Very, very intense.
Like, freakily intense.
Okay, she had to say something. Before the two of them became ritual sacrifices to some beaked god.
Callie got up on her tiptoes to whisper in Thomas’s ear. “I swear to God, that animatronic parrot is still watching us. The one just inside the theater door.”
To his credit, he didn’t quibble. Instead, he immediately glanced back at the building’s entrance. “Its beak is pointing in our direction.”
“And have you noticed that three separate people in parrot costumes are following us?” When he twisted around again, she tugged on his sleeve and hissed, “Don’t let them know we’ve spotted them.”
Their tour guide, whose slicked-back bun had not budged an inch even after an hour-long tour, offered them a gleaming smile. “Do you have a question or concern? Because all of your friends here on Parrot Cay would be delighted to assist you in any way possible to guarantee the most parrot-tastic day of your life.”
The woman wasn’t even sweating. She didn’t appear to have pores.
She’d introduced herself as Birdie. Birdie, for God’s sake.
She was either an android or had sold her soul to parrot Beelzebub.
Thomas eyed Callie for a moment, and then swiveled to look at Birdie. “Callie’s nose is burning. Why don’t we wrap up the tour and take a break in our room before dinner?”
“Of course.” Birdie’s smile somehow widened, and sunlight glinted off her perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth. “We’ll finish up in the pavilion, where Callie can find some shade, and I’ll locate some aloe for her nose.”
Callie released a long breath. “Thank you.”
“Sunburns aren’t very parrot-tastic.” Their guide ushered them into the large, gazebo-like structure. “Thus, they are unacceptable.”
Callie turned big eyes to Thomas, who squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Ten minutes later, she’d managed to present a creditable list of all the positive aspects of the island on camera, as had Thomas. When prompted by the crew for any negatives, she’d also noted, haltingly, that perhaps the atmosphere wasn’t quite as relaxed as she’d hoped.
At that, Birdie’s smile had frozen in place, her blank eyes pinned to Callie as three separate costumed parrots drew nearer, and Callie had almost fled in terror.
Thomas had echoed most of Callie’s sentiments, while also noting his enjoyment of the various places on the grounds with hidden parrot paraphernalia, there to surprise and delight guests as they explored the island. After that, he’d hustled her back to the main hotel, a gentle hand at the small of her back, waving off Birdie’s increasingly insistent offers of aloe.
The camera crew promised to meet them in an hour for dinner, and suddenly they were alone in the elevator and the long, white, pristine hall leading to their room.
The carpet was patterned with beady-eyed parrots, all eyeing her speculatively.
Then, finally, they were at the room. When Thomas couldn’t find his key, Callie fumbled for hers, waited for the green light, and basically shoved him inside. Then she flipped the lock behind them and let out a slow breath.
Thomas headed straight for the bathroom. “I actually packed aloe. I would’ve said so, but I was concerned Birdie would deem it insufficiently parrot-tastic and confiscate the bottle.”
Despite her lingering unease, Callie had to snicker at that.
For the first time in an hour, her shoulders dropped below her ears, and her breathing slowed. She sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh, watching Thomas.
After washing his hands, he wet a washcloth in the sink and unearthed a bottle of blue gel from his toiletry bag. Then he returned to the bed with the aloe and the cloth, unsealed the bottle, and crouched in front of her.
He held up the washcloth. “May I?”
Her throat dry, she nodded.
Lightly, he dabbed at her nose with the cool, damp cloth. “I didn’t think the aloe would work as well through a layer of sand.”
Speechless, she stared at him as he tended to her, dabbing until he was satisfied that he’d removed the grit from her skin. After squeezing a dollop of gel onto his finger, he spread it over her nose in gentle taps, and she sighed at the immediate relief.
He capped the bottle and remained crouched in front of her. “Better?”
