Harry lost all track of time as they chatted, and he told Evan about the start-up and answered Evan’s questions about the challenges Harry faced. By the time he stood to return to the cabin, John’s espresso was stone cold. Harry briefly contemplated ordering a fresh one, then shrugged before picking up the cup and heading back to the cabin.
* * *
The floor moved slightlyunder his feet, just enough for Harry to be aware of the motion, not enough to impede his progress. Earlier this afternoon had been a different story—a rocky walk back from the bar to their cabin that had nothing to do with the single beer Harry had consumed. Now, instead of bumping into John beside him, Harry made a straight line towards Evan and Amber, who were waiting near the hostess station.
“Hi, guys.” Amber’s face lit up, but her welcoming smile had nothing on Evan’s. Evan’s dimple appeared as a broad smile spread across his face.
“Hi.” Harry grinned at them both, suddenly in the mood for dinner, or more accurately in the mood for spending the next couple of hours with them.
“Sorry we’re late,” John said in greeting. “Harry took absolutelyagesto get ready.”
Harry tensed.
Because I had to wait to use the tiny bathroom because you insisted you had to finish getting ready in there instead of using the mirror over the desk in the cabin after your shower, and then I had to hunt around on my hands and knees in the suitcase to find my shirt because there was nowhere to hang it up in the wardrobe.
Harry’s eyes flicked to John’s, but he didn’t bother acknowledging the comment, choosing instead to return his attention to Evan and Amber. “I don’t know about you guys but I’m starving. I can’t wait for dinner.”
“Me, too,” Amber said, thankfully ignoring John’s remark. “Although I’m not too sure about this one here.” She took Evan by the arm and grinned.
“Yeah? Did you hit the buffet earlier?” Harry asked.
Evan shuddered. “Definitely not. Food was the last thing on my mind.”
“It turns out that Evan suffers from a bit of seasickness. But not anymore, right, hon? The medication worked?” Amber’s brows were drawn as she studied Evan. Her genuine concern for him was obvious. Harry wished someone would care about him that way.
Evan reached up and squeezed her hand where it rested on his forearm. “I’m fine, Amber, honestly. I was a little wobbly earlier, but I feel heaps better now.”
“Wobbly? That’s what you call it?” she said with a grin. “I’m sure most people call it throwing—”
Evan placed his palm over Amber’s mouth, and her eyes danced with amusement above his fingers.
“Don’t mind her. TMI is her middle name.” Evan lowered his hand.
“Hey!”
Harry laughed at their easy banter, feeling some of his tension melt away. He refused to let his own crush on Evan impact his view of the two of them. Amber and Evan were both fabulous people, and he wasn’t going to begrudge them a minute of happiness, no matter how much his heart ached with longing.
The restaurant hostess approached, pulling him from his introspection. The hostess beckoned a waiter, and soon they were following him across the room, meandering between full tables to a vacant one on the far side of the room, set against one of the walls. The view outside the large square port hole window was non-existent, darkness having robbed them off any glimpse of the ocean, but the table was bright with its white linen and candlelight.
“Fancy,” Evan said as he perused the tabletop, amusement evident in his voice.
Harry took in the starched tablecloth, the folded napkins, rows of gleaming cutlery, and the multitude of glasses. A small white dish held perfectly even slices of pale yellow butter. He’d been to some nice restaurants in his time but preferred a more relaxed approach to a meal, not having to worry about cutlery choices and navigating multiple courses—but he wasn’t much into fighting the crowds at the buffet either, so decided he preferred this more civilised dining option.
“It looks like we’re in for a feast,” John said, scooting past Harry to take the window seat. Not that Harry minded, given the lack of view and that it left him in the chair facing Evan.
Evan grinned across the table as they sat down, and Harry met his gaze, only tearing his eyes away when the waiter arrived. The waiter passed them leather-bound menus, and they spent a few minutes choosing their meals and then ordering drinks from yet another waiter who suggested various wines to be enjoyed with their dinner.
“What did you think of the interviews?” Amber asked once they were finally settled.
The day had been spent having one-on-one individual interviews for the show, each couple introducing themselves and giving some of their backstory. The footage would be used both at the introduction to theSea of Loveepisode featuring each couple and for publicity purposes.
“Ours went well, didn’t it, Harry?” John answered, without looking to Harry for confirmation. “I was a bit late getting to makeup, but we didn’t have to do much after that, and the questions were easy. It was also good to be first up so we could get it over and done with.”
Amber nodded. “Lucky you did. We were told the earlier sessions ran overtime and there was a knock-on effect. We didn’t start until well over an hour past our scheduled time slot, so Evan and I had to hang around until they were ready.”
“Rather you than me,” John said with a chuckle, showing no sympathy at all. Amber’s lips thinned as he continued. “I hate waiting around. As soon as we wrapped up filming, I went and had a massage. It was just what I needed.”
Harry cringed, knowing John’s delay at reaching make-up had most likely started them on the slide to running late on the show filming and hating John’s blasé attitude.
