Poppy Blake - The Windmill Café

‘Of course not! I’ll get ready and see you back here on the terrace in an hour!’ Suki giggled as she stumbled through the gate, clinging onto Freddie’s arm to remain upright just as Nadia appeared on the veranda of her lodge and performed a rather comedic double-take.

Freddie turned his head for a final look at his friends, his face a mixture of jubilation, trepidation and fear.

‘Do you think we should rescue him?’ asked Mia, her forehead creased with anxiety as she swung her gaze from Rosie to Matt and back to Rosie again.

‘I’m not sure…’

‘Don’t look so worried, Rosie. I’m sure your friend will be quite safe,’ laughed Jess.

‘What’s Suki doing?’ demanded Nadia when she arrived on the terrace, noticing William’s eyes were still trained on the door of the lodge through which Suki and Freddie had disappeared a few minutes earlier. ‘And was that Freddie she was with?’

‘Yes, he’s Suki’s chosen suitor for an afternoon of summer delight . Love is in the air …’ Jess began to sing before descending into a fit of giggles. She slipped her hand into Lucas’s and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on his nose.

Nadia rolled her eyes at their public display of affection before turning back to William ‘What are you looking so glum about? It’s me who got the soaking, not precious Suki. Felix should be here by now. If she gets caught it’s her own fault.’

Rosie glanced at Mia whose expression morphed from apprehension to abject anguish. Again, she experienced the weirdest of feeling – of floating above the ground, looking down on their guests’ interactions instead of being a part of them – and she was shocked when she saw Nadia pinch William on the arm to jolt him out of his reverie.

‘I agree,’ said Lucas, taking a long glug from a bottle of beer, all trace of his previous bad mood gone. ‘Felix has had his fun, now it Suki’s turn to have hers. Hey, Nadia, why don’t you ask if you can do a number with Suki tonight?’

‘Because we’re supposed to be relaxing and having fun.’

‘The two things aren’t mutually exclusive, Nad,’ said William, rearranging his facial features into something akin to sympathy. ‘But I’m sure Suki won’t mind if you want to perform a duet together. I see you helped yourself to one of her most expensive dresses. You know she was planning to wear that herself tonight.’

‘She said I could choose anything I like, and I like this one. This emerald green enhances my colouring much better than Suki’s, don’t you think?’ She twisted her hips in the sequinned sheath dress and patted her re-styled bob.

‘You’re gorgeous, Nad,’ confirmed Jess, her ruby nose stud glinting in the sun as she swayed to the fragmented snatches of pop music spilling from the Windmill Café’s open windows.

‘Well, I reckon we should snatch a few more bottles of bubbly and grab a front row seat over on the terrace,’ suggested Lucas. ‘I know Suki’s picking up the tab for the drinks today, but it’ll be a drop in the ocean when she hits the big time, won’t it, Will?’

‘Shut up,’ snapped William. ‘Let’s not forget that we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Suki’s generosity. Stop dreaming of being the next Jamie Oliver and get real. I’m off for a shower. See you in half an hour.’

‘William? William…’ Nadia called after him.

‘Stay and have some of this fizz with us, Nad,’ said Lucas, slumping down on the grass and dislodging the cork into the flower beds with a cry of ‘whoop’.

‘Mmm, it’s delicious.’ Jess laid her head on Lucas’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, Luc. I think you’re going to be even better than Jamie Oliver. Much more handsome, anyway. When Suki is famous, she’ll eat in your restaurant, bring all her celebrity friends…’

‘Oh, shut up Jess and pass the bottle,’ snapped Nadia. ‘Might as well make the most of the freebies whilst we’re stuck in this dull backwater place. Sooner we’re back in San Antonio the better. There’re loads of luxury spa retreats in Ibiza, so why did Felix insist on us coming here? Oh, to think I could be soaking up the sunshine on your Uncle Ken’s yacht, working on my tan with a selection of cocktails on tap!’

‘Actually, you couldn’t, Nad. Uncle Ken and Aunt Martha have taken The Cortia over to Sardinia for the week to meet up with Bart and Juliette for their daughter’s wedding, or was it for their engagement? Or it could have been the birth of their first baby. Oh, I don’t know. Anyway, they’re not at their villa so that’s why Suki agreed to Felix’s suggestion to come over here.’

‘Where is the sod, anyway?’

‘You know Felix. Once he’s in a session…’

‘I think he’s started to drink much more since he lost his role in that soap opera and didn’t even get through the first round of auditions for the Renault ad. I bet his earnings from acting haven’t even kept him in toothpaste this year. But if you ask me, it’s a little like the pot calling the kettle! Did you see the way Suki was putting away the prosecco earlier? And dragging that guy she’s just met off to her lodge? She’s only doing it to get back at Felix and make him toe the line.’

‘But Felix won’t know, will he Nad? We’re not spilling on Suki. She’s the most fabulous sister in the world, and she’s your best friend, too,’ Jess reminded Nadia, her voice soft and dreamy as she cuddled into Lucas. ‘Felix is just jealous of Suki’s talent, always has been. Even more so now she’s going to be a famous pop star whilst he’s still waiting for his starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. But he loves showing off at our villa, and down at the harbour on Uncle Ken’s yacht, so he’s not about to give that up, is he? And she lets him run around all the beach resorts in her Z4.’

‘Did you hear what kind of car he’s rented for the week here in Norfolk?’ said Lucas, nibbling at Jess’s neck. ‘Only a Jaguar XJS convertible. Hope he lets me take it for a spin. Are you sure you can’t persuade Big Sis to shell out for a car for you, Jess?’

‘Eww. Get a room you two,’ scoffed Nadia.

Rosie heard a crunch on the pathway behind her and turned around, expecting to see William. However, the footsteps did not belong to William, but to Felix. She had never been fond of verbal fireworks, and, seeing the look on Nadia’s face, she decided it was time she, Matt and Mia left their guests to their own devices before the impromptu mini-concert started at eight. She got up and collected the empty pitcher and glasses to take back to the café, wash in hot soapy water and put away in their allocated space.

‘Come on, Mia. We’d better get…’

‘Hi, guys. Where’s Suki?’

‘Where’ve you been Felix? The garden party finished two hours ago – it’s almost eight o’clock. You were supposed to be here at 2 p.m. sharp to cut the ribbon with Suki.’

‘Can’t blame me for giving it a miss, can you? The lads persuaded me to go to this new Sports bar – a little more exciting that this genteel granny’s outing.’

Rosie sank back down in her seat. It was obvious there was no way she was going to persuade Mia and Matt to miss out on the live entertainment. She saw Felix flash his camera-ready smile at his three friends, displaying no ill-effects from an afternoon on the booze. His bleached-blonde hair looked as though he had just vacated the barber’s chair – neatly cropped and sporting a touch of gel. His designer jeans hugged his buttocks like a second skin and his multi-striped shirt opened at the neck to reveal just a hint of golden chest hair.

‘Hang on a minute.’ Felix jogged back across the lawn to the car park and grabbed a box of craft ale from the boot of a scarlet Jaguar XJS.