“Good morning, Nora. You’re looking gorgeous,” Vincent tells her.
Blushing, she waves off his compliment, then seats herself next to Justin, who starts the engine and hits the gas, causing the boat to tip back so far, it feels like we’re going to get dumped. Nora lets out a little squeal of laughter, and Vincent reaches out and grips my arm, digging his nails into it. Well, this is awkward. I hope he doesn’t hold onto me the entire ride.
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters.
“I take it you’re not a boat guy?” I ask.
Instead of answering, he closes his eyes tightly.
“So, Nora, word on the street is you’re up for a big promotion,” Justin shouts over the engine.
“I hope so,” she tells him. “There’s a lot riding on the bartending competition. If I can manage everything without a hitch, I think I have a good shot at it.”
“How’s it going so far?” he asks, steering right as we leave the bay and head into open water.
The boat skips along the surface, and Vincent grips my arm harder.
“Really well,” she shouts. “It’s a lot of moving parts, but so far, so good.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you,” he says. “You’re so smart.”
Oh barf. Keep your eyes on the ocean, Studly.
“Aww, thanks, Justin.”
Not wanting to watch them flirt any longer, I turn my gaze to the shoreline and take in the sight of white sand beaches, villas, and the jungle beyond.
“Have you been working out?” Justin asks.
“A little,” Nora says.
“It shows. You’re a total smoke show lately,” he yells.
Gross. A total smoke show. Who says stuff like that to a woman?
She laughs, her cheeks turning pink with what I can only assume is embarrassment at his clumsy attempt to woo her.
Vincent finally lets go of my arm, and when I glance over at him, I see his face has gone green. His eyes are closed, and his head is bouncing around as though trying to escape from his neck.
“You all right, Vincent?”
“No,” he groans.
Uh-oh. “How long until we reach Eden?” I ask Justin.
“Another thirty minutes,” he shouts. His face screws up into a wince when he notices Vincent. “Oh, bud, you gonna make it?”
“Yes,” Vincent answers with a complete lack of conviction.
Justin points to a bucket at the back of the boat. “Grab that for him, okay?”
Nodding, I stand, wobble, fall back into my seat, then get back up again. Well, that was emasculating.
“You need me to get it?” Justin asks. “Nora, you take the wheel!”
“I got it!” I shout, getting up again, but this time keeping my center of gravity low, crouching and gripping the seats as I make my way to the bucket. Perfect, I must look like an absolute moron.
I reach Vincent just in time for him to get sick.
