Page 22 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“Promise?” Jonty looked straight at him.
Devan didn’t answer.
“’S’okay. Better not promise. Don’t want you to spend eternity thinking you b-broke a promise… I don’t b-break p-promises… Hurts when they get broken… Not like a b-bone. Worse, I think… Don’t you? Hurt lasts longer.”
Yes.“You’re rambling and slurring your words.”
“I’m swimming at the same time… Thinking, shivering, rambling…slurring… and swimming. And hallucinating… B-brilliant multitasking.”
Jonty sounded so indignant that Devan wanted to laugh. How could he feel like that when they were in such dire straits?
“What now?” Jonty asked.
“We wait for the sea to calm down so we can swim back, and we hope for rescue.”Before we die of hypothermia.
“What are we going to do while we wait? I’m easily b-bored… Entertain me.”
Devan rolled his eyes.
“Say something funny.” Jonty rested his head on his arm where it stretched across the board, blinking when water hit his face. The blinks were getting longer.
“Wake up.” Devan pulled Jonty’s hair. “Talk to me.”
“Ouch. What job do you do? Torturer?”
“I’m a quant, a quantitative analyst.” He had been, and in some ways he still was. He couldn’t tell Jonty he was interested in buying the hotel.
“Where?”
“London.”
Devan thought he’d ask what aquantitativeanalyst did. He’d be surprised if he knew.
“Why kiteboarding…not surfing?” Jonty asked.
Maybe he didn’t want to admit he had no idea what a quant did.
“I like action. Too much waiting around when you’re surfing, then a lot of paddling for a few seconds of glory every ten minutes or so.” Devan shuddered with cold. “I’m too impatient for that.”
“So…you’re in a job where you have to be careful and methodical…and you chose a s-sport…where you take risks all the time…and rarely stop moving?”
“That’s very sharp.” Devan was shocked.
“Brains as well as beauty.”
Yeah, you do.
“Supposed to agree with me.” Jonty sighed. “Maybe…did in your head. That’s fine… Guess not currently looking my best… Hair a mess… You look great. Cool red helmet.”
Devan laughed.Oh God. We might die and you can still make me laugh.
“I watched you jumping…. Didn’t know it was you… You’re good. Do you do everything at full speed?”
“Not everything.”
“Hmm.” There were a few seconds of silence where Jonty seemed as though he was going to make some quip, then decided not to.
“Wake the fuck up.” Devan thumped him.
