Page 45 of Stuck in Paradise with You

The next voice I hear isn’t Carrie’s, though; it’s Alisha’s.

‘What on earth is happening?’ She looks like we just woke her up, a hand across her eyes to shield them from the brightness of the afternoon.

‘Oh fudge,’ Carrie says, practically jumping away from me. ‘It’s not what it looks like,’ she says.

I’d love to know what the hell shethinksthis looks like.

‘Coming through,’ Henry says, walking down to us with a plastic bottle of some kind of liquid in his hand. ‘He got stung by a jellyfish,’ he tells Alisha. ‘Near anaphylaxis, he was.’ He’s laughing and Alisha laughs with him.

Then Joe appears and he’s chortling too, clearly having overheard the story.

‘Carrie was about to pee on him,’ Henry calls up to Joe and Alisha.

‘I wasn’t!’ Carrie protests, looking as mortified as I feel about this whole damn experience.

‘Here, mate,’ Henry says, crouching next to me and helping me come up to sit. ‘Vinegar works better than urine, trust me; as someone who’s been stung as many times as I have fingers, it works. Then I’ve got you an ice pack. Should bring you back from the brink.’

He trickles vinegar from his bottle over the affected area, while Alisha and Joe hurl banter-cum-outright abuse at me, and Carrie keeps her back to them, her hands on her hips and her eyes fixed on mine like she’s lasering me.

Once Henry is done, he helps me to my feet, then heads up to the aft deck.

As I make to follow him off the swim platform, Carrie asks through gritted teeth, ‘Will you stop at nothing to make me look like a fool in front of my client?’

I scoff. ‘You know, it’s sad that the only thing you seem to think about is work. And for the record, I have never, nor will I ever, be the type of man who cheats.’

19

CARRIE

I watch Luke limp away with Noah hot on his heels. ‘Uncle Luke, what happened? Did you get stuck in the propellers?’

‘No, buddy.’

‘Did you get attacked by a shark?’

‘No, buddy.’

I see the trail of water running off Luke’s clothes as he heads for the salon, then I feel rather than see the eyes of Joe and Alisha on me because I don’t dare to look at them. How shameful and childish I’ve been will be written all over their faces.

Abruptly, I wish my body was shielded with more clothes.

That jet can’t pick me up soon enough.

‘Joe, I want you to know I’m not normally like this.’ Unwillingly, I look at him now. ‘I swear to you I’m more professional than this, always. Luke just…’ I sigh. ‘None of this will affect the work I do for you, I promise.’

Joe smiles. Earnestly, I think. ‘Carrie, do you know how many times I’ve wanted to throw Luke overboard?’

I try to reciprocate his lightheartedness, but I just feel… heavy.

‘I’ve been nothing but impressed with you and your work so far. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. This trip hasn’t exactly gone the way I planned.’

I open my mouth to speak. To protest. The triphasn’tgone as planned. I’m ruining his precious time with his family and friends.

But Joe speaks first. ‘Now, I’m told afternoon tea is being served in a few minutes. Will you join us?’

I nod, though more food and socializing are pretty much the last things I want. At this stage, even the second stomach I reserve especially for desserts is too stuffed.

‘Of course,’ I say brightly, because I have to make this right. It’s my last act before making partnership, hopefully, and so far, it’s a disaster.

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