‘Who’s next?’ Chuck turned to Ore and Carlos, who dutifully took up their positions. They were an elegant pair, but it was Ore who won the round for them. As with her reporting, she was dogged, each wobble only making her more resolved. Nicole put up a good fight, but when she fell from Oscar’s shoulders, Daniel joined in the cheer from the beach.
Next up was Chuck, teetering on Frederik’s shoulders. For the amount of practice that he must have had, he wasn’t much good, thought Daniel. He was mostly talk, playfully goading Ore, but ultimately splashing out of the game pretty quickly. Daniel thought he spotted a triumphant look on Ore’s face as she watched Chuck fall.
And then it was his turn. Claude hadn’t uttered a word, not a cheer or a clap, but now he turned to Daniel.
‘Shall we eviscerate the opposition, then?’ Claude’s tone was, as usual, totally monotonous. Daniel worried there might bemore intention behind that statement than simply winning this stupid game.
‘After you,’ he said. He didn’t like the man, but it wasn’t in his job description to make his opinions about the guests known. He followed Claude into the waves.
Daniel offered Ore a small smile as they got into position, but was met by a blank look. Was she just playing it cool in front of the crowd, or was there something else going on? She was looking at Claude now, and as Daniel studied her face, he saw a glimmer of the same fear he had seen flash across her face earlier, before she composed herself.
‘Aaaaand, fight!’ Chuck called.
It was a pretty even match. Despite himself, Daniel couldn’t help but get into the spirit – he didn’t like to lose either. Claude was mostly on the defensive, ducking and lunging out of the way of Ore’s attacks. There was something fervent about the round. On the beach, no one seemed to be cheering or laughing. There was only the sound of grunts of effort and splashes of water. When Claude eventually made his move, reaching for Ore’s elbow, it was her flinching that toppled her off balance.
‘Ha!’ Claude exclaimed, before sliding off Daniel’s shoulders. ‘Good team.’ He held out his hand and gave Daniel’s a crushing shake. When Daniel turned to see Ore rearranging her soaking braids on top of her head, she gave him a withering look. The effect was far more crushing. He felt confused. Surely this wasn’t about the game? Maybe it was because he had teamed up with Claude, but that was only because she had chosen Carlos. She strode back to the shore, where they were met by a half-hearted round of applause. Even Chuck seemed to have lost his enthusiasm.
Daniel resolved to give Ore some space. He reasoned that today had been full-on – all in a day’s work for a yachtie perhaps, but she was new to the world of catering to the whims of the super rich. Not to mention her conversation with Claude. She probably just needed a little time to decompress. Besides, he had been distracted by Ore all day. It would do him some good to concentrate on the job at hand, and stop letting his obsessive thoughts get the better of him.
When they returned to the marquee, the crew set about dismantling it and loading it into the dinghy. Ore, Agatha and the guests took to the picnic blankets. When Daniel snatched a glance in their direction, he saw Ore off to the side speaking first with Ousman, and then with Frederik. It seemed he was not the only one doubling down on getting the job done.
