Tom:
Drop me a pin and I'll be there.
I watch the typing bubble pop up, then it disappears.
He leaves me hanging and that wait messes with my head. Just when I’m about to throw my phone down and rejoin the conversation, a message appears.
Coordinates.
I paste them into the map and the globe spins. Zooms in.
Avalon. Palm Oasis. Calvin’s villa. My bedroom.
Tom:
You're fucking with me.
Yosh:
Maybe it’s time you stood up and checked for yourself.
Fuck. This is creepy.
Is he watching from the trees? The roof? The fucking sky?
I glance around. Whatever’s written on my face must give me away, because now four pairs of eyes are fixed on me.
“Tom, you alright, mate?”
“Sorry, had to reply someone,” I say, slipping the phone back into my pocket.
Calvin’s arm goes behind my shoulders, gripping me tight.
“You’re grinning like someone landed on your dick this morning. Any cute ladies in Arcadia?”
A glint passes through my eyes. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
He raises his brow, offering that same smug glimmer.
“Well…I heard Stella Martens checked in last weekend.”
“We had dinner last night,” I say casually.
Meanwhile I can feel my phone burning in my pocket. My eyes flick to the villa. Is he here? In my room? Did he seriously break in? The dogs are asleep. Not that they’d do shit.
I make a move to get up, Calvin grabs my wrist. He’s not done.
“Nothing more than dinner?”
“Nothing else.”
It’s the truth, but I let it hang with enough mystery to keep him guessing.
Calvin starts pouring another round. That’s my cue. While he’s busy wrestling the ice bucket, I slip away.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to make a quick stop,” I say, polite as a proper Brit.
Then I head inside, heart racing. I’m practically running.
