Page 24 of What Happens in Dubai
‘Wait, I’ll come with you.’
‘No, Zara. I need to have a chat with Dave in private.’ She turned and began wandering down to the water.
‘Watch my shoes. I’ll be one minute,’ she called back, bouncing down the beach.
‘Wait. Please let me come,’ I called out after her.
Already in the distance, she shook her head.
‘What’s up with her?’ Raj asked.
‘She was moaning about Dave and considered chatting up the Celtic player,’ I said, holding up my hands, still in disbelief.
‘Ouch. Which one?’ Raj asked.
‘The one in her selfie.’ I raised my eyebrows at him.
He burst out laughing. ‘The one with the teeth!’
I nodded back, laughing with my floppy palms hiding my face.
‘She must be blotto! He could chew an apple through a letterbox with them wallies.’
Raj and I started to howl loudly.
‘C’mon, another dance?’ He held out his hand just as ‘Insomnia’ by Faithless struck and the lights began to flicker.
‘Ahh, YES!’ I screamed.
The flash of strobe lighting took over the beach as everyone began bounding around like they were listening to GBX on a Friday night.
We carried on partying for another few songs, laughing, dancing and screaming, before finally noticing Ashley hadn’t returned.
‘Raj, I think we’d better find Ash. She seemed unhappy.’
He glanced around the crowd and nodded back. ‘Aye, c’mon then.’
I swiped ahold of Ashley’s expensive shoes and held Raj’s arm tightly, keeping my balance as we moved down the sandy beach together. The further we walked, the quieter it became, and I was starting to get worried.
‘What if she goes back to the loungers and thinks we’ve left her?’ Anxiety crept up in my chest as I realised I shouldn’t have left my best friend alone.
‘It’s Ashley. We’d hear her before we see her. Try her phone.’ I tried but there was no answer.
We continued walking until we reached the water then looked at one another nervously.Where the fuck was she?I called her phone again, and we both stood static, hoping to hear her voice. But nothing. Raj and I stared along the shore; it was still. No passers-by, no crowds of people. No one.
‘What if she’s been kidnapped?’ I was panicking.
‘She’ll be fine, Zara.’
‘Or sold into white slavery?’ My mind was going mental with possible scenarios.
Raj smirked towards me.
‘What? You read about these things happening all the time!’ I spouted.
‘But Ashley, a slave! She’d be the worst slave in history … Zara, sshh … I think I heard a faint buzz coming this way. Keep ringing that phone!’ Raj picked up the pace and I walked quickly to keep up.
His face was serious with concentration as we walked along the water’s edge, hoping to hear anything to lead us to our friend. Finally, a hazy noise buzzed in the distance, and we both began to walk quickly towards it. The beach was dark, and we hadn’t passed anyone else for a while. I continued to let the phone ring out until I saw a shadow in the distance.
