I used the towel on my hair, which was clean and fresh again, before drying my other parts.The dip in the pool and our passionate activities had rejuvenated me.I talked myself down from the scare with the spiders, which echoed the one in the water earlier.Perhaps it was simply that I was in an unfamiliar place with different kinds of creatures roaming about, and a mind tending toward fancy.God knows I had an overactive imagination at the best of times.
I laid my garments out on the floor and hoped they would dry once the sun came out again, then located the linen undershorts I’d declined to wear and pulled them over my legs, tying the cord that kept them from falling down.At least I had something to wear until my clothes dried.The rain had done little to break the heat or the humidity, so I wasn’t cold at all.In fact, I was determined to see if I could get away with only wearing my trousers with the hems rolled up for the remainder of our stay, since some of the men had already begun to do so, and I didn’t see why I should wear a shirt if I tried to stay in the shade when I could.
I sat on one of the reed mats with my legs crossed, and spent a moment examining some of the small pebbles and shells I’d collected when Domingo and Squid and I had been on the beach.As I was turning a miniscule mollusc shell over to look at the pearlescent underside, there was a quick warning knock and Dinesh pulled the door open.
He eyed me as he shut the door and smiled.
“Hmm, I can get used to you wearing only your knickers.”
I frowned.“They ain’t knickers, you daft man.I’m not a maid.”
The captain smirked and cocked his head.
“If you say so.You’re an awfully delicate fellow in some ways.”
I pushed myself up from my spot and stood directly in front of him, anger filling me at such a slanderous comment.
“You take that back, you bloody fuck,” I said, recalling similar comments in my youth from other boys.
Dinesh’s eyes went wide, and he raised his hands, palms out, between us.
“Now, now.I only meant that in the most favourable of ways.You didn’t mind when I called you a fussy miss at the tidal pool.”
I narrowed my eyes, my heartbeat slowing as my instinctual reaction to someone maligning my masculinity began to subside.
“I did, only you were doing several things that I didn’t have a mind to interrupt.”
I stared at him in his soggy clothes, his hair dripping with moisture, and felt rather sorry for my reaction.He hadn’t expected it nor intended malice.
I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest.“Take off those wet togs, for heaven’s sake.You’re dripping all over the floor.”
Then my eyes went wide, and I slapped a hand over my mouth, as Dinesh’s grin stretched over his face.
“Oh, fuck me.I sound like a bleedin’ fishwife,” I said, the sound coming out muffled.
So much for the masculinity I was desperate to protect.
“Well, you don’t look like one.You’re a vision of manliness, my upstart young cockerel,” he said, gaze running over my barely clothed form.“And I do like it.”
I lowered my hand.“Well, good, because I want to talk to you about not wearing my shirt anymore, whilst we’re on Talamanca.”
He waved his hand in the air before starting to unbutton his drenched garment.
“I might join you.I’ll ask Francis whether we should dress more formally for the cacao ceremony this evening, but otherwise, you’re right.The climate is much too hot to wear more than our trousers, and those rolled up.”He eyed my undergarment.“Although in the privacy of our little hut, I’m more than happy for you to only wear those.”
“See, wasn’t it wise of me not to wear them this morning?Yours are probably as wet as your clothes.”
Captain Martin pulled off his soaked shirt and undid the buttons on his trousers, pushing them down and off.
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to be naked then until we can get these dried.”He undid the drawstring of his undershorts and shoved them off, laying them beside our wet things, as I gave him an appreciative look.
“Oh dear.Whatever shall I do?Wherever shall I look?”I put the back of my hand to my forehead, as if Iwerea delicate maiden with sensitive morals.
Dinesh chuckled and eyed the item between my fingers.“What have you got there?”
I grinned and held the shell out.“Treasure!”
“Oh, that’s a nice one.Did you collect more than that?”
