Mr. Oak noticed we had an audience and the brief glimpse into the man who chased what he wanted (but for some reason didn’t chase me) shut down, leaving a polite stranger in his wake.
He waved at the Evermore family. “Galloway.” His eyes once again landed on mine. Leaning forward, he held out his hand. “Anyway, we’ve talked now, so no harm done. Like I just said...I’m Galloway.”
Automatically, social graces made me loop my fingers with his.
Big mistake.
Colossal mistake.
The second we touched, the embarrassment flushing my skin turned to sexual mist, mingling with sweat from the humid tropics and rolling in a dirty droplet down my spine.
His touch felt like a hundred fireflies—bright, flickering, and completely alive against my flesh.
His mouth parted.
His fingers tightened around mine.
And the driver coughed loudly, hacking a spit-ball by my feet.
Eww!
I leapt to the side, wrenching my hand from Galloway’s, leaving me confused and not entirely sad that the touch had been severed.
What the hell was that?
And why did I have equal measures of fascination and abhorrence for this cocky English man who complimented me and insulted me all in one breath?
“Ready to go?” The driver marched to the van door and tossed his clipboard inside. Coming toward me, he stole my suitcase and yanked it toward the trailer attached to the back. “We’re all here. Let’s go. Perfect time to get you to your hotel before the rain starts again.”
The shock of having my suitcase stolen deleted all thoughts of Galloway and the unwelcome power he’d had. I was a professional songwriter and singer. I wasn’t a dumb mute rendered idiotic by a handsome man.
Slipping my heavy jacket from my shoulders, I wiped beaded sweat from my forehead. “Wait...are you sure there isn’t another flight leaving tonight? I’d rather stay at the airport, just in case—”
“She’s right,” Galloway muttered. His five o’ clock shadow bristled in the low illumination. “I need to leave tonight. Not in the morning. I don’t care what they say; I’m travelling to Kadavu.”
The driver cocked his head. “Kadavu?”
Galloway crossed his arms. “I start work first thing. If I don’t get there on time, I’ll lose my contract.” He took a step toward the driver. “Surely, you must know of someone willing to fly.” Pointing at the storm-slashed but now calm sky, he added, “There’s hardly any wind and it’s not raining anymore. The storm’s gone—just like they said. It’s safe to travel.”
Duncan Evermore came forward. “Don’t mean to interrupt, but we’re trying to get to Matava Resort. If you want, we can join forces and see if we can hire a boat or something?” He looked over his shoulder at his family. “I’d much prefer to get to our hotel and start our vacation now, rather than waste time in the morning with packing and checking in for another flight.”
The driver tutted under his breath. “Boat would take too long and no one would go in the dark.”
Galloway ignored him, focusing on Duncan’s potential solution. “I’m with you. I’m happy to split the cost if it means getting to where we want tonight.”
“Not possible.” The driver shook his head. “No one will travel tonight.”
Amelia (Duncan’s wife) caught my eye. We smiled, shrugging.
Men.
Even though they’d been told multiple times they couldn’t travel, it didn’t stop their pig-headedness at trying.
Galloway opened his messenger bag and pulled out an envelope with a wad of currency. “We’ll pay.” Wafting it in front of the driver, he taunted. “You help us arrange what we need, and you’ll get a bonus.”
Unable to take his eyes off the money, the driver rubbed his chin. “Kadavu and Matava?”
Galloway and Duncan nodded together. “That’s right. But it has to be tonight, and it has to be for all of us.”
All of us not including me, of course.
My heart raced as I was ignored completely. The only person paying attention to me was the little girl hugging her stuffed kitten.
Somehow, we were all strangers, but I’d become the odd one out.
Again.
Normally, I preferred it that way. I deliberately pulled back, letting others bond so I could remain quiet and on the outskirts where I liked it.
But this time, I felt left out—as if an adventure was forming and I hadn’t been given an invitation.
Is this another message?
Another hint that life happened all around me and unless I was brave enough to jump in, I would miss yet another opportunity.
My heart raced.
Perhaps my reinvention needed to happen here...not when I got home to Australia.
The driver dug a cell-phone from his back pocket. “Wait a minute.” Pacing away, he held the phone to his ear and conversed with someone on the other end.
Duncan shook Galloway’s hand. “Looks like we might be in luck, my boy.”