‘Oh, yes? What’s that?’
‘Put your money where your mouth is,’ he says with a wicked grin. ‘We’re outside the church and I know where the pastor lives. What do you say? Shall we pop in and get married?’
I know he’s joking, but I’m now blushing furiously and can’t quite work out whether it’s because he’s just paid me such a lovely compliment or because the idea of a future with him doesn’t horrify me in the way it probably should. In fact, I think as I study his hands once more to avoid looking him in the eye, the thought of him placing them on me is very nice indeed.
20
‘There you are! We’ve all been worried sick!’ Amy exclaims as I join the rest of the group for dinner that evening. I’ve had a really lovely day with Gabriel; we’d kind of done most of his childhood haunts by lunchtime so, after stopping at another beach for our picnic, I let him take me to the YS Falls, another tiered waterfall where we swam in the crystal-clear pool before relaxing with a cold drink. Despite being rather distracted by the sight of Gabriel in swimming trunks – he keeps himself inverygood shape – the conversation continued to flow easily. Having struggled to get him to talk about himself before, he surprised me with his continuing candour. I learned that his mother is evidently a force of nature, not only as the matriarch of their family, but as a pillar of the community and church. His older brother, Michael, is a family lawyer in California, and Uriel is a real estate agent here in Jamaica. Gabriel didn’t say it in so many words, but I get the impression that Uriel’s a bit of a wheeler-dealer who’s prone to the odd barely legal side-hustle. Our day finished, in traditional style, at Raphael’s bar and I’m feeling pleasantly light-headed and relaxed after a couple of rum punches. I’m therefore caught off guard by Amy’s attitude.
‘Hello, Amy,’ I say cautiously. ‘What’s up?’
‘What’s up?’ she repeats, using the kind of furious tone that reminds me of the day my mother found my stash of vapes. ‘You could have been killed, that’s what’s up! What the hell were you thinking?’
‘Sorry, I’m not with you. Why could I have been killed?’
Amy sighs in exasperation. ‘I couldn’t help being curious about the tour company you said you’d booked with, so I watched you leave this morning.’
‘Youfollowedme?’ I ask incredulously.
‘No. I happened to be near the lobby and saw you come through. Anyway, I was a bit surprised when the Jeep that collected you was covered in logos advertising some place called Raphael’s bar but nothing about tours, so I went online to check them out. As far as I could see, this Raphael’s bar is nothing more than a run-down shack on a beach somewhere, and it has no links to any known tour companies. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be alive? In future, I strongly suggest you leave the organisation to me. You patently don’t have a clue how to keep yourself safe.’
‘Amy does have a point,’ Lily adds gently. ‘I was sure you would have done your research but, when she told me what she’d seen, I was worried about you too.’
‘I see,’ I say coldly, angry that my little bubble of happiness has been popped once again. ‘Does anyone else have anything to say?’ Maybe I should be touched by their concern, but the truth is I feel insulted and immensely pissed off that Amy should think I’m some naïve little girl who needs constant supervision.
‘Nothing from me,’ Dan says as Robert also shakes his head.
‘Stuart?’
‘Leave me out of it.’
‘OK,’ I say, fixing my eyes on Amy. She’s still trying to pull off the ‘you’ve all given us a terrible fright’ face, but I can spot thelook of triumph in her eyes. She thinks she’s got one over on me. Sorry, honey, but I’m coming for you.
‘I’m very touched by your concern,’ I say to her sweetly, ‘and I’m genuinely sorry for spoiling your day, but I can assure you I had done my research and at no point was I in any danger.’
‘You can’t possibly know that!’ Amy retorts indignantly. ‘That man could have been a rapist, a murderer?—’
‘I can know that,’ I interrupt her, ‘because the driver of the Jeep was my friend Gabriel. Raphael, who owns the run-down shack you mentioned, is his brother.’
‘Bullshit,’ Amy spits. ‘What kind of friend demands a huge payment? You’re just trying to cover your tracks, as usual.’
Shit, I’d forgotten the lie I’d told about paying a large deposit. ‘He didn’t charge me,’ I tell her after thinking for a moment. ‘I was just annoyed by the blasé way you assumed I’d just cancel a trip that I specifically wanted to do, but I couldn’t be bothered to argue with you about it, so I told you I’d paid a non-refundable deposit instead.’
‘So you admit that you’re a liar?’
‘No. I admit that I made up a story to get you off my back because you were being incredibly bossy. Again.’
‘Amy,’ Lily says with a note of warning in her voice, but Amy is too fired up to hear.
‘I’mnotbossy!’ she practically shrieks. ‘If you had even the first idea how much effort I’ve put into organising all the activities, you’d be a bit more fucking appreciative. Fliss?—’
‘Fliss would have jumped at every opportunity. I know,’ I interrupt her again. ‘But here’s the thing, Amy. I didn’t ask you to organise my holiday, did I? I’m actually completely capable of organising my own holiday.’
‘Based on your actions today, I seriously doubt that. How do you know this… what’s his name?’
‘Gabriel.’ It’s a struggle, but I’m determined to keep my voice calm. ‘I met him the day we arrived. He was playing the piano in the bar.’
Amy’s face changes from an expression of righteous indignation to faux pity so quickly that I have to take my hat off to her acting ability.
