Page 18 of Someone in the Water
‘I got you this,’ Dom says, holding out a hunk of French bread with a thin line of apricot jam oozing out from its middle. My favourite flavour. ‘In case you didn’t have time for breakfast.’
I doubt accepting a gift from Dom is the best thing to do after Izzy’s advice, but he guessed right about breakfast and I’m starving. ‘Um, thanks.’ I take it from him and have a big bite. Keeping my mouth closed is tricky, but I don’t care about looking stupid in front of Dom – I suppose it might even help.
‘Listen, about last night.’ Dom looks embarrassed, thank the Lord. I feel a swell of relief as I wait for him to row back, ask if we can forget it ever happened. ‘I guess I wanted to say thank you,’ he goes on. ‘I know I do a shit job of showing when I like someone, so thank you for seeing through my idiot impersonation and taking the initiative.’
Shit. I need to say something. Explain. But I can’t swallow the bread.
‘Anyway,’ Dom continues, filling the silence. ‘You’re awesome. So I’m going stop throwing you in the sea from now on. Unless there’s an opportunity that’s just too hard to resist.’
My face produces an involuntary smile and the bread dislodges. ‘You’re a dick, you know that?’
‘What was that? I have a huge dick?’
I roll my eyes and shove Dom in the chest. His eyes light up with the challenge and he grabs my shoulders, twists me round. He pretends to put me in a headlock – his arm way too loose around my neck for me to feel trapped – and I jab backwards with my elbow, connecting with his torso. He folds at the waist.
‘Argh,’ he cries out with more than a hint of melodrama.
As he drops to the sand, I can’t help laughing. But then I notice Archie watching us, a bemused look on his face, and I force myself to look serious. I’m supposed to be acting cool around Dom, cold even. And here I am, actively encouraging him. I turn to see if Izzy has noticed our playfighting, then breathe a sigh of relief when I realise she hasn’t.
In fact, Izzy seems oblivious to everything around her – even the thunderous look on Harriet’s face as she drags a sailing boat down to the water’s edge by herself, a guest ambling along next to her. Izzy is deep in conversation with Jack, although on closer inspection, it seems more like an argument.
‘How long ’til the first guest?’ Dom asks, brushing sand off his shorts.
‘Nine o’clock, so ten minutes.’
‘I guess we should prep the boat, then. You coming?’
I look back towards Izzy. ‘Sure. Just give me a minute.’
Dom nods and walks towards the hut while I wander over to Izzy and Jack.
‘Everything okay?’ I ask.
‘Yeah, we’re good,’ Jack says, raising a smile. ‘Isn’t that right, Izzy?’
Izzy clicks her tongue but doesn’t speak. I pull at my bottom lip, not sure how to handle the obvious tension between them.
‘Anyway, I should probably get to work,’ Jack continues. ‘And if Harriet’s face is anything to go by, I reckon you should too, Izzy.’ Then his smile fades. ‘And remember, no one likes being threatened.’
Izzy stares for a moment, then shifts her gaze away from him. ‘I told you. I was drunk last night. Shooting my mouth off.’
‘Is that an apology?’ Then Jack sighs and his voice softens. ‘Listen, I just want us to be friends, or at least not enemies. Is that too much to ask?’
Izzy’s face tightens. ‘I guess not,’ she murmurs.
‘There you go, that wasn’t too hard. See you later, ladies.’
Izzy gives Jack a dark stare as he ambles away, then grabs my arm and pulls me up the beach.
She looks angry, but her hand is trembling against my skin. I’ve been so caught up in my own drama from last night that I hadn’t thought to ask where she ended up. ‘What was that about?’ I ask. ‘What happened last night?’
‘That guy is so arrogant,’ Izzy murmurs. ‘Thinks his movie-star looks will always get him out of trouble.’
I look over at Jack who’s now helping Archie carry windsurf boards down to the water’s edge. ‘What kind of trouble?’
‘Take your pick. I just wish I didn’t have to work with him.Pauvre con,’ she adds, and it doesn’t sound like a compliment.
I pause, trying – and failing – to reconcile the Jack that Izzy is describing with the one I’ve got to know over the last few weeks. He’s quiet and does seem quite secretive. But he works hard and both Archie and the guests seem to love having him around. ‘But he’s good at his job,’ I say carefully. ‘And Archie was telling me about the charity that he did his instructor-training through, on a reservoir in north London. I get the impression that Jack didn’t have the easiest start in life. Maybe we should cut him some slack.’
