The tapping stops. ‘So, the complete opposite of your type?’
I sniff. ‘I don’t have a type.’
‘Liar. I’ve seen photos of the captain.That’syour type. Six-pack and Day-Glo gnashers is not.’
‘So, maybe I’m trying something new?’ I reply. ‘Besides, you know I like a Welsh accent. He’s a teacher. He—’
‘Wasn’t alive in the eighties?’
‘I was going to say he has good hair, but your point also stands.’
The keyboard tapping begins again. ‘I’m just kidding, Sophie. Kind of. Have a fun time. Get drunk. You should definitely have sex. It’s been a while.’
‘How would you know?’
‘Because you always tell me, and I live vicariously through you.’
She’s not wrong. It’s been at least five months and was completely forgettable. I’m not even sure why I bothered. Boredom? Human contact? To see if I still remembered how to do it?
‘Remember, it’s like getting your ears pierced. You don’t want the hole to close up.’
‘You are the worst.’
Chapter 44
Isla isn’t at our table for dinner, not that any of us are surprised. Evelyn mentions that she saw Isla sitting at a table at the back of the room, this time with her boyfriend and four elderly women. Cameron and Lucas aren’t here either, which is a shame. I like them very much.
‘She still looked miserable,’ Evelyn says, placing her napkin on her lap. ‘I’m not sure she’ll be happy anywhere. I get the feeling she’s going to move tables again. Not sure why she doesn’t just get a table alone.’
‘Does she know about the party cruises?’ Mia wonders. ‘Where you can dance on deck, get drunk and then be thrown off at the next port? We made the mistake of booking one a few years ago. Too much flesh and bare bottoms. Never again.’
Twenty years ago, if I’d even considered the possibility of going on a cruise, that’s exactly the type of cruise I’d have chosen. Parties, booze and dancing. These days, I’m looking for something much less intense. Placid. I laugh inwardly. Who am I kidding? If Naomi was here, we’d have been on our last warning from the ship’s captain already.
‘It was something we did, yes?’ Dieter asks. ‘Maybe she doesn’t like our waiter? He was very blunt.’
‘We’re obviously far too cool and sophisticated,’ Mia replies with a wry smile. ‘Must be intimidating to be at a table like ours, do you agree?’
‘Well, it’s common for guests to change tables,’ Brian informs us, the conversation instantly becoming informative, rather than gossip-based. ‘Some people just like meeting different people every night. You just ask the maître d’ and they can sort you out.’
‘Sorry, everyone!’
I smile as Cameron and Lucas rush in, just as Marco comes to take our order.
‘We were at the casino!’ Cameron announces, taking his seat. ‘Lucas just won four hundred euros so I’m insisting he buys me that Mont Blanc wallet I have my eye on.’
Lucas frowns, lifting the menu from his place at the table. ‘What if I want to buy something for myself?’
‘That feeling will pass.’
‘We all went ziplining this morning,’ Mia broadcasts. ‘Sophie was very brave. . . Can I have the pork loin?Danke, Marcus.’
I cringe.Sophie was very brave.Great, she’s talking like I’m a five-year-old who’s just been to the dentist. Will she give me a smiley sticker next? While it’s true that Iwasincredibly brave, the blood-curdling scream from the back of my throat might suggest otherwise.
‘It was. . . an experience,’ I reply. ‘It had its moments.’
Waiting for Harvey to unclip me, while looking down at the many floors below, was terrifying but for the ten-second ride, the worst part was probably the first nine seconds. ‘I particularly enjoyed the part where it was over.’
Brian laughs. ‘Definitely braver than me,’ he admits. ‘Would you do it again?’
