Page 33 of Cuts like a Knife
We both wait a beat as the possibilities about what might occur in a private cottage on a beautiful Bahamian island race through my mind. I’m not sure what’s going through his head, but from the slight smile playing on his lips, I suspect it’s something similar. I need to nip this in the bud.
“Look, I do need a place to stay, I just—”
His smile falters as he looks off across the lobby in the direction where Callum just went, and he interrupts.
“Did I deduce correctly that your office sent you here and put you up in the same room with someone else? With that guy? Your boss?”
“Yup.”
“Jesus, that’s fucked up.”
“Tell me about it.” I sigh. “So listen, the hotel is sold out, and I do need a room, but I just don’t want you to think … I mean, I don’t want us to…”
“There’s a couch. I should have said. There’s one bedroom, but there’s also a couch. I’ll sleep on the couch. I get it. Really, say no more. No funny business. Just, friends helping each other out. You need a place, right? And really, it’s no problem.”
“Okay … really? About the couch?”
“Really. It’s a nice couch. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh my god, thank you. Seriously, Drew, thank you. You’re a life saver. Do we have time to go there right now? I could drop my bag, change my clothes…”
Checking his watch, Drew shakes his head. “Sorry, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Everything moves slowly on the island. It would take awhile to get a ride, then get over there, then you’d have maybe three total minutes to drop your bag before you’d have to call for another car — they won’t wait — to head back here. The only other option for getting around would be to walk, and it would take a solid hour and a half. Maybe more. And there’s no sidewalk. Plus, it’s 87 degrees out… I think just stay, do the afternoon press events. You’ll be at the dinner shoot too, I’m assuming?”
I nod.
“Okay, so just do your thing, and I’ll find you this evening and we can head over to the cottage together. I’m sure they’ll hold your bag at the desk if you don’t want to lug it around.”
I look over at poor Liza, still dealing with the line of incoming press attendees.
“Of course, yeah. You’re right. Okay. Thanks.” Clearly, my conversational skills are lacking today. I’m not sure about this116.
“Or…” Drew says. “Look, I have to be here for the events. Why don’t we just hang out together? I’ll carry your bag for you. A fancy journalist such as yourself needs an assistant of sorts, right?”
He’s teasing me and I bristle a little.
“I think I can manage on my own, thanks.”
“I’ve literally got nothing else to do.” He grabs the handle of my bag and I let him take it, but I can’t help but throw in one more thing.
“Literally? Do you know what literally means?”
He chuckles. “We can’t all be fancy journalists.”
“Hardly,” I reply. “But … we’re doing this as just friends, okay? You’re just helping me as a friend. Nothing’s going to happen between us117.”
I think Drew might laugh, but instead he looks slightly offended. “What, you think because I offered to carry your bag and hang out with you for a few hours, I’m going to somehow get confused and start thinking that means you owe me sex. Is that it?”
He sounds genuinely irritated, and I realize I’m being ridiculous. I decide to refocus with a little honesty.
“No. Sorry. I really don’t think that at all. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s just been a long day and this is sort of a worlds-collide situation and I innately hate those. Thank you. Really. You’re saving me. I’m being a weird jerk. I don’t even know why118.”
“Well if that couldn’t be the Madison family motto,” he says. “I’m being a weird jerk. I don’t even know why.”
“Shut up!” I slap him on the arm and he finally laughs.
“Come on. We’ve got a little time until the work begins. I’ll show you the hotel. The beach is something else.”
Hoisting my laptop bag with one had, and talking my own hand with the other, he pulls me across the lobby and out into the bright sunshine of the Bahamian courtyard.
