Page 41 of The Lucky Escape

Patrick shook his head, spraying water out all over me.

‘Hey!’ I said, reaching into the sea to splash him, the flirty love interest in a Nineties teen movie.

‘There’s one thing I think you’d be terrible at if you did switch careers,’ he said, splashing me back.

‘What’s that then?’ I asked, genuinely interested in his take.

‘Anything that involves keeping a secret or being stealthy.’

‘Being stealthy?’ I repeated. I didn’t get what he meant.

‘You’re the worst secret pee-er in the world, Annie. I totally knew you were having a wee out there.’

I squealed. ‘Argh!’ I said, laughing, burying my face into my hands, embarrassed. ‘Shut up!’

‘Nope,’ he replied. ‘Because you’re very cute when you blush.’

I splashed him again.

‘I’m serious though,’ he continued, once we’d settled back into conversation. ‘I told you about Mala, and I told you about how that taught me tocarpe diemmore, because fuck, I don’t know how else to make sense of life otherwise. If you don’t love what you do enough that you want to do something else, you should totally look into that.’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Maybe.’

‘Maybe?’

‘Don’t push me!’ I laughed. ‘The personal growth I am experiencing right now is already quite dramatic. One step at a time, boss!’

He pulled me up and we towelled off before walking the length of the beach to investigate the barbecue food Bianca had recommended. I checked my phone for a Carol update, but there wasn’t anything.

‘Can we send another joint prayer out into the world for the dog, please?’ I asked him.

‘Still no news?’ he asked.

I shook my head.

‘I’m wondering if I should let Alexander know she’s missing. She was his dog too …’

‘Does he know you’re here?’ Patrick asked, as we passed acouple of teenagers making out on a blanket, so ferociously it was almost obscene.

‘Alexander?’

‘Uh-huh.’

‘No idea,’ I said. ‘And screw him, anyway. He’s lost the right to know my travel plans. So on reflection, no. I won’t let him know about Carol. I don’t even want to say his name again.’

Patrick slowed to read the menu of a rib shack. ‘That’s the spirit,’ he intoned. And then, ‘I’m not actually that hungry, are you?’

I shook my head. ‘I ate nearly all of that sliced meat they put out at lunch,’ I said. ‘I’m good.’

The sun had lowered enough that the temperature had dropped significantly, and I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to try and warm up.

‘Oof,’ I said. ‘It’s chilly now, isn’t it?’

‘Actually yeah. I think Bianca should be ready and waiting for us by now though. Shall we head?’

‘Good idea,’ I said.

Patrick rifled in his tote bag and pulled out a jumper.

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