Until I Met You

Chapter Twenty-Two

That night, Amelia hosted a dinner for everyone who had managed to arrive in Tobago ahead of schedule and with a positive attitude. The bride and groom retired shortly after. Amelia insisted the couple catch up on their beauty sleep. The rest of them went out dancing at a nightspot recommended by Maya. She’d been there the night before with friends and was over it, which made it perfect for the ‘older’ crowd. Located in a gingerbread-style building in the centre of town, Harry’s Hideaway featured a restaurant on the ground floor and a dancehall on the second.

They filed up the narrow stairs and barrelled onto the dance floor. Samantha shook off the day’s heavy emotional shadow. She’d straightened her hair, slipped on a sparkly halter top and jeans, and slathered on lip gloss. She was ready for a party.

The DJ played the summer’s hits. The crowded dance floor walled them in. Roman gripped her by the waist and they moved together. The first and only time they’d danced, they’d been cautious, aware of the spark between them and afraid to fan it. This time, they fused together. He cupped her face and they shared a rum-laced kiss. She ran her hands down his back, moulding him to her. He whispered in her ear. ‘Let’s go.’

‘But we just got here!’

She was only teasing. They could turn around and leave right now. This day had been one long test of her patience. From one group event to another, she was desperate to escape with Roman. She wanted to go back to his place, close the shutters on the world and have him all to herself. How much better would it be this time around now that they knew each other better? They’d figured each other out, all preferences known and noted. This was the good part, new and exciting yet familiar. They had two nights to experience it and she did not want to waste time. She didn’t want to play into his hands, either. She wanted him to want her.

‘How much longer until I get you alone?’ he asked.

‘Not long. I promise.’

A few songs later, Jason and Jasmine, the seasoned couple, were sipping rum and Coke at the bar. Jen and Chris, the newly minted couple, were making out in a corner. Adrian hadn’t joined them, opting at the last minute to stay in, which meant Hugo was wild and free, dancing with a group of women from Trinidad on a girls’ trip. She and Roman made their way to the edge of the dance floor.

‘I’m going to the bar,’ he said. ‘Want anything?’

‘Ice water.’ She didn’t plan on getting much beauty sleep tonight. However, if she reported for bridesmaid duty with a hangover, the bride would toss her into the pool to sober her up.

‘I’ll be right back.’

She pointed to the double doors behind her. ‘I’ll be out there.’

Samantha made her way through the crowd and stepped out onto a narrow terrace overlooking a quiet side street. The night air made her shiver. Hugo was in a corner, slumped on a wooden stool, nursing a beer. He called out to her, ‘Hey, Sam!’

She went to him and ruffled his hair. ‘What are you doing out here all alone? Where’s your new girl gang?’

‘I couldn’t keep up.’

‘I don’t believe it.’

‘Are you having a good time?’ he asked.

Samantha leaned against the wooden rail. She felt light, bubbly. ‘I’m going to have exceptional sex tonight. I mean premium, top-shelf sex. Possibly the best of my life.’

‘Maravilha!’Hugo exclaimed. He raised his bottle high.

Samantha saw through the cheerful demeanour. She noticed the creases at the corners of his mouth. ‘What’s up with you?’

Hugo ran his hands through his curls. ‘Nothing much.’

‘Come on. You can talk to me.’

‘What’s there to say? Everyone else came here to find love or fall deeper in love. Meanwhile, it looks like Adrian and I are splitting up.’

Samantha’s heart tanked. ‘Don’t say that!’

‘It’s true.’

This was a crisis. Apart from her parents, Hugo and Adrian were the most stable couple she knew. Even when she’d caught them arguing on the beach earlier, she hadn’t worried for them. She’d assumed they’d work it out by sundown.

Samantha looked around for a free stool, dragged it over and sat next to him. ‘Tell me everything.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m not going to ruin your night.’

‘Don’t worry about that, just talk to me,’ she said. ‘This is my area of expertise.’