Well here we are again, thank you all for the resoundingly awesome response to the first chapter. This continues to be a joy to write and it is brilliant to hear that you lot are enjoying it.

Rosesandskulls and I hope you enjoy chapter 2, introducing the charming, yet crude colleague ;)

Emily:

I quite honestly didn't know what to do with myself. After making sure that Naomi had made it safely to the reception without any more close encounters, I just needed a cold shower. It was really rather ridiculous. I'd spent, what, 10-15 minutes with the gorgeous blonde and my libido was all over the place.

She had so clearly been checking me out, but it was almost as if she was caged, like she was trying so hard not to give in to her instincts, to what she wanted. I was sure that she was at least half Lesbonese, at least that was the initial impression I got by the way she was just looking at me. Maybe she was just intent on making sure I wasn't going to throw the snake at her again. She really had been fucking adorable with that iPad.

I've never doubted my gaydar before, ever since I was about 12 I had the innate ability to pick out a lesbian at thirty paces. But her, she was an anomaly. I had spent the best part of ten minutes looking into her eyes trying to figure her out and I was still none the wiser. I'd saved her from certain death, or at least from breaking her iPad, surely that meant that she owed me dinner. I wish I had suggested that before we parted ways, fucking brilliant brain, think of a way in when it's too late. I shook my head and wandered off in search of an ice cold beer. My shift finished about ten minutes ago and I'd sure as hell earned it.

I punched my card out and threw the hideous shirt they made us wear in my locker. Applying deodorant was a must in this heat, unless you actually wanted to stink like a warthog. After making damn sure I smelt as nice as possible, at least until I could actually show my skin some warm water, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and nearly fell into my favourite seat in the staff lounge.

"Long day, Emily?" Thomas sat down across from me and offered me half of the doughnut that he must have stolen from the canteen, which I lovingly accepted.

"You could fucking say that Tomo, two gazelles were caught in the fence again and the little buggers refused to help themselves and stay still. Then I had to feed all the wounded, by myself, because Cook had mysteriously bloody disappeared and then...well, there was an incident with an absolute out-of-this-world gorgeous girl, a snake and a very confused libido. How about you?"

I realised halfway through that I was ranting. Tomo, bless him, would always just sit there and let me talk at him for hours, he was either a great listener or able to sleep with his eyes open. I didn't really care which, for some reason it was therapeutic.

"Tell me more about this girl." Tomo said smiling, ignoring my question, which was just as well really, because she was all that was on my mind.

"God, Tomo, she wasn't just a girl, you know? Like... There was something special about her, something unexplainable. As soon as I saw her, as soon as she opened her mouth, I just wanted to know everything about her. Is that weird?" I asked, not really waiting for an answer before ranting on, "And don't even get me started on how fucking gorgeous she was. Between having the body of a healthy looking Victoria's Secret model and a face that should seriously be immortalized in a bloody Da Vinci painting, I was just fucking gone the minute I laid eyes on her. Oh! Her eyes. Tomo... I have never in my life seen as beautiful and mesmerizing eyes as hers. They were the most alluring blue you could ever imagine... Also, she was blonde... You know how I like hot blondes."

I could've probably gone on about Naomi for much longer, which, in a way, was kind of disturbing seeing as I'd been with her for all of 15 minutes, but I couldn't help myself. Unfortunately Cook decided to magically reappear at that exact moment.

"A hot blonde?" He asked grinning as he came marching into the lounge, "Where?"

Classic Cook really. It wouldn't have surprised me if he'd disappeared earlier that day for a quick shag somewhere with a hot and willing holiday maker. He fucking loved it at the resort. It was his own personal pussy paradise. He'd screw the girls one after another, and he wouldn't have to deal with any consequences because they'd leave within a few weeks anyway. Okay, so maybe there had been a few consequences of his man-whoring on more than one occasion, but it was always either the parents finding out or the girls he was screwing finding out about each other. Nothing he couldn't handle with one of his grins and his fucking boyish charm, that and he could run pretty quick.

"Oh no, Cookie, you keep your grubby mitts off this one." I told him playfully, but inside I was feeling strangely possessive already. What the hell.

"Why? If the girl is as fit as you claim then Cookie wants a piece!" He announced loudly as he flopped down on the couch.

"Cook, trust me, even if she wasn't into women, I can promise you that she wouldn't do you even if you were the last bloke on the planet and the only way of saving humanity was by sitting on your crayola dick." I said, perhaps a bit too harsh.

Both Tomo and Cook looked over at me then, frowning amused. I don't know why I sounded like a possessive and jealous girlfriend. I rarely ever did relationships anyway and the few times I had it was never serious or intense enough for me to be jealous. I guess I really wasn't the jealous type. Or so I thought.

"Bloody hell, girl, how hot is this blonde?" Cook laughed, and then seemingly realising what I'd said, "wait, is she a muff muncher?"

"Well, I mean... I think so..." I said uncertainly, but when I saw Cook's eyes light up, I regretted not saying that she was indeed, without a doubt, cockaphobic.

"Ha! That's good enough for me, Red. Not that it would've stopped me anyway if she was." Cook grinned with a wink, "my crayola dick can turn any girl straight."

It wasn't that Cook wasn't a good-looking guy or anything like that - if that's what you're into. I mean, I guess I could see what all the straight girls seemed to see in him. He was extremely charming, even I could see that. Still, even without knowing Naomi at all, she didn't seem like the girl who'd fall for that. No, she definitely had more sense. Of course, she had hit a snake in the head with an iPad.

"I seriously fucking doubt that, Cook." I laughed, "as in I think you turn more girls gay than anything, really. You definitely wouldn't, under any circumstances, ever get with a girl like her." I didn't know why I was so damn sure. I've always gone with my gut instinct when it comes to working out a hot girl's sexuality...it was almost like a reflex. But my stomach was tied so tightly in knots from the few brief moments I'd shared with Naomi that I didn't know whether I was coming or going.

"That sounds like a challenge to me, Emilio." Cook grinned, his eyes lightening up, "ya think you're up for it?"

"Up for what exactly?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Well, the challenge of course, Red! Now, I totally understand if you'd like to back down. You are dealing with me after all and we all know they all come to the Cookie Monster in the end." He said cheekily.

"Ha! I'd like to see that happen with Naomi." I said without thinking, "Trust me, Cook, if anyone's gonna release the wild animal laying like a coiled spring inside a certain hot blonde, it's gonna be me." I saw him fight the urge to make some God awful joke about it being his spring inside her, so predictable.

"You've got yourself a bet, Red!" Cook laughed confidently as he got up from the couch, "May the best pussy magnet win!" He winked at me and ruffled my hair slightly as he left.

"Wait, what?" I asked confused when Cook had completely vanished from view. I looked over at Tomo, not really sure what the fuck I had agreed to during that conversation, "what just happened?"

Tomo just looked at me amused, smiling like he always did, "I think you just made a bet with Cook about who can get into that blonde girl's knickers first." I cringed as the stark reality of what I had just agreed to hit me full force. I really wasn't that kind of girl, at least I didn't think I was, but maybe being a completely shallow arsehole was contagious and I'd just been around Cook too long.

"If it is any consolation, Emily, you seemed very confident..." Tomo was one of those rare people who like to try and see the better side of everything, very much a cup half full kind of guy.

"Not really, Tomo, but... thanks." I said, feeling the knot in my stomach growing awfully uncomfortable.

He smiled at me again, bright and beaming before he left me to rethink the entire conversation. Why did I always get myself into the most difficult fucking situations. Betting over who can get between a girl's legs quickest just wasn't me, but then neither was backing down and that's all Cook would see if I put an end to it before it got out of hand. Fuck.

A moral dilemma of the highest order. Did I bow out gracefully and let Cook think I was a pussy, or did I shut up, play along and hopefully get some action? After all... it had been nearly three months since something other than a good Kelly Brook fantasy and my trusty right hand had made me see stars. No. I couldn't do it, not to prove something to Cook anyway. If I was going to get anywhere with Naomi it would be because she'd felt something too.

I had to admit that there was a tiny part of me that wanted to jump right into it. I wanted to find out what that feeling had been between us anyway, a few bragging rights between friends would just be the cherry on the icing on top of the cake and ammunition that I could use to shut Cook up next time he started ranting and raving about his most recent conquest. No. I stopped myself from thinking about it any further again. It was just plain fucking wrong. I had to find Cook and tell him all bets were off and that I would appreciate him letting me figure out my own shit with Naomi before he went swaggering in. That was, if she was even the least bit interested, of course.

I downed my now lukewarm beer and instantly regretted it. It tasted awful, but had to be done. On my salary I couldn't afford to waste anything. We only get paid the equivalent of about six quid an hour but earn "the experience of a lifetime" - or so our boss kept assuring us. Fucking arsehole, I'd like to see him spend an entire day clearing shit out of the 'hospital' enclosures for less than fifty pound a day. The game drives were fun though, going out into the reserve with guests from the hotel and showing them the most beautiful creatures the world had to offer, sometimes it still took my breath away.

Time for reminiscing later, I told myself, as I wandered off into the foyer. Cook was long gone, more than likely to the staff quarters to freshen up before hunting down Naomi and going on the charm offensive. I started running, for Cook 'freshening up' meant showing his bollocks and armpits a wet wipe and I needed to get to him before it went any further.

I couldn't fall asleep that night. I looked for Cook everywhere, but I couldn't find him. I felt sick to my stomach thinking he'd already found her, already made his move. I tossed and turned all night, and by the time morning came around I was actually starting to panic.

Before I started my shift that morning I went by Cook's room to catch him and hopefully put an end to everything before it began. I knocked desperately on his door. He was always late for work, so the fact that it didn't seem like he was in filled me with even more trepidation.

"Cook!" I yelled through the door in case he was simply in a drug and alcohol induced coma, "Open the fuck up, you tosser!"

When there still wasn't any sign of life behind the door, I had to come to the conclusion that he'd been out all night, possibly screwing some girl...who was I kidding, almost certainly giving someone a good seeing to. Question was if that girl had been some random he'd pulled or if it had been the blonde Goddess I'd met and been totally mesmerised by the day before.

"Fuck." I exclaimed loudly as I slammed my hand into the door in frustration. I couldn't spend anymore time trying to hunt him down though, I was about three minutes away from being late for work. And I was never late. I took pride in being punctual.

As soon as I'd punched in my card and taken care of a few standard morning chores, I went straight to the reception to find Tomo. I hadn't seen Cook all morning and it was making me fucking anxious.

"Tomo, have you seen Cook this morning?" I asked the second I reached the desk.

"I am sure you will find him out at the pool. " Tomo said smiling, but he must have noticed my anxiousness, he would have had to be blind to miss it, "are you okay, Emily?"

"Oh, um, yeah, I'm fine, really, thanks Tomo." I blurted out as I almost fell over myself hurrying out to the pool area. I didn't do coordinated at the best of times, let alone when I was rushing around like a headless bloody chicken.

The fucking pool area. I should've thought of that the minute I woke up. Of course Cook was going to be out by the pool, perving at all the half naked girls. I couldn't say I blamed him. If I didn't enjoy my work with the animals so much, I'd probably spend the majority of my time by the pool myself.

I quickly scanned the area for the familiar sandy blond hair and cheeky grin. It took me about 10 seconds to find who I was looking for. He was leaning against the lifeguard's chair, perving so obviously it was ridiculous. I made a beeline towards him, not giving a second glance to any of the half naked women who were sprawled out on the sunbeds, tanning their holiday away. It always bothered me why people would choose to spend their days by the pool when they were surrounded by the most breathtaking nature the world had to offer. Idiots.

"Cook," I said when I reached him, but he barely acknowledged me. I must've said his name at least four times, but it still wasn't before I'd slapped him behind his head that he seemed to realise I was standing next to him, "Cook! Stop fucking eyeballing for one bloody second, you wanker, I need to talk to you."

He glanced over at me once, very quickly, before returning his full attention to whomever he was so intently staring at, "talking can wait, Red, I'm looking over the Cookie Monster's next lucky target."

For a second I felt relieved that he didn't seem interested in Naomi or the bet anymore, that was until I followed his line of sight and felt my fucking jaw hit the ground. There she was, sprawled out on one of the sun beds under a parasol, wearing nothing other than a two-piece navy blue bikini and a pair of sunglasses, looking fucking drop dead gorgeous and sexy as fuck. I think I forgot how to breathe.

"Yo... Red!" Cook grinned as he waved a hand in front of my face and closed my gaping mouth, "you're fucking dribbling, mate. Need a bucket?"

"Sorry, what?" I asked, completely fucking out of it, every comprehensive thought had deserted me. Jesus, that girl was one of those people who would cause you to get run over in traffic because you couldn't help but fucking stop and stare at her.

"Ya sure know how to pick 'em, Red." Cook said as he turned his perving eyes on my blonde Goddess again, "this is gonna be fun."

The cheeky laugh that accompanied the word fun made me momentarily snap out of my paralyzed drooling state, "actually Cook, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." I said distracted as my eyes kept betraying me by glancing over at a half naked Naomi, "I... I can't do it. I just... It's not right, and I wouldn't do something like that to her, alright?"

"Aw, come on now, Red." Cook said distracted, still leaning against the lifeguard chair, still fucking staring, "it's all fun and games..."

"Yeah, until someone gets hurt." I finished as I looked over at Naomi again, feeling like the last thing I wanted was for that beautiful girl to get hurt in any way, particularly if I had something to do with it.

Cook turned me around to face him then, looking more serious than he had a minute ago, "No one's gonna get hurt, Emilio, right? She'll never have to know, and within a few weeks she'll be on her way home anyway, no harm done, yeah?"

I looked over at her again. She was now completely lost in her iPad, which I assumed she was reading on, and I noticed her biting her bottom lip in concentration. She was so fucking beautiful, and I just found everything about her so fascinating. Fuck me I was having palpitations just watching her, wishing that it was me biting that lip.

"I don't know, Cook..." I started, not able to look away from her now, "she's just really... you know... isn't she? I mean, there's just something about her..."

"Oh no you don't, Red," Cook said as he turned my head back to face him, "I know that look. We're not going back down that road again, are we? We've both learned our lesson, haven't we? Ya don't do serious with holiday makers, so don't even start thinking about her that way. Look at this as an opportunity not to let yourself get too attached again. Remember she'll be going home in a few weeks, so let's just keep it light and fun and let the good times roll, yeah?"

I looked over at Naomi again. I think I'd known from the moment I met her that she was the kind of girl I could love, like really truly fall head over heels in love with, if I let myself. I also knew she was exactly the kind of girl I shouldn't make myself vulnerable to. She'd be going home in a few weeks and I'd be left behind with my heart shattered into little pieces... Again.

As I looked at her, I remembered the gut wrenching feeling that was having your heart broken into a million pieces, the months I'd spent trying to put myself back together. In that instant I just knew that if I let myself get too close to her she could destroy me without even knowing it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself to shut off all emotion for a moment of clarity and made up my mind.

"No one's gonna get hurt, right?" I asked Cook again, needing reassurance.

"I promise Emilio. Just a friendly competition. Though by looking at her, I can tell it's gonna be a challenge...but fuck me it's gonna be fun." Cook punched me playfully on the arm, pushed his sunglasses up his nose and wandered off hopefully to do some work, fucking lazy toad.

Friendly competition... I could do that, right?

There you have it, don't lie, I bet you all had a fabulous image of one bikini clad Naomi Campbell, I sure as hell did.

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Peace and love as always guys xxx