"I'm miserable." I heard Spiederman complain later as we unboarded the ship at the island of Maupiti. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his lobster red skin and mottled sun burned appearance. That's what he got for roasting himself in the sun for a quick tan. He was lucky he didn't have sun poisoning. I shook my head at him as a sound behind me caught my attention, and I turned just in time to see Tommy walking down the stairs toward the shore. We hadn't spoken much since the incident. It seemed to make us both put our relationship into perspective—a very peculiar perspective. Geez, it's not as if either of us had confessed some deep wonderful feelings for each other, although the massage I had given him still burned through my palms as if my hands were still on his skin. I couldn't keep the thought out of my head.
"Mother Teresa would be horrified at your thoughts." Tommy suddenly whispered next to me as I looked up into his face with cheeks blazing. He had no idea what I had been thinking. Had he? He just raised a brow at me knowingly as I walked across the island slowly—trying to capture the humor in the moment but failing when I thought back to Tom's cabin—listening as Darius told him he was fired. That completely dampened my spirits.
"If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were about to cry, Jude Harrison." Tom stated simply as he followed me. I just rolled my eyes up at him. As if! The islands did strange things to you I guess because I almost felt brazen—like a harlot not afraid of the fact that she uses her body for a living.
"I don't cry, Quincy. I write songs. Which is what you and I were supposed to do together, right? We were supposed to find our lost music again—try to fix what life messed up for us. Only we always find ways to screw it up worse." I remarked with a sigh as I followed a trail down toward a group of caves. Petroglyphs were etched along the sides of the stone and I traced them as I continued to walk. Tommy just sighed as he followed.
"It was a misunderstanding, Jude. That's it. You'll do fine with whatever producer you're assigned and I'll still be working at the studio." Tommy replied as he edged up closer behind me. I could feel the heat from his skin as he got nearer and it disconcerted me.
"Hmmm…But will you be fine working with another artist, Tom?" I asked cheekily—hearing him take in a deep breath at my unexpected response. I couldn't help but smile at the surprise that must have flitted across his face.
"What are you doing, Jude?" Tommy asked me huskily as I walked down a stone embankment toward a crystal clear waterfall. The sight was mesmerizing and I watched as the water slid off the rocks into the basin below without finesse—with unhurried succession. I felt like a native getting ready to dive into the pool for a bath.
"I don't know anymore." I replied simply as I leaned against the rock behind me. I felt Tommy move in closer, and I closed my eyes.
"Have you ever seen that movie 'The Blue Lagoon' with Brooke Shields and some blonde headed guy stranded on a island out in the middle of nowhere—no rules, no restrictions, no one to hurt except themselves?" I asked Tom quietly as he put a hand suddenly on my shoulders.
"What kind of rules would you want broken, Jude?" He asked softly as I stared into the cascading lagoon. It was a deadly question to answer—almost like a snake coiled up ready to strike.