Is it weird that I feel uneasy, leaving Lockie here alone? I know he’ll be fine but, I don’t know, it sort of feels like we should stick together. No man – or woman – should be out here alone. We all need someone watching our backs. I suppose the cameras were good for that…
‘Okay, Cleo, are you ready for a fishing lesson?’ Ozzy asks me.
‘No?’ I say with a laugh.
I follow Ozzy, glancing back at Lockie. He’s a man on a mission, determined to get inside. I’m sure he’ll be fine, so long as he doesn’t hurt himself.
Let’s be real, I’m more likely to hurt myself fishing. I’m amazed that so far the only injury we’ve had was Ozzy dropping a hammer on his toe – but I don’t want to tempt fate. She’s already on the rampage.
26
I’m ankle-deep in the sea, holding a sharp stick, waiting for a fish. Has it really come to this?
Ozzy presses himself up behind me, holding my arms, guiding me. You know, in the movies, that sexy way guys teach girls how to play pool by essentially dry-humping them? Well, we’re doing that, just, you know, to stab a fish. What could be sexier?
He slides his hands over mine to reposition them on the spear.
‘Get a nice, firm grip on the shaft,’ he tells me.
That had to have been on purpose.
‘Okay,’ I say, pretending I didn’t notice.
‘It’s all about the way you move,’ he continues. ‘It’s in the stance, the hips – bend forward, just a little.’
He’s either making this sexy or I’ve had too much sun.
I narrow my eyes, scanning the water for fish, trying to play it cool, but my heart is pounding.
‘You don’t have to teach me, you know,’ I say. ‘I’m happy to just watch you. You’re so good at it.’
‘Ah, but what if I wasn’t here?’ he replies. ‘What would you do for food?’
‘A good point, but I don’t plan on ever getting into a situation like this again,’ I counter.
‘And here’s me thinking I could invite you on my next adventure,’ he says. I can hear him grinning.
‘Oh, absolutely,’ I say sarcastically. ‘We could doNaked and Afraidtogether. I’m already afraid.’
‘It wouldn’t take us long to get naked,’ he whispers into my ear.
‘Ew, what are you two doing?’ Camilla asks, joining us.
‘What does it look like?’ I call back. ‘We’re fishing.’
‘Not that,’ she replies. ‘Anyway, Honey is doing my head in. She’s boiling water, but I want to look for my crystal, but she won’t help – will you guys help?’
‘We’re catching dinner,’ Ozzy tells her. ‘You know, so we can eat. Seeing as though most of the fruit we had to hand got infested, and fish are pretty much the only form of protein we have.’
‘Really? Because it looks more like you’re getting it on in the sea,’ she replies.
‘I wish,’ Ozzy jokes quietly. I give him a playful nudge with my elbow.
He really is teaching me to fish – but I don’t suppose it needed to involve us getting so up close and personal.
‘Ow,’ he says. ‘Ow, ow, ow – oh God, oh God. Shit!’
‘Oh my gosh, have I hurt you?’ I blurt. I didn’t do it that hard, and the man is carved from stone, for crying out loud.
