Luke was still impatient if she only mentioned Steve’s name.
She didn’t change, but she went down to the pool patio and took possession of a lounger. She was in bright green shorts and a white cotton sun top which was tight and scanty so that it revealed her tanned arms and throat and most of her back. She noticed the attention of a young man she had seen watching her before. He smiled as their eyes met and she smiled back. A moment later his chair was alongside her lounger and he was introducing himself.
‘Kevin Peyton,’ she repeated. ‘I’m Christine Mead.’
‘Happy to make your acquaintance. I’ve been noticing you for the past two days. You’re with the couple in there, aren’t you?’
She nodded, her eyes going to Luke’s bronzed body as he swam away to the other side of the pool. With that couple . . . The odd one out, gooseberry. She bit her lip, conscious of a new and disturbing emotion she could not have described had her life depended on it.
‘Are you on holiday?’ she asked presently.
‘In a way. But I really came for an interview for a job as assistant manager at the Pioneer Hotel. I thought I’d come a few days beforehand and enjoy a bit of sun.’
‘You’re American. They don’t usually have foreigners in a job a Bahamian can do—at least, that’s the rule applying on Pirates’ Cay, where I come from.’
‘You live in the Bahamas, then?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Lucky! So you don’t hold out much hope of my getting the job?’
‘Hope?’ She shrugged her shoulders, thinking it rather strange that he should bring her opinion into it. She didn’t care one way or the other, but of course she was too polite to say so. ‘I might be wrong,’ she eventually said, ‘but they usually think of their own people first.’
‘I want to be optimistic, though. I feel the hotel owner wouldn’t have asked me to come if there’s no chance.’
‘I agree, so it might be that the owner can pull some strings.’ Her eyes strayed to the pool again; Luke and Clarice were sitting on the side, very close together.
‘It’s not much fun being on my own here.’ He turned towards her, an expectant look in his deep-set grey eyes. ‘I know you’re with that couple, but would you break away this evening and dine with me?’
‘No, I couldn’t do that.’
‘Why? I daresay they’d welcome a chance to be alone—’ He stopped, appearing almost comical in his dismay. ‘I must be a fool to have said a thing like that. I’m so sorry—I mean, if they—’
‘It’s all right,’ she broke in coldly. ‘There’s no need to apologise.’ She reached for the book she had brought down with her and dropped on the ground. ‘If you’ll excuse me?’ She rose and walked away but he followed, much to her annoyance.
‘I really am sorry, Christine—’
‘Don’t call me Christine,’ she snapped. ‘And kindly leave me alone.’
But he still followed on her brisk pace and in the lobby she turned. He was looking extremely crestfallen and contrite. Christine felt sorry for him even though she was still angry. She supposed it was humiliation which was really affecting her, making her feel so uncomfortable. Did Luke want to be alone with Clarice? No need to ask if the girl wanted him all to herself, for although she had been friendly towards Christine, there was an underlying resentment of her presence which Christine was quick to sense. She wondered what explanation Luke had given to the girl. Christine hadn’t asked him but she would, at the first opportunity.
‘Say you forgive me,’ Kevin was saying in a humble tone.
‘Forget it,’ she said and managed a smile. ‘We can all be guilty of a slip of the tongue.’
Half an hour later Luke was asking why she hadn’t come into the pool. He and Christine were in the luxurious sitting room of the suite; the window was wide open with only the insect netting between them and the flower-draped balcony which looked out over the marina.
‘I
She didn’t change, but she went down to the pool patio and took possession of a lounger. She was in bright green shorts and a white cotton sun top which was tight and scanty so that it revealed her tanned arms and throat and most of her back. She noticed the attention of a young man she had seen watching her before. He smiled as their eyes met and she smiled back. A moment later his chair was alongside her lounger and he was introducing himself.
‘Kevin Peyton,’ she repeated. ‘I’m Christine Mead.’
‘Happy to make your acquaintance. I’ve been noticing you for the past two days. You’re with the couple in there, aren’t you?’
She nodded, her eyes going to Luke’s bronzed body as he swam away to the other side of the pool. With that couple . . . The odd one out, gooseberry. She bit her lip, conscious of a new and disturbing emotion she could not have described had her life depended on it.
‘Are you on holiday?’ she asked presently.
‘In a way. But I really came for an interview for a job as assistant manager at the Pioneer Hotel. I thought I’d come a few days beforehand and enjoy a bit of sun.’
‘You’re American. They don’t usually have foreigners in a job a Bahamian can do—at least, that’s the rule applying on Pirates’ Cay, where I come from.’
‘You live in the Bahamas, then?’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘Lucky! So you don’t hold out much hope of my getting the job?’
‘Hope?’ She shrugged her shoulders, thinking it rather strange that he should bring her opinion into it. She didn’t care one way or the other, but of course she was too polite to say so. ‘I might be wrong,’ she eventually said, ‘but they usually think of their own people first.’
‘I want to be optimistic, though. I feel the hotel owner wouldn’t have asked me to come if there’s no chance.’
‘I agree, so it might be that the owner can pull some strings.’ Her eyes strayed to the pool again; Luke and Clarice were sitting on the side, very close together.
‘It’s not much fun being on my own here.’ He turned towards her, an expectant look in his deep-set grey eyes. ‘I know you’re with that couple, but would you break away this evening and dine with me?’
‘No, I couldn’t do that.’
‘Why? I daresay they’d welcome a chance to be alone—’ He stopped, appearing almost comical in his dismay. ‘I must be a fool to have said a thing like that. I’m so sorry—I mean, if they—’
‘It’s all right,’ she broke in coldly. ‘There’s no need to apologise.’ She reached for the book she had brought down with her and dropped on the ground. ‘If you’ll excuse me?’ She rose and walked away but he followed, much to her annoyance.
‘I really am sorry, Christine—’
‘Don’t call me Christine,’ she snapped. ‘And kindly leave me alone.’
But he still followed on her brisk pace and in the lobby she turned. He was looking extremely crestfallen and contrite. Christine felt sorry for him even though she was still angry. She supposed it was humiliation which was really affecting her, making her feel so uncomfortable. Did Luke want to be alone with Clarice? No need to ask if the girl wanted him all to herself, for although she had been friendly towards Christine, there was an underlying resentment of her presence which Christine was quick to sense. She wondered what explanation Luke had given to the girl. Christine hadn’t asked him but she would, at the first opportunity.
‘Say you forgive me,’ Kevin was saying in a humble tone.
‘Forget it,’ she said and managed a smile. ‘We can all be guilty of a slip of the tongue.’
Half an hour later Luke was asking why she hadn’t come into the pool. He and Christine were in the luxurious sitting room of the suite; the window was wide open with only the insect netting between them and the flower-draped balcony which looked out over the marina.
‘I
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