Warren nods slowly. ‘Come on.’ He stands up, taking my hand and the rest of me with him. ‘We need to cool that brain off with a little dip, yeah?’
I immediately work out what he means. Getting in the pool is our opportunity to talk freely. Or free-ish. Every day, when we’d get mic’d up, the production assistants had stressed repeatedly that we could not get them wet without causing significant damage, and that we shouldn’t spend too long in the pool either, presumably because we can only swim mic-less. I suspect they hope that most people don’t want to ruin their hair and makeup so won’t swim.
The camera crew have left us alone because, surprisingly, two people reading through email printouts is actually not that exciting, especially when Bridget, Jackson, Lina and Zack are playing with a hacky sack Lina brought with her (presumably from the early 2000s).
I still haven’t worked out if there are hidden microphones or cameras. I just don’t want to trust it. I got away with it last time but who is to say I will be as lucky again.
I instinctively press my hand over my pelvis. The dull ache of a flare is starting to set in, but I think I’ve got time before things get distinctlyJaws-level pool unfriendly.
We leave our mic packs on the sun loungers and, always a gentleman, Warren guides me down the pool steps into the warm water. I wrap my body around him like a koala on a tree. He’s so tall and the pool is so shallow that he has to crouch so that our heads are at water level.
‘Talk to me,’ he whispers in my ear.
‘I just worry that getting everyone there will be such a faff,’ I say honestly. ‘I don’t particularly want to leave it to chance that they will understand the complexities of accessibility.’
Let’s be real, given neither Carys or I disclosed our disabilities to them doesn’t exactly fill me with hope that they will do a good job.
‘Okay, so we’ll handle it. We’re a team, right?’
I lick my lips and consider it. ‘We’re a team. Can we pick the Conservatory then?’
He sighs happily. ‘Good work on saying the thing you want.’
‘I always say what I want, don’t I?’ I say, a little confused.
‘Mmhmm.’ His voice vibrates against my body and through the water around us. ‘We will look fire in that natural light. Golden hour?’
‘God, the photos would be perfect.’
‘And, it has the bonus of not pissing off Little Miss Red. Unless you wanted that?’
I cackle. ‘You noticed that?’
‘Everyonenoticed that. She’s wound so tight. And why’s she got beef with you exactly?’
I consider telling him the truth. After all, he knows everything else. But I’m too much of a coward to tell him the whole of it. ‘Not sure. Unfortunately, I do enjoy winding her up. It’ll make such good TV.’
‘As long as people don’t think you’re deep in feelings with Patrick.’ He leans back to look me in the face. ‘Please, he’s a nice boy but my ego couldn’t take the rejection. The man spends his days with his arm inside a cow.’
‘You know, peoplelovea love triangle. Would you fight Patrick for me?’ I bat my eyelashes at him.
‘Absolutely not. I’m a lover not a fighter, baby. But I bet you’d love to have two people fight over you.’
‘Honestly, I would. Is that bad? Am I very shallow?’
He bursts into laughter. ‘Like this pool.’
It’s my turn to cackle.
But when it cools, I realise that now is the time to tell him the truth about me, if not about Carys.
‘But there is something I do want to tell you, while we’re here.’
‘Is it about you asking me if I thought I’d fall in love here, and how you dodged me asking it back?’
‘You noticed that, huh.’
‘I notice a lot. I don’t want to make assumptions, but—’ Here he begins splashing water with his hands, like he’s tapping out a drum. I realise, with great love for this man, that he’s being sure that no one will be able to pick up this audio, just in case. ‘I didn’t think you were interested in men full stop.’
