Page 34 of On The Beach

"It's just…I have work, Mick."

"You know what they say about all work and no play," Big Al said solemnly.

"What do they say?" I asked sardonically.

"It makes Babycakes a dull gal," Mick finished.

I grinned despite myself. "I guess there are worse places to get stranded on than a Caribbean island."

"Atta girl." Mick put an arm around me. "Thanks, Big Al."

Big Al pointed a finger and made a shooting gesture. "You now owe me."

"What does that mean?" I asked as Mick picked up my suitcase, and I hoisted my laptop bag on my shoulder.

"What does what mean?" Mick asked.

"Why do you owe him?"

"No clue. Big Al is his own brand of weird."

I turned to see Big Al, and he gave me a goofy smile and a thumbs-up sign. Yeah, weird was right.

"I hope they'll give me back my hotel room," I said forlornly.

"If not, you can crash in my hut."

"You don't even have a bed," I pointed out.

Mick shrugged. "You wanna a bed?"

"Bed is nice."

"You sure?"

The night before, which was supposed to be my last night here, we'd stayed in my hotel room and all but wrecked the bed by fucking so hard and loud that our neighbor banged on the wall and asked us to keep it down.

I'd never had the kind of screaming sex that made neighbors bang on the walls or ask me to keep it down. Honestly, I was more of a squealer—enthusiastic, sure, but not exactly earth-shattering. I didn't even know people actually did that in real life. I thought the whole loud, wall-shaking thing was just for porn and movies.

"A bedisnice, Mick."

"Fine," he let out an exaggerated sigh, "I'll get a fuckin' bed."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "You want me to stay in your hut?"

He looked at me, his face somber. "Yeah."

I licked my lips. This was a far cry from the man who'd tried to kick me out of said hut at the butt crack of dawn the first night we'd been together. Now, something had shifted between us; I felt it, though I wasn't sure if he did.

"I'm leaving on Monday."

"Yeah."

"So…it's just like a few nights."

"Yeah."

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Mick, have youeverasked anyone to stay with you in the hut?"

---