Page 31 of Summer at Harbour View House
‘Over there,’ he said.
Hannah seemed in on the big secret, but Natasha’s attempts at getting an explanation were brushed off as Davey started up the boat again and they headed a little further out into the English Channel.
‘Right, time to suit up,’ Matt said, pulling a couple of wetsuits out of a container. Natasha who had thought they were wearing their swimsuits in case the sea got a little choppy, stared. Matt grinned. ‘Time for a little dip with some new friends.’
11
An Unwelcome Concert and a Sinister Visitor
‘I still feel numb,’Natasha said, taking a sip from a glass of wine as they sat on their hastily cleared patio, watching the sun slowly sink towards the western corner of the horizon. ‘That was probably the most amazing—and most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.’
Hannah, sitting beside her, perfectly formed legs crossed over and propped up on an upturned wooden barrel they had found among the weeds, sighed. ‘What do you think our kids would look like?’
‘Look, you can’t even count how long you’ve known Davey in days yet. In fact, we’re barely past the twelve-hour mark. You should probably take things just a little slower.’
‘You know, I think I was in denial while I was trying to hold on to Brad. He was never going to be right for me. I should have seen that from day one. I was using him for financial and moral support, and he was using me for—’
‘We just swam with basking sharks,’ Natasha said. ‘The things were the size of submarines. You never really know how big something is until you see it bearing down on you. They could literally have swallowed us.’
‘Do you think he’s tidy?’
‘What?’
‘I mean, when you see people with those wispy beards, sometimes it’s a fashion thing, and other times it’s just because they’re too lazy to shave.’
Natasha held up a photograph Davey had taken with an underwater camera. It showed a tiny person wearing a snorkeling mask floundering just under the surface, while a dark brown shape with a mouth as big as their doorway glided through the water nearby.
‘Look at that,’ she said. ‘I can’t wait to show the kids at school. They’ll never believe it. I mean, we’ve been here two days and we’ve done something amazing like that. I think I’m going to explode.’
‘Did you see how he looked under that shirt? I was practically dying.’
‘Does the enormity of what we did today not have any effect on you?’
‘Sorry, what?’
Before Natasha could reply, a sudden burst of loud music from the garden next door made both of them start.
‘My god, what’s that?’
‘Is that Guns N’ Roses that he’s playing?’
The falsetto wailing of the singer over the top of a shredding lead guitar suddenly rose in volume, as though someone was singing a karaoke version along with the track.
Natasha, who owned most of the Guns N’ Roses albums, shook her head. ‘No, but it’s that era, maybe. Hair metal.
‘Your love left me blind, left me with stars in my eyes, and a hollow in the words I couldn’t fy-aaaaaa-aynd!’ wailed the singer, with whomever was singing along just about keeping in tune.
‘My god, that’s awful,’ Natasha said. ‘I’ve never really got rock music. It’s far too noisy.’ She stood up. ‘I think that’s my cue to take a bath.’
‘Another one?’
Hannah grinned. ‘We are on holiday, Nat. Plus, I need to keep fresh. Davey’s taking me for breakfast tomorrow.’
‘Breakfast?’
‘Out on his boat. He said he wanted me to see the sunrise.’
‘I think I’m going to be sick.’
