Slowly I turn around to see who, or rather what, the “little guy” is.
Please let it have fur. Or even feathers.
It’s worse than I feared. He’s clinging to the wall and doing push-ups like he’s showing off. How long has it been there? I must have missed it when I walked up because it’s blending into the background. I freeze and crouch, assuming an action stance.
“Back away slowly,” I whisper. “It’ll be okay. They’re not dangerous.”
I feel the feverish sweat gathering on my neck.
“Of course they’re not!” Isla laughs and claps her hands loudly. The lizard scurries down the wall and onto the floor. Why did she have to do that?
It’s coming right at me.
I yelp and leap straight up in the air as if I can fly away from this monstrosity.
At the last minute, the lizard veers left and over the railing. It leaps onto a plant and disappears into the foliage. I shudder.
That was a close call.
“Jackson?” I only recall I am not alone when Isla cautiously says my name.
“Yeeeeeeees?” I slowly look back up at her.
“Do you want to maybe come inside the room?” Isla asks. She is biting her lip.
“It’s not funny,” I say. “There are a lot of toxic species of reptiles.”
“But none of them live on this island,” she says, calmly waving me inside.
“Good to know,” I say, trailing behind her into the massive, immaculate suite.
“I would shake your hand but, I’m a bit dirty,” I prattle on, trying not to think about the lizard. Reptiles are my kryptonite. I’ve had herpetophobia since I was a child. It’s not debilitating. I’m able to cope with breathing exercises and simple coping strategies. But that one caught me off guard. “Thanks for taking me in on such short notice. I’m so sorry to impose like this. If you could direct me to the shower, I’ll head straight there.”
Isla stops suddenly in front of me and we nearly collide.
She turns and blinks slowly at me. “Wait. Did you want to use my shower? Rob didn’t mention anything about that.”
I stand stock still, staring back at her. “What?”
And then I see her mouth tick up at the corners.
“My goodness, your face, Jackson! I’m kidding! I don’t mind at all. I love to rescue strays. And besides, this place is huge. Ridiculous that they gave it to me. It sleeps seven people. I feel like I’m putting some poor family out. You can just leave your things in here,” she says, taking my filthy hand and pulling me into the second bedroom. It’s a children’s room with a bunk bed and a trundle. There’s a pile of stuffed animals, including one of a gecko, that Isla quickly tucks under her arm.
“You don’t have to hide the stuffie,” I say. “It’s only the real thing that gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Okay,” she says solemnly. “I will chase away the lizards if you promise to take care of the spiders. They aremykryptonite.”
“That’s a solid deal,” I agree thankfully. “Arachnids are not an issue for me. I got you.”
“Hey, where’s your stuff?” Isla glances around behind me, as if my bags might be trailing me like puppies.
“My luggage was lost, and I misplaced my backpack on the way from the airport to the resort,” I explain. “Some guy named Cappy just scored himself a brand new MacBook.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll return it when he realizes,” Isla says cheerily. So hopeful. So naive. It’s cute.
“Right,” I laugh a little bitterly. “That’s not happening. Good thing I have everything backed up in the cloud.”
“So not to rush you or anything,” Isla says, leaning against the wooden bunk beds. “But we have to be out of here in fifteen minutes to make it to the BBQ on time. You might want to change.”
