Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Half an hour later, Dylan and Frankie finally made it out of the pub.
Frankie screamed as they splashed through the now torrential rain to the little tourist gift shop around the corner, the cold water pouring down her back, soaking her long skirt in seconds.
Dylan’s teeth were chattering by the time they got inside, where he leaned against the door and shook the water out of his dark hair.
‘Hi, Michael,’ said Frankie to the young man at the back of the shop who was watching them with amusement.
‘Morning, Frankie,’ he said, with a huge smile, adjusting his baseball cap. ‘Lovely day.’
‘Ha. Yes. Isn’t it delightful?’ She turned to Dylan. ‘Michael, meet Dylan. Dylan, Michael is one of the students who comes over for the – er – summer to help us out.’
‘Bit in the middle of nowhere, isn’t it?’ said Dylan, grinning as he shook Michael’s hand. ‘Sorry about dripping on your floor,’ he said, as the water pooled around his feet.
Frankie wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Michael, this poor man is stranded on the island until the ferry comes and we really need to get him some more clothes.’
Michael waved a hand, his dark eyes crinkling. ‘Looks like you could use some too, Frankie,’ he said mildly.
Frankie looked down. Her clothes were clinging to her body, leaving little to the imagination. She raised her eyes, half expecting to find Dylan looking at her but he was too busy poking through the little seashell sculptures and boxes of fudge on the shelves.
‘Help yourselves,’ said Michael. ‘I’ll send the bill to your mum.’ Another flash of his straight white teeth.
‘Ha. Yeah, she’ll love that. She thinks he’s her toy boy already.’
‘She does?’ said Dylan, looking up from the fridge-magnet display, his eyes wide.
‘That’ll take the heat off me for a bit at least,’ said Michael.
‘Oh Lord,’ said Dylan. ‘You poor thing.’
Frankie laughed. ‘You two can handle my mother, I’m sure. Wait, that sounded wrong.’
Dylan snort laughed. ‘I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t want us to do that.’
Frankie lifted a shoulder and turned to the clothing racks. ‘Wouldn’t bother me. Everyone else has.’
‘Ooh, like that, is it?’
‘Definitely. She’s the fifth tourist attraction on Herm, didn’t you know?’ She couldn’t keep the bitter edge from her voice.
Dylan raised his eyebrows. ‘And which one are you?’ he said, his voice low.
‘Oh yes. Very amusing.’
‘I wasn’t actually joking.’ Dylan took a step closer to her, a lazy smile on his face, and she tensed.
‘So, you need some clothes?’ said Michael, coming out from behind the counter and pointing needlessly to the racks right in front of them.
‘Yes, please,’ said Frankie, gratefully. ‘A jumper, at least. And some decent footwear.’
Dylan looked down at himself. She tried not to let her eyes follow. ‘What’s wrong with my footwear?’
‘Great boots. Crap for the island, trust me. What about a nice pair of Crocs?’ She lifted up a pair of the holey waterproof rubber shoes in sky blue.
Dylan made a face. ‘Those are the ugliest shoes I’ve ever seen in my life.’
Frankie smiled. ‘You say that now but I’m telling you, these are the king of shoes. You can even get some little buttons and flowers and things to snap in the holes. Hey, maybe you could get a picture of your “band”?’ She couldn’t resist the air quotes.
‘Good Lord,’ said Dylan, ignoring the jibe. ‘I don’t care what you say, you won’t catch me dead in a pair of those things, I’m telling you now. Anything else?’
‘You’re in a band?’ said Michael, who was leaning against the counter watching this discussion with some amusement.
‘The Misdemeanours,’ Dylan replied casually, flicking through the jackets and anoraks.
‘Flip-flops?’ said Michael with a smirk, pointing at the display.
‘Nope.’
‘Welly boots?’ said Frankie, holding up a pair of yellow wellingtons.
Dylan laughed. ‘Now you’re talking.’
‘I’ve got a matching raincoat,’ said Michael, flicking through the racks.
‘I’m going to look like Paddington Bear,’ sighed Dylan.
‘Cute,’ said Frankie.
‘No photos,’ said Dylan, slipping the raincoat over his wet clothes.
‘I think you might want to actually get changed out of those first, though,’ said Frankie, indicating the drips still coming from his jeans.
Ten minutes and lots of swearing later, Dylan emerged from the changing rooms, a furious expression on his face.
‘If anyone sees me like this,’ he said with a grimace, ‘I swear to God…’
‘Oh relax,’ said Frankie, waving a hand. ‘You look tremendous.’
Uber cool Dylan was now dressed in a pair of yellow welly boots, some dark green chinos, a stripy Breton top in navy-blue and a yellow raincoat. Frankie stifled a giggle.
‘I feel like I should be in nursery school,’ he said with a wail.
‘Nonsense,’ said Frankie, biting her lip. ‘It suits you. But there is one thing missing…’ She walked to the far wall and retrieved a chunky woollen jumper in mustard yellow. ‘Your trip won’t be complete without a proper Guernsey jumper.’
‘Does it have to be yellow?’ said Dylan, wrinkling his nose.
‘No, we have lots of other colours,’ said Michael.
‘Yes,’ said Frankie. ‘It brings out your eyes. Trust me.’
Grumbling, Dylan shrugged off the raincoat and pulled the Guernsey jumper over his head. His top rode up a little as he did so and Frankie definitely didn’t notice the tanned strip of flesh visible above his chinos. He yanked it down hastily and held out his arms for inspection.
‘Now you really do look like you should be in nursery school,’ said Frankie with a snort.
‘Damn you, I knew it,’ said Dylan. But he didn’t take the clothes off. ‘I’m bloody warm and toasty though, dammit.’
‘Told you,’ said Frankie triumphantly.
‘Your turn,’ said Dylan, raising one eyebrow at her.
‘My turn for what?’ said Frankie.
‘To get changed,’ he said, his eyes roving over her body. ‘Not that I’m not enjoying the skintight look. But you might catch pneumonia and then where would we be?’
Was he… flirting? What the actual hell was going on?
‘Oh my God,’ said Frankie, her whole body flushing with shame. He was right. Her skirt was clinging to every curve. ‘Give me a minute.’
She disappeared behind the changing curtain with a pile of clothes and a flourish, Dylan still watching her as she went.