Thuli:Bastard. I hope you get him.
Lizzy:Already have, and I think Sharaz is looking forward to a very good divorce settlement.
Thuli:I’ll get back to you as soon as I have something on Cameron.
Lizzy:You’re the best.
Thuli:I know. You owe me a night on the town for this.
Lizzy:Deal!
I lowered my phone and glanced back at Victor and his mistress. Who was she? I needed a clear shot of her but she’d been particularly elusive. Between the enormous designer sunglasses and the oversized sunhat, I hadn’t managed to get a single picture of her face.
My phone delivered another beep. The unknown number again.
Cam:Who was your shirtless friend?
Lizzy:Just a fellow avian enthusiast.
Cam:I had no idea you had such a passion for our feathered friends.
Before I could send a witty retort, I heard a familiar noise and looked up. Did Victor and his mistress have no shame? Because right now they were making out on the sand like hormonal teenagers. It was unsettling. I sighed and lay back on the lounger, sliding my glasses into place and actually closing my eyes. I was going to attempt relaxation now. I tried to listen to the soothing sound of the waves lapping against the shore, the breeze gently rustling through the palm trees . . . for about two minutes. Then I was bored stiff.
I sat back up and to my surprise found someone standing right in front of me.
‘Hi there,’ a waiter said.
‘Hi,’ I replied.
‘Your cocktail.’ He passed me a bright yellow and red concoction, with an orange slice and umbrella decorating the rim. Festive!
‘I didn’t order a cocktail.’
‘It’s from that man over there.’ He turned and pointed. I didn’t need to look, though. I knew exactly who it was from.
‘I don’t want it,’ I said, glaring at Cam’s profile, hoping he would feel me looking and turn around.
‘But everyone loves a Sex on the Beach,’ the man said, sounding genuinely surprised.
I couldn’t help laughing. Of course, so Cam. Never taking anything seriously. Always playing the fool. He had two settings, if I remembered correctly. One was competitive, and one was absolute idiot. And he’d always moved between them with a kind of manic unpredictability. One moment he’d be pinning me painfully to the wall, cuffing and arresting me during a drill; the next he was sneaking up on me and trying to give me a fright. I guessed he was in his idiot phase again.
I took the cocktail tentatively. ‘Thank you. Can I see your menu? I’d love to send one back, to say thank you.’
The waiter handed me the menu and I scanned it until I found the perfect drink.
‘Please send over one Death in the Afternoon, with my compliments, of course,’ I said, feeling rather pleased with myself. I put the cocktail down on my side table – I certainly wasn’t going to drink it – and lay back down on the lounger. My phone beeped. Unknown number again.
Cam:I didn’t poison it, if that’s what you’re thinking.
It’s not that, I replied.I just don’t like sex on the beach. The sand has atendency toget into unwanted places.
Cam:I don’t mind a little grit. It adds texture, don’t you think?
Lizzy:I wouldn’t know.
Cam:Would you like to know?
I flicked my head around and glared at him. He was smiling at me. I shook my head disapprovingly and then stabbed out a reply.
