The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon Read Free Book Online

his name?
    ‘I’ll ask.’
    Jorge starts to walk out of the dive centre, but he turns back and motions for me to join him. He crosses over the road to the Tiki Bar, where my friends are currently ensconced. Its roof is thatched with palm leaves, and the walls are non-existent, the wooden interior open to the elements. I spot Marty and Bridget on the far side with Tom, Carl and Rick, but Jorge leads me straight to the bar, to a man sitting on a stool with his back to us, reading a newspaper. His toned, muscled back is visible through his pale orange T-shirt, and his black hair is slicked-back and glossy. Of course it’s him.
    ‘Leo,’ Jorge says. Leo looks over his shoulder and adrenalin pulses through me for the second time today.
    ‘This lady and her friends want to learn how to dive. I’ve already got two on the course on Monday. Can you pitch in?’
    Leo’s eyes graze over my body and back to my face. I can’t read his expression, but he doesn’t look very happy. As I feel my face heat up, he casually turns back to his paper.
    ‘Sure.’ He shrugs.
    ‘Really?’ Jorge checks, a little surprised, it seems.
    ‘Yeah, why not?’ he replies absent-mindedly.
    Jorge flashes me a grin.
    ‘Come in Monday morning at eight thirty and we’ll sort out payment and paperwork then. Bring your passports.’
    ‘Thanks.’ I return his smile.
    ‘Laura!’ I hear Marty call. She’s spotted me from across the bar.
    ‘See you then,’ I say to Jorge, taking one last look at Leo’s broad back before I make my way over to my friends.
    ‘What took you so long?’ Marty snaps. ‘Your Piña Colada has thawed.’
    ‘Looks drinkable enough to me,’ I say with a goofy grin, my mood now vastly improved. I sit down and glance over my shoulder at Leo. We make eye contact momentarily, his dark eyes boring into mine for a millisecond before his attention is returned to his paper.
    But he was looking at me. He was definitely looking at me. And my hammering heart is proof.
    The six of us go out again that night, and I’m on a surprising high. Marty and Bridget have stepped up their flirtations with Tom and Carl to another level, and although I’ve relaxed considerably, I’m trying not to encourage Rick. It’s not always easy, and a sad little part of me accepts that it’s nice to feel desirable, after everything I’ve been through. So I dance the night away and try not to drink too much.
    The next day it’s the jet-skiing tournament, so we go to watch, and I have to admit it’s impressive stuff, the way they fly through the air and manoeuvre their machines with speed and control. Carl comes third, but Rick and Tom don’t fare as well, coming eighth and tenth respectively. Regardless of results, Marty and Bridget are practically salivating as they get ready that night. I feel slightly anxious, because I don’t want to feel left out, but I’m trying to stay strong.
    ‘How about here?’ Marty asks later after dinner with the boys. She has to raise her voice over the sound of live music as we approach a busy bar, one with dollar notes stapled to the ceiling. There’s a guitar-wielding girl sitting on a stool and singing into a microphone with a deep, sultry voice. She’s wearing jeans and has long, dark, curly hair tied back into a ponytail, kept in order by a bandana.
    ‘Sure,’ Rick says, taking my hand and leading me into the bar. My eyes widen at his touch and it takes a moment before I think to extract my hand. By then we’ve already reached the bar and he needs his hand to retrieve his wallet, anyway.
    ‘My round. What are you having?’ He turns his piercing blue eyes on me.
    ‘Um … Maybe just a mineral water.’
    ‘Really?’ he asks with surprise.
    ‘I don’t want to get too drunk tonight.’
    ‘Why not? You’re on holiday. And it’s our last night …’ he says with a significant look.
    ‘I think I’ll stick to water, anyway,’ I reiterate, looking around for the toilet. The barman points me in the