Just Between Us by Hayley Oakes Read Free Book Online Page A

The tan helped the effect of my make over, and the smile that I wore proved that I was a little excited, despite going out with my psycho step-brother. I grabbed a small, pink handbag, some money, my room card, and was ready to go.
                  I stepped out of my room carefully, just in case our parents were there, and then made my way down the back stairs that led straight to the bar, hoping to avoid them. The bar was a typical holiday hotel bar with scattered white clothed tables, a huge circular bar with every spirit imaginable and was open plan facing the pool. It wasn’t too crowded and when I entered I looked around for Kyle, but he was nowhere to be seen. I rolled my eyes, this was probably his idea of an elaborate joke, so I turned to return before I looked humiliated.
                  “Chica,” one of the hotel staff reps said as I turned into him, “I am Carlos.” He spoke in a broken English accent. “My, my you are a beauty. Who are you with tonight?” I opened my mouth to speak and then from behind me I heard him.
                  “Me.” I spun to see Kyle standing there, still in his jeans and white shirt from before. His eyes roamed me up and down, and his mouth remained tight.
                  “Ah Kyle,” Carlos said. “This your girlfriend?”
                  “No.” He shook his head but didn’t explain who I was to him, it wasn’t worth mentioning, I suppose. I was just someone he had talked into being his wingman, not worthy of an introduction.
                  “Sophie,” I introduced myself quietly and nodded to Carlos.
                  “Princess Sophie,” he said loudly. “A beautiful name for a beautiful chica.”
                  Kyle smiled again tightly and then took my arm. “We’re off to the club.” He nodded to Carlos and then pulled me behind him through the bar. I waved to Carlos uncomfortably as I tottered behind Kyle.
                  “Jesus, Soph,” He sighed. “How can we be incognito when you’re dressed like that.” He motioned to me, and I looked down.
                  “What?” I snapped, looking down at my outfit, “Too much?”
                  “Every guy in that fucking bar couldn’t keep his eyes off you. We are hardly sneaking out.” He sucked his lips in and let out a deep breath through his nose, shaking his head.
                  “I …” I started to speak but didn’t know what to say. “Well I wanted to look the part,” I whined, annoyed that I felt I had to explain myself to this unreasonable oaf.
                  He nodded. “Well congrats you got the bloody job. Now let’s go.”
                  He led me outside to the shuttle bus that left every half an hour to Cancun city centre. We glided along bench seats and sat inside with other party-goers. They were mostly British tourists, as well, who spoke to us excitedly as we sat down, asking where we were from and where we were going. I admitted it was our first night out in Cancun, and they offered for us to go to a few bars with them and then to the club around midnight when it got going. I smiled and nodded, looking to Kyle who was shaking his head.
                  “Kyle?” I asked tentatively.
                  “Fine,” he said, groaning. He really wasn’t a social person, and yet at school he had always seemed the epitome of the party animal. I suppose he had his group of friends and didn’t stray from them.
                  We started the night a group of nine, Kyle and I, two girls, who were friends on holiday together, and five friends from Liverpool. We sat in the first bar drinking cocktails, the girls flirted with Kyle who seemed uninterested, and I chatted to the boys. I wondered if Kyle was really up for clubbing, as he didn’t seem interested in enjoying himself,