Ston
“Right,” said Ana. “I’ll collect the chicken wire from my parents, then we can have a little working party.”
Coffee cups, plates and an open jar of jam were strewn across the table. Natali was picking at the last flakes from her croissant and sharing them with Obi, who sat to attention on the banquette beside her.
“I’m sorry Obi’s causing all this trouble. Dida Krila won’t look the same with w-wire mesh all around her.”
“She’s worth it,” said Ana firmly.
“And so are you,” added Lloyd, making Natali shrug, but her narrow face was lit by a smile.
Even thirty-six hours had made so much difference.
At first Ana had been uncertain, because as they’d unpacked the library on Kor?ula Lloyd had been unusually quiet, but during the day she’d passed the table several times on errands and when there’d been children around he’d been as engaged as he ever was.
One of her errands had been to buy a decent bottle of delicious, crisp Grk wine, a speciality of Kor?ula, some of the very best olives and a block of Pag cheese.
She’d so wanted Friday night to be a celebration, because something more important than loaning out hundreds of books had happened this week.
After Thursday night, she felt that they understood so much more about each other as people.
Now they were a team and for the first time Ana really believed this summer was going to be all right.
She was looking forward to the weekend too.
She’d checked with Zac that Meri was free, then booked their surprise dinner for tonight.
If she got her skates on they’d have time for a drink or two at the jazz café first, and it would be the icing on the cake to catch up with her other Dubrovnik friends too.
“Permission to come aboard!” Pajo’s confident voice rang across the deck.
Of all the—!
It was as if just thinking about him had conjured him up. And, of course, he hadn’t waited for her to answer. He was already standing next to the table, his grin reaching all the way to his deep-set brown eyes.
She stood to greet him, brushing crumbs from her shorts. “Pajo. This is a surprise.” Trying to keep her frustration from her voice, she turned to the others. “Lloyd, Natali, this is Pajo. We’ve been friends since we were tiny. Pajo, this is my crew for the summer.”
Towering over Pajo’s stocky frame, Lloyd stood to shake his hand, and Natali followed his example. What did Pajo want here? Why had he come? To cover her confusion, Ana offered him coffee, then escaped to the galley to make a fresh d?ezva for them all.
The process was soothing, and she tried to close her mind to the fact that Pajo was watching her.
Not overtly, but she could see his reflection in the window and it made her flesh prickle.
Why, she did not know; there was nothing creepy about Pajo.
It was her – just her own feelings – making her uncomfortable around him.
He’d done nothing at all. Even turning up uninvited … that’s what old friends did, wasn’t it?
She carried the d?ezva and a clean cup through to the salon where Pajo was asking Lloyd about the library.
This social chit-chat was fine, but Ana had a busy day ahead and she needed to get on.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have offered him coffee, made him so comfortable, but what would it have looked like if she hadn’t?
Rude, that’s what. Rude, and a little bit cruel.
All the same, she didn’t want to be late getting off to Dubrovnik.
If Pajo had gone to the trouble of seeking her out, her need to speak to Meri was all the more urgent.
On the other hand, there was safety in numbers.
As long as she stayed here with Lloyd and Natali, he couldn’t very well ask any unwanted questions.
But as time went by, Ana knew if she didn’t move soon her plans for the weekend would be scuppered. Added to which, Natali had relapsed into total silence – not that Pajo was making any effort to include her in the conversation anyway – and she could not let that continue.
She stood and gathered the coffee cups. “It’s great to see you, Pajo, but we have a busy morning ahead. I need to get over to Mama and Tata’s to collect some wire.”
Pajo stretched. “Then I’ll walk with you to your car. There’s something I want to ask you.”
Cornered. Absolutely cornered. Surely, surely, this wasn’t the big question?
But, of course, it wouldn’t be – not out of the blue like this.
More likely it was to set a date for going to see his apartment, which could easily be put off.
What the hell was she panicking about? She scooped up her keys and hopped from the transom onto the quayside, where she turned to him.
“OK, Pajo. Spit it out.”
He fell into step beside her. “That’s not a very nice turn of phrase. Especially when I’m asking you to a party. The old gang from school are having a get-together and it would be great if you were there too. I ran into Janko and he said they haven’t seen you for ages. It’s his birthday.”
Relief ran through her. This was no big deal. She’d more than likely be working when the time came anyway. “Sure, no problem.”
Pajo’s smile dimpled his chin beneath his carefully cultivated designer stubble, stirring an unwelcome memory of how attractive he could be.
Unwelcome? If it was that unwelcome, why was she even considering…
? But if children were what she wanted, they might as well have a handsome father. And one who was also her friend.
He was speaking again. “That’s brilliant. I’ll pick you up at two. Here or at your parents’ place?”
“It’s today?” Oh no. Really oh no. Why, oh why, hadn’t she asked him when the party was? Her head was all over the damned place.
“When did you think? I said it’s Janko’s birthday.”
He had as well. And she’d agreed to go – just this minute. She couldn’t change her mind and let him down. It might have been different if Meri had known she was coming, but even so, she’d have been between a rock and a very hard place. Sranje and sranje again.
“Here, then,” she said feebly, and he reached to kiss her cheek.
“Don’t forget to bring your swim stuff. Janko’s dad is letting him have the barka for the afternoon.”
So they’d be stuck together for the duration. There’d be no leaving early, no escape. Except into a crowd of people she’d known since childhood, and for that small mercy Ana was mightily thankful.
* * *
Ana eyed Janko’s father’s traditional wooden barka critically.
Sure, it was a beautiful craft, but how he could spare it – and both his sons – on a Saturday afternoon in July was beyond her.
Her tata’s boats would be rammed with tourists by now, all eager for a glass of local wine and a taster of oysters.
Pajo jumped on board near the small kitchen-cum-engine-house at the stern, and Ana followed.
They made their way forwards under the canvas awning, greeting friends as they went.
There were back-slaps and hugs all around before the motors spluttered into life, and they found a space towards the bow end of one of the wooden benches that lined the deck.
She immediately understood why Pajo had invited her; everyone else was part of a couple, and most had children too.
In fact, the boat was swarming with them, and now it was ready to get underway they were either charging from one end to the other or leaning precariously over the wooden rails.
And shouting. Lots of shouting. Ana could barely hear herself think.
She watched as Janko cast off the mooring ropes and his brother thrust the engines into reverse, the clear water foaming against the quay.
On the other side of Malostonski Bay, the wooded hillsides rose into the bluest of skies.
In different circumstances, preferably at Dida Krila’s helm, the afternoon would have been perfect.
Now she felt trapped, and mad at herself for agreeing to do this. It would take them the best part of half an hour to reach the deserted island where they were planning to swim and cook a barbecue, so when Pajo handed her a bottle of beer she took it. Hopefully it would improve her mood.
“This is nice, isn’t it?” he said, stretching his arm along the rail behind her.
She nodded. “It’ll be good to catch up with everyone once we get there.”
“In the meantime, we can catch up with each other. I can’t wait to hear all your news.”
Ana looked around. The twenty or so other adults were all either talking or trying to corral their children, effectively leaving her and Pajo quite alone. OK, conversation it was.
“Tell me about this new apartment of yours.”
“Oh no. I want you to come and see it for yourself. But it’s big, you know. Plenty big enough for—”
She cut across him. “I will. Honestly. I’d like to. It’s just so hard when we’re both travelling. I take it you’re still on the road for work?”
“Oh yes. I was in Venice last week for a conference.” He started to tell her all about it, his voice rising and falling with the level of noise from the children. Did they ever shut up? Did Pajo? Luckily all she was required to do was sip her beer, and nod.
The journey seemed to take forever, but after helping to unload the boat, Ana stripped off and plunged into the crystal-clear water for a swim.
She needed time to herself to get into the right headspace, so she struck out past a small headland into a secluded cove.
There she rested against a partially submerged boulder, kicking her legs lazily, and letting the sun’s rays release the knots from her shoulders.
The roughness of the rock on her skin reminded her of the night on ?ipan when the stranger had joined her in the water, and their shared, silent communion with the elements.
Pajo’s laugh rose from somewhere behind her.
A little of that silence would be good right now.