My eyes widen. ‘Is this a cruising spot?’
Lydia points to a pink boat, one that didn’t have anyone on board yet. ‘Boats.’
‘Oh,thatcruising,’ I mutter. ‘No, not cruising. Are you?’
‘The pink palace.’ Lydia points again at the pink boat.
‘It looks sweet.’
‘You wouldn’t like it.’
‘Why not?’
She curls a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘It’s a boat for nude people.’
‘I’m all about nudist life now.’
Lydia giggles again, holding her stomach.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘You are funny.’
I blink, thrown off guard by her laughter that is so loud it might wake all the nearby hotels.
Her laughter peters out as she looks at me questioningly. ‘You don’t seem in a fun mood.’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘You are sitting by the sea on your own,’ Lydia states, gesturing around the deserted harbour front. ‘And I know what that means.’
At my blank expression, she sighs.
‘You’re thinking about something,’ she says, taking a seat next to me. ‘Deeply. My mother used to do it.’
As if proving her point, my vision glazes over as the small waves lap the side of the pink palace.
‘Well, I’m having boy problems.’
‘Still?’
She snickers.
‘I mean, problems with a boy,’ I say. ‘Or actually, men. Two men.’
‘Men are always a problem,’ Lydia says. ‘No offence.’
‘None taken,’ I say. How can I tell herIwasn’t a problem, without being one of those ‘not all men’ guys? I choose brutal honesty. ‘There’s been a development in the marriage I came here for.’
‘You wrecked it?’
‘No! If you must know, your voice of reason made me see sense and… well, now I’m going to be the one marrying them at the altar.’ Lydia’s laughter is shrill, and I shake my head. ‘Yes, go on, laugh at my expense.’
‘No, I think it is a good thing.’
‘The thing is, his partner, Alec, doesn’t know I dated Ollie. And I’ve told Ollie that one of my conditions to marrying them is that Alec has to know. Ollie promised to tell him, but I don’t know if he will. We’re doing a double date tonight, and this is another thing. I’ve started sleeping with my best friend.’
‘You get around,’ Lydia says, eyebrow quirked.
