are still underwater, thankfully, so they’re oblivious to his question and my reply.
‘Yeah. I slept on a sunlounger and I have the mozzie bites to prove it,’ I say jauntily as I show him the red bumps on my arm. He doesn’t look amused.
I stayed on the sunlounger that night until Carl’s heavy footsteps on the stairs over my head alerted me to the fact that he had vacated our apartment. ‘He wasn’t too happy to see me the next morning,’ I add, remembering the cold-shoulder treatment I received when I bumped into the boys in the lobby. They were checking out and I was on my way to Duval Street to buy a swimming costume at last: black, for a change. A nice, safe, colour choice. ‘But he’s gone home now, so that’s a relief.’
His eyebrows rise ever so slightly, but he says nothing as he hands me back my belt. I try to put it on underneath my bulky BCD, but it’s a struggle. He waits patiently.
‘Was that your girlfriend the other night at the house?’ I try to sound casual, but I’m nervous.
He laughs sharply. ‘No,’ he says quite firmly, and I can’t be sure if he means he never would or he never has. There’s a very big difference in my mind, but the relief is still apparent.
Nearby, Bridget, Marty and Jorge resurface and give each other the okay sign. Jorge pops his mask on top of his head.
‘Yes, good,’ he says to Leo with an approving nod as he notices us together. ‘You buddy Laura.’
Thank you, God!
Marty looks at me and then I see her eyes narrow as she scrutinises Leo. There’s no way I can keep the smirk from my face.
‘Who the hell was that?’ she asks later when we’re changing out of our wetsuits into our normal clothes.
‘Who are you talking about?’ I ask innocently.
‘You know exactly who I’m talking about. Your new buddy.’ She says the word ominously.
‘Leo?’ I reply, keeping up the act for as long as humanly possible.
‘Yes! Where did he come from?’
‘Yeah, he was a bit phwoar,’ Bridget chips in, entering the conversation. ‘If you want me to take him off your hands, I’d be happy to oblige.’
My stomach clenches.
‘Thanks very much!’ Marty exclaims with mock outrage. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’
Bridget just laughs. ‘You can buddy Laura instead.’
‘No, it’s okay.’ I try to keep my voice calm, but I’m buggered if I’m letting her swap with me.
Bridget grins and nudges me knowingly. ‘I don’t know, poor Rick.’
‘What do you mean, poor Rick?’ I snap.
‘Well, he never got anywhere, did he?’ she says with amusement.
‘How does that make him poor Rick?’ I ask, unable to keep the edge from my voice. ‘Why should he expect to get anywhere with me?’
‘Chill out, Laura, she’s only teasing you,’ Marty chides.
I feel my face heating up at my overreaction. ‘Are we going for this drink or what?’ I say.
‘Seems like you need one,’ Marty replies. I choose to ignore her.
To my barely controlled delight, Leo and Jorge are at the bar when we walk into ‘Ye Olde Thatched Tiki Hut’, as Marty has taken to calling it.
‘How did you enjoy today?’ Jorge asks us.
‘Brilliant,’ I enthuse.
Bridget and Marty agree.
‘Wait until tomorrow when we head out into open water,’ he says. The thought makes me feel excited and anxious.
Leo’s hair is still wet and there’s a damp patch where the water has dripped onto the back of his T-shirt. I have an intense urge to get out my towel and dry his hair. It’s even sexier when dishevelled like this.
‘Laura!’
I come to with a start and realise that Marty is speaking to me.
‘Sorry, what?’ I ask.
‘You’re in another world,’ she berates. ‘What are you having?’ She nods towards the bartender.
‘Oh, um …’ I notice Leo is drinking beer. ‘A beer, please.’ He puts the bottle to his lips and swigs from it. Butterflies fill my stomach.
‘Pull up a stool,’ Jorge says. ‘So where are your boyfriends?’ he asks Marty and
‘Yeah. I slept on a sunlounger and I have the mozzie bites to prove it,’ I say jauntily as I show him the red bumps on my arm. He doesn’t look amused.
I stayed on the sunlounger that night until Carl’s heavy footsteps on the stairs over my head alerted me to the fact that he had vacated our apartment. ‘He wasn’t too happy to see me the next morning,’ I add, remembering the cold-shoulder treatment I received when I bumped into the boys in the lobby. They were checking out and I was on my way to Duval Street to buy a swimming costume at last: black, for a change. A nice, safe, colour choice. ‘But he’s gone home now, so that’s a relief.’
His eyebrows rise ever so slightly, but he says nothing as he hands me back my belt. I try to put it on underneath my bulky BCD, but it’s a struggle. He waits patiently.
‘Was that your girlfriend the other night at the house?’ I try to sound casual, but I’m nervous.
He laughs sharply. ‘No,’ he says quite firmly, and I can’t be sure if he means he never would or he never has. There’s a very big difference in my mind, but the relief is still apparent.
Nearby, Bridget, Marty and Jorge resurface and give each other the okay sign. Jorge pops his mask on top of his head.
‘Yes, good,’ he says to Leo with an approving nod as he notices us together. ‘You buddy Laura.’
Thank you, God!
Marty looks at me and then I see her eyes narrow as she scrutinises Leo. There’s no way I can keep the smirk from my face.
‘Who the hell was that?’ she asks later when we’re changing out of our wetsuits into our normal clothes.
‘Who are you talking about?’ I ask innocently.
‘You know exactly who I’m talking about. Your new buddy.’ She says the word ominously.
‘Leo?’ I reply, keeping up the act for as long as humanly possible.
‘Yes! Where did he come from?’
‘Yeah, he was a bit phwoar,’ Bridget chips in, entering the conversation. ‘If you want me to take him off your hands, I’d be happy to oblige.’
My stomach clenches.
‘Thanks very much!’ Marty exclaims with mock outrage. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’
Bridget just laughs. ‘You can buddy Laura instead.’
‘No, it’s okay.’ I try to keep my voice calm, but I’m buggered if I’m letting her swap with me.
Bridget grins and nudges me knowingly. ‘I don’t know, poor Rick.’
‘What do you mean, poor Rick?’ I snap.
‘Well, he never got anywhere, did he?’ she says with amusement.
‘How does that make him poor Rick?’ I ask, unable to keep the edge from my voice. ‘Why should he expect to get anywhere with me?’
‘Chill out, Laura, she’s only teasing you,’ Marty chides.
I feel my face heating up at my overreaction. ‘Are we going for this drink or what?’ I say.
‘Seems like you need one,’ Marty replies. I choose to ignore her.
To my barely controlled delight, Leo and Jorge are at the bar when we walk into ‘Ye Olde Thatched Tiki Hut’, as Marty has taken to calling it.
‘How did you enjoy today?’ Jorge asks us.
‘Brilliant,’ I enthuse.
Bridget and Marty agree.
‘Wait until tomorrow when we head out into open water,’ he says. The thought makes me feel excited and anxious.
Leo’s hair is still wet and there’s a damp patch where the water has dripped onto the back of his T-shirt. I have an intense urge to get out my towel and dry his hair. It’s even sexier when dishevelled like this.
‘Laura!’
I come to with a start and realise that Marty is speaking to me.
‘Sorry, what?’ I ask.
‘You’re in another world,’ she berates. ‘What are you having?’ She nods towards the bartender.
‘Oh, um …’ I notice Leo is drinking beer. ‘A beer, please.’ He puts the bottle to his lips and swigs from it. Butterflies fill my stomach.
‘Pull up a stool,’ Jorge says. ‘So where are your boyfriends?’ he asks Marty and
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