puttered towards the quayside, the engine humming and throbbing, Maddie wiped the breakfast table, rounding up all the dishes in record time, dashing backwards and forwards between the galley balancing as much in her hands as she could with each trip. Already in her head she was working out how quickly she could get the rooms cleaned and finished.
It was day three of the trip and just before breakfast was served this morning Ivan had weighed anchor and they’d left another of the pretty bays where they’d stayed the night and were now heading to their first port in the town of Bol on the other side of Brač. There was a distinct buzz of excitement among everyone as they neared land.
Over breakfast there’d been much debate on the plan of action for the day.
‘We have to go to Zlatni Rat,’ declared Tara.
‘Yes, we absolutely must,’ said Cory in immediate support.
‘What the hell is that?’ asked Siri. ‘Sounds awful. Like a rodent zoo or something. Doesn’t sound like your kind of thing at all, Tara.’
‘Don’t be silly, Siri,’ giggled Tara. ‘It’s a very famous beach. Voted one of the ten best in Europe. I need to get a picture of me there.’
‘The third best beach in Europe,’ added Cory. ‘It looks divine.’
‘It is a very fine beach,’ interjected Ivan from his position at the wheel. ‘One of the best in Croatia. You should definitely visit. You can take the snorkels and fins; the water is very clear. You can hire windsurfing boards. I would recommend you spend the whole day. There is an excellent promenade to the beach with plenty of bars and places for lunch.’
Tara clapped her hands. ‘It sounds perfect. We have to go.’
Douglas gave one of his good-natured shrugs. ‘I’m easy.’
‘We know that, sweetie,’ said Cory, her smile not quite meeting her eyes. Maddie narrowed her eyes; the girl didn’t know how lucky she was. Douglas absolutely adored her and she wasn’t always very kind to him.
‘As long as I can be a complete slob, sounds good to me,’ said Siri, stretching. ‘Give me a good book, sunshine and the sea and I’m a happy bunny.’
‘It’s been a while since I did any windsurfing, but I wouldn’t mind another shot,’ said Simon, glancing at Nick. ‘You ever done any?’
‘A bit,’ said Nick, with that bland look which Maddie had quickly clocked was his defensive don’t-give-too-much-away expression. Simon seemed determined to challenge him at every turn, almost as if he wanted to show him up in front of Tara.
‘There is also a very good winery, Stina, just here on the quay.’ Ivan pointed to a large square building over to the left. ‘They produce some fine Croatian wines and in the evenings at five and six they do a very good tour and tasting for visitors. I could arrange for you to visit, perhaps before dinner.’
‘That sounds like a very good idea,’ said Douglas. ‘We could stock up on some wine for the rest of the trip.’ They’d already made inroads into Ivan’s demi-john and Siri and Douglas were big fans.
‘Let’s hope they sell decent stuff, then,’ said Simon, folding his arms. ‘Sometimes the local stuff can be a bit earthy. No offence, Ivan, but I’m something of a wine connoisseur.’
Douglas wrinkled his nose. ‘Yes, he is.’
‘That’s why you should listen to me. Remember the last time you got carried away. Bought that case of bloody Beaujolais Nouveau.’
‘Oh, Lord, yes – still giving it away to the lower end clients.’ Douglas rolled his eyes. ‘Got a bit carried away at the chap’s tasting. He assured me it was decent. Ruddy well should have been at the price.’
‘You were done, mate. You know anything about wine, Nick?’ asked Simon with deceptive casualness.
Nick shook his head. ‘No, I’m more of a real ale man myself.’
‘Yeah, I can see that,’ said Simon before smoothly turning to Ivan. ‘And where would you recommend we eat this evening? The captain always has the inside track on the best places.’
‘There’s a very good new restaurant a short walk from here, just up the hill. Would you like me to reserve a table for you?’
‘That would be capital,’ said Douglas. ‘We’ll do the wine tour, have a couple of drinks and then dinner at eight-thirty.’
‘Excellent,’ said Ivan. Before anyone had chance to agree or disagree, he walked off, pulling his phone out and climbing the stairs to the upper deck.
As soon as everyone had finished eating they all scurried away to their cabins to get ready for a trip to the beach and now Maddie was left to tidy up in silence, with the delicious prospect of the whole day to herself as soon as she’d done the cabins.
‘You have the boat to yourself. A day off,’ said Ivan, catching her in the galley. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘Thank you.’ She grinned back at him. ‘Nicely done.’
He shrugged. ‘Why not? They’ve not been here before. The restaurant is very good.’ He grinned. ‘It’s run by an old friend of mine, who appreciates me sending custom his way.’
‘Appreciates?’
Ivan rubbed his fingers together. ‘It is an excellent restaurant. The guests have a fine meal. My friend gets their custom. I am rewarded. You have the night off from cooking. I have friends in Bol I like to catch up with. I’ll stay the night with them …’ He mimed having a drink. ‘Everyone is happy. And you can be in charge.’
‘Me?’ she squeaked. ‘Are you sure?’
‘The guests will be out for most of the day. You have my mobile number. And I won’t be far away.’ He pointed to the hillside, where the houses ranged along the contours. ‘My friends are just there.’
‘OK.’ She grinned, butterflies dancing in her stomach at all the options open to her. ‘I’d better get finished in here.’ She wasn’t going to waste a single second. A whole day free.
Maddie was just about ready to scream. How long did it take to get ready for a trip to the flaming beach? She wasn’t the only one; Siri was tapping her fingers on the rail by the gangplank, Simon was on the quayside pacing and Nick was sitting on a bollard, his face tipped up to the sun.
‘I think we should just go without her,’ said Siri. ‘The day’s a-wasting.’
Douglas and Cory were in the shop opposite and it looked as if Douglas was in the process of buying Cory a pretty cotton scarf and a straw hat.
‘Nick, why don’t you go and drag Tara out, like a good little caveman?’ said Simon.
Nick’s mouth tightened but his expression was hidden behind his sunglasses. ‘She’ll be ready in her own good time. Why don’t you go on ahead? We’ll catch up with you.’
Simon ignored his response and carried on pacing. While they’d been waiting Maddie had managed to slip in and clean all three of their rooms. She’d also mopped the deck where they’d had breakfast and the galley was now spotless.
At last Tara appeared. There was a collective gasp and one of the passing tourists walked straight into a bollard and a sharp slap from his wife. She stopped at the top of the steps in front of the gangplank to strike a pose, one hip angled out, so that the men could appreciate her full beauty.
Star Wars came to mind. Maddie stared at the scarlet bikini with its gold metal straps, reminiscent of Princess Leia’s slave girl outfit, and the high-heeled matching sandals that accentuated the length of Tara’s long slender legs. There was a resounding silence and then she clanked down the gangplank, which rather spoiled the effect.
‘Planning on reducing the local adolescent population to gibbering wrecks?’ asked Simon, a touch acidly.