There were times when he was opento discussion, that was different, and it was never behind his back. At othertimes, he always seemed a step ahead of them. He instinctively knew how theywould react whereas they had to think about it.
McReidy had the uncomfortablefeeling that Gillespie wanted to say something to her. She didn’t know if itwas Giacomo’s presence that stopped him or some sort of doubt on his own part. It was nothing he said or did, just a feeling she had. Did she really know himthat well that she could pick up on his feelings? Her eyes widened as shewondered if she was as easy to read.
A glance around at the almostempty bar and Gillespie couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “You knew what wasgoing on, didn’t you?”
“What do you mean?” McReidy tooka long sip through the straw, emptying nearly half her glass. She kept hereyes down, avoiding Gillespie’s probing look.
“You know very well what I mean. Today. That was no accident.”
“I didn’t know we’d be runninginto four ships.”
“You could have warned us.”
“And bypassing Aran and theothers wasn’t warning enough?”
“Not for that.”
Gillespie’s non condemning tonemade her immediately feel guilty.
“I’m sorry.” She glanced upcautiously to Giacomo then Gillespie, asking forgiveness for what she felt wasa lack of honesty. “I didn’t think it was my place.”
Neither man needed to forgiveher. She had been put in an unenviable position.
“A little more warning would havebeen nice. I like to know what I’m looking for.”
“I thought we had plenty of time,”Giacomo defended.
“Thinking’s your whole problem,”Gillespie teased. “Nothing ever goes according to plan.”
“What plan?” McReidy mumbledunder her breath
Gillespie’s quick glance told herhe had heard. He continued undistracted to Giacomo. “You react better tocircumstance. You haven’t got as much time to worry.”
“I don’t worry.” Giacomo lookedto McReidy to back him.
“Yes, you do.” She had to agreewith Gillespie.
“Especially since you took aninterest in a certain young lieutenant…” Gillespie deliberately trailed off,seeking a reaction.
Giacomo glanced at his watch anddowned the rest of his drink. “I have a dinner date with a certain younglieutenant.” He stood up, leaning over the table to look down at Gillespie ashe repeated his words. “So I am going to leave you two miserable souls toyourselves.”
“He’s getting quite cheeky, isn’the?” Gillespie asked as Giacomo disappeared.
“I think we both deserved that.” There was an awkward silence for a moment. McReidy’s glass was empty and shesuddenly decided to escape while she could.
“Don’t think you’re getting offthat lightly.” Gillespie’s hand covered hers, almost forbidding her to move.
“Steve –” she began slowly.
“Oh, so it’s Steve now, is it. That means one of three things… You’re definitely not flirting with me.” Hemoved his hand from hers and began to count off the choices on his otherfingers. “This is not a social discussion… So you want me to shut up,” hedecided. “All right, I’ll shut up. Just answer me one question.”
The look she gave him told himthat would depend on the question.
“It was always Shimodo he wasprotecting, wasn’t it? There wasn’t the same passion about Antigua.”
McReidy nodded. Passion was nota word she would have used to describe John’s actions, but she realised itdescribed him perfectly.
Gillespie didn’t have to askanything else. “I guess we don’t have to worry about him any more. I’m gladhe’s finally started to confide in someone.”
“Giacomo’s not the only one withother commitments.”
“You’re going to desert me too? Where are you off to?”
“None of your business. Butdon’t worry, you’ll soon find someone to keep you company.”
McReidy had accepted John’spostponed invitation to watch the second half of the cricket match. There werea million other things she could have been doing. Since they had started thiswhole escapade together it seemed somehow right to finish it that way. Notthat it was finished yet. After all, it meant another trip back to Shimodo topick up Kowalski and the others.
*
“It’s open,” John called inanswer to the beep.
McReidy let herself in and foundhim sprawled across the lounge, his eyes riveted to the screen.
“I thought you might have changedyour mind,” he barely acknowledged her presence.
“Well I didn’t… So shove over.”
He moaned half heartedly as hedragged himself to an upright position. As his eyes met hers, she saw that hewas happy. Genuinely happy. He seemed to have an inner peace about him. Itreminded her of how he looked when he was asleep.
His gaze returned to the screen,his feet automatically rose to the coffee table.
“Get your feet –”
She was cut off by a glare thatreminded her where she was. There was none of the usual antagonism that camewith it. Instead, there was a sense that she could take whatever liberties shewished with him tonight – and get away with it.
“The guys aren’t very happy,” shespoke cautiously, testing his mood.
“They’ll forgive me,” he shruggedoff the comment dismissively. “You might not, but they will.”
She turned sharply to face him;his eyes remained on the screen. “What do you mean, I might not?”
“Because you’re a woman,” he toldher, as though the answer was obvious.
She was glad to see that he hadnoticed – she was beginning to wonder. He didn’t treat her the same as theother women on the ship. He didn’t quite treat her as one of the men either. He was cautious, respectful, and downright infuriating. She thought that itreflected their past history and the uneasy truce they had called. The morethey had come to depend on each other, the easier that truce was to keep.
However, the comment rattled hera little. It wasn’t meant to be derogatory and yet she couldn’t help feelinglike getting back at him.
John found it difficult to reallyget into the game, especially since Sean had unwittingly told him the result. He was becoming restless and easily distracted. He got up and fixed himself adrink, not forgetting McReidy. She thanked him. As he sat down, his feetautomatically rose to the coffee table.
“You know half the girls on thisship have got a crush on you.”
The comment stopped him in histracks. He was slowly swirling his drink around the bottom of his glass. Hishand froze; his mind went blank. He wasn’t aware that he held
