Page 59 of Enemies to Lovers

‘Chat,’ he reiterates. ‘Jesus! Just say yes or no, Flo!’

‘I already said yes,’ I shoot back, as Kate yells from the veranda, ‘If you don’t hurry up we’re going to lose another one to an early bedtime. I’m starving!’

‘Coming,’ I say, grabbing the rice with a tea towel for protection.

‘Done and done, then,’ Jamie replies. ‘It’s a date.’

14

‘Sailing?’ Laurie says, the next morning at breakfast, incredulous at the suggestion.

‘It’s research,’ I reply. ‘For my next project.’

‘I think it sounds lovely,’ Dad says. ‘I’ve never got on with the sea myself. Remember when we took the ferry to France, Vee? God, it was awful.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Alex agrees, mockingly. ‘We know. Four hours of vomiting so badly that you ended up bursting a blood vessel in your eye and calling yourself “Popeye” for the whole of your honeymoon.’

Dad looks round the group, like butter wouldn’t melt. ‘Oh, have I mentioned that story before?’ he asks innocently.

‘Only forty-eight thousand times,’ chimes in Laurie. ‘And for the record, nobody believes you. We all know you have a fear of jellyfish andthat’s why you don’t like the sea.’

Dad bats a hand. ‘They’re unnatural,’ he cries. ‘Awful to look at, even worse if you get stung by one.’

Everyone laughs, because it’s true: Dadisscared of the ocean. That’s why he skipped out on the snorkelling. But I’m not, and since Jamie is qualified to take outa boat, I’m going to suddenly pretend it would be an absolutely perfect help if he took me. Alone. For a whole day. Where we can figure out what’s happening and what the rules are, and the boundaries – all out of the gaze of my bloody family.

‘What project are you working on that means poor Jamie is stuck taking you out for the day?’ Laurie asks. Then he turns to Jamie and says, ‘Mate, you don’t have to take her, you know. Can’t Adonis sort you out?’

I bristle at his name, but manage to say, ‘Adonis ispersona non gratawith me, now. So.’

Mum issues anawwsound. ‘But he’s so nice!’ she says, and I shake my head.

‘He’s not actually,’ I insist, and Mum raises an eyebrow, but drops it.

It’s Jamie’s turn to wave a hand. ‘Anyway,’ he says, munching on his toast, ‘I’m quite missing sailing actually. And we’ll be back by this afternoon.’

‘In my defence,’ I say, looking between my two brothers, ‘I’m nothorriblecompany. I think Jamie might even enjoy himself.’

If Jamie has a reaction to the thought of that, I don’t see it, because he keeps his head down. Alex rolls his eyes, a sign that I’m too dramatic, and Laurie shrugs.

‘Whatever,’ Laurie says. ‘Kate and I are going to get the local bus into the town a few miles away, if anyone wants to join. Enjoy yourresearchtrip,’ he adds, looking at me like he almost doesn’t buy what I’m saying. Butthen, I can see him silently process, what reason would I have to lie?

At the side of me, Jamie moves to push back his chair, his arm brushing against mine for the tiniest of moments. My body practically hums with delight. He’s already made the necessary arrangements – I heard him on the phone this morning, talking in Greek – and I’m going to prepare lunch, so we have supplies.

‘You ready?’ I say, once I’ve packed a basket with fruit and cheese, bread and olives and wine.

Jamie puts on his sunglasses and replies, ‘As I’ll ever be.’

Mum uses the hire car to drive us down to the marina – we were going to drive ourselves, but then nobody at the house would have had car access all day, and Mum said that wasn’t fair. Not that they’re going anywhere, but just in case.

‘Gosh,’ she says, as we park up near the walkway that saysboat hire.‘This is magnificent.’

She’s not wrong. Row upon row of white boats cover the marina as far as we can see, all of different sizes. The sun seems especially potent today, spilling into the sky with abandon, making the blues bluer and the whites whiter. My tummy does a flip.

‘Thanks so much, Veronica,’ Jamie says, pulling on his door to climb out of the passenger side. ‘I promise I’ll take good care of her.’

‘Oh, I have no doubt,’ Mum coos. ‘I almost wish I was coming with the pair of you.’

Jamie smiles and says – before I can think of how to reply – that she can come next time. ‘We’ll think of this as a recce,’ he explains. ‘If today goes well, and we find some nice spots.’

---