being bandied about like it was the score for last month’s Derby.
She’d had it, and then some.
‘You want this flag back?’ she demanded, striding towards him, anger arcing through her body. ‘Fine. I’ll give you your damn flag back. Is this immediate enough for you?’
She whipped the flag off her body and threw it at him. He dropped his snorkel in the water as he lifted both hands to catch it. She didn’t stop to watch him do so. Instead, she turned around and walked with as much dignity as a girl in sopping wet underwear could back to shore, praying to God her bum wasn’t too visible through the clingy fabric.
In any event, she had managed to shut him up. Lena heard nothing but the sound of birds and soft waves. Her feet hit dry rocks and she made her way swiftly up the bank. Bending over, Lena picked up her T-shirt and put it on, and then her shorts. She lifted her wet hair off her neck and twisted it into a knot. He was so quiet, she wasn’t even certain he was still there.
Finally, she spun around, her heart fluttering like a deck of cards in a casino. This wasn’t a hand she was used to dealing.
He was still there all right. Standing as though frozen, the water lapping gently at his kneecaps, the flag still in the position in which he had caught it. The only thing about him that gave any sign of life was his eyes. Big blue sizzling orbs that fried her senses, making her feel like she was still naked despite now being fully dressed. Lena had meant to lift her chin, but it kind of wavered and stopped halfway to Confident. ‘Happy?’ she asked.
A muscle worked in his jaw as he rolled the flag up and looped it round his neck. He picked up his snorkels with an expression that was more hostile than appeased. Then, without a single word, he turned and disappeared into the mangroves.
Lena sucked in a huge breath of air, panting as her heart attempted to slow down.
Thank goodness.
With wobbly steps, she took off down the bank, hobbling over the stones as fast as she could.
‘You look like you’ve seen another jellyfish,’ Sharon said, laughing as she rejoined them. ‘Or maybe it was a sea snake this time.’
‘Worse,’ Lena choked, out of breath. ‘Bulldog’s up the beach. He saw me with the flag.’
Gavin dropped his fishing rod. ‘Aw, shit.’
‘That’s not the half of it.’ Lena put a hand to her forehead. ‘I’ll be lucky if I have a job in the morning. He was talking about getting me fired.’
Now that the confrontation was over, the gravity of her situation was beginning to sink in. She was going to lose her job. She had come to the Pilbara and failed. It was all over already.
Some of her panic must have showed in her face because Gavin came over and briefly hugged her non-responsive body. ‘Nah – I’ll come forward and take the fall, if it comes to that.’ He shook his head. ‘Like I would let you take the blame for this.’
‘Where’s the flag now?’ Sharon asked.
Even though her career was in the toilet and she had more important things to dwell on, a blush still managed to infuse Lena’s cheeks. ‘I gave it back.’
Sharon eyed her suspiciously. ‘I see.’
Lena deliberately looked away. In her haste to avoid her friend’s gaze, she noticed the others congregating back from the shore around a couple of portable barbecues. Gavin left her side to pick up his bucket and rod. ‘Come on,’ he said briskly. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it now. We might as well join the others.’
So they made their way over to the barbecues where all up there were thirteen fish to cook. Lunch was absolutely delicious. It was unfortunate that Lena was so pre-occupied with what Bulldog might do to her the next day.
That evening at dinner, before Radar and Leg arrived, Sharon demanded to be told exactly what had happened to Lena on her walk up the Cleaverville coastline. She hadn’t believed for a second that Lena had told them the full story on the beach.
‘For
She’d had it, and then some.
‘You want this flag back?’ she demanded, striding towards him, anger arcing through her body. ‘Fine. I’ll give you your damn flag back. Is this immediate enough for you?’
She whipped the flag off her body and threw it at him. He dropped his snorkel in the water as he lifted both hands to catch it. She didn’t stop to watch him do so. Instead, she turned around and walked with as much dignity as a girl in sopping wet underwear could back to shore, praying to God her bum wasn’t too visible through the clingy fabric.
In any event, she had managed to shut him up. Lena heard nothing but the sound of birds and soft waves. Her feet hit dry rocks and she made her way swiftly up the bank. Bending over, Lena picked up her T-shirt and put it on, and then her shorts. She lifted her wet hair off her neck and twisted it into a knot. He was so quiet, she wasn’t even certain he was still there.
Finally, she spun around, her heart fluttering like a deck of cards in a casino. This wasn’t a hand she was used to dealing.
He was still there all right. Standing as though frozen, the water lapping gently at his kneecaps, the flag still in the position in which he had caught it. The only thing about him that gave any sign of life was his eyes. Big blue sizzling orbs that fried her senses, making her feel like she was still naked despite now being fully dressed. Lena had meant to lift her chin, but it kind of wavered and stopped halfway to Confident. ‘Happy?’ she asked.
A muscle worked in his jaw as he rolled the flag up and looped it round his neck. He picked up his snorkels with an expression that was more hostile than appeased. Then, without a single word, he turned and disappeared into the mangroves.
Lena sucked in a huge breath of air, panting as her heart attempted to slow down.
Thank goodness.
With wobbly steps, she took off down the bank, hobbling over the stones as fast as she could.
‘You look like you’ve seen another jellyfish,’ Sharon said, laughing as she rejoined them. ‘Or maybe it was a sea snake this time.’
‘Worse,’ Lena choked, out of breath. ‘Bulldog’s up the beach. He saw me with the flag.’
Gavin dropped his fishing rod. ‘Aw, shit.’
‘That’s not the half of it.’ Lena put a hand to her forehead. ‘I’ll be lucky if I have a job in the morning. He was talking about getting me fired.’
Now that the confrontation was over, the gravity of her situation was beginning to sink in. She was going to lose her job. She had come to the Pilbara and failed. It was all over already.
Some of her panic must have showed in her face because Gavin came over and briefly hugged her non-responsive body. ‘Nah – I’ll come forward and take the fall, if it comes to that.’ He shook his head. ‘Like I would let you take the blame for this.’
‘Where’s the flag now?’ Sharon asked.
Even though her career was in the toilet and she had more important things to dwell on, a blush still managed to infuse Lena’s cheeks. ‘I gave it back.’
Sharon eyed her suspiciously. ‘I see.’
Lena deliberately looked away. In her haste to avoid her friend’s gaze, she noticed the others congregating back from the shore around a couple of portable barbecues. Gavin left her side to pick up his bucket and rod. ‘Come on,’ he said briskly. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it now. We might as well join the others.’
So they made their way over to the barbecues where all up there were thirteen fish to cook. Lunch was absolutely delicious. It was unfortunate that Lena was so pre-occupied with what Bulldog might do to her the next day.
That evening at dinner, before Radar and Leg arrived, Sharon demanded to be told exactly what had happened to Lena on her walk up the Cleaverville coastline. She hadn’t believed for a second that Lena had told them the full story on the beach.
‘For
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