Page 35 of Going Overboard

I don’t know what I was expecting from the kids’ area but… not this. Nothing this cool. It’s like I said before, I don’t know how they’re fitting whole places in this one ship. If this was in a city, it would be in a big building of its own.

The moment we step through the doors, Dua Lipa’s voice blasts through the speakers, thudding along with the beat as multicoloured disco lights flash and dance across every available surface.

The pool water glows under the lights, causing rainbow-ripple patterns on the walls which only adds to the vibe.

There’s a huge soft play space in the corner, with monkey bars and slides and a ball pool. The place really has been transformed into a nightclub – oh, and now waitstaff are carrying in trays of cocktails that wouldn’t look out of place at a beach bar in Ibiza. Now the party can get started.

Kelsey runs over to Brody and kisses him on the cheek.

‘This is amazing,’ she tells him.

‘Best wedding present ever,’ Neil adds. ‘Other than getting to marry the love of my life, of course.’

We all watch as Al peels off his shirt (because of course he does, he’s Al) before running towards the dance floor and sliding across it on his knees – so the same energy as a six-year-old at a wedding then.

Then he jumps to his feet and starts grooving to the music like someone’s drunk relative at a wedding who’s had just the right (or just the wrong) number of shots.

The man moves well for a big fella. I never expected it.

Kira rushes out to join him, declaring the dance floor officially open.

Brody, of course, is next. He takes Kelsey by both hands and pulls her toward the makeshift dance floor, twirling her around before the two of them dance together.

Neil turns to me and smiles.

‘Come on, Jessa. I guess you’re stuck with me,’ he says.

‘Better you than Todd,’ I murmur under my breath.

I glance over at Todd and Nikki, who are choosing to drink instead of dance.

They don’t look like they’re having fun – they don’t even look happy – and you might think I’d be happy to see it, but I guess I’m not.

They just did so much to be together, they caused so much trouble, hurt people, and for what?

If they don’t even stay together then what was the point?

Neil dances me off to the side, over by the pool, away from the others, just enough for us to talk.

‘You’re really bringing out the best in him, you know,’ he says into my ear. ‘I know he’s been really stressed.’

‘Brody? Stressed?’ I reply.

‘Yeah, don’t worry, he confided in me, I know all about it,’ he replies – obviously assuming I’m covering for him.

‘Oh,’ I say – well, what else can I say? I didn’t know he was stressed.

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to pretend with me,’ he reassures me.

‘He told me. I know it’s the press stuff getting to him.

The constant stories. All the stuff that went down when he and Nikki split.

I mean, I’m not surprised he wonders if she tipped them off.

How else would the papers know it ended because he wouldn’t settle down? ’

Wow, I didn’t know he was going through all that.

I knew that the press gave him a hard time, and that he didn’t like the publicity, but I didn’t know they knew about his break-up.

I suppose I should count myself lucky that the goss on my break-up didn’t reach far beyond the wedding where it went down.

‘Front pages. Comment sections. Everyone calling him a bad boy, a lad, man-child who can’t commit,’ he continues. ‘I know it gets under his skin. I tell him not to read any of it. I imagine you do the same?’

‘Erm, yeah,’ I reply.

I don’t know what else to say. Wow, poor Brody, carrying all of that around with him without letting on. I know, he’s got big shoulders to carry it, but it must weigh heavy on him sometimes.

He seems so big, so impossible to knock down.

Like nothing could actually hurt him – but I suppose that’s only physically.

There’s no gym for your emotions, is there?

If there were I might actually entertain that one.

I often tell myself I’d be invincible, if I didn’t cry at videos of dogs doing absolutely anything or feel annoyed over… well, again, absolutely anything.

I’m not surprised though. I’ve seen his softer side while we’ve been pretending to be together.

Yes, he’s got the charm, the bravado – everything you’d expect of a sportsman who spends his days surrounded by bros, but I see his softer side in the things he says to me, the way he cares – the fact he still dances with his gran.

He’s Brody Ryan… although to his gran I guess he’s just cute little Brody.

That’s what he is to me too, kind of, because I had no idea who he was, or what he was, and even now I do know it doesn’t really mean much to me.

Obviously I think it’s amazing, that that’s his job, that he got to where he is, but I could never be dr awn to him just because he has a good job.

He’s so much more than his job, than what the press writes about him.

‘Mind if I cut in?’ Brody asks, interrupting our conversation. ‘I think your wife-to-be is getting jealous.’

‘She’s getting jealous, huh?’ Neil says with a wink. ‘Sure thing.’

‘Hello, Mr Ryan, children’s party planner extraordinaire,’ I tease him.

‘Hello, princess,’ he replies. ‘Fancy a roll around in the ball pool?’

‘The words every girl wants to hear,’ I reply.

‘So what were you two talking about?’ he asks curiously.

‘Oh, this, that, the other,’ I say vaguely.

‘Me then?’ he replies.

I laugh.

‘Neil and Kelsey clearly think really highly of you,’ I tell him.

‘You sound surprised…’

‘I am,’ I confess. ‘I know we met under… unusual circumstances.’

‘Like you thinking I was the valet and making me park your car?’ he replies.

I pull a fake pouty face.

‘I thought you just really wanted to drive a Fiat 500!’ I reply.

‘If anything, it drove me,’ he tells me. ‘Or did you mean me pulling you out of a dirty fountain, after you kneecapped someone for a bouquet of flowers?’

‘Pretty sure her kneecaps were unscathed,’ I add. ‘But yeah, that.’

‘And don’t forget you snoring the night away in my bath before stealing my tracksuit,’ he continues.

My God, he’s unrelenting – and impossibly charming.

‘I didn’t steal it! ’

‘You didn’t give it back,’ he reminds me.

‘Didn’t I?’ I say as innocently as I can, although I think my smirk gives me away.

‘No, you didn’t,’ he replies, his hands shifting closer to the small of my back as we dance together.

‘Okay, yeah, fine, I know I didn’t,’ I admit. ‘I actually have it here with me – it’s just so comfortable. But when I realised you were here I thought it best I didn’t get it out, just in case you asked for it back.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got loads,’ he replies with a smile. ‘Would you rather have a fresh one?’

I shake my head.

‘There’s just something about stealing a man’s clothes,’ I confess. ‘They’re so much comfier when they feel a little worn in, when they still smell of aftershave.’

He narrows his eyes and cocks his head.

‘Jessa, have you been sniffing my drawers?’ he asks.

‘Mostly the top,’ I insist. ‘Whatever it is you wear… it smells really good.’

‘I didn’t think I’d worn any aftershave with those,’ he says.

‘Hmm,’ I reply. ‘Maybe they just smell like you.’

‘Come on then, give me a sniff, see what you think,’ he demands. ‘Because now you’ve got me thinking that I might actually be intoxicating, which I could get on board with. Imagine the power.’

‘Okay, I’ll give it a go, but don’t be disappointed if your powers don’t work on me,’ I reply. ‘It could just be your washing powder.’

‘There’s only one way to find out,’ he says, practically goading me.

We’re still over by the pool, away from the others, like we’re in our own little world. Brody’s invitation to get even closer to him is one I can’t turn down .

My nose brushes the skin just under his ear, and, yeah, he really does smell good. I don’t know if it’s just his smell or his aftershave or both but it sends my senses into overdrive.

My face lingers there longer than it should, my nose nuzzling into his neck like it has a mind of its own. His skin is warm and smooth, and I feel him shift, like he’s leaning in to me too, like we’re magnetised.

His arm tightens slightly around my waist so I press my body closer to his. I feel like his heartbeat just got much stronger, and faster, or maybe it’s my own beating out of my chest but the moment is dragging me in, refusing to let go, and I’ve never felt so alive.

I pull back ever so slightly, just enough to look at him.

We catch each other’s eyes, and there’s something undeniable between us, something unspoken but loud and clear, it’s that perfect moment, the one where you both know you should kiss.

We lean in so slowly it’s like an especially delicious kind of torture and…

I don’t know if we do actually kiss or if I just imagine it, but suddenly I’m gasping for air.

Not because it was that good (although I’m certain it would have been), because I’m in the pool, fully clothed, flapping around like a fish out of water (ironically) as I struggle to my feet.

Luckily it’s not deep, it’s the kids’ pool, but I’m even more relieved that it’s not too shallow because we could have been seriously hurt.

Brody is in the water next to me. He wipes it from his eyes and runs his hands through his hair to stop it dripping in his face.

I only have to wonder what the hell just happened for a second when I spot her, Nikki, standing at the edge of the pool, staring angrily down at us.

‘Oh my God,’ Kelsey says, rushing over. ‘Nikki, that’s not okay at all. ’

Al, ever the hero, gets into the pool to make sure we’re okay. It’s not deep, we’re clearly fine, but that’s Al – a well-meaning hero.

After checking us over, he looks back at Nikki.

‘Nikki, that was really dangerous,’ he tells her.

‘Yeah, what was that?’ Neil asks. ‘We thought it was light-hearted, the other day, when they were in their swimwear. But this? This isn’t funny.’

‘It’s totally unacceptable,’ Kelsey says.

She isn’t normally one to get angry and she hates to say or do anything that could be considered impolite, but Nikki has clearly crossed a line.

I like to think I would do the same, if someone pushed my best friend into a pool at a party.

No, I know I would, because honestly, what the hell was Nikki thinking?

It’s not my problem if she has buyer’s remorse, if Todd isn’t turning out to be the man she thought he was – tough luck, I went through the same thing.

And maybe she does want Brody back, maybe she’s jealous, maybe she blames me for everything but even so…

don’t bloody push people into bloody swimming pools.

I try to rub the water from my eyes without rubbing eye make-up into my eyeballs, because that’s never fun.

‘It’s okay. It’s fine. Let’s just leave it.’ I force a smile.

I just want Kelsey and Neil’s wedding to be okay, I don’t want Nikki ruining it by making it all about her.

Al takes me by the hand and helps me out of the pool in my waterlogged dress.

Brody hauls himself out, water cascading off him, as he marches over to Nikki who is still just standing there, her arms crossed, her face like thunder.

Her cheeks are beetroot red, but whether it’s from embarrassment or rage, I can’t tell. I’m assuming it’s both, but I’m not sure she’s capable of feeling shame .

‘Jessa didn’t deserve that,’ Brody says, cool and calm but clearly really pissed off. ‘You owe her an apology.’

Nikki shrugs. I don’t think she thinks she’s done anything wrong, which is absolutely wild.

‘Jessa, I’m so sorry,’ Kelsey says.

‘No, no, I’m sorry,’ I insist. ‘This is your party and your wedding and this shouldn’t be happening.’

Poor Kelsey looks like she might cry. Kira stands nearby, wide-eyed and stunned into silence.

And then there is Todd, who is still across the room, a drink in his hand, watching us all, completely expressionless.

Erm, this is his partner, should he not say something?

He’s always been a coward now that I think about it.

‘I’d better go get changed,’ I say, lifting the edge of my dripping dress, as though I’m examining it to see if it’s that bad – it’s really bad. I’m pretty sure it said dry-clean only so that’s fun!

‘Yeah,’ Brody says with a heavy sigh. ‘Me too.’

We walk out together, and I hold my head as high as I can (which is tricky when it’s waterlogged) and try to keep my cool.

Inside though… inside I’m screaming. Nikki has gone too far this time. She can’t get away with this.