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‘Yeah, I’ve been putting it off,’ said Rob. ‘But you’re the only person I know who’s ever experienced it that way.’
‘Then I’m the luckiest man alive. We’re off to Bermuda tomorrow, your mother’s currently packing fifteen different bikinis. Maybe see you soon?’
‘That would be great. Give her my love.’
‘Can I tell her about this conversation?’
Rob laughed. ‘Would it make any difference if I asked you not to?’
‘Probably not. She has ways of making me talk.’
‘Ugh, gross. Have a great holiday.’
‘We will. Love you, son.’
‘Thanks, Dad. Love you too.’
Rob ended the call and walked back to the terrace, lost in his thoughts, mostly about whether his next move was to spend more time with Hannah or to stay as far away as possible. It was all right for his dad; he’d been a twenty-year-old student with a mullet hairstyle and nothing to lose. How did you tell a woman you’d met less than four days ago that you’d fallen for her? He’d either sound like a really intense weirdo, or a sleazy fuckboy who was wheeling out lines in order to access her knickers. And it was totally, totally against all the rules – those he’d set for himself, and the ones Mark had set for him. Whichever way he looked at it, this whole situation felt doomed from the start.
Rob watched Hannah plough up and down the pool, giving the same focus to the movement of her arms and legs through the water as she did to her tennis. Stroke, turn to breathe. Stroke, turn to breathe. He’d waited until she’d started a new length before he pulled off his shirt and sat on the steps in the shallow end, waiting for her to swim back. The water felt cold, but this was important.
All evening since he’d spoken to his dad he’d been thinking about Hannah, looking for her, wondering what she was doing. He’d gone to every bar on the hill, simultaneously willing her to appear and praying she wouldn’t. He’d looked for her on the way back to the hotel, remembering that first night in Marbella when she’d knocked him sideways, figuratively and literally. He’d thought about her on the way back to his room, wondering if she was lying on her bed right now, thinking about him. And then he’d thought of a place where he hadn’t looked, and where he was absolutely certain she would be.
She touched the far end of the pool and turned to swim back. Stroke, turn to breathe. Stroke, turn to breathe. Towards the final third of the length she glanced up, making sure she stopped and turned before the steps to avoid beaching herself in the shallows like a whale.
Rob smiled nervously, bare-chested on the steps in waist-deep water, his forearms resting on his knees with his hands clasped between them. She stopped and stood up as she pulled her goggles off, her eyes wide with surprise.
‘Hey,’ said Rob.
‘Hi,’ said Hannah breathlessly. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m fine,’ he said, trying to keep his voice even and not betray his nerves. ‘Just saw you swimming and the water looked nice, so thought I’d join you.’
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Right.’
‘Actually I wanted to talk to you.’ Her face looked pale in the reflection of the pool lights, and he wondered if she was as nervous as he was. ‘Can we chat?’
‘Um, sure,’ said Hannah. ‘Do you want to go for a drink or something?’
‘No,’ said Rob quickly. ‘I can’t be seen out with you again, even pizza last night was risky. But here is OK, if you don’t mind.’
‘OK,’ said Hannah. ‘Maybe we can sit at either end of the steps?’ She smiled and raised her eyebrows, and Rob sighed.
‘I’m sorry, I sound like such a wanker,’ he said, sliding over to one side of the pool and raking his hands through his hair.
Hannah waded over to the same step and sat about two metres from him. ‘Is this OK? Or should I move further away?’
‘Stop taking the piss,’ laughed Rob. ‘I just wanted somewhere where we could chat without being overheard, but if anyone saw us it would look perfectly innocent.’
‘Well, I think this ticks both boxes,’ said Hannah. ‘Look, you can see both my hands.’ She held them up and waggled them like a chorus girl.
‘Stop it,’ said Rob, feeling himself relax. ‘I just wanted to say something. You don’t have to say anything in reply, but I wanted you to know.’
‘OK, what is it?’ she asked, her voice suddenly unsure. He felt cold, and wondered if she did too. He was too far away to see any goosebumps, and it took everything he had not to edge closer to run his hand down her arm. His mind instantly fast-forwarded to kissing her against the side of the pool, his fingers trailing down her back and her wet body pressed against his.For fuck’s sake, Rob. Focus.
‘I really like you,’ he said, feeling a mix of panic and relief as he finally said the words he’d been practising in his head for hours. ‘It was kind of an instant thing when we first met, and I can’t really explain it. But I can’t do anything about it, other than tell you. So that’s what I’m doing.’
‘I . . .’ said Hannah, her eyes wide.
