can’t be any worse than Kelly’s!’ Jade laughed, explaining about the strong drinks they’d started their night with.
‘We’re going to TIBU after here, you girls coming? I’ll introduce you to Joe, who manages all the waitresses and staff.’
‘Ah thanks honey, it will be great to meet him before we start.’
*
The girls walked up the staircase to enter TIBU. Adele kissed the security at the entrance and also the snobby-looking woman with the clipboard, eyeing the rest of them up suspiciously.
‘Alright Alice, they are with me. These guys are workers,’ she said in a poised manner, as she pointed to Lee, Sophie and Gary, ‘and these will be starting work here soon.’ This was aimed at Jade and Kelly. ‘We were just going to have a few drinks and introduce them to Joe.’
Alice nodded and stamped their hands, allowing them all in for free. This was great, Jade thought!
‘We’ll get free drinks as well,’ Adele boasted, as she waved at and kissed all the waiters and waitresses and walked around the club confidently, chin lifted proudly. The outside bar was heaving, with every table packed, but before they knew it, space was being made for them at a table and a waitress appeared with glasses of champagne.
‘I love it here,’ Jade whispered to Kelly.
‘This is Marbs, hun!’ Kelly winked.
They chatted to the others, who all seemed nice enough, though Jade noticed Lee wasn’t as perfect as she previously had thought, as he seemed a bit arrogant and full of himself. They were briefly introduced to Joe, who seemed really busy, and Jade watched the waitresses at work to see what she would be doing in a week’s time. They were all slim and attractive, wearing tight red tops with the gold TIBU symbol. They looked really glamorous and once again, Jade felt as though she really needed to top up her tan and make an effort to look nice, in order to fit in. It was hard work trying to look amazing all the time in Marbella! Her make-up-free days in Bath seemed like another lifetime now. Kelly interrupted her thoughts by nudging her.
‘Is that the bloke from earlier?’ she asked, pointing discreetly to a man serving behind the bar.
Jade’s heart missed a beat. It was Sam, and he looked even better than she remembered. His tan looked darker, making his gorgeous green eyes stand out and as he laughed, she saw a smile that could have been from a Colgate advert. Wow. However Jade tried to play her thoughts down, worried that Kelly would say something in front of the others. ‘I think it’s him, not sure.’
‘Yes it’s definitely him,’ Kelly stated, staring.
‘Okay, well stop staring, Kelly!’ Jade hissed, afraid he was going to notice.
A little later the bar had quietened down and Lee and Gary had gone inside the club to chat to some people they knew, so it was just the girls left on the table. Adele spotted Sam and to Jade’s horror, called him over. If she says anything, Jade thought, I’ll just die, I know I will.
As if reading her thoughts, Adele whispered, ‘Don’t worry hun, your secret is safe with me.’
Once again, Jade tried to play it down, embarrassed. ‘I only said he was good looking. Honestly, I don’t want to be set up with him.’
‘Hey.’ Sam kissed Adele on the cheek as he walked over.
Jade quickly glanced at him. She could feel herself go hot and couldn’t even look for long in case he saw her staring.
‘How’s it going? Busy night?’ Adele asked, in her distinctively husky voice.
‘Yep, Saturdays are always busy though. Take it you have a night off?’
‘No, I just always sit here drinking when I’m working,’ Adele teased, pouting her lips and flicking her long dark hair over her shoulder. ‘Of course it’s my night off! Where you going tomorrow daytime?’
He shrugged his toned shoulders casually. ‘Don’t know. Plaza Beach probably, that’s where we always end up. How come?’
‘This is Kelly and Jade,’ she introduced, waving a hand in their direction. ‘You should come to the beach tomorrow with us, they’re going to be working here too next week. Bring some of the other boys as well?’
He smiled at Kelly and Jade and said hello, then looked back quickly in the direction of the bar. ‘Sounds good, I’ll BlackBerry message you. Better go, bar is getting busy again. Bye girls, nice to meet you.’
‘Bye,’ they chorused.
Jade watched him as he made his way back over to the bar. He was tall, just over six feet she guessed, with fairly broad shoulders and an amazingly toned body. She imagined how safe and protected she’d feel if he wrapped his strong arms around her. His white TIBU top brought out the colour of his striking, stunning emerald eyes. His fair hair had streaks of gold running through it, highlighted from the sun. Somehow he reminded her of Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic.
‘He is good looking,’ Kelly said when she noticed Jade glancing over at him.
‘Very,’ Jade replied dreamily. ‘He reminds me of Leo in Titanic.’
‘Deffo, babe. Oh my God, I loved that film so much. Do you remember we used to watch it over and over?’
‘Yes, it’s such a good film.’ Jade smiled at the memory. When they’d discovered the DVD they were hooked, and used to watch it eating Monster Munch crisps and Doritos with dips as they blubbered throughout the ending.
‘I’m not being funny, but whoever made that story up must have such a good imagination. They must be so intellectual. I’d love to be that talented.’
Jade laughed, almost spitting her drink out. ‘No one made it up, Kelly! It actually happened. The Titanic really did sink!’ She laughed even harder at Kelly’s incredulous expression.
‘Are you joking babe? Oh my God, shut up! I thought it was all made up! The Titanic really sunk? What about all those poor people?’ Kelly’s eyes were wide with amazement.
‘It’s a well-known tragic story and it was made into a film, silly.’ Jade wiped her eyes, which had started to water because she had been laughing so hard.
‘I just can’t believe that,’ Kelly shook her head, completely bewildered. ‘Poor Rose! Poor Jack! Whatever happened to her in the end? She didn’t marry that horrible bloke she was supposed to, did she? I mean, I know that necklace was pure beauts but he was just nasty!’
Jade burst out laughing again as she explained the characters were actually made up even though the story was true, leaving Kelly even more dumbfounded.
A few drinks later, she caught Sam’s eye and he smiled at her, making her heart somersault. It was official. Jade was in love.
*
Sam went back to the busy bar and thought about how much he loved his job. Hot girls everywhere, good money and baking sun every day; there was no other place he’d rather be. He looked over at Adele and the others. She was an odd one, Adele, wanting to spend the
