Sofia had always loathed being told off. At school she would have to fight back tears if a teacher scolded her in class. She hated that her body would betray her like this, at the worst possible moment, and it was happening again. She quickly wiped away a hot tear from her cheek.
‘Don’t cry.’ His voice was so soft, she barely heard him. She looked up and was met by something akin to compassion. ‘It’s OK, we can make do. These things happen.’ Sofia was taken aback. She had expected gloating.
She scrubbed away another stray tear. ‘I’m really sorry.’ It was strange to speak to him so sincerely.
‘I’ve got an idea,’ he said suddenly, and marched back over to the bow. ‘Hey, guys, Sofia’s just had a great idea. There’s a citrus grove just down the coast a bit. Instead of having a picnic on the boat, I think we should moor up and go grapefruit picking?’
Brian and Milly exchanged looks, unsure.
‘It’ll look great on your insta grid as well!’ Sofia piped up. That was all the convincing they needed.
‘Sounds good to me. Thanks, guys, what an adventure. Good thing I brought my Balenciagas,’ Milly enthused.
This time when Jack glanced over and winked, Sofia rolled her eyes but there was a grin on her face.
They cruised along until they arrived at a tiny, secluded cove.
‘Here we are,’ announced Jack, and Milly peered warily over the side of the boat. They would need to get wet.
‘Um, I might just stay here, guys,’ she said.
‘Don’t be silly, you can’t miss out on the adventure.’ Brian had gotten himself excited for the detour. Sofia wondered if it was because of the fruit picking or the photo opportunities. ‘I’ll carry you if you’re worried about getting your trainers wet.’
‘I mean she can just carry them in her hands.’ Sofia shot Jack a look. Had he not heard of ‘the customer is always right’? Luckily neither of them seemed to have heard him. Brian was already in the water, up to the middle of his calves and holding out his arms. Milly slipped into them effortlessly, planting a kiss onto his cheek and giggling as he began to wade towards the shore.
Sofia and Jack secured the boat, and then Jack jumped into the water. Sofia began unlacing her shoes.
‘You don’t want a lift as well?’
She looked over to find him with his arms outstretched and a smirk on his face.
‘No, thank you, I’ll be fine, and besides I can just carry them in my hands, right?’
‘But then who will carry the bottle of champagne and my shoes?’
She stared at him in disbelief. ‘Are you being serious?’
‘It just makes more sense for me to carry you and you to carry that basket with all the supplies, wellsomeof the supplies, and our shoes, to save us having to do two trips,’ he paused, and his expression turned to one of impatience. ‘And we are already behind schedule.’
Sofia wasn’t really sure what to think, apart from that she was grateful that Petra was in charge of packing refreshments, so at least they would have something to serve the guests to drink alongside their makeshift picnic. She didn’t want to get into an argument, not with Milly and Brian waiting, and not after Jack had sort of saved her arse.
‘Whatever, OK.’ She awkwardly lowered herself into his arms and cradled the basket in her lap, refusing to meet his eyes but feeling the glow of smugness radiating off him all the same. She was distinctly aware of where his fingers rested against the sliver of exposed skin between the top of her waistband and the bottom of her T-shirt. He waded through the water, panting slightly from the effort, and Sofia was mildly horrified to find herself thinking that his breath smelt really good. She turned her face away and tried to get her rabid thoughts in order.
As they approached the shore Milly called out, ‘OMG, you two make such a cute couple!’ She snapped a picture, and Sofia wanted to die of embarrassment. This was not what she had in mind when it came to ‘professional and civil’.
The moment they were on dry land she hopped down hurriedly, rearranging herself and trying not to look as flustered as she felt. Jack seemed unfazed as he laced up his boots. He rummaged through the basket until he found what he was looking for: a compass.
‘Old-school!’ said Brian. ‘Cool!’
‘It’s not a long walk, as far as I can remember; but I don’t want us getting lost.’ Jack set the compass and the four of them found a narrow track up from the beach.
The walk was mostly pleasant, although on a few occasions they had to drop into a single file to avoid being attacked from either side by the overgrown and surprisingly prickly shrubbery lining the ‘path’.
Sofia could feel Milly and Brian losing patience with the whole idea. They had been walking in the midday sun for about forty minutes. Jack was striding up ahead, and Sofia was beginning to worry that this plan was a terrible one. She imagined them wandering around in the heat for hours, running out of water and becoming so weak that they would have to be rescued. When the search party finally tracked them down she would have to admit that she had left the hamper on theLady Shellyand that they were in search of a citrus grove. It sounded delusional.
Just as Sofia was about to suggest they abandon the escapade altogether, Jack called out, ‘It’s just here!’
‘Thank Christ for that.’ Milly was fanning herself with her hands, her foundation running in sweaty streaks down her neck. ‘I’m going to need some blotting papers Brian.’ She had barely finished her sentence before he was standing right beside her handing her a small envelope that looked like a packet of tissues.Shehad this man extraordinarily well trained,thought Sofia.
