Bans. He's relentless. I saw him spinning circles with her underwater, holding her hand when he led her over to the turtle. He knows she'll take him up on his offer of dinner and buckets on the beach tonight, but more importantly than that, he knows Kalaya will go straight to Sasi and report this, too. She's pretending to do the paperwork on reception, but I can feel her eyes on us both now like lasers.
I reel off a few more stats from the dive and I'm just getting into how much air was left in everyone's tank by the end of it when a cough from Kalaya makes me turn my head. 'Somebody here for you,' she says, raising her eyebrow. I almost fall off the seat when I see who she's pointing to.
Izzy is wheeling a navy blue suitcase over to the other table. It's covered in sand. She must have wheeled it all the way here from the street and asked for me. I stand up quickly, back over the bench, ramming my hands in my hair. Holy shit. She actually came. I walk over to her, trying to ignore Kalaya's eyes on me, and Sonthi's now, too.
'Izzy!' My voice sounds as shocked as I feel. 'How did you get here?'
'On the bus,' she says. 'I hope it's OK, I'm sorry for just showing up.'
She looks hot and flustered. I am shocked; so shocked I can't even hug her like I want to. I couldn't anyway. I thought she would've called. 'How was the bus? Why didn't you get the plane?' I manage, standing with my back to everyone, looking down at her familiar but tired-looking eyes. I can see she's struggling to hold back tears and my hands itch to rub her shoulders or brush the stray strands of hair from across her forehead. I just finished hauling the tanks off the sand so there's sand all over me - another barrier. She's here.
'I thought first class would be OK. But it was so cold, I left my jumper in my suitcase and they put it in the luggage hold. Then I got my purse nicked.'
I smile as she talks a million miles an hour. I forgot how Brits call sweaters jumpers. Then I realize what she's said. Nicked is bad. 'Someone stole your purse?'
'It's my fault, I left it in the seat pocket,' she says with a sigh, taking a band from around her wrist and tying her hair up at the back in a ponytail.
'It's not your fault some asshole took what wasn't theirs, Izzy,' I say, forcing myself to think straight. 'Did you tell the police?'
'Yes, that's why I'm here so late.' She folds her arms across herself in the self-conscious way she always did. She's wearing denim shorts and a low cut green T-shirt. 'I just spent three hours in the police station. Then I had to find an Internet place so I could get some money wired from my godmother and cancel all my cards. There's nothing I can do about my passport till I'm back in Bangkok, though. I have to go to the embassy. So annoying. Anyway, then I had to get another cab here 'cause I missed my transfer bus.'
'Wow, Izzy, I'm so sorry,' I say. 'What a day, huh? At least you made it, though. We can fix all that other stuff, don't worry, I can help you. You got insurance, right?'
'Thank you,' she says. 'Yes, I have insurance. I gave the police your number in case they hear anything, I hope that's OK.'
'Course that's OK.'
'This place looks... the same.' She gestures around us now. I don't miss the apprehension on her face, the deep breath she takes before fixing her eyes to the sandy floor. She noticed.
'I built it back up pretty much the same,' I say and I get a flashback of her, sixteen, like I was, laughing as we fitted her with her flippers to go with the mask she lost in my fake shark attack. She was sitting on the bench that got swept away, just like the ones that are here now, painted blue and white to match the walls.
'Dream Dive,' she says, nodding thoughtfully. 'Seems like a dream.'
'Tell me about it,' I say, studying her face in the sun. Her hair is still the shiniest on the beach.
I don't miss her eyes flitting to Kalaya and then to my bare chest right in front of her, and to the ocean shimmering to
I reel off a few more stats from the dive and I'm just getting into how much air was left in everyone's tank by the end of it when a cough from Kalaya makes me turn my head. 'Somebody here for you,' she says, raising her eyebrow. I almost fall off the seat when I see who she's pointing to.
Izzy is wheeling a navy blue suitcase over to the other table. It's covered in sand. She must have wheeled it all the way here from the street and asked for me. I stand up quickly, back over the bench, ramming my hands in my hair. Holy shit. She actually came. I walk over to her, trying to ignore Kalaya's eyes on me, and Sonthi's now, too.
'Izzy!' My voice sounds as shocked as I feel. 'How did you get here?'
'On the bus,' she says. 'I hope it's OK, I'm sorry for just showing up.'
She looks hot and flustered. I am shocked; so shocked I can't even hug her like I want to. I couldn't anyway. I thought she would've called. 'How was the bus? Why didn't you get the plane?' I manage, standing with my back to everyone, looking down at her familiar but tired-looking eyes. I can see she's struggling to hold back tears and my hands itch to rub her shoulders or brush the stray strands of hair from across her forehead. I just finished hauling the tanks off the sand so there's sand all over me - another barrier. She's here.
'I thought first class would be OK. But it was so cold, I left my jumper in my suitcase and they put it in the luggage hold. Then I got my purse nicked.'
I smile as she talks a million miles an hour. I forgot how Brits call sweaters jumpers. Then I realize what she's said. Nicked is bad. 'Someone stole your purse?'
'It's my fault, I left it in the seat pocket,' she says with a sigh, taking a band from around her wrist and tying her hair up at the back in a ponytail.
'It's not your fault some asshole took what wasn't theirs, Izzy,' I say, forcing myself to think straight. 'Did you tell the police?'
'Yes, that's why I'm here so late.' She folds her arms across herself in the self-conscious way she always did. She's wearing denim shorts and a low cut green T-shirt. 'I just spent three hours in the police station. Then I had to find an Internet place so I could get some money wired from my godmother and cancel all my cards. There's nothing I can do about my passport till I'm back in Bangkok, though. I have to go to the embassy. So annoying. Anyway, then I had to get another cab here 'cause I missed my transfer bus.'
'Wow, Izzy, I'm so sorry,' I say. 'What a day, huh? At least you made it, though. We can fix all that other stuff, don't worry, I can help you. You got insurance, right?'
'Thank you,' she says. 'Yes, I have insurance. I gave the police your number in case they hear anything, I hope that's OK.'
'Course that's OK.'
'This place looks... the same.' She gestures around us now. I don't miss the apprehension on her face, the deep breath she takes before fixing her eyes to the sandy floor. She noticed.
'I built it back up pretty much the same,' I say and I get a flashback of her, sixteen, like I was, laughing as we fitted her with her flippers to go with the mask she lost in my fake shark attack. She was sitting on the bench that got swept away, just like the ones that are here now, painted blue and white to match the walls.
'Dream Dive,' she says, nodding thoughtfully. 'Seems like a dream.'
'Tell me about it,' I say, studying her face in the sun. Her hair is still the shiniest on the beach.
I don't miss her eyes flitting to Kalaya and then to my bare chest right in front of her, and to the ocean shimmering to
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