Three weeks later.

The weather is Bali is perfect. Better than Sydney's at the moment which is being hit with constant torrential rain.

We're on Sunset Beach in Gili T, oodles of white sand with crystal clear water lapping at the shore. Nick is lying on a white sun lounger next to me.

I agreed to go on this holiday so long as he promised to stick to my ground rules, and that this trip has to be completely platonic. Otherwise it's a romantic getaway.

Since our arrangement is strictly sex, and I could end up homeless should it get too complicated, he agreed. I even made him sign a waiver with all the rules, being the lawyer that I am and all.

They go like this;

Rule Number One:
Absolutely no nudity.
Nick added: If we see each other naked we won't be able to stop ourselves, and that's not very platonic.

Rule Number Two:
Separate beds.
Nick added; if we sleep in the same bed I will curl myself around Tilly and she won't be able to resist my charms.

Rule Number Three:
No heavy drinking.
Nick added; If we get drunk we know we'll break rules one and two straight away.

Rule Number Four;
No leaving the other alone.
Especially not to flirt, talk to, or attract the opposite sex. No one on this holiday should feel like they're third wheeling.
Nick added; Not bloody likely to happen!

Rule Number Five:
We are to be open and honest about anything and everything without judgment. If one is feeling uncomfortable they are to voice this.
Nick added; Without judgment? Have you met yourself?

I felt much more comfortable with the idea of going once The Rules were set in place.

Now we're three days into a seven day trip. Nick has an unfair advantage in that he's been to Bali lots, and this is my first visit.

The novelty hasn't worn off for him yet though, so he's constantly grinning like an excited school boy. It's kind of infectious.

He is currently reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, which is one of my favourite books. I suspect the only reason he's reading it is because he's seen me read it.

After a while he lays it down on his chest and looks at me.

"What?" I ask, not looking up.

"Do you really like this?"

I put my own book down, Pride and Prejudice, which I've read so much the cover is hanging off. "Yes, why?"

"It's so depressing."

"It is literally about her depression. One of the lines is "stewing in my own sour air" under the jar, meaning she is trapped in her depressive thoughts."

He looks at me. "... Is that how you feel?"

"I am not depressed." I nod my head towards the small row of shops. "Do you want me to run and buy something more age appropriate? Georges Marvellous Medicine or something?"

"I wouldn't mind reading Danny The Champion of World, now that you mention it."

I jokingly slap his chest and he grabs my hand, twirling my bangle around my wrist before letting it fall again. It's only been a week since we last had sex and I miss him.

Platonic, I remind myself. This is a friend's only holiday.

I turn to lay on my back and make sure all my limbs are firmly pulled away from him. The heat is becoming oppressive, sweat is pooling in my crevices.

I start to lift my long t-shirt off. I've put a bit too much thought into the swimming costumes I'll wear around Nick. I didn't want them to be too sexy, but I also didn't want them to not be sexy at all.

I must have ordered around one-hundred different kinds. Some lacy, some racy, and some a nan would wear. I tried to settle for a happy medium.

Today, I'm wearing a plain black bikini, the bottoms being high waisted so there isn't too much skin on show.

Once I've taken my t-shirt off and casually discarded it to the side, I pull my suncream from the beach bag and splash too much out on my hand.

Nick pulls his sunglasses down. "Crikey. will you ever give it up?"

I start with my arms, trying to make sure my bingo-wings don't swing about. "Why are you so obsessed with my suncream?"

"It's not suncream. It's paint. You are painting yourself in a thick white shield against the sun. You might as well not even step into the sun when you're slathering yourself in that stuff."

"It protects me. Not all of us grew up in Australia and have skin hardened against the fatal UV rays."

"Now you sound like a suncream advert."

"If I get so burnt I blister and we cant step out into the sun for the rest of the holiday, how are you going to feel about my suncream then?"

"Absolutely fine because I've never known anyone to blister from sunburn."

"Well, my sister did when we went on holiday to Spain."

"What did she do? Fly to the sun and hug it?"

"You're impossible." I say. "Worse than impossible, you're hard work."

At this he smirks at me and gives me a knowing look. "I'm hard, am I?"

"Oh, get your head out of the gutter you utter rat."

"You're the one who said it."

"I said you're hard work, cos you are."

"I'm hard for you, if we're completely honest."

"Nick! This is meant to be platonic."

"How can I be platonic when you're wearing bikinis like that? You look unreal."

"I'm going for a swim." I huff, feeling my cheeks blaze.

"I'm coming too. Ha. Ha. Get it, coming."

"Oh for God sake!" I laugh, getting to my feet and heading to the water, I'm not surprised at all when he follows. Wading in just behind me.

I try and swim away from him as fast as I can but he's a seasoned swimmer and athletic too. He keeps up with me, a knowing smug grin on his face. I want to wipe it off but I don't know how, I also want to throw myself at him but I'm not keen to be the one who blurs the lines.

Even though the line is basically mud at this point.

If I'm really honest, I have to actively stop myself from thinking about kissing him, and there's nothing platonic about the way he's looking at me right now.

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