We are shown into our separate booths. I grab my board and take the lid off my pen, before sneakily removing my phone from the little handbag I’m wearing across my body.
I need to knock that smirk off Daniel’s face. I can’t let him win this one.
‘Question one,’ Zoey begins. ‘How tall is your partner?’
I quickly type in ‘Freddie Bianchi height’ and within seconds, I’ve got it. I write ‘6´ 3˝’ on my board.
Zoey checks Freddie’s answer with mine, and I am correct.
‘Question two,’ she continues. ‘What is your partner’s favourite movie?’
It only takes a few seconds for me to find an interview where Freddie mentions his favourite film is Casablanca.
And would you believe it? We have another match.
I manage to coast (read: search) my way through the next couple of questions, correctly figuring out Freddie’s favourite colour and where he went to high school. I find it amazing that people who have never met him care about his favourite colour – I don’t even care about my own favourite colour. Still, I think I got really lucky, being able to look up the correct answers. This means that we’re neck and neck with Daniel and Eva, which is fine. I really wanted to win, but I’ll settle for not losing.
The fifth and final question – the supposedly hard question – is up next. I don’t suppose it matters how hard or easy it is, they’re all hard for me, because Freddie is pretty much a stranger… a stranger I’m spending my holiday with, cuddling up to, and we’ve seen each other fleetingly naked. Seriously, what a bloody weird honeymoon.
‘So far none of our couples have successfully answered the final question correctly – will Freddie and Lila be different? Here we go… Lila, if Freddie won the lottery, what’s the first thing he’d do with the money?’
This is the type of question I was dreading, because I can’t look it up, and there’s no obvious answer. Some might splash out on a house or a car, others might go on holiday or throw a party. I don’t know Freddie well enough and I can’t get inside his head…
The thing is, though, I know the answer to this question. I know it because I asked him. You can count on one hand the number of proper conversations we’ve had, and I’ve already asked him this question, just in a slightly different way – what are the chances?
I write my answer down with the biggest grin on my face. I’ll bet Daniel is out there, rubbing his little hands together, over the moon because he knows I haven’t known Freddie long. He’ll think there’s no way I can know this.
I look for him, but the stage lights are too bright to make people out; everyone is in the shadows. I’ll bet he can see me though, and I’ll bet he thinks I’m bluffing.
‘Okay, what have we got?’ Zoey asks me.
I flip over my board to show my answer.
‘Lila has written that, oh, okay, she thinks her significant other would pay off his parents' mortgage. I wasn’t expecting that. Let’s see what Freddie has…’
It feels as if it takes him forever to turn his board around. It’s as if the music stops, everyone goes quiet, even the ocean stops lapping at the shore. You could hear a pin drop.
‘It’s a match!’ Zoey screams, shortly followed by Matteo, who yells the same in Italian.
I feel as if my smile is going to rip my face right open, I’m so pleased with myself. Sure, it’s a small, petty victory, which doesn’t exactly level the playing field, but unless I’m willing to sleep with one of Daniel’s friends for revenge (no effing way) then this is the best I can do.
Round one: Lila. Well, Lila and Freddie.
After we are set free from our separate boxes, I finally see Freddie’s face and he looks just as pleased as I do. He picks me up off the ground and twirls me around. When he finally stops, I get to claim my reward. Daniel and Eva’s miserable faces.
‘They’re looking over at us,’ Freddie whispers to me. ‘Grab my ass or something.’
‘You grab my arse,’ I reply, feeling a little too shy to do it.
‘Okay,’ he says as he grabs me.
I squeak with delight, mostly for the benefit of our audience. I can see a look of fury on Daniel’s face and I take so much pleasure from it. Let’s see how he likes it.
‘This means that, at the top of our leader board, we have Freddie and Lila,’ Zoey announces to a roar of cheers. ‘Join us tomorrow, when our remaining couples will compete again, for a chance to win the surprise prize, which I can now reveal is… 5,000 Euros.’
I freeze on the spot, slowly cocking my head like a dog who has just heard a whistle. Excuse me, what?
Freddie looks puzzled too.
‘Did she just say…?’
‘She did,’ he replies. ‘Come on, let’s get a drink to celebrate.’
22
It’s a perfect night for a stroll. On the one side, you’ve got the island all lit up and alive, on the other, just the black moonlit sea, and starry sky. I love looking out, into the nothingness, focusing on the sound of the tide. It’s like being pulled from the real world and dropped straight into relaxation.
As chilled-out as I feel right now, I’m also excited.
‘I can’t believe there’s a 5,000 Euro prize,’ I squeak. ‘And we’re winning.’
‘We did cheat,’ he reminds me.
‘We did,’ I reply. ‘But that was before we knew it was for money. We just thought we were messing with my ex.’
‘That’s also true,’ he replies.
‘Imagine what a person could do with 5,000 Euro,’ I say, twirling around on the sand. Then I remember that Freddie is probably a millionaire. Freddie winning 5,000 Euro is probably the equivalent of me finding a twenty-pound note in a handbag I haven’t used for a while. ‘Well, I could certainly do a lot with it. I could pay off what’s left of my wedding, for a start, just cancel the whole mistake out. I could put some towards buying the house off Daniel, if that’s even possible… I suppose I’ll need to find somewhere of my own…’
I’m getting carried away.
‘Let’s win it, then,’ Freddie says casually. ‘Well, win it together, but you can have it.’
‘What?’
‘Let’s play – properly, without cheating – and let's win. If we take this seriously, I think we have a good chance. We’ve done the part where we answer questions… We’ve got a real shot, Lila.’
‘But… we’re not even a real couple?’
‘So what?’ He laughs. ‘What’s the difference? There’s two of us, we were going to spend the holiday hanging out together anyway. The only real difference between us and the others is that they share a bed.’
‘So we’re more like a married couple, is what you’re saying,’ I joke. ‘Do you really think we could win?’
‘I do,’ he replies. ‘And if we don’t, we’ll have fun trying. Wasn’t tonight fun?’
‘It certainly was. Seeing that look on Daniel and Eva’s faces – my gosh.’
‘So…’
‘If we did win together, I couldn’t just take the whole prize,’ I say.
‘Lila, I’m doing OK for money,’ he responds. ‘The movie industry pays quite well.’
I smile.
‘Okay, sure, I’m in,’ I say.
I can feel the excitement rushing through my veins, giving me life. To be on such a high, after feeling so down in the dumps… it almost makes it all seem worth it.
I hug myself as a cool breeze glides over the beach. I don’t know if it’s the sea air, the excitement of the day or a combination of both, but a wave of tiredness washes over me. I yawn.
‘Shall we head back?’ I suggest. ‘I’m pretty tired and it’s starting to get a bit cold, isn’t it?’
‘Sure,’ he replies. ‘I’d offer you my jacket if I had one.’
‘What a gentleman,’ I say with a smile.
‘People never think I am,’ he says. ‘People think I’m going to be the arrogant, sex-mad deviant I play in the movie.’
Okay, I a
m going to have to watch this movie. I need to see this version of Freddie for myself. I just can’t imagine the sweet, charming man standing in front of me being a raging pervert, even if he is just acting.
Freddie offers me his arm for the walk back to the villa, which makes me smile.
‘Can you hear that?’ Freddie asks, stopping in his tracks.
I listen carefully and hear those familiar little squeaks I heard a few days ago.
‘Oh, my gosh, that’s my buddies,’ I tell him, hurrying over to the bushes.
‘Your what?’ Freddie asks me, following close behind.
I carefully move the branches to show him the kittens that live there.
‘Oh, wow,’ he says. ‘I'm usually more of a dog person, but these guys are cute.’
Today their mum is with them. She rushes over to us, to see if we have any food.
‘Hey, cutie,’ Freddie says, reaching down to pet her. ‘Wow, she’s so tame for a stray.’
‘She is,’ I say. Then again, who wouldn’t want to be all over Freddie, human or feline?
There’s something so attractive about big sexy men either petting animals or holding babies, isn’t there? Seeing Freddie give this cat attention just makes him seem all the more swoonsome.
As we continue back towards the villa, normally you’d expect the night air to grow quieter and quieter. But tonight, as we approach my suite door, I hear something. It’s a familiar sound, coming from inside my suite. It’s…
‘Oh, God.’
‘Is that…? Can I hear someone…?’
‘Yep,’ I reply.
I am uncomfortably familiar with the sound of my best friend’s orgasm, after living with her for so long. Her rhythmic moaning always left me feeling worn out. I could never understand how she could make so much noise for so long. I don’t know if it’s an auditory illusion, because I’m focusing on it, or if the noise is getting louder.
‘I’m guessing she really hit it off with that barman you told me she was pursuing,’ Freddie says.
‘God, I hope so,’ I reply with a laugh. You never know with Ali – she could just be alone and bored. Oh, nope, there’s a man making noise too. I can hear him. God, I can really hear him. Perhaps she’s finally met her match. If she has, it’s going to be like a game of tennis between two pros. It will go on, and on, and on.’
‘Do you want to come in for a drink?’ Freddie suggests.
‘No, it’s late, don’t worry, you get to bed. If I know Ali, this is going to go on all night,’ I tell him with a sigh.
‘Okay, well, come and sleep with me,’ he suggests. I notice him instantly regret his choice of words, before awkwardly trying to regain control of his offer. ‘I mean, come and sleep in my bed tonight – I’ll sleep on the couch.’
I don’t know what kind of face I pull, but Freddie reacts.
‘I know, it’s a little awkward but…’ Right on cue, Ali screeches like an owl in the night. I wouldn’t be surprised if her head was turning all the way around too. ‘It can’t be more awkward than going in there.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course,’ he replies. ‘I can’t leave you out here, can I?’
I smile. I can’t believe how good to me this man is, when I’m pretty much a stranger to him (and a ridiculous one at that).
‘Thank you,’ I say.
Inside Freddie’s suite – which, it turns out, is bigger than mine – you can still hear Ali and her new friend going at it like rabbits, but the wall between us dampens their sound effects enough to try and pretend it isn’t happening.
‘You can take the bed,’ he says. ‘The maids changed it this morning. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll show you up – I need to grab a blanket anyway.’
It’s a little awkward, heading up to Freddie’s bedroom with him – made all the more uncomfortable by the sex noises coming from next door. For a moment, I feel my footsteps fall into a rhythm with the grunting, and it makes me feel weird, as if I’m participating.
‘Your bedroom is so tidy,’ I say, looking over his neatly made king-sized bed, his clear bedside tables and the tiled floor that isn’t littered with a scattering of clothing as mine is.
‘I knew the maids were coming to change the bed today, so I made sure all my things were tidied,’ he says. ‘I don’t want them thinking I’m some asshole, leaving my stuff everywhere, expecting them to tidy up after me.’
Oh, why does he have to be so dreamy?
‘Here’s a clean T-shirt for you to sleep in,’ he says, tossing me one over.
‘Thanks for this,’ I say again.
‘You’re welcome. Well, I’ll leave you to get some sleep.’
‘Yeah, hopefully Ali isn’t too noisy to stop us,’ I reply.
‘If they get any louder, I’ll bang on the wall.’
‘That’s probably what they’re doing,’ I joke. ‘They’ll just think we’re joining in.’
My cheeks heat up with the fire of a thousand suns. Why did I say that?
Freddie laughs as he bids me goodnight, before heading downstairs. He’s left me. And you know what I’m going to do now, don’t you?
I slip off my dress, leaving it exactly where it lands. Freddie might be tidy, but I’m not – and anyway, I’ll be putting it back on before anyone sees me.
I take my phone from my bag before climbing into bed and loading up a video. Before I press play, I listen carefully, waiting for Freddie to stop moving around. If I wait until he’s settled and I keep my volume low, he’ll have no idea what I’m doing – plus the cloak of Ali’s multiple orgasms will provide an extra layer of privacy.
I place a finger on the volume-down button, ready to mash it as soon as the video starts playing. It doesn’t take long on the Netflix home screen before I find it… Edge of Eden, Freddie’s movie.
I’ve never been a fan of the so-called ‘mummy porn’ books that have been all the rage for the past few years, so I didn’t bother with any of the big-screen adaptations either. It’s a strange one, isn’t it? Because for me, going to the cinema is such a social activity, and going to see a mucky movie with my mates – even if the sex scenes are acted – is something I can’t imagine doing. And, anyway, why pay for it when my best friend tries to supply me with my fix for free?
I suppose anything is great that gets women talking about sex and being more open about their sexuality. We’re weirdly conditioned to think that sex is for men and that women shouldn’t talk about it – in the same way we’re not supposed to talk about periods, and all we’re supposed to want in life is to procreate. Hilarious, really, given how closely linked sex, periods, and having kids are.
Sometimes you just don’t fancy a movie, not until you bump into and strike up a friendship with one of the leading actors, while you’re on your honeymoon alone. You know, that old one.
Now that I know Freddie, and given what I know about the movie, I have to watch it. I have to.
Certain the coast is clear, I press play. I only need to watch a little bit of it, just to satisfy my curiosity. Then I’ll get some sleep.
23
Day 9
It’s that weird kind of light, somewhere between the sun setting and the sun rising.
My senses feel heightened. I can smell the leaves on the trees, the dirt on the ground, the rain in the air… and then Freddie steps closer to me, and all I can smell is him. All I can think about is him – how much I want him.
‘What?’ I ask him nervously as he approaches me.
As he slowly moves his body towards mine, I lean back against the tree behind me.
‘I want you,’ he whispers into my ear. ‘I need you.’
At first, he takes my earlobe in between his lips, nibbling it gently before kissing down my neck. My eyes roll back into my head as I moan, until I remember where we are.
‘Wait, someone might see us,’ I say. ‘People walk through here all the time.’
‘I don’t care,’ he says breathlessly. ‘Do you?’
> ‘I don’t,’ I reply. It surprises me, but I really don’t. All I can think about is Freddie and how much I need him too.
Freddie takes both of my wrists in one of his big, strong hands and holds them together tightly before pinning them to the tree above my head. With his free hand he tugs the string of my bikini top and in one swift movement it’s gone.
The breeze lightly brushes over my bare skin as I stand there, waiting, wondering what Freddie is going to do.
It feels like an eternity before he finally makes his move. Freddie lifts me up with one hand, pressing his body against mine, holding me in place against the tree. I lock my legs around him as he kisses me passionately.
It feels so naughty, being out here in the middle of the woods. Anyone could walk past at any point, but that’s half of the thrill – a thrill I never knew I wanted.
The clouds open and rain showers down over us. It does nothing to dampen the mood though, as our open mouths fill with water and our bodies become slippery. I hold on extra tight.
‘Mmm, you’re a bad girl, Lila,’ Freddie tells me between kisses. ‘Lila, Lila, Lila…’
I open my eyes.
‘Lila, are you OK?’ Freddie asks me. ‘You were making some really strange noises.’
I sit up in bed quickly. Oh, God, I was dreaming. That was all a dream? It felt so real.
‘Yeah, I, erm, I’m fine,’ I say, but it’s hard to look him in the eye. I shield my eyes, making out the light is bothering me, but it isn’t the sun that’s got me all hot and sweaty. ‘I was having a bad dream.’
‘What happened?’ he asks curiously. ‘Were you running? You sounded out of breath.’
Oh, God, I was definitely breathless.
‘What time is it?’ I ask him, changing the subject. I unlock my phone, which opens on the Netflix screen for his movie. I quickly close it, which makes me seem like I’m in even more of a flap than I already was, when he caught me having a sexy dream about him.
It’s all his bloody movie’s fault; I watched it right before I fell asleep. That scene, in the woods, in the rain, was pulled straight from the Edge of Eden playbook. A lot of the scenes were your classic S&M-type stuff – exactly what I expected. This one scene in the woods… It was all about Edward Eden trying to please Hannah, his love interest, instead of him using her, which is what 99 per cent of the movie is all about.
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