Makatea's beach

The next morning…

Lying on deckchairs and facing the sea, sunglasses on their noses, Larry and Sybil were lounging under the sun like tourists should.

"Perfect the sea…" breathed Larry.

"Perfect the cocktail…" added Sybil.

"Perfect the silicon," said Larry while watching under his sunglasses a « blond doll » walking past them. "Oh, la la…"

"Hey !" Called Sybil, slapping his head with her magazine to interrupt his gazing.

"Oh, I think I'm beginning to burn," noted Larry seeing his body turning red and to change the subject.

"You want me to put some sunscreen on you, Honey?" she asked, patting her fiancé's chest.

"You would do it for me?"

"Only for you," laughed Sybil. "I love you."

As Sybil was searching through her bag for the cream, she didn't see a young hotel's employee coming up to them.

"Excuse-me, Miss Crawley," said the young woman. "There's a call for you."

"Me ?"

She exchanged a worried look with Larry.

"You can take it at the beach bar."

"But, who can call you here?" Asked Larry.

"No idea. I'll be right back," answered Sybil following the young woman.

Once at the bar, the employee showed her the telephone. Sybil ordered a juice to the barman and took the call.

"Hello ?"

"Miss Crawley ?"

"Yes, it's me," answered Sybil acknowledging Carson's voice.

"Listen, I know you're on holidays but it's an emergency."

"Oh, no," moaned Sybil dropping on a stool. "What's going on?"

"Do you remember the young Ethel Williams? She has some troubles with her son's custody. It's more complicated than expected regarding the father's identity."

"And there isn't someone else to take care of it? I'm on holidays!" Asked Sybil but with not much hope.

"The big boss has been very clear. He wants YOU to take care of this case."

"But it's complicated. With all these hours of flight…and I have to reach Papeete first."

"Your flight is already booked on the Papeete/London's flight for tomorrow morning. You just have to reach Tahiti. Do you have a ride?"

"Well…"

"Yes?" Asked Carson.

"I'll call you back," she said before hanging up quickly.

She just realised she did have a ride to reach Papeete. But she wasn't very open to the idea…

Edna's hut

Makatea

Lying on the bed with Edna straddling him, Tom was enjoying a massage from his companion and couldn't contain a satisfied groan.

"Is it good?" She asked kneading him.

"Oh yes," moaned Tom.

Someone knocked on the door and he moved to get up to answer it.

"Lay still, don't move one inch," ordered Edna pushing him back on the mattress. "Like this, yeah!" She added, smacking his ass.

She ran to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Hi !"

"Hello," said Sybil noting that the woman was wearing the famous tiny pink bikini. "Err, I would like to see…"

"Tommy boy, it's for you!" Called Edna towards the inside.

Sybil watched her and saw that the room was in fact a bedroom and that Tom was lying on his stomach on the bed, a blue loincloth rolled around his hips. Apparently, she just interrupted an afternoon delight…

"Hello," she said finally.

"Oh," said Tom, recognizing her. "Hello."

He sat up on the bed.

"I'm really sorry to bother you but it's an emergency."

"An emergency?" Asked Tom clearly worried.

He got up and squeezed the loincloth around him. He then went to Sybil.

"What's going on?"

"I just had a call from London and I have to be in Tahiti tonight."

"Oh, it's that…I mean, I didn't plan to fly today," he said while looking back knowingly to the bed before flashing her one of his famous smile.

"Oh…I see. Does 1000 pounds could change your mind?"

"Err…."

He turned to Edna.

"My pumpkin, do you want to go to Papeete?"

"Oh, I can't. I'm dancing tonight. It's Tamouré on Thursday," she answered almost pouting.

"Oh, it's the Tamouré's night," he repeated to Sybil.

"Oh."

"I can't do anything for you. Oh, But there will be another time."

Sybil tilted her head and watched him in silence, disappointment on her face. Tom tried to hold her gaze but he knew deeply that he couldn't keep it long. If she went on watching him like that, he will end up breaking down. And she knew it for sure.

"I'm stuck you see. I really have to go, it's very important. You would be very useful… Please, Tom. For old time's sake," she added in a breath.

He watched her intently before nodding.

"Alright," he said despite himself.

"Yes?" Asked Sybil with a big smile that warmed Tom's heart.

"Yes."

"Great!"

"I…I'll meet you at the plane in…what about one hour?" Said Tom, avoiding her eyes

"Wonderful! Thank you," she exclaimed before kissing his cheek and walking away.

Tom stayed stunned, realising what just occurred. It was like he couldn't breathe anymore and his cheek was burning, bringing back memories he had deeply buried within him hoping to never thinking about them again. He watched Sybil's figure retreating, knowing she probably didn't realise what she just had done. This flight would be the longest of his life. But the sooner he got her to Papeete, the sooner he could come back to his new life in which Sybil Crawley didn't have a place anymore…

Larry and Sybil's room

Eden's Hotel

Larry was sitting on a big chair in their bedroom, a towel rolled around his neck. He was biting in a fruit while grousing silently against Carson and his fiancée's work that just ruined his holidays. While he was pouting in his corner, Sybil was packing while chatting. This interruption wasn't to her taste either but, once again, her work had to come before her private life.

"Honey, we know that 38.6% of women have to stop working after their wedding."

"It was in a magazine. It's probably made up," he groaned.

Sybil closed her suitcase and turned to him with a sad look.

"If you had to work, I would understand."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well, that's because you are not as sentimental as I am," he said still pouting.

Sybil couldn't resist and went to him. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Oh," she said kissing his cheek. "So come with me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if I come with you, I know I'll be upset to be over there. If I stay here, I'll miss you but YOU'll feel guilty and I rather have that."

"Come on," said Sybil letting one of her fingers slid on his chest. "It's only for a few days."

"Yeah," pouted Larry.

"My little husband," murmured Sybil in his ear, her hand sliding flat on his chest now.

"Say it again," asked Larry, smiling.

"What? My little husband?"

"I love it! Say it again."

"My little husband," repeated Sybil reaching for the towel to pull him to her lips.

Makatea's aerodrome

One hour later…

To avoid a painful separation and, most of all, another meeting between Tom and Larry, Sybil had taken a taxi from the hotel. As the jeep was coming to a halt on the tarmac, she looked up worriedly to the sky. The weather had considerably changed. The blue sky had been replaced by a sombre grey and the wind announcing a storm was arising.

"Ready to go?" Said Tom that she didn't hear getting near.

He reached in the back of the jeep and retrieved Sybil's suitcase.

"Can we fly in this weather?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"With me, yes."

"I know you're good but…"

"I'm the most talented you ever had," interrupted Tom while they were walking to the plane.

"I'm not sure I can trust your plane," said Sybil with a nod to the cabin.

"Maybe we're not so young anymore, but we are up to the challenge," replied Tom.

"Yeah…"

Tom put her suitcase in the plane where several packages were already waiting.

"What's that?" Asked Sybil.

"Oh, some surplus from the hotel, local art. I had to take them to Tahiti tomorrow but thanks to your job, I'm killing two birds with one stone," he said flashing her a smile of his own.

He stepped aside to let her in.

"It's a stroke of good luck for you, then," she added while getting seated in the back seat.

Tom walked around the plane and took his place in the cockpit. He turned to her and caught a strap at her left.

"Excuse me, I'm gonna strap that so it won't fell on you."

Suddenly conscious of her proximity as he was overhanging her, Tom hurried up to tie up the strap and sit back.

"You…hum, you have my money?" He asked uneasy.

"Oh, yes," said Sybil giving him a bundle of bills. "Here you go."

He didn't really need this money and he would have carried her for free without any trouble but he wanted to stick with their arrangement. Even only for the appearances...It allowed him to put some distance between them.

"Thank you."

"It's the right amount."

"I trust you," answered Tom putting the bills directly in the pocket of his blue shirt.

He then made some last checks and turned the engines on. After a few seconds, the little plane began to roll on the uneven tarmac and took place for the take off. A few humming later, the plane was rising up into the sky, colored in grey and pink by the impending sunset…

To be continued