Chapter 12

The hotel's breakfast area was alive and kicking with the chatter of tourists and the clinking of dishes and utensils. Everyone in our group had finished eating, but the sight of those fluffy golden pancakes from the buffet tempted me for one more round.

"I'll be right back," I said, standing and wiggling my eyebrows.

"I don't get it, August," Simon asked, chuckling as he eyed my body, "how do you eat so much and stay in such great shape?"

I patted my stomach. "You'd be surprised how many calories one can burn chasing after Veronica."

My response earned a round of laughter from the table. Even Veronica managed a chuckle. And with that, I headed back to the buffet and loaded my plate with two more pancakes as I mused over the morning. It had been a surprisingly calm meal with Veronica, to say the least. Not a single argument. No objections. No glares. No punches to my man-self. It was peaceful, almost unnervingly so.

Was it her just enjoying the moment or was she up to something? It was a nice change of pace, no doubt, but still … I was on high alert. Veronica had a knack for surprises, and I couldn't help wondering if she might plan another escape after her meeting with Abena the next day.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I focused on the present. We were spending time together, and I needed to be grateful. Every now and then, maybe for the briefest of moments, it even felt like the good old times, back when we were inseparable.

Returning to the table with my pancakes, I slathered on the butter and syrup and dove in as everybody watched me like I was part of some reality TV show.

Simon scratched his chin, his gaze following my fork to my mouth. "Fascinating, really."

"Stop staring, dear," Sabrina said, before glancing at the girls. "So, what's the plan for today?"

Daphne was the first to answer. "I'd love to go snorkeling near the coral reef and see some marine life, especially the giant turtles."

Caleb raised his hand. "Count me in."

"What a surprise," Veronica said, her tone light and teasing.

Sabrina sighed, relaxing into her chair. "Actually, I think I'm going to take it easy today, maybe make it a spa day. I never got to use the spa when we were at the safari camp." She then turned to Veronica. "What about you? What are you thinking?"

"Why don't you join me for snorkeling, Veronica?" Daphne said.

"I'm really in the mood to explore some of the amazing beaches here," Veronica said. "I was reading up on Jambiani Beach, and I think that's where I would like to go first."

I couldn't resist the opportunity. "That sounds fun. I hope you don't mind if I tag along."

"Another surprise," she answered. Her response was dry, yet amused. "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

"Since you promised not to run—not really." I grinned.

Veronica grimaced and laid on the snark thick when she said, "Lucky me."

Laughter rang out around the table. Then we all agreed to regroup for dinner at seven at the Forodhani Gardens Night Market. Veronica and I also planned to meet downstairs in an hour, which meant I had time to go to the suite to brush my teeth, change into my swim trunks, and gather some things to take to Jambiani Beach with us.

To say I was excited about spending some quality time with her was an understatement. Although I have to admit that when I walked to the lobby at the appointed time, part of me doubted she'd even show. But there she was, looking relaxed, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked.

"A bit," I admitted. "Given our history …"

She sighed, the lightness in her eyes fading a bit. "Running from you is exhausting, August. I need to be a big girl and deal with you head on. I don't know, maybe we could be friends. I'm testing the waters, but just so you know, I can totally resist your charm in case you try to make it more than it is."

My smile widened. "So, you admit I'm still charming?"

Her smirk was quick. "I'm not very discerning."

I chuckled. "You're the pickiest girl I know. And you have excellent taste."

Veronica placed her hands on her hips. "I think it's time for you to stop talking now."

I mimed zipping my mouth shut and held in a laugh.

We took the hotel shuttle to Jambiani Beach, one of the more popular beaches in Zanzibar, known for sand so white it was almost blinding, and water as clear as the filtered water back home at the palace.

Stripping down to our swimsuits, we got ready to jump into the water. Then I caught Veronica's eyes wandering across my body.

"What was that?" I asked with a chuckle.

She hesitated with an answer, then her gaze darted away before she finally said, "I saw a white spot on your skin and was curious about what it was. Now, I can see it was just sunscreen." She avoided eye contact and double-checked the strings on each side of her bikini bottom to make sure they were secure.

"You're a horrible liar," I said.

"And you need to have better judgment of when to listen to that quiet little voice in your head that tells you when to speak your mind and when to just keep things in your head as a thought," Veronica said.

I nodded, then had some fun. My eyes roamed her body without my saying a word, a grin a mile wide on my face.

"But keep in mind that I also know what you're thinking," she added.

"That's nothing new," I said, then pulled the bottle of sunscreen from my bag and held it in her direction. "Speaking of sunscreen, can you get my back?"

Veronica paused, eyeing the bottle of sunscreen before taking it from my hand. Her touch was hesitant but precise as she began applying the lotion to my back. There was something about the way her fingers moved that made my heart race slightly. I couldn't help but relish the feel of her hands on my skin, even when I knew very well, she was taking great pains to make it nothing more than a clinical exercise.

"You're much too quiet," she said, snapping the cap back on the bottle and handing it to me. "Don"t get any ideas, August."

I chuckled. "Who, me? Never. Just appreciating the help."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't quite hide a smile. "Yeah, right …"

I held up the sunscreen again. "You sure you don't need some help too? We're pretty close to the equator, you know. And with your fair skin …"

Veronica hesitated, then turned around, exposing her back. "Maybe just the middle part. I might have missed a spot. Daphne left the hotel room before I could ask for her help."

"Let's start from the top, just to be sure," I said, as I began applying sunscreen to her shoulders, slowly working my way down.

The warmth and smoothness of her skin under my hands was a treat to my senses. Veronica was right; I needed to control my thoughts, or I was going to get myself in trouble.

"You'd better not be enjoying this," she warned, her voice a mix of jest and caution.

"Just thinking about your health," I replied, spreading the sunscreen thoroughly and taking my sweet time. "You should know that."

Veronica huffed lightly, her glorious backside grazing against my swim trunks as she turned back around. Our faces were now inches apart. The proximity sent a jolt of electricity through me. I glanced down at her body, then back up to her eyes. The smell of the coconut sunscreen wafting from her body wasn't making it any easier. I was suddenly in the mood for a pi?a colada, with Veronica as the key ingredient.

I swallowed hard. "Need any more … sunscreen anywhere else?"

"No, thanks," she said quickly, playfully pushing me away before walking toward the crystal-clear water.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" I said, then when she turned around, I added, "You need to have the sunscreen on for at least fifteen minutes before entering the water, or it will wash right off."

I grabbed my rolled towel from the large beach bag, flinging it open, then taking a seat with my arms across my bent knees.

Veronica hesitated, then sighed, walking back toward me. She pulled out her towel and placed it on the sand next to mine. Then she bent over to straighten out the towel, her derrière practically in my face.

Dear God, help me …

She finally sat down, then glanced over at me. "Why do you have that look on your face?"

"What look?" I stuttered, trying to play innocent but failing miserably.

Veronica smirked, then lay down on her towel, arching her back slightly as she adjusted herself. "That looks like you're up to something."

"Who, me?" I said, feigning surprise. "Never."

She placed her sun hat over her face and sighed, a sound that was half contentment, half exasperation. "I'm watching you, August."

"Right," I muttered under my breath, struggling to focus on anything but the alluring sight beside me.

Was Veronica torturing me on purpose? Every move she made seemed like a deliberate tease. The way she arched her back, the little sighs, brushing sand off her thighs, the nonchalant way she adjusted her bikini—it was enough to drive a man insane.

"Why are you still staring?" she said from under her hat.

"I'm not staring," I lied, looking out at the water, trying to think of anything but her.

"I can feel it," she retorted.

"You must be imagining things," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

She lifted the hat slightly, one eye peeking out at me. "Uh-huh. Sure."

"Well, what do you know?" I said, standing quickly. "Time's up! I think I need to cool off."

Veronica laughed as I rushed into the water and kept walking until it was up over my waist. After what felt like an eternity, she finally got up and joined me, not saying a word. The warm, crystal-clear water was so inviting; it felt like a warm bath. We swam out farther, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. Every now and then, I'd steal a glance at her, admiring the way the water made her skin glisten.

"This is incredible," Veronica finally said, her voice filled with genuine wonder.

"I agree," I said, trying to focus on the serene beauty around us and not on the temptation beside me.

We waded even further from shore, the soft sand beneath our feet. The world seemed to fall away, leaving just the two of us in this vast, tranquil ocean.

"We're quite far out now," Veronica observed, looking around. "I can't even see our things on the shore anymore."

"Don't worry about that," I reassured her. "Just enjoy the water."

And we did. For a moment, all the complications between us seemed to dissolve, leaving behind only the simple pleasure of being together in such a breathtaking place. The silence wasn't awkward but comfortable, a testament to the familiarity and ease that had once defined our relationship.

We swam around, the water enveloping us in its warm embrace. However, the fluctuating tide had its own agenda, subtly pulling us away from our isolated patch of beach towards an adjacent one, where there were many more people, in the water and on the shore. Veronica pointed to the impressive rock formations crowning the next beach, where restaurants perched above them hummed with lively music.

"Look at that," she said, her voice laced with wonder.

We both paused, taking in the breathtaking view. It was a stunning sight, a scene that postcards could never fully capture.

"It's beautiful," Veronica added.

"Not as beautiful as you," I said.

She rolled her eyes and splashed water in my direction. "Stop it."

I nodded. "Okay then … just tell me if you thought about me often while I was gone and then I will drop the subject."

Veronica hesitated, then said, "Of course I thought about you, August. Although most of them weren't pleasant thoughts, make sure you remember that."

I nodded. "I do, and I also understand why."

A minute later, she asked, "Is the water this warm in South America?"

I arched an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe she asked me that. I had always considered the topic off limits. She'd never given me a chance to tell my side of the story and what was going through my mind, or share the personal turmoil I had been going through when I had ghosted her. She didn't know the truth, my secret, only my father did, but he took it with him to heaven.

"I thought you didn't want to go there," I said.

"I only asked you about the water, nothing else," Veronica said, then quickly added, "You don't have to answer."

"The water temps vary in Central and South America, depending on the time of year, but the warmest water I have experienced was while I was in Panama and Venezuela. It was actually warmer than this." She nodded, looking deep in thought, before I added, "I missed you. Every single day. And there is something you need to know, something I have been wanting to tell you."

She stiffened, which made me mentally kick myself for saying that. It was too soon, even though it was true. Fortunately, when her mouth dropped open, and she gasped, I knew it wasn't about what I said at all. I followed her gaze and saw a fin slicing through the water not far away.

"Is that a shark?" she asked.

"No, it's just a dolphin," I reassured her. "From what I hear, there are a lot of them around here, and they can be quite playful. They're harmless."

As the dolphin approached, circling her with curiosity, she laughed, delighted. "I never thought I'd swim with dolphins! I know there are places that have them in captivity for the tourists, but this one is wild!"

"And they're fiercely protected by the Tanzanian government. No touching," I reminded her.

Veronica gave me a knowing smile. "Trust me, I'm not about to get arrested in Africa. I couldn't even imagine …"

As the dolphin playfully circled Veronica, her delight was wonderful to see. I only wished I had a camera to capture the moment. She chuckled as it brushed against her, her face lighting up with the joy you'd usually see in children.

"It's like he's saying hello!" she exclaimed, her laughter mixing with the sound of gentle waves.

"He's quite the charmer," I quipped, watching her interact with the dolphin. "Seems you've caught his eye. Guess I have some serious competition now."

Her laughter turned to a startled yelp. "Oh, no—August!" Her voice spiked with panic. "No, no, no! I can't believe this!"

Alarmed, I swam closer. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"My bikini bottom!" She was frantic, her hands searching the surrounding water. "That thief! The dolphin snatched it right off!"

Laughter bubbled up inside me.

Veronica's glare could have frozen the ocean. "This is not a joke!" She glanced around at some of the other people in the water who were fairly close, but they were not paying attention to her, or maybe they didn't speak English and didn't understand.

I suppressed my amusement and surveyed our surroundings. "Okay, it can't be far. Let me go under and find it for you."

"Don't you dare go diving for it!" she warned, her voice sharp.

"I'm trying to help," I defended, raising my hands in surrender.

"You can see everything in this water, August. Everything," she emphasized, her cheeks flaming red, and not from the sun.

Nodding, I tried to reassure her. "Understood. But look, there's a boat heading this way. You can't just stand there like that. We need to figure something out fast."

Panic flickered across Veronica's face as she followed my gaze to the approaching boat. "What do I do?"

Without a second thought, I did the only thing that felt right—I yanked off my trunks and tossed them to her. "Here, put these on!"

She stared at me, aghast. "Are you insane? Now you're …!" Her voice trailed off as she realized we were both in a precarious position.

"Just put them on and go get my towel from the beach. I'll manage here," I insisted, suddenly feeling very exposed as the boat drew nearer. "Better me than you, believe me."

With a mix of reluctance and urgency, Veronica slipped into my trunks and made a dash for the shore, holding onto the shorts as she ran to prevent them from slipping off. It didn't take long before she disappeared through the group of trees that separated the two beaches. I glanced at the people around me, but luckily, they were mostly couples, only paying attention to themselves.

"This was not how I pictured today going," I muttered to myself.

I waited and waited and waited, then scanned the shore, looking for Veronica to return.

"Where are you?" I moaned, wondering what was taking her so long.

The minutes dragged on and on.

As I struggled to maintain some semblance of dignity with my hands covering my privates, a boat approached rapidly. I tried to stay calm, assuming it was just another tour group. But then, a loudspeaker crackled to life, and a voice boomed in urgent Swahili. Not understanding a word, I watched in confusion as people around me made a frantic dash for the shore. The man aboard the boat gestured wildly at me, apparently signaling that I should do the same as the others.

I glanced back behind me and saw a fin coming my way, and it certainly did not look like it was one of the dolphin variety. I frantically hurried towards the shore with my hands trying to maintain some modesty with my exposed parts. The situation quickly spiraled into a spectacle when phones were pulled out of purses and pockets, like guns being pulled out of holsters in a shootout. Just like that, people were snapping photos, taking videos, while other bystanders simply laughed at my expense. Amplifying my humiliation, a child's scream pierced the air as she pointed directly at me.

"Look, Mommy!" she said. "A naked man!"

"Someone call the police!" a man called out.

Desperate for some cover, I sank to the sand in a futile attempt to make myself as small as possible and stop the embarrassing show. Next, I began shoveling sand with my hands from both sides of my body over my nether regions, and just to make sure, I kept shoveling until I was covered from my toes to my navel. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I continued to wait for Veronica, hoping she would arrive sometime this century.

Too bad things only got worse …

A minute later, two imposing officers from the Zanzibar police cut through the crowd and rushed toward me.

"Sir, we need you to come with us," the bulkier officer declared, his grip firm as he hoisted me up from my makeshift hideaway and quickly wrapped a towel around the lower half of my body.

That's when I saw Veronica, eyes wide and horror-struck, as she hurried towards me as best as she could, considering she was carrying all our things. Her expression mirrored my distress as she watched the officers lead me past the onlookers, with each step feeling like a march of shame.

"I don't understand. Where are we going?" My voice cracked with panic.

"We're taking you to the police station," the officer responded sternly. "You're under arrest for indecent exposure."