ELIZA

CHAPTER THIRTY: JACUZZI

I hid the phone behind the ventilation grille; it was the only place I could think of that could fit my phone. I changed my clothes at the speed of light, trying to act normally.

When I entered the second bathroom, Cosmo was already sitting in the jacuzzi, effectively bringing me down to earth:

"Wow, look at you, with such body you could compete for Miss Universe."

I blushed. I had never had a reason to be ashamed of my body, but this comment made me prefer a one-piece swimsuit. Especially since I hadn't looked in the mirror, being too busy with the phone call, I didn't know if he was joking or was serious.

I was wearing a black bikini, rather skimpy one, but at least a good size.

"You've seen me before," I reminded him.

The beginning of our relationship wasn't something I was proud of, so my cheeks flushed even more with embarrassment.

"Jump in," he changed the subject pointing to the water, closing his eyes with delight.

Whether he did it on purpose or not, I was grateful to him for not staring as I stepped into the bubbling water.

The hot tub calmed me down a bit. At least I could think, because Cosmo didn't feel like talking.

For sure I was anxious that I had heard a woman's voice. But what I was most concerned about was that it was not an unfamiliar voice. The voice belonged to none other than Barb, my friend, Tom's ex-girlfriend.

What was she doing with him? She was still supposed to be on vacation, I thought, desperately trying to explain Tom's behavior, which was difficult giving the circumstances. The mere fact that she picked up his phone knowing that I was calling was weird. And "hello"? She must've known from Camila that I'd been kidnapped, she should've asked where I was, because I called from my number...

"Something happened?" Cosmo asked, already sniffing something wrong. He came closer to me to be able to "read" me even more.

"I'm worried," I had to make up my story very quickly. It would be completely nonsensical to claim that everything is fine. "Another trip... We could stay here longer."

He narrowed his eyes like a detective, but then nodded slowly.

"I know, but I have to keep the safety issues."

"It's okay," I pretended to be disappointed.

Or maybe...

My stomach twisted. Or maybe Tom and Barb got together? Maybe they cleared up their misunderstandings? How else to interpret the situation?

I was so pensive that I didn't even notice what Cosmo was up to. It wasn't until I felt his lips that I realized he had kissed me.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I yelled, pushing him away. I got up, indignation, frustration, all boiled inside. "Do I even seem willing to you?!" I continued screaming, taking out all my anger from a few minutes ago on Cosmo.

I jumped out of the jacuzzi looking for a towel to cover myself with it. I wasn't just thinking about Tom anymore. I thought bitterly about the entire opposite sex. It turned out that all guys are the same and only think about one thing...

He didn't say anything. He silently watched as I picked up a towel from the floor. His silence was worse than trying to justify his act. I thought he would somehow make fun of it or mock me to save his face. That silence made me feel guilty. Weird, but I felt guilty about the way I treated him.

As I hadn't fled from the room, after five minutes of idle standing next to the jacuzzi, even in a towel, I started to feel cold. I tried to occupy my head with Tom, but Cosmo's unusual behavior dumbfounded me. What happened that he wanted to kiss me? So suddenly? Was it the jacuzzi? Or maybe he guessed that I had changed my clothes for too long and that he had made up the rest of the theory and wanted to check my reaction? What if I just failed the test? Was I sure that the sound on the phone was turned off? What about vibrations? There was no end to my paranoid thoughts, so after a while I entered the jacuzzi again. Now I wanted to justify myself.

"You look angry," I told him. His eyelids were half closed, but I was sure he was watching me. "We agreed that you wouldn't come near me, it's obvious that if you don't keep your word, then I'll go crazy... I want you to never, never come closer to me again. Okay?"

He smirked. He nodded and without saying anything as he stood up. This time it was he who left. Cosmo came out not only from the jacuzzi, but also from the room.

I didn't know what to do. Should I go out or not? Did Cosmo go for a bottle of wine or for more oils? Or maybe he wanted to turn on the TV with music in front of us and was just looking for a remote control? Or maybe men also have their moods?

When he came back he was already dressed. He was wearing long pants, a navy blue jacket, and a white shirt. I have rarely seen him in such an elegant combination. Well, it was probably only once, in a suit, at a "friend-sister-ex-girlfriend" wedding.

He looked super tempting and when I thought how much I liked him and how handsome he was at the moment, I had to look away lest it encourage him to kiss him again.

For some reason, he came over to me. He leaned in so I had my litany of bitter curses ready, regaining my vigor. However, I didn't say even one swear, because he made me speechless. I watched in horror as he pulled my phone out of his trouser pocket (which, by the way, was hidden in the ventilation grille a moment ago), and then dropped it into the water.

I've never had a reflex. This time also I didn't manage to catch the phone, which immediately fell to the bottom. I took it out after a few seconds, staring terrified that it was probably a few seconds too late. Unfortunately, my phone was not waterproof.

Cosmo looked at me, then at the phone in my hand. For this triumph in his face, I wanted to kill him. But there was nothing I could do. He was the one who always carried a gun, and he could use it for breaking the rules. Eventually I used my cell phone, and having found it meant he knew it. Maybe he didn't close the suitcase on purpose to check if I could stand it? Or was it just a punishment for an unrequited kiss?

He left the room, and this time I didn't mind it. I wasn't interested in where he was or what he was doing. When, after fifteen minutes of drying the phone with the dryer, I didn't notice any improvement and the cell phone still wouldn't turn on, after combing the apartment I noticed that he was absent.

I was surprised. Cosmo never left me alone unless I was tied or closed. In fact, I could escape easily - I could open the door from the inside.