AFTER THE RAIN (Bonus edition)

27. Sandy, Mandy and Brandy

Yes, the camel ride was uncomfortable. The large creature didn't walk – it kind of swayed and lurched and bashed about on large, clumsy legs. Yes, it was smelly. The creature smelt like a Labrador that had gone for a swim in the dam and then rolled in duck shit. Yes, there were flies buzzing incessantly about its head, and every now and then, a long, sticky string of drool would come running out of its mouth and splatter on the sand below.

So it should have been the most unpleasant twenty minutes of Marcus's life. But it wasn't – it might have actually been the best. Sitting on the back of the camel, with Stormy perched in front of him, he got to wrap his arms around her and hold onto her, guilt-free and uninterrupted. He got to rest his head on her shoulder, in the crook of her neck, and feel her soft skin against the side of his face. Every now and then, she would turn around and look at him, laughing and smiling like this was the best thing she'd ever done in her entire life.

For those twenty minutes, he imagined that they were together. That she was his. And he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like, to have her on his arm and call her his. He felt a swelling of pride in his chest. He didn't care where she'd been, what she had or didn't have, how many idioms and words she got mixed up and what degrees or diplomas she didn't have. (Although he was slightly, secretly thankful that she'd lost her suitcase and he sort of hoped that she wouldn't find it again, if that sunflower dress was anything to go by! But, if she did find it, he'd be okay with that, too.) He'd be honored to have her, even in that pom-pom scarf! None of that mattered to him. Because she was probably the best person he'd ever met.

But when the ride was over and they started walking back to their rooms, the happy fantasy bubble was burst wide open, and Marcus started thinking about the things he didn't want to – like her six-week rule. She didn't do long-term; Marcus did. He also started wondering if perhaps he was more into her than she was into him. Marcus felt giddy, almost drunk on her, and he wondered: did she feel the same way? Another rational thought also burst through the thick Stormy haze: they had only met a couple of days ago. Was it utterly insane to be feeling this for someone so soon? Then again, Damien had told him that he'd fallen in love with Lilly at first sight (and that's saying something, given what she'd looked like at the time. He'd seen that picture of her, disheveled and pajama-clad, her make-up smeared across her face and her hair the size of a bush – in fact, the whole world had seen that picture, thanks to the internet. But that's a story for another time).

"That was amazing," Stormy finally said as they arrived back at their rooms.

"It was," he agreed. But he wasn't referring to the fact that they had ridden on a camel.

"Such gentle animals. Great energy! I really felt a connection to him." And he knew she was being totally serious.

Marcus fiddled with the keys in his hand, once again wracking his brain for something to say to her, so that this wouldn't be the end. "Um... we should have dinner later," he suggested, almost jumping for joy when that thought entered his scrambled brain.

"I'm starved," Stormy said, rubbing her stomach.

"So... Shall we meet outside in an hour? I have to wash the camel off me." He'd caught a whiff of himself a minute ago and had almost passed out. Stormy smiled at him and nodded, turned the key in her lock, and went inside.

***

Stormy closed the door behind her and threw herself face first onto the bed. She grabbed a pillow squished her face into it as hard as she could, and screamed. She screamed as loudly as she possibly could. And when that wasn't sufficient, she kicked her legs and bashed her fists into the mattress.