“No, I don’t have a problem with that.”
Taylor’s face sure did. Georgia had yet to see her smile, other than when she’d been on stage singing.
Damon hooted. “Say that without the vinegar in your mouth.”
Taylor kicked sand at him, but she looked at Georgia with vinegar’s older, badder, prison-record wielding cousin, poison in her eyes before she stomped away.
“Don’t take that the wrong way.”
What was the right way to take Taylor’s obvious hostility? “She hates me.”
“And the context is she hates everyone I date.”
Which meant it went like this: Angus wanted Heather, Jamie wanted Taylor. Taylor wanted Damon more than she wanted Angus or Jamie. Georgia scrambled to her feet. Why would Damon want to bring her and Taylor together? Taylor who he’d had to argue with to get here, if not to make Georgia feel like she was in a competition for his affection? If not to use her in whatever his twisted relationship with Taylor was.
“Georgia.” He sat up.
“I’m going for my turn. I do want to go up alone after all.”
“Shit.” Damon got to his feet. He reached out a hand, but he was sideways to her and the glare must’ve made it hard for him to see. Unless she made a sound, he didn’t know where she was, because of course he was blind and he’d never see her, never know what she looked like. And despite his independence, he’d always need the people around him to be considerate. She didn’t feel considerate. Her dad and Hamish had taken her consideration and used it all up so there was nothing left in the emotional well it’d come from and no time to get a refill.
She felt even less like being used as Damon’s plaything. She walked to the edge of the tent where the shade gave out to the sun’s burn, knowing the squeak of the sand under her feet would tell him she was leaving. Right now she’d rather have blisters and peeling, weeping skin than stay with him.
She walked out to where Jamie was standing. Everyone else was at the shoreline.
“Great day,” she said. Stupid words, but she had to say something. She faced the sea and so did Jamie.
“Don’t leave him there without telling him what you’re doing.” She sighed, eyes down on the sand mounds at her feet. Jamie went on. “It’s okay to fight with him, hate his guts, but you can’t decide to abandon him.”
“He’s not helpless.” She wanted to bite her tongue off, she sounded so petulant.
“He’s not helpless at all.” Jamie kept his eyes on the parasail; Heather taking another turn. “He’s got more resources, financial and personal, than all of us put together. But it’s rude to walk away from him like you just did.”
“Ahh.” Her face and neck were so hot from embarrassment she might blister without the sun’s help.
“Whatever Taylor said she said because she worries about Damon on a professional level. She’s been doing it so long, its part of who she is.”
“Have they ever been…” she floundered and fell back on Taylor’s word, “an item.” It might account for the look of longing Jamie had given Taylor.
Jamie shook his head. “No.”
Where was this irrational jealousy coming from? She’d spent one night with Damon and she was carrying on as if she owned him one minute and couldn’t bear the sight of him the next.
“Are you going back there? He’ll want to go up tandem because he likes hearing the other person’s experience.”
She looked towards Damon. He’d made no attempt to leave the tent. He’d moved into the sun though, ditched his singlet and was stretched out, arms folded behind his head.
Jamie took her hesitation and turned it into action, stepping forward. She grabbed his hand to stop him. “I’ll go.” He nodded and she took a chance on him, because he’d been straight with her when she’d needed it. “You’re into Taylor.”
He gave a mocking laugh. “Wild guess.”
She let his arm go. “Sorry. I thought I saw… Never mind.” She looked at Jamie’s feet, dug into the sand. He was smart, the sand was so hot it was burning her toes, but a layer underneath it was cooler, like she needed to be. “Thank you for being upfront with me about Damon.”
“If he hasn’t told you how hooked by you he is, he will. Don’t worry about Taylor.”
She sighed, lifted her face and smiled at Jamie. She’d liked his earlier hug, she didn’t want to spoil whatever first impression she’d made to make him regret giving it to her. She had to have come close. “I’m pretty hooked by him too. Put this down to a jealous rage.”
Jamie smiled back. “Taylor can have that effect. I’ve learned to live with it. Please don’t say anything about it. She’s not into me and it’ll only make it awkward.”