much.” She screwed up her face and her head
disappeared again.
“I puked?”
“Twice,” she shouted. “Once out
of the taxi window, and then again on the bathroom floor. Don’t worry. I
cleaned it up.”
***
After Nessie left, I drifted back
to sleep. I awoke an hour later with a slightly clearer head, put on my bikini
and lashings of sun lotion, and headed for the pool.
Approximately forty songs down my
iPod list later, I’d had enough.
The midday sun had heated the air
to an unbearable level, and I understood why the word siesta existed in certain
hot countries. In fact, it had turned into one of those days where the only
thing you want to do is open the refrigerator door and stand in front of it. I couldn’t
take it anymore, so I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the cool of the
air-conditioned snack bar and returned to my room, intending to stick a film in
the DVD player and chill out until the rays lengthened. The opening credits
were rolling when there was a knock on the door. It couldn’t be the maid. When
I’d returned, the bed was made and my top had gone to the big dumpster in the
sky.
I pressed pause. “Who is it?”
“Manager.”
What? Why? Had someone reported
my drunken antics? Had Nessie not cleaned up my mess properly and the maid had
complained? Mum would love the excuse that we were forced to go home because
I’d got us thrown out of the hotel.
“Just a minute.” I quickly tied a
sarong around my bikini bottoms and opened the door, mentally preparing an
apology, and totally unprepared for the sight that met me.
Casually leaning with an elbow against
the door jamb and one ankle crossed over the other was a familiar figure. His
dark head lifted with a crooked smile.
Our eyes locked, and for one
brief moment I was too shocked to speak. A warm tingling radiated out from my
chest, down my arms and legs, and my body weakened. What was he doing here?
I managed to find my voice. “Manager,
huh?”
“Figured you might not open up if
you knew it was me.”
I’ll open anything you ask me
to .
Josh’s eyes flicked past my
shoulders. “Are you alone?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Can I come in?”
I stepped back on shaky legs, and
he squeezed through the gap, brushing my arm with his as he passed. His
electric touch gave my nerves another jolt.
He walked over to the balcony
access and slid it shut. “Are you going to close the door?”
Hadn’t he just done that? I
faltered for a second before realising what I was holding. “Oh. Yeah. Right.” I
let go of the handle. The door latch caught, and I leaned back against the fire
notice. I needed to sit down before my legs gave way, but the only place to sit
was the bed, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go there. He might get the
wrong idea. So I went to the dressing table and perched on the edge, hoping it was
strong enough to support me. An uncomfortable silence ensued.
Josh stared leisurely through the
glass at the view, and I stared at him. The white cotton of his T-shirt was
fitted enough to show the contours of his muscular back, and his hands in the
pockets of his beige, linen shorts stretched the material tight across his
buttocks. My mouth went dry with an overwhelming need to touch him. I couldn’t
believe he was here, in my bedroom. If I’d fallen asleep again, and was
dreaming it all, I didn’t want to wake up.
Finally he spoke. “You stood me
up.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Okay, walked out on me.”
“Yeah.”
“Girls don’t do that.”
I bet they don’t . “Did I
dent your pride?”
He swung around, and with two slow,
purposeful strides, he was standing in front of me, his nose six inches from my
face. “No.” He angled his head. “I understand why you left. It was a shock for
me too.”
I struggled to keep my breath
even. “It was?”
“You were the last girl I
expected to see.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” Why was I
smart mouthing him when he’d done nothing to deserve it?
His lips
disappeared again.
“I puked?”
“Twice,” she shouted. “Once out
of the taxi window, and then again on the bathroom floor. Don’t worry. I
cleaned it up.”
***
After Nessie left, I drifted back
to sleep. I awoke an hour later with a slightly clearer head, put on my bikini
and lashings of sun lotion, and headed for the pool.
Approximately forty songs down my
iPod list later, I’d had enough.
The midday sun had heated the air
to an unbearable level, and I understood why the word siesta existed in certain
hot countries. In fact, it had turned into one of those days where the only
thing you want to do is open the refrigerator door and stand in front of it. I couldn’t
take it anymore, so I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the cool of the
air-conditioned snack bar and returned to my room, intending to stick a film in
the DVD player and chill out until the rays lengthened. The opening credits
were rolling when there was a knock on the door. It couldn’t be the maid. When
I’d returned, the bed was made and my top had gone to the big dumpster in the
sky.
I pressed pause. “Who is it?”
“Manager.”
What? Why? Had someone reported
my drunken antics? Had Nessie not cleaned up my mess properly and the maid had
complained? Mum would love the excuse that we were forced to go home because
I’d got us thrown out of the hotel.
“Just a minute.” I quickly tied a
sarong around my bikini bottoms and opened the door, mentally preparing an
apology, and totally unprepared for the sight that met me.
Casually leaning with an elbow against
the door jamb and one ankle crossed over the other was a familiar figure. His
dark head lifted with a crooked smile.
Our eyes locked, and for one
brief moment I was too shocked to speak. A warm tingling radiated out from my
chest, down my arms and legs, and my body weakened. What was he doing here?
I managed to find my voice. “Manager,
huh?”
“Figured you might not open up if
you knew it was me.”
I’ll open anything you ask me
to .
Josh’s eyes flicked past my
shoulders. “Are you alone?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Can I come in?”
I stepped back on shaky legs, and
he squeezed through the gap, brushing my arm with his as he passed. His
electric touch gave my nerves another jolt.
He walked over to the balcony
access and slid it shut. “Are you going to close the door?”
Hadn’t he just done that? I
faltered for a second before realising what I was holding. “Oh. Yeah. Right.” I
let go of the handle. The door latch caught, and I leaned back against the fire
notice. I needed to sit down before my legs gave way, but the only place to sit
was the bed, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t go there. He might get the
wrong idea. So I went to the dressing table and perched on the edge, hoping it was
strong enough to support me. An uncomfortable silence ensued.
Josh stared leisurely through the
glass at the view, and I stared at him. The white cotton of his T-shirt was
fitted enough to show the contours of his muscular back, and his hands in the
pockets of his beige, linen shorts stretched the material tight across his
buttocks. My mouth went dry with an overwhelming need to touch him. I couldn’t
believe he was here, in my bedroom. If I’d fallen asleep again, and was
dreaming it all, I didn’t want to wake up.
Finally he spoke. “You stood me
up.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Okay, walked out on me.”
“Yeah.”
“Girls don’t do that.”
I bet they don’t . “Did I
dent your pride?”
He swung around, and with two slow,
purposeful strides, he was standing in front of me, his nose six inches from my
face. “No.” He angled his head. “I understand why you left. It was a shock for
me too.”
I struggled to keep my breath
even. “It was?”
“You were the last girl I
expected to see.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” Why was I
smart mouthing him when he’d done nothing to deserve it?
His lips
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