‘I’m just excited. When do we get to spend time like this, all together?’
I thought of all the nights in the pub after work. ‘All the time?’
‘Oh hi there, killjoy. I meant, when do we get this kind of time when Joe isn’t rushing off to save lives, and you two’ – she didn’t have to specify who she meant – ‘aren’t worrying about one Level-related thing or another? It’s nice, that’s all. I want to make the most of it.’
She was right about adult friendships; it was rare to have everyone fully present.
‘Okay, I’ll concede.’ I turned over, facing her. She was on her side, beaming at me over the gap between the two beds. ‘You have my full attention, even if it is the crack of dawn.’
‘Brilliant. Meet you in the hot tub in ten?’
I nodded – albeit slightly hesitant at the thought of getting into a bikini when it wasn’t likely to be anywhere near a temperature I approved of for that kind of activity – watching her spring out of bed in her rainbow pyjamas. Deep, deep down, I knew that we could all do to be a bit more like Maeve.
‘Morning, grump.’ I could hear her mumbling to Rory in the living room, presumably trying to wake him too. She got a groan in response.
‘How often do we get to be together like this?’ I heard her repeat the same spiel to him, and he must have reacted similarly.
‘Hot tub in ten or you’ll be in my bad books.’
A second groan was the only signal that her message had been received.
It seemed that Joe and Isla were given a free pass to sleep as long as they wanted, judging by the sound of my brother’s snoring. I tied the straps of my pale pink bikini at the top of my shoulders, swearing when it came undone as soon as I moved. Surely, of all the clothing items, these things should be the most robust. I double knotted it and walked out of the bedroom in a daze. One wrong move on a banana boat in Portugal and this would be at the bottom of the ocean.
‘I see you’ve been forced into an early rise too.’ Rory was on the way out of the bathroom in his swimming trunks, mid-yawn and scratching at his chest. His hair was messy from sleep. I deliberately looked away; I was in absolutely no position to be thinking about my best friend in any other way than my best friend.
As I turned, the other side of my bikini popped undone, and I scrambled to hold it in place. ‘For God’s sake.’ It was like the universe wanted us to feel uncomfortable. ‘Can you tie this for me?’
Rory picked up an apple from the fruit bowl, tossing it between his hands. ‘And why would I do that?’
‘Because I’ll be naked otherwise?’
He gave me a funny look before putting the apple down. ‘Yeah, I can get it. Come here.’
I edged closer, very aware that aside from the moments when we stayed over with each other and turned too quickly whilst the other was getting changed, this was the most we’d seen of each other in years.
He tied the knot, hesitating before slowly tracing his finger down from the top of my spine.
‘Penny …’
I didn’t say anything, but my breath hitched. We were so close to a repeat of the night at his place, and I didn’t trust myself. I felt our fingers intertwine as his other hand touched mine. I debated squeezing his hand three times in quick succession. I. Need. You.
‘Yeah?’
There was a weighted moment, and I didn’t breathe, scared the rising and falling of my chest might stop me from hearing the response. His hand still lingered on the bikini tie at the centre of my spine; I fought the urge to tell him to pull it undone.
‘Rory?’ I twisted to look at him, but as soon as we made eye contact the moment was over. He shook his head out of the daze.
‘Trust you to pick the most impractical swimsuit in the history of swimwear.’ He moved away. ‘You’re all good. Unless a tidal wave hits the tub, in which case you might as well resign yourself to public humiliation.’
‘Public humiliation? What’s that?’ I batted my eyelashes, not missing a beat. I’d been so stupid to let it get that far. He’d clearly pulled away for a reason, and that reason was waiting for us outside in the hot tub. I should have been thinking about Maeve.
Rory laughed as he grabbed us both a towel from the stack that Wendy had left by the back door. ‘You’re a pro at that now, I’ll admit.’
I headed towards the fridge, trying to acclimatise and copy his complete and utter indifference to whatever that had been back there. ‘If we bring mimosas with us, are we less likely to be told off for taking longer than ten?’
He clicked his fingers in my direction. ‘And this is why you’re the brains behind the operation.’
We wandered out with bottles and glasses in hand, to where Maeve was fully submerged under the bubbles, her head leaning back against the tub.
‘Is she …?’ I walked over to stand above her, sliding back her sunglasses.
Rory sighed. ‘She definitely is.’
Despite getting us up at the crack of dawn, she was snoring softly.
‘I did try to tell her that the hot tub wasn’t going anywhere. Plenty of time for relaxation.’
We watched her for a minute, half expecting her to wake up. She was wearing a neon orange swimming costume, her hair braided.
‘She’s been having a hard time at work lately.’ Rory moved to the other side of the decking to open a bottle of prosecco. ‘She doesn’t like to lie awake, thinking about it.’
Against my better judgement, I pictured them lying awake together. The two of them having heart-to-hearts and whispering in the darkness. A lump formed in my throat.
‘Is she okay?’ Compassion not jealousy. Compassion not jealousy.
He sighed. ‘She will be. Analysing people’s brains is a lot easier in theory than in practice, I think.’ Rory was staring at her, the level of care obvious. A reminder that they were speaking a language that I knew nothing about.
‘Can I ask you something, and will you give me an honest answer?’
