About a Girl (23 page)

‘Yeah?’ He didn’t sound quite sure. ‘I know you’re really upset about your job and stuff and I don’t want you to be. Upset.’

‘Charlie?’ I squeezed my eyes tightly together and ignored the prickling tears. ‘Please don’t call me again.’

‘But I miss you,’ he said in a broken whisper. ‘I miss my best mate.’

And that was enough to make me hang up. I unclenched my fists and placed my palms on the cool kitchen counter. Leaning forward, I fought the sick feeling in the back of my throat. I fought the desire to get into bed and never get back out. I was better than this. The things he was talking about were Old Tess problems. New Tess didn’t care. New Tess had better things to do. Like eat loads of cheesy snacks on a boat.

Confused and close to tears, I stumbled out of the door, slipping my sunglasses over my reddening eyes and hoping Kekipi wouldn’t mind if I went in for a hug. But instead of finding my presumed boat buddy, I found Nick. Holding the picnic basket. And a huge bag of Cheetos.

‘Can’t have a picnic without crisps, can you?’ he asked.

‘Where’s Kekipi?’ I asked, glad I’d grabbed my sunglasses ‘You’re not coming?’

‘Kekipi has gone back to do whatever it is Kekipi does, and, yes – yes, I am,’ he said, looking impossibly pleased with himself and dangling a set of keys from his thumb and forefinger. ‘You’re with me, kid.’

‘Because you know how to drive a boat?’

He nodded.

‘And you know your way around Hawaii?’

He nodded.

‘There’s no way I’m getting in a boat with you.’ I crossed my arms and gritted my teeth. ‘I saw
Shirley Valentine
.’

‘Then you’ll know exactly why you should get in a boat with me,’ he said, slipping the keys into his pocket and holding out his hand. ‘For fuck’s sake, Vanessa, I’m not going to feed you to the sharks.’

‘There are sharks in there?’ I eyed the ocean suspiciously, pushing all thoughts of Charlie, of Donovan & Dunning, of the Old Tess right out my mind. ‘Now I’m really not sure about this.’

‘I am and you’re coming.’ He grabbed my hand and started to pull me along the beach. ‘Because I need some company and you need a shag.’

‘I do not need a shag,’ I replied, trying to shake off his hand and ignore the way my skin burned as soon as he touched me. ‘And if you need company, why not take Paige?’

‘Why would I take Paige?’ he asked, seeming genuinely nonplussed, as he dragged me along to the little pier beside our cottages. At the end, the world’s smallest motorboat bobbed up and down on the ocean. ‘Can’t think why I’d take her.’ I couldn’t take my eyes off his arse as he leaned over to drop the picnic basket into the boat. He looked so big and manly as he unravelled the rope that tied the boat to the pier I was worried my ovaries were going to burst. Traitors. ‘I’ve got a feeling she might be mad with me anyway.’

My brain and my vagina hadn’t quite reconciled on where I stood with the whole Paige thing. Nothing had happened between them and it really didn’t seem like anything ever would. But I still felt as though I should have told her about this. Whatever this was. Obviously, because I was a massive wimp and didn’t want her to hate me, I hadn’t, so the natural conclusion would have been just not to hang out with Nick again. That was easier said than done. ‘Maybe because you were a complete cock at breakfast?’

‘I don’t like being messed around.’ A brief darkness crossed his face before it was replaced with his annoying grin. ‘Hope you don’t get seasick.’

‘How come you’re suddenly in such a good mood?’ I let him take my hand and help me into the boat, trying to ignore the sudden flashbacks to the night before. ‘Forget to take your meds this morning?’

‘I never forget to take my meds,’ he replied, and I had no idea whether or not he was joking. ‘I lost my temper earlier, I know. It was unprofessional, but it’s been a pretty stressful few weeks. I didn’t need Baby Bennett’s shit.’

‘He was actually quite nice about you after you flounced off like a little girl,’ I said, remembering, after my bottom hit the wooden bench, that I wasn’t wearing any shorts. Oh cock. ‘So you might not get fired after all.’

‘And if they fire me, who’s going to do their interview?’ He jumped behind the wheel of the boat and slipped the keys into the ignition. I hated the fact that both his arrogance and ability to operate a small seafaring craft were epic turn-ons. Maybe he didn’t just look a little bit like Daniel Craig; maybe he actually was James Bond. ‘Not that I give a shit. When I’m done here, I’m going home to do a real job.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ I grabbed hold of the side of the boat as the engine sputtered into life.

‘Don’t talk to me while I’m driving,’ he said, Wayfarers down, eyes on the horizon. ‘Unless you want to end up in an episode of
Lost
, I need to concentrate.’

Staring at him from behind my sunglasses, I narrowed my eyes and fought the urge to kick him in the back of the knee. Why had I got into the boat? Kekipi was going to pay for selling me out. We pulled away from the pier and away from the beach and headed out onto the clear blue seas, but instead of looking out at the beautiful, breathtaking scenery, I couldn’t take my eyes off the captain. I quietly wondered if Amy would fancy him. He was definitely more her type than mine. Stocky, solid. Not so much buff as just really well put together, like he played a lot of sport rather than worked out. And he wasn’t terribly tall ? maybe five ten, five eleven if he was lucky ? but he did definitely have that rugged, hot blond thing going on. There weren’t many men who could get away with being so impossibly arrogant. Maybe Michael Fassbender, possibly Bradley Cooper, but that was it. But still, really not my type. So why was I imagining repopulating the world with him after a zombie apocalypse and simultaneously resisting a strong urge to kick him in the balls so badly that he turned into a lady? With a resigned sigh, I reached over to the picnic basket and grabbed the Cheetos. If in doubt, cheese was always the answer.

We were only on the water for fifteen minutes or so, but it was quite long enough. I peered over the edge of the boat pretending to be absorbed in the sealife under the waves. In reality I was just trying to avoid an embarrassing vomming situation. It turned out I did get seasick. I really was learning something new about myself every day. Thankfully, Nick barely acknowledged me while he captained our teeny vessel, though to be fair to him, sitting together in silence was a lot more companionable than any conversations we’d had so far.

Eventually we slowed down and began to head inshore. I leaned over the edge, hoping Nick wouldn’t push me in and sail away. The water was crystal clear, just like on TV, and I could see tiny fish darting around the sides of the boat. Brighton never looked like this. My bath water never looked like this. Further out, the ocean was dotted with smaller, rocky-looking islands jutting upwards and occupied by an assortment of interesting-looking birds. Back towards the mainland, the huge green mountain behind Bennett’s estate dominated the skyline, towering above the coconut palms and banyan trees. I couldn’t believe how breathtaking Hawaii looked from the water, and every time I blinked or wiped away some spray, I was slapped in the face by the soft, sweet smells of the island. The edge of saltwater just made the delicate floral breeze that much more wonderful, like sea-salt caramel ice cream. It smelled so clean. I wanted to bottle the scent and wear it for ever. Or bottle it, sell it and make so much money I could come and live here for ever.

‘Do you actually know where we’re going?’ I asked Nick as he jumped out of the boat, barefoot, into ankle-deep water and dragged us both onto the beach. Manly. Hot. ‘Because I saw that film where Madonna got cast away on a beach for ages.’

‘No one saw that film,’ Nick replied. ‘And yes, of course I know. I’m not about to get stranded on a deserted beach with you, love.’

It took me a moment to decide which insult to deal with first.

‘Lots of people saw that film,’ I grumbled and held out my hand for him to help me out of the boat, but instead he just grabbed me round the waist and hauled me onto land without getting my feet so much as damp. My heart pounded and my knees felt weak. Colour me a lost cause. ‘Why did you bother bringing me in the first place?’

‘That,’ he said, wading back to the boat and recovering the picnic basket. And the half-empty bag of Cheetos. Two-thirds empty, ‘is a very good question.’

‘Just fancied having someone around to take the piss out of?’ I suggested. ‘Or maybe there’s something heavy you need me to carry?’

Nick stood three feet in front of me and frowned. ‘I wanted to come here. I thought you would like it. Zero ulterior motive. Why did you get in the boat?’

‘Vitamin B deficiency?’ I suggested from the safe place behind my sunglasses. ‘Jet lag? Morbid self-hatred?’

He took a step closer. I took a step back.

‘Are you always like this?’

‘Like what?’

‘An unrelentingly cynical bitch?’

It was fair to say I was a little stunned. Nick just stood there waiting for an answer. His blond hair was all mussed up from the water and I badly wanted to smooth it down. Sailing hair looked a lot like sex hair and it was incredibly distracting, but he had just called me a cynical bitch so I wasn’t feeling quite so weak at the knees any more. Just inches apart, I stared at him. No one had ever called me a bitch before in my entire life. Not even Amy. Doormat, yes. Walkover, on occasion. Regularly a martyr. Admittedly I was hardly Pollyanna, but a cynical bitch? Me?

‘Sorry, that was out of order,’ he grunted, breaking off the awkward stand-off, and started down the beach and into the trees beyond. ‘It’s this way.’

Smiling, I followed.

For as long as I could, I trailed Nick in silence. It was easy to be distracted ? the valley was breathtaking and I kept stopping to touch everything. Flowers, leaves, trees, birds that were too slow to get away from me. After getting my wrists slapped twice, I stopped running my fingers through the bougainvillea and plumeria and stayed close to my stoic tour guide. We wandered through some beautiful trees, down a beautiful path, up some less beautiful rocks and finally down a desperately unbeautiful mud bank that tested my ability to hike in flip-flops.

‘Nick?’ I called as I faltered halfway down the path, flapping around like a drunken mountain goat. I clawed at the slippery stones either side of me and felt my feet slipping further and further apart. ‘A little help?’

‘Oh, shit.’ He darted back, took hold of my wrist and hoisted me down the path. Once my feet were on solid ground, he didn’t let go. ‘I’m sorry.’ He looked as though he meant it. ‘I get carried away.’

‘I’m not really an experienced hiker,’ I said, annoyed with myself at having to ask for help when I was so enjoying giving him the silent treatment. ‘If I’d known we were climbing mountains, I’d have worn proper shoes.’

‘That was hardly a mountain.’ Nick’s fingers slid down my wrist until we were holding hands. ‘And did you even bring proper shoes?’

I looked down at our hands and blushed.

He smiled and reached behind me to pluck a soft pink flower from a tree and tucked it behind my right ear.

‘Wearing a flower behind your right ear in Hawaii means you’re looking for a mate,’ he said, fingertips trailing from the flower down my cheek. ‘On the left side it means you’re already spoken for.’

Without saying anything, he pulled it out from behind my right ear, combed out my hair with his fingers, and placed it behind my left ear.

‘You cheesy bastard,’ I said, gingerly touching the soft petals and threatening myself not to blush. Nick gave my fingers a squeeze and then turned away quickly, dropping my hand.

‘Come on.’ He started walking faster. ‘It’s right around here.’

‘What’s right here?’ I was trying to watch where I was going, not lose my flower and work out when was the last time I’d held a boy’s hand, all at the same time. It was not easy. ‘How do you know where we’re going?’

‘This is right here,’ he said, standing back and gently pushing me in front of him. ‘And I know because I’ve been here before. And when you’ve been here once, it’s very hard to forget.’

I turned a corner at Nick’s nod and pushed my way through a thick, rubbery bush, following the sound of running water.

‘Oh. Oh, wow,’ I whispered, grabbing his hand again, squeezing it tightly. ‘Oh, Nick.’

In front of us was a small pool about the same size as the mill pond back at home. But that was where the similarities ended. The blue-green water was surrounded by tall cliffs that stretched up so high, covered in green vines and trees, and sheltered us with a canopy of trees. Sunlight found its way through the branches and dappled the water, making it sparkle and glitter, and directly opposite us a narrow white waterfall danced down the black rocks from somewhere unseen up in the sky. It was too much.

‘How did you know this was here?’ I asked, my voice low and reverential. I was waiting for mermaids to come out and tell me to be quiet or at the very least start singing a Disney medley.

‘I spent a summer in Hawaii a few years ago,’ he said, leading me down the gently sloping pebbled shore to the water’s edge. ‘Me and my girlfriend were travelling, and one day I went out exploring the island and found this place.’

I tried not to flinch at the use of the word ‘girlfriend’ and the distinct lack of a qualifying ex in front of it. He said he was single, didn’t he?

‘Can you believe we’re still on Bennett’s property?’ Nick set the picnic basket down on a large, smooth stone and kicked off his shoes to paddle into the water, never letting go of my hand. I followed, abandoning my flip-flops, and followed suit. The water was so cool and refreshing, the horrors of the hike were immediately forgotten. Dozens of tiny tadpoles darted around my feet in the shallows, disappearing as we got deeper. ‘Technically, you could say I was trespassing the last time.’

‘Technically?’

‘I was trespassing.’ He was up to his knees in the water and I watched as the edges of his shorts darkened. Tess would have pointed that out, but Vanessa kept her mouth shut and concentrated on his story. ‘It’s one of the reasons I took this job, actually ? I’ve wanted to come back for so long but never had the chance. It seemed fortuitous.’