gotten into the spirit of the event with stars painted
down one side of her face and beads in her hair, but she was as beautiful as I
had remembered. I was completely speechless and could not think of what to say
to her. I only knew that I was not dreaming when Esteban caught up with us and
broke the silence.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘You left in quite a hurry.’
I had forgotten what had sent me into that crowd, but it no longer
mattered. My gamble had paid off and I was back with Asia.
‘I’m fine,’ I told him. ‘There is, however, somebody that I would like
you to meet.’
I took a step back so as to bring him face to face with Asia.
‘Is this who I think it is?’ he asked.
‘Yes it is,’ I replied. ‘This is Asia.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said. ‘I am Esteban Cruz.’
He took her hand and raised it to his lips, giving it a delicate kiss. I
imagined that Esteban could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be, but this
kind of thing seemed a little out of place at a full moon party. Asia giggled
awkwardly in reply, perhaps not too sure how to respond to the gesture. I
quickly took back her hand and placed my arm around her waist. Although I
trusted Esteban; he had after all saved my life, I still felt possessive around
Asia. Despite spending the best part of the day and night with my new friend,
it was strange introducing him to her. It was almost as if the two were not
supposed to meet.
‘Where did you meet Ben?’ she asked Esteban.
‘At the port back in Samui,’ he replied.
‘And you’ve been hanging out together ever since?’
Her questions reminded me of how Esteban had been with me earlier in the
day. She seemed to show more than a casual interest in the South American, but
I put this down to her merely being possessive of me. It was, after all, she
who had invited me to join her in Thailand and she could not have expected that
I would bring a friend.
‘So what have you been up to in my absence?’ I asked, hoping to lighten
the mood.
‘Not much,’ she replied. ‘Just chilling on the beach and hanging with the
guys.’
‘The guys?’ I asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.
‘Don’t worry,’ she replied. ‘It’s nothing like that. There were two
couples who had huts either side of mine. We got talking and they’ve invited me
to move to a beach on the northern side of the island with them. You will be coming
too, of course.’
‘Where are these guys now?’ I asked.
She took hold of my hand and led me away from the crowd towards the
nearest bar. Esteban followed behind us.
‘They are just getting some more buckets,’ she said. ‘Have you tried a
bucket yet?’
‘Not yet,’ I replied. ‘I’ve been pacing myself on the beer.’
‘Well, we have to get you on the buckets. No way am I being with the only
sober guy at this party. Besides, you’ll probably want a few drinks in you when
you meet the guys. They can get a little rowdy.’
We made our way to a small clearing by the bar where we were met by the
first of her friends. The guy looked about the same age as Esteban. He was
below average height, but with his curly blonde hair he would have no trouble
standing out in a crowd. Sunglasses covered his eyes and when he smiled it was
like the carefully rehearsed grin of a movie star.
‘This is Clay,’ said Asia and then turning to the man, she added; ‘this
is the guy that I was telling you about.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said, taking my hand. ‘Asia has told me all
about you. This is quite a girl that you have here; you’re a lucky man.’
His accent was similar to Asia’s, but less refined. It sounded a little
more Hillbilly than Hollywood. He did have that larger than life aura possessed
by so many Americans though. There was a blonde girl next to him and she was
introduced to me as Dee. Like me, she was British. They then called over the
other couple. Coming back from the bar with two buckets in one hand and a
pretty blonde girl
down one side of her face and beads in her hair, but she was as beautiful as I
had remembered. I was completely speechless and could not think of what to say
to her. I only knew that I was not dreaming when Esteban caught up with us and
broke the silence.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘You left in quite a hurry.’
I had forgotten what had sent me into that crowd, but it no longer
mattered. My gamble had paid off and I was back with Asia.
‘I’m fine,’ I told him. ‘There is, however, somebody that I would like
you to meet.’
I took a step back so as to bring him face to face with Asia.
‘Is this who I think it is?’ he asked.
‘Yes it is,’ I replied. ‘This is Asia.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said. ‘I am Esteban Cruz.’
He took her hand and raised it to his lips, giving it a delicate kiss. I
imagined that Esteban could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be, but this
kind of thing seemed a little out of place at a full moon party. Asia giggled
awkwardly in reply, perhaps not too sure how to respond to the gesture. I
quickly took back her hand and placed my arm around her waist. Although I
trusted Esteban; he had after all saved my life, I still felt possessive around
Asia. Despite spending the best part of the day and night with my new friend,
it was strange introducing him to her. It was almost as if the two were not
supposed to meet.
‘Where did you meet Ben?’ she asked Esteban.
‘At the port back in Samui,’ he replied.
‘And you’ve been hanging out together ever since?’
Her questions reminded me of how Esteban had been with me earlier in the
day. She seemed to show more than a casual interest in the South American, but
I put this down to her merely being possessive of me. It was, after all, she
who had invited me to join her in Thailand and she could not have expected that
I would bring a friend.
‘So what have you been up to in my absence?’ I asked, hoping to lighten
the mood.
‘Not much,’ she replied. ‘Just chilling on the beach and hanging with the
guys.’
‘The guys?’ I asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.
‘Don’t worry,’ she replied. ‘It’s nothing like that. There were two
couples who had huts either side of mine. We got talking and they’ve invited me
to move to a beach on the northern side of the island with them. You will be coming
too, of course.’
‘Where are these guys now?’ I asked.
She took hold of my hand and led me away from the crowd towards the
nearest bar. Esteban followed behind us.
‘They are just getting some more buckets,’ she said. ‘Have you tried a
bucket yet?’
‘Not yet,’ I replied. ‘I’ve been pacing myself on the beer.’
‘Well, we have to get you on the buckets. No way am I being with the only
sober guy at this party. Besides, you’ll probably want a few drinks in you when
you meet the guys. They can get a little rowdy.’
We made our way to a small clearing by the bar where we were met by the
first of her friends. The guy looked about the same age as Esteban. He was
below average height, but with his curly blonde hair he would have no trouble
standing out in a crowd. Sunglasses covered his eyes and when he smiled it was
like the carefully rehearsed grin of a movie star.
‘This is Clay,’ said Asia and then turning to the man, she added; ‘this
is the guy that I was telling you about.’
‘Pleased to meet you,’ he said, taking my hand. ‘Asia has told me all
about you. This is quite a girl that you have here; you’re a lucky man.’
His accent was similar to Asia’s, but less refined. It sounded a little
more Hillbilly than Hollywood. He did have that larger than life aura possessed
by so many Americans though. There was a blonde girl next to him and she was
introduced to me as Dee. Like me, she was British. They then called over the
other couple. Coming back from the bar with two buckets in one hand and a
pretty blonde girl
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