by Carrie Stone
‘Well, I do actually know a little about teachers – my father is a history professor and my sister teaches geography.’
‘Oh wow. So you’re already surrounded then. In that case, it’s probably better if I don’t harp on about my work, you must be sick of hearing all the staff room tales.’ I laugh, and he joins me, his eyes crinkling at the sides.
‘And you? I’m guessing some kind of finance job. You look like a numbers guy?’
He throws his head back in mock shock. ‘It’s the hairdo, isn’t it? Or was it the digital watch that gave it away?’
I glance at his smooth tanned wrist, noticing there’s no digital watch in sight – only a glistening silver and gold Rolex. ‘More the calculator that’s sticking out of your short’s pocket.’
He looks down briefly and back up again, holding my stare. ‘There’s always something large sticking out down there, but it’s not a calculator.’ There’s a big grin as he waits for me to get the comment.
I lightly smack his arm and shrug my shoulders in mock naivety. ‘I don’t understand what you mean.’ For a moment our eyes meet again and then we both laugh at the same time.
‘You’re right anyway. I’m an accountant. It’s a bit of a dull job working with numbers all day, but it pays the bills.’
‘I suspect it pays more than just the bills.’ I smile, raising an eyebrow and chuckling as he lightly nods in agreement.
‘Well, I do have a nice pad and a boat, so I guess I’m pretty lucky in that respect. Speaking of which, why don’t you come out on it with me tomorrow?’
Our drinks arrive as I try to hide my surprise. We’re barely fifteen minutes into our first date and he’s already inviting me out tomorrow. ‘I think Tilly mentioned taking her boat out together…’ I trail off, feeling compromised. Part of me is excited by the thrill of being chased, yet the sensible part of me suddenly wonders where this is going. Is it wise to get involved so soon? I’ve only just arrived.
On the other hand, he’s got such a nice demeanour and he’s easy to be around. I already feel relaxed and comfortable. From what I can discern so far, he seems slightly different from other men I’ve dated – he isn’t the typical Alpha personality that I usually go for. Even more humbling is that despite his obviously luxurious lifestyle, he comes across as grounded and genuine.
‘That’s no problem, I’m sure she’ll be good with us rafting up. I’ll invite Jools too. We can all make a day of it.’ He picks up his Guinness as I reach for my white wine. ‘Anyway, cheers to new beginnings in Bermuda.’
We clink glasses and lock eyes and I feel my stomach do a little flip. Maybe his comment was simply referring to my move but there’s a part of me that can’t help but feel he’s alluding to something else…
I bat away the nervous, uneasy energy that I have at the prospect. It’s far too soon to be thinking about men and relationships, especially when I have so much else that I want to be focusing on. There’s not enough room in my life for all of that right now. Unless … it’s on my terms.
*
Three hours later and I’m slightly worse for wear. I’ve learnt that Spence, as he prefers to be called, isn’t only an accountant but also loves volleyball, has two failed long-term relationships under his belt and spent a year travelling around Europe, fresh out of university. There’s a tender, soft quality about him, which combined with his gentle and cheeky nature has me intrigued. There hasn’t been a moment of awkward silence.
‘You’re up for it then?’ He looks at me expectantly and I stare at him blankly. I wasn’t exactly listening to his words, more just looking at the bow of his lips and wondering what it’d feel like to be kissed by them. I know that the two glasses of wine I’ve had are to blame. It always has the same effect on me – an alcohol induced lust, which is currently coursing through me and making it hard to think straight.
‘Totally.’ I’ve no idea what I’m agreeing to, but it seems the polite thing to say, considering he looks so animated.
‘It depends on the day, they can be shallow or deep, so we might not need to go too far.’
Oh dear. Go far? Shallow or deep? I wrack my mind for what he could be referring to, but my thoughts are slightly fuzzy and delayed.
‘We can always cook it after too?’ He waits for me to answer and I feel my eyes widen. What on earth is he on about. I’m not sure I like the sound of this. My face must show my concern because he’s quick to take back his suggestion.
‘Or we could just release it again.’ He pats my knee and a thrill runs from my thigh to my stomach. ‘People do lobster dive for fun too.’
Fuck. I’ve agreed to lobster diving?! I’m the girl that can barely swim one length in the gym’s heated pool and I’ve never once managed to dive down deep enough to retrieve anything from the bottom of it, so how the hell am I going to get a flipping lobster from the depths of the ocean? Double fuck.
‘Hey, the rest of the gang has finally arrived.’ Spence breaks into my thoughts and before I can spend another second on crustacean worries, I’ve spotted Tilly amongst them, no sign of Cullen.
‘Hello, my two lovebirds.’ Tilly’s voice slurs and it’s immediately clear she’s had far too much to drink.
‘How was the boat?’ I ask, noticing that Spencer is about to be stolen by the large group of drunken rugby boys coming towards us.
‘Was fun. We did lots of shots.’ She leans forward suddenly, trying to signal the waiter at the bar and instead successfully manages to trip herself up, falling onto my shoulder.
‘Are you OK?’ I push her back and notice her bloodshot eyes. Gosh she’s a bit of a mess. Beside me, Spencer stands up from his seat.
‘I’m fine.’ She steadies herself and blows out some air. ‘I just feel a bit icky. Maybe I ate something dodgy earlier.’
‘Hmm. Maybe.’ I try my best to sound convincing. Clearly, she’s oblivious to the fact she’s totally plastered.
Spencer catches my eye and I notice he’s downing the last of his drink. He turns to me. ‘It was really fun tonight. I’m looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow.’ He pauses as someone comes up behind him and pats him on the back. ‘But I think the lads are about to drag me off now and I don’t want to subject you to it, unless you want to join us?’
I glance at Tilly who is now sat on a stool, her face a light shade of grey, and my mind is made up for me.
‘I think we’ll probably head home.’ I nod my head in Tilly’s direction. ‘She’s not looking that great…’
He follows my gaze and smiles. ‘Let’s hope she’s OK for our boat plan tomorrow.’ His eyes fall to my lips and then he looks up again. My heart pounds in my chest and I feel as if the room has stood still around us.
‘I hope so,’ I hear myself mumbling and it’s a quiet, almost inaudible response because I can’t tear myself away from his stare. I will him with my eyes, to kiss me. I want nothing more in this moment than for him to lean in. He looks down at my lips and my breathing becomes shallow.
‘Are you ready mate? We’re off.’
We both snap our heads around as one of Spencer’s friends interrupts, killing the moment. I take a step back, feigning a smile. My heart is racing with desire and shock.
‘You’d better go.’
He looks at me awkwardly, as if reading my mind, and gives me a small disappointed smile. It tells me everything – he was going to kiss me. Patting his pockets for his wallet and keys, he unexpectedly leans in again, putting his arm on the small of my back, and kisses me on the cheek. It’s fleeting and fast, but his lips are soft against my face and there’s no tickle of stubble. I’m drowning in the smell of chocolate liquorice on his neck and realise it’s the waft of aftershave I’ve been smelling all night. It’s so good, I want to lick him. But I refrain, because really – who licks a man’s neck in public on their first date?
He draws away just as fast as he leant in. ‘OK, have a good night and I’ll see you tomorrow.’
And then he’s gone.
Chapter 8
‘Gosh I’m burning.’ I rub at my legs, smooth with coconut oil sunscreen and am happy to see that my skin is a deep golden brown, no red burn in sight. It does, however, feel strange that I’m about to see Spencer again, for what is technically a second date, dressed in a not so modest red bikini. It hasn’t escaped me that red might not have been the best colour of choice. I feel slightly like a Baywatch wannabe and given my generous bust, it’s not hard for others to make the connection too.
Still, at least all of the walking to and from my work has helped me achieve my newly toned body, and with the effort I’ve put into cooking healthy food for the last two weeks, I feel more confident in myself than I have for a long time.
‘Do you have the speaker in your bag?’ Tilly asks from the captain’s chair of the boat. She’s dressed in white shorts and a tiny crop top showing off a hint of her yellow floral bikini and stunning figure.
‘Yep. I’ve got it here. By the way, I hope you popped the sandwiches in the cool box along with the beers and champagne?’ She ignores me as she fiddles with starting up the engine. So I reach behind me to the back of the boat, lifting the lid on the cool box on the bench seat and immediately spot the foil packages. Tilly is surprisingly on the ball today considering the hangover she should have, and I can’t help but be impressed.
I adjust my sunglasses, sinking back into my seat and resting my arm on the side of the boat as we gently pull away from the mooring. The luminous aquamarine water barely ripples around us, yet it’s a busy day for boating because everywhere I look there’s all sizes and types, from the small fishing boat whose driver shouts us a ‘good morning’ as we pass, to the large yacht headed towards us. The warm sea spray on my skin becomes more forceful as we hit the open water and Tilly decides it’s full steam ahead. I hold onto the side rail as the boat bumps against the wake, lifting me from my seat. I can’t help but squeal as Tilly laughs aloud. She’s a total loon but I’m loving being out in the open water, free as a bird with a full day of exploration ahead.
Lately, the tranquillity of being so close to the water has had a profoundly relaxing and hypnotising effect on me. In turn, I’ve found that because I’m so chilled and no longer wrapped up in constant negative or stressful thoughts, I’ve a new sense of appreciation for everything – perhaps because there isn’t that constant noisy, buzzing distraction of city life that I had in the UK.
I’m finally loving life again; it’s so different waking up everyday to bright sunshine, glorious heat and beautiful postcard-worthy surroundings. I love the natural splendour of the island – whichever way I look there’s always something pretty to admire. The people here seem polite and high-spirited and it makes me think that the energy of island living must be infectious. Who wouldn’t want this lifestyle? It’s beautiful, yet simple.
The boat begins to bump consistently against the wake and I giggle as water splashes heavily over Tilly, whose turn it is to shriek.
We’re headed to Paradise Lakes to meet the others and the anticipation is overwhelming. Not only am I going to see Spence – in his swimming trunks of all things – but I’m also possibly going to get to swim with the turtles, or at least spot a few. It’s always been an ambition of mine to spend more time with these creatures and was one of my motivating reasons for pursuing an environmental studies degree in the first place. To know that I might be able to swim alongside them in their natural habitat would be a dream come true.
Wiping salty water from my mouth, we continue to cut through the ocean at high speed. I can’t help but admire the colourful pastel houses that line the shore as we zip along, some with the grandeur of small mansions. I wonder why my redbrick apartment building in the UK once looked so appealing to me. Everything here is so colourful and vibrant, more so than any place I’ve been – all those years of Tilly telling me about it, and I failed to pay much attention. I realise I was too caught up in grey, dull UK-topia. My world meant a constant lack of money, lack of fun and suffering a job that made me unhappy.
I smile to myself. Well, times have indeed changed…
*
‘Now tie that bit of rope to there.’ Jools points to a metal bar, placing one foot on our boat as he does so. He’s so at ease between the two boats, it’s clear to see his boating background. Tilly had surprised me with her revelation that he is from a wealthy background and his father carries a title. For some reason, I had him down as quite the opposite. It’s obvious now that he’s definitely from different stock.
I do as he directs and ponder if the way I tie it matters – because let’s face it, the only knot I know is the one I use on my trainers.
‘Did you not deploy that fender?’ His tone is one of absolute disbelief and I’m made to feel as if I’m five years old again. ‘What the hell!’
Glancing behind me, I wonder how I’m supposed to reach the fender whilst still tying. But before I can panic, Spencer is beside me taking control.
‘No worries, I got this.’ He pops it down before the boats collide at the rear and shakes his head at Jools. ‘It’s her first time, give her a break.’
‘Where’s Tilly?’ I ask, wondering why I’ve been left to do the bits that I have no clue about. I immediately spot her at the front of the boat, facing out to sea, laughing into her mobile. Rolling my eyes, I finish tying and step back.
Spencer eyes my effort and laughs. ‘Not quite how he’d do it.’ He glances discreetly at Jools then back at me. ‘But not bad going.’ He winks as the corner of his mouth upturns into a smile.
‘It’s beautiful here.’ I glance around at our spot, noting that we’re the only ones that have anchored in the vicinity. In the blistering heat, the crystal clear, calm water is more inviting than ever.
‘Look, there’s two turtles over there.’ Spencer lightly touches my waist and although I’m still wearing my cotton playsuit, the brush of his fingers sends a shiver through me. I turn to where he’s directing me just in time to see the head of a turtle bobbing above the surface. ‘You want to jump in?’
I can’t focus on the turtle that’s already disappearing or what he’s saying because he’s standing so close to me that I can feel the top of his chest beside my shoulder.
‘Get the noodles from the back locker,’ Tilly says, joining us and making me jump. I watch as she strips down to her bikini and turns to grab her bag. ‘Where’s my factor 50 spray?’
Using Tilly’s request for her spray as an excuse to turn away, I reach for my bag and rather self-consciously begin to undress, aware that Spencer is watching my every move. ‘Hang on, I think I have it somewhere in here.’
Tilly walks over to me, an assortment of colourful noodle floats under her arm. ‘Cool.’ She takes the spray I offer her, dumping the floats on the floor.
I’m aware that Spencer’s eyes haven’t left me and am relieved when Jools mumbles something from the other boat, urging his attention. With Spencer hopping across to the other boat, Tilly wastes no time in shooing me towards the water.
‘God he’s like a lovesick puppy around you. It’s sickening to watch.’ She clambers down onto the swim platform, tying her hair up as she goes and I follow suit.
‘Don’t be mean,’ I whisper, trying to manoeuvre myself down with the float under my arm. The warm, salty water is instantly soothing as it laps around me. I push the noodle beneath the water, sitting on it and marvelling at its buoyancy.
‘Do you guys want a beer?’ Spencer calls, leaning over the side of his boat and holding up a cool box.
‘Yes, beer sounds good,’ Tilly answers, not caring that I don’t particularly like beer or that she told me she was going easy on the drink today.
‘So what’s happening with Cullen?’ I venture, wondering why he hasn’t been mentioned at all.
‘Nothing much.’ She avoids my eye. ‘It was fun enough last night but there’s not much else to report.’
‘Do you think you’ll be seeing him again then?’
She muses o
n this for a moment before shrugging. ‘We’ll see.’
I look on as she ducks her head back under the water, wetting her hair. Before I can press further, Jools splashes into the water, causing my noodle to sway precariously.
I regain my balance just as Spencer walks to the edge of the platform, beers in hand and passes them down. From this angle with the sun shining on his oily body he looks stocky and ripped. As if sensing I’m weighing him up, he turns directly towards me, grabs a noodle and without hesitation dives into the water.
‘Hey you.’ He’s next to me within moments and raises a hand in the air as Jools tosses him a beer, catching it effortlessly and passing it to me. ‘Here you go’.
I take the beer and open it, secretly impressed with both his show of athleticism and his ball skills. Noticing him grinning at me, I suddenly feel self-conscious again. ‘What?’
‘I think I just caught you eyeing me up.’ He grins and I feel myself blush.
‘No, I was just looking up at the boat.’
‘Sure you were.’ He playfully splashes me with water causing me to squeal.
Tilly rolls her eyes next to me and wipes water from her face. ‘Do us a favour and get a room, you two.’ She pokes out her tongue at me before turning back to Jools and carrying on her conversation with him.
Spencer grins, hooking his noodle under his armpits and slowly swims, pushing us both further away from the others.
‘We don’t need a room, we just need a private moment.’ Within a few minutes he’s pushed us around to the other side of the boat completely out of view. The sun burns onto my arms and I notice that I’ve already got a deep new tan line. We spend some time chatting about our morning, and as I feel myself relaxing in his company, he playfully teases me about sipping my beer.
‘Aren’t you done with that yet?’ he asks, moving closer to take the drink from my hand.
‘Er, well, no I wasn’t…’ I begin, secretly relieved that he’s stolen my drink because I didn’t want it anyway. Before I can say another word, he sweeps me from the noodle, his arms firmly around my waist and his mouth meets mine. Without thinking, I close my eyes and wrap myself into him. His kiss is soft and gentle, yet his passionate embrace tells me that he’s holding himself back. I’m lost in the heady, electric moment, before we finally, slowly pull away. And all I can think is wow.