bloody big to impress our Lucy, mate. She goes bloody Marlin fishing.”
“ You’re shittin’ me? Do you, Lucy? Seriously? That’s wonderful, I love deep sea fishing. Went fishing for those big boys off Cairns a coupla years back. Thrilling stuff, isn’t it?”
Skeet watched this little exchange with interest, noting that they both seemed to have forgotten his existence. For the hour remaining of their walk they wandered on ahead, laughing and chatting like they’d known each other forever.
The rainforest opened out in front and Charlie stopped and looked up. “Well, I’ll be damned. This is unbelievable.” He was gazing up high into the gum trees. There were rounded huts built around the trunks of the trees, all inter-connected with rope and wood-planked walkways. “Tarzan, eat your heart out,” he said and let out a whistle, “Lucy, this is amazing. Who thought of it? A genius, by the look of it.
Skeet said, “Lucy did.” And could have bitten his tongue out. He looked over at her and grimaced. “Sorry, Luce.”
“ Accident, Skeet. It's all good,” said Lucy.
She turned around and grinned at Charlie who was trying his best to not look curious. “I could lie and tell you I had suggested this to the owner, but I won’t as long as I can trust you not to flap your gums like some people I know. Can you promise me that? Please, Charlie?”
“ Sure, I can. Are you related to the architect of this place or something?”
“ No, no. As a matter of fact, I own it.”
“ You own the Tops?”
“ I own the whole bloody lot, Charlie. The island, Dudes Down Under , all of it.”
“ Holy shit!”
“ Yeah, holy-shit!” Lucy broke up laughing and so did Charlie Danvers. Skeet stared at them both like they’d gone loco, and relaxed. Lucy wasn’t angry with him. Phew! It was an accidental slip. He wouldn’t betray her for the world. Thank God she knew that, without him having to say anything.
“ Can we go up, Lucy? I’d love to take a look at the view from up there.”
“ I’d love nothing better than to show it off to you, Charlie. C’mon.” Lucy ran ahead like a little girl on Christmas morning racing for the Christmas tree, Charlie close behind her.
Skeet’s presence had been forgotten and he was a happy man. I got my fingers crossed for the both of ya. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?
“ Hey, Skeet, can you bring up the eskies, please?”
“ Well if I had a spare set of bloody arms, I could, chooky. But I can’t carry both of ‘em and hang onto the ladder at the same time.”
“ Shit, Skeet,” said Charlie, “why the hell not?”
This set the two of ‘em off laughing again.
“ Jesus, what the hell are you two on - and where’s mine? I’ll bring em up one at a time.”
“ Stay there, mate. I’ll c’mon down and give you a hand,” Charlie called.
“ Onya, mate.”
Charlie clambered back down the ladder and grabbed one of the esky coolers off Skeet. He took the opportunity to ask a question. “Skeet, mate, um, is Lucy ... is she in a relationship, mate … like a fiancé or boyfriend, anything like that?”
“ No, Charlie, not even close.”
Charlie Danvers grinned and shook his head in amazement. “What the fuck is wrong with the men around here? Are they blind or stupid, or both?”
“ It’s not the blokes, mate. Believe me, many have tried. Lucy is just not interested. Or at least she hasn’t been.”
Charlie hadn’t waited for an answer. He was already halfway back up the ladder.
Lucy looked down at the top of the dark head and tried to do a reality check. Shit, am I buying my own publicity? Charlie Danvers, for Christ sake. He’s one of the top five in Hollywood, or any other wood. What the hell! And why the hell would he be interested in me?
Skeet was reluctant to join them but wasn’t certain Lucy would appreciate being left on her own with the actor, no matter how nice a bloke he was. So he climbed up and took a seat and a
“ You’re shittin’ me? Do you, Lucy? Seriously? That’s wonderful, I love deep sea fishing. Went fishing for those big boys off Cairns a coupla years back. Thrilling stuff, isn’t it?”
Skeet watched this little exchange with interest, noting that they both seemed to have forgotten his existence. For the hour remaining of their walk they wandered on ahead, laughing and chatting like they’d known each other forever.
The rainforest opened out in front and Charlie stopped and looked up. “Well, I’ll be damned. This is unbelievable.” He was gazing up high into the gum trees. There were rounded huts built around the trunks of the trees, all inter-connected with rope and wood-planked walkways. “Tarzan, eat your heart out,” he said and let out a whistle, “Lucy, this is amazing. Who thought of it? A genius, by the look of it.
Skeet said, “Lucy did.” And could have bitten his tongue out. He looked over at her and grimaced. “Sorry, Luce.”
“ Accident, Skeet. It's all good,” said Lucy.
She turned around and grinned at Charlie who was trying his best to not look curious. “I could lie and tell you I had suggested this to the owner, but I won’t as long as I can trust you not to flap your gums like some people I know. Can you promise me that? Please, Charlie?”
“ Sure, I can. Are you related to the architect of this place or something?”
“ No, no. As a matter of fact, I own it.”
“ You own the Tops?”
“ I own the whole bloody lot, Charlie. The island, Dudes Down Under , all of it.”
“ Holy shit!”
“ Yeah, holy-shit!” Lucy broke up laughing and so did Charlie Danvers. Skeet stared at them both like they’d gone loco, and relaxed. Lucy wasn’t angry with him. Phew! It was an accidental slip. He wouldn’t betray her for the world. Thank God she knew that, without him having to say anything.
“ Can we go up, Lucy? I’d love to take a look at the view from up there.”
“ I’d love nothing better than to show it off to you, Charlie. C’mon.” Lucy ran ahead like a little girl on Christmas morning racing for the Christmas tree, Charlie close behind her.
Skeet’s presence had been forgotten and he was a happy man. I got my fingers crossed for the both of ya. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?
“ Hey, Skeet, can you bring up the eskies, please?”
“ Well if I had a spare set of bloody arms, I could, chooky. But I can’t carry both of ‘em and hang onto the ladder at the same time.”
“ Shit, Skeet,” said Charlie, “why the hell not?”
This set the two of ‘em off laughing again.
“ Jesus, what the hell are you two on - and where’s mine? I’ll bring em up one at a time.”
“ Stay there, mate. I’ll c’mon down and give you a hand,” Charlie called.
“ Onya, mate.”
Charlie clambered back down the ladder and grabbed one of the esky coolers off Skeet. He took the opportunity to ask a question. “Skeet, mate, um, is Lucy ... is she in a relationship, mate … like a fiancé or boyfriend, anything like that?”
“ No, Charlie, not even close.”
Charlie Danvers grinned and shook his head in amazement. “What the fuck is wrong with the men around here? Are they blind or stupid, or both?”
“ It’s not the blokes, mate. Believe me, many have tried. Lucy is just not interested. Or at least she hasn’t been.”
Charlie hadn’t waited for an answer. He was already halfway back up the ladder.
Lucy looked down at the top of the dark head and tried to do a reality check. Shit, am I buying my own publicity? Charlie Danvers, for Christ sake. He’s one of the top five in Hollywood, or any other wood. What the hell! And why the hell would he be interested in me?
Skeet was reluctant to join them but wasn’t certain Lucy would appreciate being left on her own with the actor, no matter how nice a bloke he was. So he climbed up and took a seat and a
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