Free Three's a Crowd by Sophie McKenzie Page B

pianist had given her.
    Lola herself turned up about halfway through the rehersal. She had what looked like a furious row in Spanish with the pianist, then came and flung herself down beside me.
    I squirmed uneasily as she leaned closer.
    “You like the music?” she drawled.
    I shrugged, trying not to stare at her chest. Close to it was impossible not to notice – it filled almost all the available space in my field of vision.
    “Or maybe you like singers?” Lola lingered on the “s”, placing her hand on the back of my chair. I fixed my eyes on her face. Hard, black-ringed eyes. Red, pouty lips. She was like a cartoon of someone hot – utterly fake. Absolutely terrifying. And deeply, sluttily sexy.
    “I see you like this singer.” Lola nodded towards Eve on the stage.
    I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant about it.
    “Though her father still seems to think she’s a little girl unable to cope with real life.” Lola gave a contemptuous sniff. “Still, he’ll learn, won’t he?”
    Without waiting for me to reply, she strode off to the stage and started shouting in Spanish at the pianist again.
    Eve walked over, frowning. “What did she want?”
    “I have no idea,” I said, honestly. “Er . . . Alejandro seems nice.”
    Eve’s frown vanished. She beamed at me. “I thought so, too. Oh, Luke, I’m so pleased you said that. I was really worried you’d be all jealous about him because. . .” She stopped.
    “Because he’s so horny?” I said, forcing a smile onto my face. “Yeah, I noticed everyone round here seems to think he’s all that. But why should I worry? You’re with me, right?”
    I was rewarded for this speech with an even bigger smile. Eve leaned towards me, her hair brushing against my face. “I so want to kiss you,” she said.
    “ Eva. Eva. Ven aquí ,” barked the pianist. Lola was flouncing out through the back of the stage. Alejandro waved at us, beckoning Eve back.
    “Later?” I said, raising my eyebrows.
    “Later.” Eve went back to the stage and sang both her songs again. This time she looked straight at me while she was singing. It was kind of nice. Like she was singing for me.
    Afterwards, even the pianist seemed satisfied.
    Ryan and Chloe appeared while the band were packing up.
    “Free time for the rest of the day,” Ryan grinned. “We’re going into Cala del Toro for a beer. D’you two wanna come?”
    Eve looked across at Alejandro, who was still talking to the pianist.
    “We could ask Alejandro?” Ryan said.
    “Yum,” Chloe said enthusiastically.
    Eve turned to me. “What d’you think, Luke?”
    I stared into her pale blue eyes.
    No. No. No. I want to be alone with you. I don’t want to go for a drink with everyone else. And certainly not with Mr Freakin’ Perfect with his drums and his abs and his bloody everyone-loves-me smile.
    “Good idea,” I said. “Why don’t you ask him.”
    We sauntered up the road to Cala del Toro at about five o’clock. It was still hot, but the deliciously sweet breeze stopped the air from being suffocating. Ryan and Chloe strolled hand in hand but, as usual, Eve and I were careful to walk slightly apart from each other in case anyone from the hotel saw us.
    Not that Eve seemed to mind. She chatted happily to Alejandro as we wandered away from the shore, up to the square in the middle of town. The tables belonging to the cafes round the outside of the stone plaza were mostly empty and the central area was quiet too – just a couple of old men arguing over a dominoes game at a little iron table, and a small group of Spanish kids playing tag.
    We sat at a round, cast-iron table outside a cafe, in the shade of a cluster of olive trees. Alejandro knew one of the waiters and they talked briefly in Spanish while Eve and I held hands under the table.
    After an hour in his company I had to admit that Alejandro was, like Ryan had said, a sound guy. He was eighteen, but didn’t seem to mind in the slightest that we were all younger