Going Overboard, page 19
‘Mind if I cut in?’ Brody asks, interrupting our conversation. ‘I think your wife-to-be is getting jealous.’
‘She’s getting jealous, huh?’ Neil says with a wink. ‘Sure thing.’
‘Hello, Mr Ryan, children’s party planner extraordinaire,’ I tease him.
‘Hello, princess,’ he replies. ‘Fancy a roll around in the ball pool?’
‘The words every girl wants to hear,’ I reply.
‘So what were you two talking about?’ he asks curiously.
‘Oh, this, that, the other,’ I say vaguely.
‘Me then?’ he replies.
I laugh.
‘Neil and Kelsey clearly think really highly of you,’ I tell him.
‘You sound surprised…’
‘I am,’ I confess. ‘I know we met under… unusual circumstances.’
‘Like you thinking I was the valet and making me park your car?’ he replies.
I pull a fake pouty face.
‘I thought you just really wanted to drive a Fiat 500!’ I reply.
‘If anything, it drove me,’ he tells me. ‘Or did you mean me pulling you out of a dirty fountain, after you kneecapped someone for a bouquet of flowers?’
‘Pretty sure her kneecaps were unscathed,’ I add. ‘But yeah, that.’
‘And don’t forget you snoring the night away in my bath before stealing my tracksuit,’ he continues.
My God, he’s unrelenting – and impossibly charming.
‘I didn’t steal it!’
‘You didn’t give it back,’ he reminds me.
‘Didn’t I?’ I say as innocently as I can, although I think my smirk gives me away.
‘No, you didn’t,’ he replies, his hands shifting closer to the small of my back as we dance together.
‘Okay, yeah, fine, I know I didn’t,’ I admit. ‘I actually have it here with me – it’s just so comfortable. But when I realised you were here I thought it best I didn’t get it out, just in case you asked for it back.’
‘Don’t worry, I’ve got loads,’ he replies with a smile. ‘Would you rather have a fresh one?’
I shake my head.
‘There’s just something about stealing a man’s clothes,’ I confess. ‘They’re so much comfier when they feel a little worn in, when they still smell of aftershave.’
He narrows his eyes and cocks his head.
‘Jessa, have you been sniffing my drawers?’ he asks.
‘Mostly the top,’ I insist. ‘Whatever it is you wear… it smells really good.’
‘I didn’t think I’d worn any aftershave with those,’ he says.
‘Hmm,’ I reply. ‘Maybe they just smell like you.’
‘Come on then, give me a sniff, see what you think,’ he demands. ‘Because now you’ve got me thinking that I might actually be intoxicating, which I could get on board with. Imagine the power.’
‘Okay, I’ll give it a go, but don’t be disappointed if your powers don’t work on me,’ I reply. ‘It could just be your washing powder.’
‘There’s only one way to find out,’ he says, practically goading me.
We’re still over by the pool, away from the others, like we’re in our own little world. Brody’s invitation to get even closer to him is one I can’t turn down.
My nose brushes the skin just under his ear, and, yeah, he really does smell good. I don’t know if it’s just his smell or his aftershave or both but it sends my senses into overdrive.
My face lingers there longer than it should, my nose nuzzling into his neck like it has a mind of its own. His skin is warm and smooth, and I feel him shift, like he’s leaning in to me too, like we’re magnetised.
His arm tightens slightly around my waist so I press my body closer to his. I feel like his heartbeat just got much stronger, and faster, or maybe it’s my own beating out of my chest but the moment is dragging me in, refusing to let go, and I’ve never felt so alive.
I pull back ever so slightly, just enough to look at him. We catch each other’s eyes, and there’s something undeniable between us, something unspoken but loud and clear, it’s that perfect moment, the one where you both know you should kiss. We lean in so slowly it’s like an especially delicious kind of torture and…
I don’t know if we do actually kiss or if I just imagine it, but suddenly I’m gasping for air. Not because it was that good (although I’m certain it would have been), because I’m in the pool, fully clothed, flapping around like a fish out of water (ironically) as I struggle to my feet. Luckily it’s not deep, it’s the kids’ pool, but I’m even more relieved that it’s not too shallow because we could have been seriously hurt.
Brody is in the water next to me. He wipes it from his eyes and runs his hands through his hair to stop it dripping in his face.
I only have to wonder what the hell just happened for a second when I spot her, Nikki, standing at the edge of the pool, staring angrily down at us.
‘Oh my God,’ Kelsey says, rushing over. ‘Nikki, that’s not okay at all.’
Al, ever the hero, gets into the pool to make sure we’re okay. It’s not deep, we’re clearly fine, but that’s Al – a well-meaning hero.
After checking us over, he looks back at Nikki.
‘Nikki, that was really dangerous,’ he tells her.
‘Yeah, what was that?’ Neil asks. ‘We thought it was light-hearted, the other day, when they were in their swimwear. But this? This isn’t funny.’
‘It’s totally unacceptable,’ Kelsey says. She isn’t normally one to get angry and she hates to say or do anything that could be considered impolite, but Nikki has clearly crossed a line. I like to think I would do the same, if someone pushed my best friend into a pool at a party. No, I know I would, because honestly, what the hell was Nikki thinking? It’s not my problem if she has buyer’s remorse, if Todd isn’t turning out to be the man she thought he was – tough luck, I went through the same thing. And maybe she does want Brody back, maybe she’s jealous, maybe she blames me for everything but even so… don’t bloody push people into bloody swimming pools.
I try to rub the water from my eyes without rubbing eye make-up into my eyeballs, because that’s never fun.
‘It’s okay. It’s fine. Let’s just leave it.’ I force a smile.
I just want Kelsey and Neil’s wedding to be okay, I don’t want Nikki ruining it by making it all about her.
Al takes me by the hand and helps me out of the pool in my waterlogged dress.
Brody hauls himself out, water cascading off him, as he marches over to Nikki who is still just standing there, her arms crossed, her face like thunder.
Her cheeks are beetroot red, but whether it’s from embarrassment or rage, I can’t tell. I’m assuming it’s both, but I’m not sure she’s capable of feeling shame.
‘Jessa didn’t deserve that,’ Brody says, cool and calm but clearly really pissed off. ‘You owe her an apology.’
Nikki shrugs. I don’t think she thinks she’s done anything wrong, which is absolutely wild.
‘Jessa, I’m so sorry,’ Kelsey says.
‘No, no, I’m sorry,’ I insist. ‘This is your party and your wedding and this shouldn’t be happening.’
Poor Kelsey looks like she might cry. Kira stands nearby, wide-eyed and stunned into silence. And then there is Todd, who is still across the room, a drink in his hand, watching us all, completely expressionless. Erm, this is his partner, should he not say something? He’s always been a coward now that I think about it.
‘I’d better go get changed,’ I say, lifting the edge of my dripping dress, as though I’m examining it to see if it’s that bad – it’s really bad. I’m pretty sure it said dry-clean only so that’s fun!
‘Yeah,’ Brody says with a heavy sigh. ‘Me too.’
We walk out together, and I hold my head as high as I can (which is tricky when it’s waterlogged) and try to keep my cool.
Inside though… inside I’m screaming. Nikki has gone too far this time. She can’t get away with this.
31
‘So, we’re just not going to talk about it?’ Brody says as he dries his hair with a towel.
‘Nope,’ I reply, not even looking at him. I’m busy rifling through drawers, looking for something. I’m a woman on a mission.
‘Okay… what about this then?’ he tries again. ‘Are we going to talk about this?’
I look at him and realise that he’s referring to me still in my wet dress (but wrapped in a towel) running around Todd and Nikki’s room, rifling through their things.
‘No,’ I say again.
‘Remind me why we’re doing it at least?’
I can’t help but smile at his use of the word ‘we’re’ because while he clearly is not down for this at all, he’s taking his role as my fake boyfriend very seriously. Nothing says ‘ride or die’ like turning over someone’s room together.
‘Because Nikki is clearly crazy,’ I remind him – as if there’s a chance he might not know, he did date her. ‘And out to get me. And she obviously stole my dress. We both know that she did. It’s got to be in here somewhere – check that wardrobe.’
‘Okay but…’ Brody starts slowly, walking towards me. ‘Why are we doing it?’
‘To prove that she did!’
Brody takes my face in his hands and looks deep into my eyes.
‘Jessa, we know she did it,’ he says softly. ‘Everyone knows she did it. She took your dress, she pushed you into the pool – you could probably accuse her of anything right now, whether she did it or not, and everyone would believe you because she showed the world who she really was tonight.’
I sigh, letting my shoulders sink, letting go of some of my tension.
‘She just went full villain,’ he continues. ‘You don’t have anything to prove to anyone, everyone loves you, everyone is mad at her. But if she comes here and finds us going through her things it’s only going to make her worse and give her ammunition to say you’re giving as good as you’re getting. Don’t give her oxygen, suffocate her.’
I open my mouth to speak, a cheeky smile taking control of my face.
‘Not literally,’ he says with a laugh. ‘Come on, let’s go get changed, let’s go back to the pa—’
We hear the door beep from where we are, letting us know that Todd and Nikki are back, and you just know they’re going to come in here. It sounds like they’re arguing.
‘Shit,’ I whisper. ‘They’re going to find us in here. She’s going to go mad.’
Brody’s eyes scan the room.
‘Quick, the balcony,’ he says, nodding towards the door. ‘It connects to the living room one.’
We rush to the glass door and slip outside, closing the door behind us. There’s a privacy screen between the two balconies, which you can open from this side, so we head through it, closing it behind us. I swear we do it just in time.
‘I think we might actually have got away with that one,’ Brody says, puffing air from his cheeks.
‘Thanks to you,’ I tell him.
The cool night air clings to our wet clothes. I’m chilly, even with a towel wrapped around me.
Brody peeks in through the glass door into the living room.
‘No one’s in the living area,’ he says. ‘We’re good. Let’s go.’
He tries the door handle but nothing happens.
‘Very funny,’ I tell him – he’s such a wind-up merchant, even when the timing isn’t ideal.
He jiggles it again, then turns to me, sheepish.
‘It is actually locked,’ he says. ‘From the inside.’
I stare at him.
‘And the privacy gates only open from the other side, don’t they?’ I say, already knowing the answer. ‘So we can’t get back to their room, or to ours.’
‘I could try and climb over?’ he suggests, eyeing it up.
‘Oh my God, Brody Ryan, don’t you dare,’ I say firmly. ‘I’m not jazzed about being trapped out here, but it’s definitely preferable to you falling overboard.’
‘I’m an athlete, I’d be fine,’ he says. ‘Climbing, I mean.’
‘I suppose, on the plus side, if you did fall to your death I could probably tell people that Nikki pushed you,’ I joke. ‘You did say they would believe me.’
‘Well, just for you, I won’t attempt the climb, even though I’m absolutely certain I can do it,’ he says, potentially a little tongue in cheek. ‘But if I meet a watery demise any other way, you have my blessing to pin it on Nikki.’
‘Thanks,’ I say, reaching out, squeezing his shoulder. ‘Wow, how are you still warm?’
‘I took my wet clothes off faster,’ he says. ‘While you were rifling through Todd’s underpants drawer.’
‘Fond memories of that,’ I say sarcastically. ‘Can you help me take my wet dress off, please?’
‘Of course,’ he replies.
I take off my towel and turn around so that Brody can unzip my dress. My breath catches as his hands graze my bare back, his touch so warm against my cold skin. He lets the dress fall to the floor around my feet – well, there’s no point being precious about it now, is there?
I start to shiver, just a little.
‘Does this stuff happen to you all the time too?’ I ask him.
Brody laughs.
‘This is the third time I’ve seen you take a spill into the drink,’ he tells me. ‘I can’t say I wasn’t expecting it generally – I’m just surprised you haven’t ended up in the sea. Pleasantly though. I think I’d miss you now.’
As I turn around to face him, Brody notices how cold I am.
‘Come here,’ he says. ‘Let’s warm you up.’
He starts rubbing the side of my arms with his hands, then my shoulders, then down the arms again, then his hands find their way to my waist and he pulls me close.
‘Steal my body heat,’ he insists. ‘I don’t mind.’
‘I bet you don’t,’ I say with a smirk. ‘You know, for a second, before Nikki pushed us into the pool, I thought you were going to kiss me.’
‘That’s interesting,’ he replies. ‘I thought you were going to try to kiss me too.’
‘Try?’ I echo. ‘You don’t think I would have succeeded?’
‘I mean… you didn’t succeed,’ he reminds me, reaching up to push my damp hair from my eyes.
‘Hmm, that’s true, I guess I didn’t,’ I reply. ‘No sense in trying again then, right?’
‘Absolutely not,’ he says firmly. ‘Unless it’s for, like, survival.’
I chew my lip thoughtfully.
‘Hmm, I do in fact want to survive, so…’
‘So I guess it’s on me, to keep you warm, until someone comes to let us back in, right?’ he suggests.
I playfully glance around the empty balcony, then out to sea, the dark sky and the even darker waters revealing that, sadly, there is no one else here who can help.
As he holds me close, he looks at me like there’s something he wants to say, or something he wants to do. I feel the same way, I’m just not sure what to do first.
No, wait, yes, I am.
His hands find my waist again. Mine find the back of his neck. This time when we lean in our lips get to meet. No games, no pretending, no one to push us into the water. It’s actually happening.
Brody scoops me up into his strong arms and sits me down on the wooden table that stands between the two chairs. He crouches down on his knees in front of me, takes one of my feet in his hands, and starts kissing my ankle. Slowly but surely, he makes his way up the inside of my leg, stopping as he approaches my upper thigh.
‘Just making sure I warm up every inch of your body,’ he tells me with faux seriousness.
‘Oh, of course,’ I reply.
‘Because these legs are freezing,’ he says as he hooks them over his shoulders, one after another.
As I look down at him, I can’t help but laugh.
‘Well, aren’t you just a regular hero,’ I tell him.
‘You ain’t seen nothing yet,’ he replies.
32
I’m woken up ever so gently by the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore, the golden sunlight beaming down over me, warming my bones, and Brody’s body underneath my head, supporting me – in more ways than one.
Last night was pure magic. It was a long time coming because, honestly, we both went crazy. I don’t know if it was the sea air, being locked outside, or the sexual tension that has been building between us but it was like we couldn’t get enough of each other, I’ve never felt passion like that with anyone, I’ve never felt so wanted – needed, even. I needed him too. Not just for warmth – although that did work a treat – but because he makes me feel like I matter. Like I’m someone worth touching, kissing, spending time with. And okay, sure, where is he going to go if we’re locked outside together, but he didn’t have to cuddle me all night, we’re not an actual couple, are we?
It’s nice lying here, my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It feels almost a shame to wake him up, I could lie here all day now that the sun is shining, but we’re here. We’re in Sicily. We’ve got a wedding to get ready for.
‘Good morning,’ I say to him, gently rubbing his stomach to wake him up.
Christ, his abs feel like marble.
‘Morning,’ he replies. He drapes one arm lazily over his eyes in an attempt to block out the morning light, while the other remains securely wrapped around me, holding me close. It’s almost like now that we’ve actually got together, we’re too scared to let go. Well, that’s how I feel anyway.
