As always, a number of the situations have been inspired by some of the small band of authors whose work I immensely admire, and to whose high standards I aspire. I have attempted to occasionally incorporate a flavour of their imagination in this new story, in tribute to them. Without their inspiration, I would not be writing.
Chapter 10 - DAY SIX: HOTTER AND HOTTER
Babs and Sonia...
"Okay, I've got rid of the men," Babs said, her lips curling in a smile.
Sonia had just arrived in the breakfast area. Babs had telephoned her room earlier, suggesting she make an excuse and wait for ten minutes after Simon left the room before venturing down to meet her.
"What? How?" the redhead asked, pausing at the front of the table.
Babs nodded at the vacant seat opposite her and Sonia sat down, her wide eyes staring at her friend.
"Babs," Sonia gasped, an urgent note in her voice. "What's happened?"
Her lover laughed, reaching across and taking Sonia's hand. Her thumb began to stroke along the soft flesh until Sonia pulled her hand away, her head jerking around in case they were seen.
Babs laughed again and rested her arm on the vacant seat beside her.
"Well," she responded, her voice a little colder now. "I can't quite get to the bottom of it, but I'm pretty sure I'm right about those two. I quizzed Barry last night and he was evasive."
Her eyes shot up and she nodded knowingly at Sonia.
"Believe me, with Barry that can only mean one thing. So I threw in that trollop's name he was dancing with, Helena, and that hit the nail right on the head!"
"He told you?" asked Sonia, her gold-flecked eyes displaying her shock.
"No, of course he didn't. That's how I know he did!"
Sonia shook her pretty head, putting her hands to her forehead.
"Then I threw in Simon's name," Babs added, her eyebrows rising again.
"And...?"
"The same evasiveness! Believe me, they were both involved."
She paused.
"The funny thing is, when I also mentioned Leo, he said that he hadn't seen him after Lisa was with Loncraine."
"Another lie?" asked Sonia.
"No, I got a straightforward answer, so that bit is true."
Sonia shook her head, still not quite following. "Babs..."
"So I confronted them both at breakfast," Babs said. "I told them I'd been speaking to Helena."
Babs shook her head before Sonia could ask the question. "No, Sonia I haven't spoken to her. But their reaction told me everything I needed to know."
"Barry confessed?"
"No, he's too fly that one, though you should have seen his face." She laughed, but then her eyes softened. "It was Simon!"
"What about Simon?" Sonia rasped.
"He asked if you knew!"
"The bastard," Sonia spat. "The bastard!"
Babs nodded. "That about sums it up!"
She reached over and took Sonia's hand again. This time Sonia made no effort to stop the stroking thumb.
"But here's the thing," Babs confided. "I said you weren't aware, but told the two of them to fuck off for the day. I said that you and I were going to have a day of beauty therapy in our rooms and if they appeared back before late afternoon, I'd tell you everything."
Babs looked into her friend's eyes. There was a mixture of concern combined with a sparkle of arousal. She gave Sonia time to think.
"Well, Babs," Sonia finally said, running her other hand through her red hair. "A day of beauty treatment sounds a reasonable reward."
Babs threw her head back, giving out a loud guffaw.
"Beauty treatment be damned!" she exclaimed. "Seeing that you and Simon are flying out early tomorrow, you and I have a full day of fucking ahead of us, babe."
*
Gary and Toni...
Gary was sitting by the pool when Toni walked across towards him. He had wondered where she had been all morning, she was usually sunbathing at the first opportunity. She looked sensational in her small, cream bikini and thought it strange that until Tommy had suggested the bet, he had not paid more attention to her quite incredible figure.
"Hi," he grinned. "Have Tommy and Gina gone?"
"Half an hour ago," she answered.
"You okay?"
"I'm really good," she answered, stretching.
Gary's eyes ran over her honey-tanned body, drawn to the firm, rounded breasts that stood erect as she arched her body backwards.
"I think every man in the area probably has a hard-on now," he casually told her, raising both eyebrows.
She laughed. "Well, that's good. A bit like my good deed for the day. What about you?"
"My good deed?"
"No... your hard-on," she exclaimed, a cheeky smile lighting up her face.
"Toni!" he exclaimed. "What have you had for breakfast?"
She laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I kept you a space," he said, nodding to the towel beside his.
"Thank you," she softly said, smiling down at him. "But I wasn't planning on staying by the pool."
"No?"
"It wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"
He frowned. "Why not? Too hot?"
"Oh, definitely too hot," she declared. "Much too hot! What would all these men do with their hard-ons if they saw you sketching me in the nude?"