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Hannah raised her eyebrows, wondering how that was going to pan out. Hopefully Rob wouldn’t lose his temper this time.
‘I said I’d show Hannah to their room,’ said Guy. ‘I’ve just dropped your bags off, but I’m afraid it’s not quite what we’d hoped.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Hannah.
‘It’s not just the room next door, it’s an adjoining room,’ said Guy apologetically, rubbing his face in a way that reminded her of Rob. ‘So it shares our bathroom, and it’s got bunk beds.’
‘It’s got bunk beds,’ said Hannah, not sure whether to laugh or cry as Rob hurried in, his face anxious. The tiny room was accessible from the main corridor, but also from a door in Guy and Kate’s much bigger room, which they had to use to access the bathroom. ‘Actual bunk beds.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Rob mumbled. ‘We can see if we can find something else.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ said Hannah, rummaging in her bag for a bikini and a T-shirt dress. ‘There isn’t anywhere else, and it’s just somewhere to sleep, right?’ She fixed him with a challenging stare until he looked away. ‘I’m going for a swim, it’s fine.’ She took her clothes into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.
This situation isn’t Rob’s fault, she reminded herself, looking at her tired reflection in the huge mirror.Don’t take it out on him.If she was honest, she’d pinned all her hopes for today on letting Rob take her to bed – no, taking Rob to bed herself – and now that opportunity was gone. The frustration at their situation manifested like a pain in her stomach, weighing down on top of two weeks of intense desire.
‘Can we talk?’ said Rob from the other side of the door.
‘I can hear you,’ said Hannah softly, pulling off her tennis skirt.
‘I just spoke to Mark,’ said Rob. ‘He said . . .’
‘Is the room OK for you both?’ said a high, female voice – Kate had turned up. Hannah pulled on her bikini as fast as possible, then threw the dress on top.
‘It’s fine, Mum,’ said Rob. ‘Hannah and I were just talking. Can you . . .?’
‘Very narrow beds,’ said Kate. ‘Especially considering children aren’t allowed to stay in this hotel. I suppose it’s good for a group on a budget, though, and people who play tennis are usually quite thin.’
‘I’m ready,’ said Hannah, opening the bathroom door. ‘Just off for a swim.’ She stuffed her bra and knickers into her bag and grabbed her goggles.
‘Oh, good idea,’ said Kate. ‘Lovely way to freshen up after a long drive.’
Hannah swam lengths of the pool, feeling like a million lifetimes had passed since she’d last swum here. When was that? Ten days ago? In lots of ways it felt like everything had changed between her and Rob, but at the same time nothing had changed at all, really. She’d convinced herself that everything was OK, but he was still a commitment-phobic playboy and she was still one-man Hannah. She was so lost in her thoughts she forgot to look up for the shallow end until she collided into Rob, who was back in the exact spot he’d occupied last time.
‘Sorry,’ she spluttered. ‘Didn’t see you there.’
‘It’s OK,’ laughed Rob, wiping the water off his face. ‘It looked a bit like angry swimming, so I just wanted to check you were OK.’
‘Not angry, just disappointed,’ said Hannah with a smile.
‘Ouch,’ said Rob.
Hannah took a deep breath, then sat on the steps beside him. ‘It’s lovely for you that your mum and dad are here, but the bunk beds weren’t entirely what I had in mind for tonight, that’s all. But it’s not your fault, and I’m fine about it.’
‘I’m really, really sorry,’ said Rob. ‘It wasn’t what I had in mind either. Not by a very long way.’ He reached out to touch her arm, and Hannah wondered if he was finally going to kiss her. But she could see Kate and Guy spectating from their pool loungers, gin and tonics in hand, and pulled away.
‘Do you fancy a drink?’ Rob asked, peering over her shoulder towards the doors to the bar. ‘Mum and Dad have opened a bar tab, so we should probably make the most of that.’
‘I’ve already had one,’ said Hannah, wishing more than anything that it was just the two of them again. It felt like there was so much to say, and so many feelings to express, and the constant presence of other people felt stifling. Maybe gin was the answer. ‘But I’ll happily have another.’
‘Who IS that guy?’ asked Rob, squinting at a figure standing by the door.
‘What guy?’ Hannah twisted to look in the direction of Rob’s gaze.
‘The one over there, staring at you.’
Hannah narrowed her eyes, taking in the tall, thin man with floppy brown hair, looking crumpled and sweaty in torn jeans, a faded black T-shirt and bare feet. She marvelled for a moment at how much he looked like her brother Luke, then realised with a jolt of shock that it WAS Luke.
‘Luke?’ she shouted.
