Page 24 of The Summer Island Swap
I bit into the fruit to prove I was. ‘Just a little jet lagged.’
‘Yet you sound really keen about getting started – seems like you had quite a chat with Rick.’
‘It’s going to be an experience of a lifetime.’ I avoided Jonas’s eye.
‘And there’s no time to waste, as you’ve already proven.Rick,’ she called and waved her hand across the room.
He was sitting with Jackie and an attractive woman with an infectious laugh – the Italian Carlotta he’d mentioned before. Rick had fed Chatty a hard-boiled egg and fruit. The monkey had seemed especially taken with Carlotta’s glossy black curls and they’d all grinned every time he grabbed a handful. Every ounce of me was longing to give him a cuddle. Carlotta had been here since the beginning of June. I’d spoken to her briefly whilst queuing for my roti. She’d asked if it was true that English people looked like lobsters when their skin burnt. Then she’d given one of her joyous laughs that attracted attention wherever she went. I couldn’t decide if she’d meant to insult me – until she’d said that when she burnt she looked like she’d eaten nothing but tomatoes for a week.
Rick strode over. ‘Everything all right?’
Amy scraped a chair across the floor and positioned it in between the two of us.
‘We’ve all got so many questions and I know I, for one, am too excited to wait until tomorrow to find out more. Can you just tell us a little about how the next days are going to pan out? My sister, Sarah, is especially impatient.’ She squeezed my hand.
‘That’s lovely to hear,’ said Rick and sat down, a twinkle in his eye.
Jonas choked on his water and Helga came over and clapped him on the back. I glared at my friend, hoping he’d not make me laugh.
‘Er, yes… seeing the zoo has really inspired me,’ I said. ‘So… lots of questions, like… do we get any days off?’
A muscle flinched in his cheek. ‘I can see that you’re really keen.’
‘Sarah covers all aspects. She’s always told me success is in the detail,’ said Amy.
Rick raised an eyebrow my way. ‘That’s exactly what I’ve always thought.’
I felt uncomfortable with him so close and couldn’t help scanning his long legs… the broad shoulders… the determined jaw and soft lips.
An image flashed through my mind of the two of us strolling hand in hand along the beach. Where did that come from? Questions popped into my head. Had he ever been in love? Why did his last relationship break up?
Why did I care?
None of this would have intrigued me if he was simply a regular, friendly guy. But there was a story behind that professional exterior and a bit of mystery. It was undeniably sexy.
I’d still rather have been met at the airport by Richard Branson.
Definitely.
No question about it.
He pointed to a large white board on the wall behind us.
‘That’s the rota. It gets updated every couple of days. The main tasks are preparing the animal food and feeding them twice a day. And lots of trail clearing. Then overnight we set nets in the forest and a team will get up early, at six, to count the different birds caught and release them. This is done in various different locations – on the beach and in the forest, to monitor various species. Bird counting is also done with binoculars.’
‘I heard someone talking about rope bridges leading up to the tree canopies,’ said Benedikt.
‘Yes. There are observation points up there. Also, every night between midnight and four a.m. a group look for turtle nests on the beach, on the other side of the island. It’s quite a trek to get there. We collect the eggs, bring them back and bury them in a protected sandpit. Other tasks will include butterfly catching when the enclosure is ready and…’
He spoke of rotas to clean the shower blocks and toilets, and sessions spent helping the chef.
‘But in answer to your question,’ he said to me, ‘you have every weekend off from the work – apart from animal feeding.’
My brow relaxed. That was better than back home. Two consecutive days free every single week?
‘What is there to do in free time?’ asked Jonas and sat more upright.
‘Head over to Tortola for shopping or there’s a great selection of bars with local bands and dancing. I’ve spent many happy a night over there, unwinding to the best Caribbean beats.’
