He leans in close, giving me a whiff of his citrusy cologne. ‘I’d be a pretty shitty stunt coordinator if Iwasscared.’
‘Yeah, yeah, okay.’
‘You really didn’t know about this part?’ he asks, nodding towards the entrance.
‘No. I mean, two days ago, I had no idea where I was even going –andI’m on vacation. I don’twantto be across all the ins and outs of every little thing.’
‘No pun intended,’ he says.
‘Huh?’
‘Ins and outs… No pun intended.’
‘Hilarious.’ I shoot him a taut smile. ‘Oh, you’re trying to take my mind off it.’
‘Is it working?’
‘Kinda. Hey, how did you become a stuntman, anyway?’
‘I sorta fell into it.’
The edge of his mouth quirks, giving him away.
‘That a stuntman joke?’
He nods, his quirking mouth stretching into a smirk.
‘Lame,’ I reply.
He chuckles, and I can’t help but smile. If he weren’t deliberately distracting me, I’d be whipping myself into a frenzy, obsessing about drowning inside a giant rock.
I look back at the entrance to the grotto – another rowboat’s approaching with a new batch of people. When it gets close, they bob for a bit, then the guy grabs hold of a chain and pulls them into the tunnel. On his signal, everyone lies flat and the boat disappears inside.
I’ve been holding my breath and I exhale loudly.
‘I’m doing it,’ I declare.
‘You sure?’ Nick asks.
‘Fuck no, but don’t let me back out, okay?’
‘Got it.’
‘It’s supposed to be one of the most incredible places in the world. I’m not getting this close, then wimping out.’
‘You trying to convince me or you?’ he asks.
‘Hello? I’m giving myself a pep talk here. Maybe don’t interrupt?’
He raises his hands, surrendering. Now all I have to do is stay hyped up till it’s our turn. Fortunately, there are several boats making the run and soon enough, our skipper motors us closer, stopping alongside one of the rowboats. Money changes hands, then the rowboat guy waves us over.
‘Now, try not to fall into the water,’ I say to Nick as we slowly stand.
‘Hilarious,’ he replies drily – just like I did earlier.
Transferring to the smaller boat is precarious, but we both make it, and the guy rows us towards the grotto.
‘I guess we’re on our own,’ says Nick.