.
The best of friends as well as twin sisters, neither she nor Meg had felt the urge to settle down. Sure they had both dated but as soon as anyone got too deep or hinted at commitment, it had been game over. Men had been the source of many laughs over their morning coffee, as well as the source of many tears over a bottle of wine at the end of the day.
When it came down to it, they had each other; that’s how it had always been.
But Meg was gone now.
Killed in a road traffic accident at the age of twenty-eight, the idiot that had ploughed into her had been many times over the legal limit when they breathalysed him. Carla’s fists clenched and her jaw tightened. Why couldn’t he have died instead? At least he was locked up, though it was poor consolation.
Faced with picking up the pieces and trying to move on, Meg’s sudden death had terrified Carla, having been part of their double act for so long. Losing a kidney, or even an entire limb, would have been preferable. The fact that a person’s future could change in the blink of an eye had forced her to re-evaluate her life and this holiday was just the kickstart she’d needed.
The travel agents had offered her a full refund on both tickets, of course, but Carla felt like she owed it to Meg to see it through. It was to be her final goodbye to Meg and her old life, a great big hello to the new.
As the sun set on her first week, Carla knew she’d made the right decision and was glad she had followed her instincts. Sipping cocktails in the glorious sunshine, the beautiful scenery had already granted peace to her soul. Her lone walks along the scorching sand, the sun doing its utmost to burn her pale skin, had also brought much-needed clarity.
By the eighth day, she had felt recharged and ready to take on the world.
Right up until it was tipped upside down again.
Quite literally…
Carla had been soaking up some rays on the poolside, frequently slipping into the pool to cool off and take advantage of the swim-up bar, when he had walked into her life. Or should that be swam?
Having just finished her drink, she’d been swimming back to her sun lounger when - WHAM! - an arm, closely followed by the rest of a man’s body, had smacked right into her and knocked the air out of her lungs. Sinking fast, she hadn’t had time to draw a single breath before going under. Unable to focus, the water blurring her vision, Carla had watched as the aqua tiled floor got closer.
Paralysed with fear, she truly believed that she was going to die. Death by drowning. Alone. Miles away from home. What a depressing way to go… Her poor parents would never forgive her if they ever found out, maybe they wouldn’t anyway after what she’d done since?
A pair of strong arms had suddenly wrapped tightly around her, pulling her back towards the surface. Finally breaking through, her first gulping breaths had felt like fire, burning her lungs.
It was all over though and she was still alive!
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry”, her rescuer had blurted, towing her toward the shallow end. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you okay?” His voice had been laced with panic, his eyes checking for injuries as he helped her to stand.
Carla had taken a good long look at her villainous hero - or was he her heroic villain? - and she could remember the exact moment her heart had started to race and the butterflies had taken flight.
Tall, toned and bronzed, with a shock of golden sun-highlighted hair, piercing blue eyes and full kissable lips, he was undeniably handsome. More alarmingly, he was exactly her type. “What the hell were you playing at?” she’d yelled at him, “you nearly killed me you idiot.”
“I know, I really am sorry,” he’d said, looking utterly shaken. “Do you need a Doctor?”
Speechless, she’d watched, spellbound, as water ran in rivulets down his taut chest towards his shorts before re-appearing and running down his lean thighs, returning to the pool that was swirling around his knees. She shook her head, knowing that her voice would have come out as a croak if she’d tried to speak at that moment.
“Is there anything I can get for you?” he’d asked, looking right at her with eyes like sapphires. “Your towel maybe? Or a drink?” He was certainly persistent, looking so sorry. And he really was gorgeous…
“Okay, why not?” she’d said, emboldened and relieved to hear that her voice sounded almost normal. At least her breathlessness could be attributed to her near drowning. “But as pick-ups go, that stunt has got to go down as the worst and most stupid attempt in the history of bad pick-ups.”
His eyes had almost popped out of his head and his face had flushed instantly, looking adorably embarrassed as he scrambled for something to say. Unable to stop the corners of her mouth from twitching, laughter had bubbled up inside her like a volcano until it had exploded out of her in one great burst.
That had then set him off. He had such a wonderful free-spirited laugh and a generous wide smile. The overall effect was unforgettable.
“Jack Fulton,” he’d said eventually, holding out his hand to her.
“Carla Walsh,” she’d replied, enjoying the feel of his hand engulfing hers. “And mine is a margarita thanks.”
And that had been that.
It transpired that Jack had been working out there for the winter season, looking after the fitness classes and watersports but his six-month contract was almost at an end and he wasn’t sure where to go next, bored of the beach and lonely.
Over the next few days, they spent many hours and meals together. Talking and laughing, enjoying each other’s company. And yes, they’d shared kisses and they had been magical every single time. Just thinking about Jack brought a smile to Carla’s face and set fire coursing through her veins.
It reached a point where he was spending every moment of his free time with her. He even convinced her to try windsurfing and water-skiing just so they could spend more time together. Was it your typical holiday romance? Carla had no idea, but with just three more days left before his job ended and her holiday was over, one thing she did know for certain was that neither of them wanted to say goodbye.
A few phones calls later and she had successfully extended her trip by a further week. Jack was all set to leave his staff accommodation and move into her two-bedroom villa for their final week together in paradise.
And what a week it turned out to be…
So where was Jack now?
Carla looked across at the attendant dressed in the red cabin crew uniform, feeling her eyes boring into her, giving her ‘that’ look. The one that says, “hey, you’ve been stood up so forget him and get on the damn plane so we can go already.”
Carla had made the trip to the airport without him, travelling in the transfer coach, along with her luggage, whereas Jack had a few errands to run first before returning his motorbike on route. She had a few more minutes before she had to get on the plane.
What if she’d been a fool?
No, stop being silly, Jack wouldn’t do that to her, he’d be here. Wouldn’t he?
How could she be sure? She’d only known Jack for a couple of weeks, after all, what if she’d got it disastrously wrong, thinking it was so much more than a holiday fling when really it was just an elaborate fairytale?
Oh please no.
Nauseated and gasping for air, Carla’s chest felt like it was being crushed. Panic set in as tears pooled in her eyes until she could barely see. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in half. Shame gripped her. After everything that had happened the past couple of weeks, her parents would be horrified if she went home alone now.
What had she done? Carla’s legs turned to jelly and she sank into the nearest seat, letting her head fall into her hands. How could he do this to her?
A hand appeared on her shoulder and hope swelled inside her. ‘Jack! You made it!” Whipping her head up, ready to leap into his arms, she found herself staring into a woman’s face, the same one she noticed at the gate before. Carla felt like she’d been punched.
“I’m sorry Ma’am, but the aeroplane is ready to leave,” the attendant said softly. “If you still wish to travel on this flight, I must ask that you take your seat now.”
Nodding stiffly, Carla forced herself to stand, grabbing her cabin bag by the handles. Her legs felt like lead as she tried to walk, her world collapsing around her ears again. Resigned, she knew had to get on that plane. She’d be out of her job if she took any more unplanned time off.
With a heavy heart, she made her way to the gate, all hope lost, ignoring the sound of running footsteps. That was that then.
“There she is, that’s Mrs Fulton right there!” cried a voice she had given up hope of ever hearing again.
Throwing his arms around her, Jack scooped her up in a big hug, letting out a deep sigh that matched her own. “Where have you been, Darling? The plane is about to leave and I panicked when you still hadn’t boarded.”
“Sorry, Jack,” Carla smiled, allowing her new husband to take her bag. “I got held up.”
He need never know that she’d doubted him. He was here and that’s all that mattered.
Smiling brightly, his eyes full of warmth and love, Jack nodded and took her hand. “Let’s go home.”
Home!
What a difference a few weeks could make. Carla couldn’t wait to share her home with him, where they would hopefully raise a little family one day. Meg would have liked that.
Thank you Meg… oh, and goodbye.
