Page 68 of The Summer Island Swap
‘Goodness me. Your cheeks look hotter than the sun at midday.’ I leant forward and grinned. ‘Come on. There’s something you aren’t telling me.’
‘We might have… the other night… outside the shack, just before we went in… he took me by surprise…’
‘Jonas! Hurry up!’
A joyous expression looked back at me. ‘We kissed.’
I grabbed both his hands and squeezed the gently, letting go as Benedikt returned. I asked the two of them about playing music for this week’s guests. Jackie said she was happy for them to miss bird observation whilst they practised this afternoon. Jonas got up to fill the water jug and came back before going over to Rick who’d just come in with Chatty, saying he’d find out what time Rick wanted him and Benedikt to be ready for tonight. Benedikt poured me a fresh glassful and offered to get me a piece of fruit. He came back with a fragrant mango that he proceeded to slice. He pushed it my way with a fork neatly positioned on the side of the plate. I sensed he knew I was no longer a threat to what he might have with Jonas. I offered him a slice. His shoulders relaxed and I asked him to show me his latest Instagram pictures.
Being in love, it made people do out of character things – like amiable Benedikt becoming unfriendly. That’s what frightened me about my feelings for Rick. At Mum’s funeral I’d got talking to one of her university friends, Carol. She was interested in my school studies. Carol was a lawyer. She told me how Mum had dropped out in the final year because she met Dad and their relationship became serious. He’d been doing well at work and bought a big house. He’d wanted Mum to turn it into a home and become his wife. Carol spoke about how, before that, it had been Mum’s dream to become fluent in French and work as a translator – how she and my mum had spent a whole summer getting the train around Europe. I wondered if that was why we’d often holiday abroad. Mum must have missed travelling.
Carol never said anything negative about Dad; never indicated she thought Mum had made the wrong decision. In fact, I remembered her saying how happy Mum looked on her wedding day and how much she’d loved me and Amy. But Carol did say that following your own dreams was very important. That life was short and you didn’t always get a second chance.
What if Rick was my chance? What if this was my opportunity to find true happiness?
Or what if being with him ruined my future aspirations?
I finished my fruit and went over to him. He was thanking Chatty for searching his hair for ticks. He almost pulled off the jokey tone but I could tell it was forced. He sounded stressed. I whistled ‘Daydream Believer’ and the monkey reached out and clambered onto my shoulder and wrapped his tail around my neck. I squashed his body against my head as a way of hugging him and an appreciative squeak filled the air.
‘I could do with this scarf back in chilly England.’
Rick barely smiled. He beckoned to me to follow him outside. ‘I’ve spoken to Gran. She’s not happy about the stag party but agrees with Lee that we don’t have much choice.’ I squinted in the sunshine. He took my elbow and moved me into the shade. ‘If Gran can accept these changes to the home she created, then who am I to disagree?’
‘She’ll go with Cacao House?’
‘The news about the stag party distracted me and I’ve yet to explain the whole chocolate-making idea. But I’ve put out feelers to Malik. One of his friends is a woodworker. Apparently, he’s developed a particular skill for sign-making after demand shot up during the months of rebuilding after the hurricane.’
‘How about I check over the beach huts this afternoon and make sure everything is ready for the arrival of Jason and his friends?’
‘Sure,’ said Rick in a resigned tone. He’d put on his Indiana Jones hat. It was pulled down at the front as if he were hiding from the reality of the next few days.
I pulled it up. ‘What is it?’
Chatty left my shoulder and felt his way over to Rick. True to form he grabbed the hat and dropped it on the floor. Rick gave a genuine chuckle and picked it up.
‘Nothing. Ignore me. I need to shake myself out of this pity party. Seagrass Island survived a life-threatening storm. It can survive the high jinx of a few holidaymakers.’
‘Why don’t I come with you to meet the guests? Let’s Skype Margot and prime Nia to be ready with cocktails. I’m used to greeting customers on a daily basis back home – although I know you’ve had your fair share of experience of that here so—’
‘Really? That would be great!’
Twenty minutes later we sat on the sofa up at the house, Rick’s laptop on his knees. Margot came into view, wearing the familiar leopard print glasses and a matching turban this time.
‘Sarah. Lovely to see you again. Rick, you’re looking tired.’
‘Don’t worry, everything’s in hand,’ he said, sounding more sure than I knew he was.
‘You pick up Lee’s friend later?’
‘If you can call him that. They only know each other on Facebook now.’
‘All the better,’ she said. ‘If this stay doesn’t pan out well there will be no personal repercussions for your brother.’
I admired her objective stance.
‘Sarah and I have been talking about pricing.’
‘As have Lee and I,’ she said. ‘We think the way to move forwards is as you are now – charging an inclusive price for everything on the island and guests paying extra for excursions they book, and food and drink if they visit other islands…’ She leant forward. ‘And can I take this opportunity to say how much we appreciate you helping out, Sarah, and lending us your expertise free of charge. You’re clearly a go-getting person. I’ll be interested to see where you are, five years from now.’
