‘So, what’s on the agenda for today then?’ he asks, putting us on firmer ground.
‘Well, we’ve got our chef’s table dinner tonight, but I thought I’d spend the morning reading a certain stunt guy’s screenplay.’
He winces and rolls onto his back.
‘What, you don’t want me to read it any more?’ I ask, scrutinising his face. ‘You’ve got that please-kill-me-now look about you.’
He groans loudly and rubs both hands over his face – I’ve learned that this is his go-to when everything feels too much.
‘I don’t have to read it, but it’s not like I have anything else going on today – the whole being-stranded-on-an-island thing.’
He sniggers, not making any noise, his body shaking the bed. His hands fall by his side, and he looks over.
‘I do want you to read it, but I also don’t.’
‘Because?’
‘Because, what if it’s shit?’
‘Is it?’ I ask, challenging him with a potent look.
‘No,’ he says, his face softening. ‘It’s good –reallygood.’
I sit all the way up. ‘Then what are you afraid of?’
He gives a half-hearted shrug.
‘Nick James, are you one of those people who’s more afraid of success than they are of failure?’
He cranes his neck to meet my eye. ‘I didn’t think I was, but there might be an element of that. What if you hate it?’
‘What if I love it?’
He sucks in air through his teeth. ‘Gah!’ he growls, making me chuckle – I win!
He flings back the covers and gets out of bed. I avert my eyes, because he’s only wearing boxers and his butt is tight AF – like the rest of him. Only I’m not quick enough and he catches me. He grabs a pair of trackpants off the floor – showing off his butt even more, which I’m guessing wasn’t the plan – and shimmies into them.
‘Sorry – I had these on when I went to bed, but I got hot as well.’
‘All good,’ I say, dragging my eyes away and training them on the ceiling.
‘Mind if I…?’ he asks, forcing me to look at him again.
He’s pointing at the bathroom door.
‘Be my guest.’
While he pees, then showers – seriously, the entire bathroom is made of porcelain and marble – sound reverberates – I check my phone for contact from the ash-cloud-free world.
From Megan:
What’s happening with Superman?
I huff out a grunty sigh, then reply:
NOTHING! We’re just friends. *eye-roll emoji*
There’s also a message from Nicholas: