Sun Sea and Summer Vibes Read online

  He laughed. “Your loss.” He took his drink from the barman and turned to leave.

  “Thank God for that,” Nina muttered. She glanced up and locked eyes with another man across the bar. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t think when she’d have met a guy as handsome as him before. He had hazel eyes and sandy, sun-tinted hair. Before she had a chance to smile, he looked away and moved from the bar.

  Dammit. Why couldn’t he have been the one to offer me a drink? Someone nudged her arm and she sighed. “For God’s sake, I said no, okay?”

  “What?” Isla said, leaning in next to her. “What’re you talking about?”

  “Oh. Nothing.” Nina said, glancing behind to check that white-teeth-guy had gone.

  “Were you talking to Zac before?” Isla said.

  Nina frowned. “Who?”

  “Zac,” Isla said. “Like, the hottest male pop star on the planet.”

  Nina raised her eyebrows. “Hottest, as in most attractive—or as in most popular?”

  Isla smiled. “Both.”

  “I’m not sure,” Nina said. “Has he got wavy bleached-blond hair with short sides that comes over his forehead, nearly obscuring his ice-blue eyes and bright-white-teeth that nearly blot out the sun?”

  Isla sighed. “Yes.”

  Nina frowned. “Then I think I might have spoken to him. I told him I didn’t want a drink and he wasn’t impressed.”

  “You turned him down?” Isla said. “Are you mental?”

  Nina shook her head. “I didn’t find him attractive. He was an arrogant prick.”

  Isla craned her neck, clearly hoping he might return and buy her a drink instead. “Then you must be the only woman on earth who thinks so.”

  “Doubt it,” Nina said.

  Isla turned back. “Anyway, you need to come meet Cameron.”

  “Who’s Cameron?” Nina said. She rubbed her stomach. Maybe eating those crisps so quickly on a bellyful of champagne hadn’t been a good idea.

  “Cameron Wild,” Isla said. “My producer? His stage name is Logan Wild. Don’t tell me you’ve not heard of him either.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard of him,” Nina said. It wasn’t a lie. She vaguely knew of Logan Wild, DJ and dance-music producer, but had no idea what he looked like or any details regarding his background.

  “Come on,” Isla said, grabbing Nina’s hand and leading her through the throng.

  The sudden movement caused Nina’s stomach to lurch and her niggling nausea intensified. She took a deep breath in an attempt to quell it.

  Isla weaved them through the crowd toward the back of the room where a small group was conversing. There was one guy with his back to them who Nina assumed was Cameron, mainly because the rest of the group was female. As they approached, she realised it was the handsome man she’d locked eyes with across the bar. That did nothing to aid her nausea.

  Isla tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned. His eyes struck Nina. Up close they were even more intense.

  “This is my friend Nina,” Isla told him. “The one I was telling you about. “Nina, this is Cam.”

  He surveyed her with a cool expression then held out his hand for a shake. But before Nina could grasp it, she gagged and slapped her hand over her mouth. She turned and fled for the ladies’ room and only just made it to the toilet before vomiting profusely.

  Chapter Two

  Nina opened her eyes then closed them again when the sunlight from the patio doors intensified the throbbing in her head. She took a breath then opened them more slowly. The bright white room came into focus and she remembered Isla putting her to bed the previous evening…or maybe it’d still been the afternoon. She wasn’t sure.

  She turned over to face the patio, which looked out over the balcony toward the Mediterranean Sea. There were a couple of boats out there already. Nina watched them bobbing on the water, trying to distract herself from the fact that she’d vomited her guts up when she had been about to meet a gorgeous guy.

  There was a knock at the door. “Nina!” Isla called from the other side. “It’s me. I’m letting myself in, okay?”

  Nina stayed motionless in an effort to preserve her head.

  Isla entered the room, coming over and sitting heavily on the bed. The bounce caused a flare in the throb of Nina’s head and she lifted a hand to massage her temples.

  Isla watched her. “Sore head?”

  “Yep.”

  “Thought so. I’ve brought you some painkillers.” Isla passed her a packet.

  “Thank you,” Nina said. She carefully sat up and swallowed a couple of the tablets with a bit of the water from the glass on her bedside table.

  Isla studied her. “I hope you’re feeling revived after a sleep because we’re going to Cam’s villa in an hour.”

  Nina’s stomach lurched at the thought of seeing him again. It was hard to tell if that was because she was embarrassed or because she found him so attractive—probably both—plus her hangover, of course.

  She met Isla’s gaze. “I’ll do my best.” Nina held the packet of meds aloft. “These will help.”

  “You should eat,” Isla said. “I’ll go to breakfast while you get ready, and I’ll bring you something.”

  Isla was right, but the thought of food filled Nina with dread. “Okay.”

  Isla got up. “I’ll be back in half an hour.” She exited the room with a wave.

  Nina dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She removed the previous day’s clothing and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt good and the painkillers were starting to kick in.

  She towelled off and went to choose an outfit. After witnessing everyone in beach gear, she figured it was best to wear swimwear under her clothing because it seemed to be the go-to apparel on the island. She went with a patterned bikini with a vest top and shorts.

  Nina took a seat to wait for Isla’s return. She wrestled her shoulder-length dark hair into a messy bun, trying to tuck in any stray strands. Should I put on makeup? Whenever she was in a hot climate, it seemed to slide off her face. She opted for a bit of waterproof mascara, hoping that framing her brown eyes might make her appear more awake, and left it at that.

  The door went, signalling Isla’s return. “You look much better. Here… Get this down your neck.” She handed Nina a plate of fruit and toast. Nina made an effort to eat at least some of it.

  Isla looked out of the patio window while Nina ate. “We’ll need to catch up once you feel more like yourself.” She nibbled her thumbnail. “We’ve not talked in ages.”

  Nina nodded carefully as she chewed, afraid of making her head throb again. She swallowed. “Definitely.”

  Isla opened her mouth for a second, then closed it again and smiled. “Come on. Let’s head for the lobby. The car will be coming for us.”

  Nina hadn’t taken much in when Isla had brought her back the previous day, but now she was struck by the modern opulence of the place, all clean lines and glass. She was lucky to get to stay here at all, never mind at no cost to her.

  They walked through reception and outside to wait for their car. The heat blasted Nina’s face as they left the air-conditioned building. She’d made the right choice with minimal makeup.

  Nina put her sunglasses on. “Whereabouts is his villa?”

  “The other side of Ibiza Town,” Isla said. “It’s gorgeous. Absolutely massive and has great views.”

  Nina looked at her. Isla had always been tempted by the flash lifestyle. She was glad Isla was getting to experience it but concerned that she might get swept up in superficiality or materialism. She wondered if subconsciously that was the reason Isla had chosen her for the trip. Nina had been the one to keep her grounded, even back in their university days. She cleared her throat. “You’ve been there already?”

  “Yeah, I went over yesterday to hang out.”

  Nina nodded. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  Isla smiled. “There’s not a schedule. That’s not how the creative
process works. We’re just going to chill at his place and throw some ideas around.”

  Nina took out her water bottle and sipped. She wasn’t used to the creative process. When she managed a project at work, everything was mapped out and she made sure all the steps were followed to the letter. “Has he got a studio at the villa?”

  “Yeah,” Isla said, waving at their driver as he arrived. “He bought the place a couple of years back and had the basement converted. It’s so cool.”

  They climbed into the car and the driver started out. Nina hoped that she could make a better impression on Cameron this time. The car had air conditioning, but she wound the window a little to get a bit of a breeze.

  Isla touched her arm. “Okay? You can close your eyes until we get there.”

  Nina smiled and nodded. The alcohol must have impaired her sleep because even after a full night, she was exhausted. She nestled her head back against the seat, only intending to rest her eyes for a minute.

  She awoke to Isla shaking her shoulder gently. She was at the door of the car, holding it open.

  Nina blinked. “We’re here already?”

  Isla smiled. “Yep.”

  Nina climbed out and her jaw dropped. The villa was enormous, spread out over acres. A long, white-walled path lined with palm trees led the way to the entrance, which was embedded in a white-stone wall. She followed Isla along it, enveloped by a sense of unreality. The front door was ajar and they made their way along a glass-tiled hallway, past a black staircase and a large sitting area with a huge wall-sized TV screen, then into a huge open-plan kitchen-dining-sitting area. The length of the room was lined along one side with glass patio doors, which were open, the sea breeze blowing gently into the room. Nina was drawn out onto the terrace. To the right, a long dining table sat beneath a gazebo. Farther out, seating lined the edge of the balcony, looking out toward the sea.

  She glanced to her left where a white-stone staircase led down to another level with canopied double sunbeds facing an infinity pool. The long winding road up to the villa snaked past on the other side of the boundary wall. She eyed the still, blue water of the pool as it shimmered invitingly.

  “Morning.”

  She turned. Cam stood at the edge of the patio next to Isla. His accent had a mid-Atlantic tone, the sort that came from a Brit who’d been spending most of their time in the US. Nina cleared her throat, hoping to manage a coherent greeting on this occasion. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Nina.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Yeah, I remember.”

  Remember in a good or a bad way? She swallowed. “Sorry… I wasn’t on my best form when we were introduced.”

  He took a sip from the glass he was holding. It contained some sort of green smoothie. “I’ve never had a woman nearly vomit on me by way of introduction before.”

  He definitely remembers in a bad way. Nina smiled in an attempt to make light of the situation. “I suppose there’s a first time for everything.”

  He didn’t return her smile. “Can I get you guys a drink?”

  Isla was studying his glass. “What’re you drinking?”

  “It’s a kale and spinach smoothie,” he said.

  “I’ll try one of those,” Isla said.

  Cam turned to Nina. She cleared her throat. That green stuff did not appear compatible with her currently fragile stomach. “Water, please.”

  He finally smiled. “Good choice.”

  Nina raised her eyebrows as he turned toward the kitchen. Condescending prick.

  Isla gave her a knowing look and sidled up close to whisper in Nina’s ear. “He’s great once you get to know him.”

  “I’m not sure I want to get to know him,” Nina muttered. Isla nudged her arm with a smile.

  Cameron returned to hand Isla a glass of the green mixture and Nina some water. Nina took a long drink from hers, avoiding further eye contact with him but getting the feeling that he was watching her—perhaps waiting for her to embarrass herself again. He’d be waiting a long time before she gave him the satisfaction. She lowered her glass and glanced at him, catching him averting his gaze. For some reason, she felt a tiny stab of triumph.

  Nina’s gaze was drawn out to the view over the patio again.

  Cam drained his drink. “Do you want a wee tour of the villa?”

  ‘Wee’? Only Scottish people use that word. Nina had lived in Glasgow long enough to know that. The British element of his mid-Atlantic twang was becoming more clearly Scottish. “Yes, please,” she said, trying to sound polite.

  Cam gestured for them to follow him and he showed them around the rest of the floor. In addition to the kitchen, two large seating areas and the TV room, there was a room containing a piano, which overlooked the gardens.

  On the next floor, Nina lost count of how many luxurious en suite double bedrooms they viewed. The only one whose door remained closed was at the end of the spacious hallway, which she assumed was Cameron’s bedroom.

  He led them back down the stairs. Nina leaned close to Isla’s ear. “How many bedrooms was that?”

  “Six,” Isla whispered.

  “Six? How does he need that many?” Nina said quietly.

  Cam’s voice carried up the staircase. “Sometimes I have people stay over.”

  Nina cringed with the realisation that he’d heard her, and Isla laughed.

  Cam took them back through the first floor and down some stairs to the basement. It contained a gym in one section and his studio in the other. Nina peered through the small porthole window into the studio area. She’d never seen one before, and it certainly appeared impressive. A huge mix desk sat below a screen built into the wall with large speakers on either side. There was a long sofa against the opposite wall. A room containing a drum kit and various instruments was visible through a glass panel, and through another window was a booth containing a microphone.

  Isla nudged her. “Told you it was cool.”

  Nina smiled, then accidentally caught Cam’s eye and stopped. He appeared to smile himself as he opened the glass door that led out into the front gardens. Only in a good mood when he’s showing off his material possessions…

  They took a path through the grassed area and up the steps to the pool. Nina paused as the inviting water caught her eye.

  Cam studied her. “You can hang out here for a while if you want.”

  Nina slipped off a flip-flop to dip her toe in the water. “That would be brilliant.” She glanced over, realising he’d been referring to her alone. “What’re you guys going to do?”

  Cam turned to Isla. “I thought we could go hang out in the piano room.”

  Isla shrugged. “Sounds cool.”

  He smiled. “Do you want a coffee?”

  Isla nodded.

  He turned to go. Once he’d disappeared into the house, Isla squealed and grabbed hold of Nina.

  Although Nina was feeling a lot better, the noise and the jolting did nothing for her head. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Why’re you screaming?”

  Isla released her. “He wants to hang out in the piano room.”

  Nina stared at her.

  Isla rolled her eyes. “It means he wants to start tossing some ideas around.”

  Nina still didn’t understand. Wasn’t that the whole point of them being there?

  Isla must have read her blank expression because she sat on a sun bed and gestured for Nina to do the same. “Us working together isn’t a given. The label set it up, but he’s been sounding me out since I got here. The fact that he wants to spend time in the piano room means he’s decided he probably wants to work with me and he’s going to see if our ideas gel.”

  “Okay…” Nina said, trying to process the vague manner in which the project was shaping up. “When does the studio come into play?”

  “Hard to say,” Isla said. “If he likes how it goes today then at some point, we’ll get in there, but there’s still a chance he won’t want to move forward.”

  Nina raised her eyebrows. “So he mig
ht decide not to work with you and we’ve come out here for nothing?”

  “Well, I’m hoping that won’t happen. Someone from the label is here and will check on us intermittently.” Isla put on her sunglasses. “Also, I think it helps that we already know each other.”

  Nina shifted to the bottom of the sunbed so that she could dip her toe in the water again. “You’ve met him before?”

  “Yeah, of course,” Isla said. “Don’t you remember him?”

  Nina met her gaze. “What do you mean?” How on earth would she have met a famous music producer before?

  “He was at university at the same time as us,” Isla said, clearly amused at Nina’s confusion.

  Nina’s eyes widened. “He was?” She had thought him familiar when she’d first seen him across the bar. But she’d assumed that was because he was a celebrity, that she must’ve seen him on the cover of a magazine or something.

  Isla nodded. “A couple of years ahead of us. I used to hang out with him and a few others from their year. You’ve definitely met him at least once.”

  Nina racked her brain. Then it dawned on her. She did remember him from a party. But he’d looked so different. “I didn’t even recognise him.”

  “I know,” Isla said. “His style’s changed a lot since then.”

  Nina remembered his hair being a few shades darker and more of a shaggy style. And he’d had a skinnier physique than his current well-honed form. But she’d still thought him handsome, even during the short exchange they’d shared.

  “Anyway,” Isla said. “I’d better head in. See you soon, and can we have a proper catch up? We’ve not had a chance yet.”

  Nina nodded. “That would be great.”

  Isla disappeared into the house and only then did it occur to Nina that she probably should’ve asked when ‘later’ might be. Perhaps a couple of hours. I can cope with that.

  The heat was cranking up as midday approached, and she could no longer delay getting into the gorgeous pool. She stripped down to her bikini and lowered herself in, moving off to swim a few lengths. The cold water seemed to soothe her head.

  Nina moved to the edge of the infinity pool and gazed out over the gardens toward the sea. If this was where a life of artistic creativity led, then she’d chosen the wrong path in pursuing science.