In the Name of Love (17 page)

‘I’m going to switch your phone off while we have dinner,’ Felipe told him. ‘You work too hard.’

‘You can talk. How is training going?’

The two brothers chatted easily about what they had
been
doing and Eduardo wanted to hear all about Charlie. They had always got on well and Eduardo’s sexuality had never been an issue for his younger brother.

‘So what have you bought Mama for her birthday?’ Eduardo asked, halfway through the seafood risotto. He was always the member of the family who remembered important events.

Felipe slapped his hand to his forehead. ‘
Joder!
I keep forgetting.’

‘Too tied up with the beautiful Charlie?’ Eduardo grinned at him. ‘Well, you have over a month to get her something extra-special. You know what she’s like. She might say that she doesn’t want anything, but woe betide anyone who takes her at her word. I’ve bought her an antique jewellery case.’

‘Show off,’ Felipe teased.

His brother sighed. ‘It’s all pointless, it won’t make her any more accepting of Ricky.’ Last year he had married his long-term American boyfriend. To avoid any family tensions they had held the ceremony on a beach in Malibu with only two friends present. But in spite of the commitment Eduardo and Ricky had made, his mother still didn’t see it as a ‘proper’ relationship.

‘And then there’s her birthday party on the twenty-fifth. She’s planning a huge event at the house.’

‘I wonder if I could get out of it by claiming I need to train …’ Felipe loathed those big parties where his mother acted like a queen and all the guests sucked up to her.

Eduardo shook his head and added, ‘It gets worse, I’m afraid.’

‘Oh, Christ, how can it?’

‘She’s asked Paloma.’

Felipe slammed down his hand on the table. ‘Fuck! Why can’t she let it go? I told her that there is no chance I will ever get back with Paloma, but she can’t resist meddling, can she?’

‘That’s Mama. All her hopes are pinned on you.’ Eduardo smiled sympathetically.

‘Maybe Paloma won’t come.’ Felipe was clutching at straws. He knew it was almost certain that his ex would accept the invitation. She had always got on well with Vittoria and Felipe knew Paloma still wanted him back. She had been sending him texts every couple of days asking if they could meet up. Felipe always made an excuse. And then only three nights ago, she had turned up at his house late at night. She was slightly drunk and had pleaded with him to get back together with her. At one point she had put her arms around him and suggested they go to bed together. He hadn’t been tempted for a second. Gently moving out of her embrace, he had called her a taxi and she had reluctantly and tearfully left.

‘Your love life is very complicated, brother. You should get married like me.’ Eduardo grinned at him, clearly expecting Felipe to come out with one of the cynical comments about marriage he had so often made in the past. Instead Felipe hesitated and said, ‘I might just do that.’

Eduardo looked astonished. ‘My God! Charlie really has changed you. I never thought I would hear you say that.’

‘Nor did I,’ Felipe replied.

‘Well, I cannot wait to meet her. She must be a remarkable person to have made you change your mind so completely.’

‘She really is.’ Felipe couldn’t help smiling.

‘By the way, did you know there’s a young woman over there who keeps staring at our table? I’m assuming it’s at you, as I would hate her to be wasting her time on me.’

Felipe looked over in the direction Eduardo indicated and to his astonishment saw Darcy sitting there with another young woman. He remembered her mentioning that she often came to Marbella, but why did she have to be at this restaurant? He wondered if he could get away with pretending he hadn’t seen her. However Darcy saw that he had recognised her and strutted over in her tight fitted dress, looking like a runway model. She obviously revelled in the admiring looks she attracted from male diners.

‘I thought it was you!’ she drawled. ‘But I wasn’t sure. What a lovely coincidence.’

Felipe forced a smile. Had she forgotten that he had said he wasn’t interested in her? ‘Darcy, hello. This is my brother Eduardo.’

‘Would you both like to join us for some champagne? It’s kind of a belated birthday celebration. I was supposed to be meeting up with some other friends but they got held up at work in London and missed the flight. What total party poopers.’

Felipe wanted to decline politely, but the fact that Darcy had mentioned it was her birthday put him in
an
awkward position. He didn’t want to be a complete shit. ‘Of course, Darcy, but let me buy the champagne. And Happy Birthday.’

She looked coy. ‘Don’t I get a birthday kiss?’

She was pushing her luck now, but Felipe got up and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

‘Just one glass,’ he whispered to Eduardo as they made their way to Darcy’s table. But it proved harder to get away than Felipe had anticipated. Darcy’s friend India had organised a birthday cake, which involved everyone in the restaurant singing Happy Birthday to Darcy – or rather
Feliz Cumpleaños
; India then insisted on taking photographs of Darcy cuddling up to Felipe and Eduardo, but mostly Felipe. India seemed to be a sweet enough girl but neither Felipe nor his brother had anything in common with the two women and Felipe was itching to get away.

‘So are you and Charlie an item now?’ Darcy asked. She was giving Felipe her full flirtatious attention, looking at him from under her lashes. He had no idea how much Charlie would have said but guessed correctly that she wouldn’t choose to confide in Darcy.

‘It’s early days, but yes.’

Darcy bit her lip. ‘I don’t want to speak out of turn, but you’re so lovely that I hope you don’t end up getting hurt. Charlie has a bit of a reputation for getting through men. She’s very tough.’

She clearly hadn’t learnt the lesson from their last encounter that bitching about Charlie was going to do her no favours at all.

‘Good, then we are well matched because I am just
as
tough,’ Felipe said briskly. He looked at his watch. ‘And now I am going to have to say goodnight. I have an early start tomorrow.’

‘Really? I was about to suggest going on to a club. I thought all Spaniards stayed up late. It’s only midnight!’

She was the most thick-skinned woman he had ever met. And those pouting lips did nothing for him at all. ‘I really do have to be up early,’ he insisted.

As soon as the two brothers had left the restaurant Felipe suggested they go for a brandy at Barrica. This was a bar the two brothers often went to in the old town. It tended to be frequented by locals and didn’t attract wealthy tourists such as Darcy. Felipe felt the need to unwind after the hour spent in her company.

‘So long as you don’t think the girls are going to track us down,’ Eduardo joked. ‘I mean India seemed nice enough, but Darcy was so intense and desperate to please you, it was painful to watch. I think the woman has issues.’

‘Agreed. But I felt I had to be polite as she works with Charlie.’

‘Darcy must be fiercely jealous of her as she clearly fancies you like crazy. She couldn’t keep her eyes off you.’

Felipe grimaced. ‘I was simply being polite.’

Eduardo laughed and slapped his brother on the back. ‘Poor Felipe, it’s not your fault that you are such a babe magnet!’

‘I’m not the only one. I could see India eyeing you up …’

‘Let’s get that brandy.’

*

Darcy drained her champagne glass and then asked the waiter for a brandy. She was royally pissed off that Felipe had so obviously made an excuse to leave; this was not the outcome she had imagined. No, her plan had involved dancing, and then going back to his place where she would show him exactly what he was missing by seeing that arrogant bitch Charlie. Darcy had been planning this encounter for the last week. It had been easy to discover where Felipe liked dining out. She had done her online research and he was frequently spotted in this restaurant. Plus she had overheard Charlie chatting to Aidan about what Felipe was up to this weekend. In the two weeks since the charity dinner, she had found herself obsessing about Felipe, creating all kinds of scenarios where he realised his mistake in choosing Charlie over her. All it would take, Darcy had convinced herself, was just one more meeting away from Charlie. As her parents’ villa had been free it had seemed liked the perfect opportunity to run into Felipe, accidentally on purpose. Coincidence had nothing to do with it.

‘What the fuck was that all about?’ India exclaimed. ‘All that bollocks about people not turning up for your birthday. You had your party last week!’

Darcy shrugged. She didn’t like being put on the spot, and wanted to rewind back to Felipe joining them, missing out the parts that didn’t add to her fantasy of how good they could be together.

‘Well, I felt like having another one, especially since Drew forgot it – again.’

Drew was her ex-boyfriend. They had gone out for the best part of two years then six months ago he had
dumped
her by text, claiming he wasn’t ready for commitment. Darcy had been devastated. It had brought to the surface all her insecurities about not being good enough. And so when every now and then Drew suggested a shag, she said yes …

‘Darcy, what do you expect? The guy never remembered even when you were supposed to be going out!’

She ignored the comment. ‘It was so lovely of Felipe to buy the champagne, wasn’t it?’

‘Yeah,’ India admitted. ‘He seemed like a really nice guy.’

‘And he’s gorgeous, don’t you think? And a brilliant rider. He’s got an apartment here in Marbella as well as his
cortijo
in the Jerez area – I had a look on Google Maps, it’s absolutely beautiful. We’ve got so much in common.’ Perhaps if she said it enough times then it would come true …

India frowned. ‘But he’s just started going out with Charlie, hasn’t he?’

Darcy could do without the reality check. ‘I can’t believe that they’re well suited. You know what a bitch she is.’

‘You don’t want to piss Charlie off. She could make your life at work difficult.’

It was typical of her friend India to be so practical.

‘My life at work couldn’t be any worse,’ Darcy said bitterly. She wanted to be a presenter, but while she knew she had the looks – and that wasn’t just her being arrogant – the minute she was in front of a camera, she lacked confidence.

She picked up her phone and began looking through
the
pictures India had taken this evening, deciding which ones she was going to put up on Facebook. She didn’t care what India thought. The fact was she and Felipe would be great together.

‘Ready for your spray, Charlie?’ asked Fi, the bubbly make-up artist, brandishing the silver airbrush. Unforgiving high-definition TV made airbrushing with liquid foundation essential preparation for appearing on camera.

‘Yep, go ahead,’ Charlie replied, closing her eyes while Fi got to work, spraying her with a fine mist. It was an experience that always made her want to giggle, even if it did leave her with flawless skin.

Fi had just finished and was dusting on translucent powder when Aidan burst into the dressing room. ‘Have you seen these?’ he demanded, waving his iPhone in front of Charlie.

She reached for the phone where she saw Darcy’s Facebook page, showing a series of pictures of her and Felipe. Darcy was doing her best seductive top-model pout, snuggling up to Felipe, while he was giving a friendly smile and had his arm round her. WTF! Where the hell had the pair of them met up? And why hadn’t he told her?

‘Where were these taken?’ Charlie asked, unable to hide the emotion in her voice.

‘In Spain apparently, this weekend,’ Aidan said grimly, sitting down next to her.

‘That’s Darcy’s new boyfriend, isn’t it?’ Fi piped up, craning her neck to look at the pictures. ‘She’s been
going
around telling everyone about her night with Felipe the sexy Spaniard. He’s an Olympic equestrian. She’s a lucky girl, isn’t she? I wouldn’t mind giving him a ride!’

Charlie and Aidan looked at each other. ‘Now don’t jump to conclusions,’ he warned. ‘Darcy has a reputation for being flexible with the truth. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.’

‘If there is then why didn’t Felipe tell me he had seen her?’ Charlie instantly leapt to the conclusion he was cheating on her. After all, that was exactly what TFB had done to her. And she hadn’t heard from Felipe today when usually he called first thing in the morning. She ripped off the tissue round her neck, protecting her shirt from the make-up, and stormed out of the room, with Fi calling after her that she hadn’t finished.

She had to go outside in order to get some privacy. It was March. Although the sun was making an appearance there was a bitter wind blowing. Charlie was only wearing a silk shirt and skirt, but she was oblivious to the cold. Felipe’s phone went straight to voice mail, his sexy-sounding voice only added to her torment.

‘
Why didn’t you tell me about Darcy? I trusted you
!’ The words tumbled out. Charlie was twisted up with frustration and hurt that he wasn’t there to talk to. She stomped back into the building, barely able to reply to Barry the security guard’s cheery hello as he let her in. Great. Now she was becoming as rude to other people as Felipe. There was no time to make any further calls as she was due on air with Aidan.

‘Okay?’ he asked as she took her seat next to him in the studio.

‘I’ll be fine,’ she said curtly, checking through her script. In front of them the three remote controlled cameras clicked into place. Jim the sound guy clipped on her microphone. In the gallery Ruby, one of the PAs, was counting down the seconds until they went on air. Charlie could hear the signature tune playing and then the red lights lit up on the three cameras indicating they were live. She plastered a huge smile on to her face. Her personal life was not going to affect her career. No one watching her, not the viewers at home, not the production team in the gallery, would ever have known that only minutes before Charlie had been an emotional wreck.