“Maybe Liv likes oatmeal raisin,” Mac says.
“She doesn’t,” Deiss says. “She only eats the peanut butter ones.”
Deiss has paid attention to my food preferences? Thankfully, Simone shifts toward me before I can react.
“Were you okay last night?” She’s pulled off a tiny bit of Clif bar and is nibbling at it like a squirrel. “I wanted to come to your tent so we could protect each other, but I was scared of getting trampled en route.”
Without thinking, I glance at Deiss. Thankfully, he’s busy throwing an oatmeal Clif bar at Mac, which Mac promptly bats back at him.
“I was fine,” I say. “I slept through most of it.”
“So did Mac!” Phoebe shakes her head in disbelief. “I don’t know how you guys managed that. It sounded like an earthquake. I almost had a heart attack.”
“Same,” Simone says. “What about you, Deiss? I suppose you slept right through it, too?”
“Nah,” Deiss says. “I was up for the whole thing. It was pretty exciting. Maybe even fun-tastic.”
My head jerks toward him, but his face is perfectly blank. In spite of myself, I laugh.
“I haven’t heard that in forever,” Simone says. “I used to be obsessed with that show.”
“Were you?” I shrug, managing to restrain myself from laughing again. “I thought Boy Meets World was much better.”
“Are you kidding?” Simone looks at me like I’ve just claimed sardines are better than champagne.
“It’s-ola the-ola truth-ola,” I say, pulling out the big guns.
As expected, the group breaks into Ola-Speak, everyone laughing and trying to outdo each other’s speed. Everyone except for Deiss, of course. He’s shaking his head, but I spot the relief in his eyes when he looks at me.
With an enigmatic smile, I wink at him.
* * *
—
To my relief, the rest of the day goes smoothly. Whatever weirdness might have spilled over from last night was wiped away by the reference to his past. I suppose that’s why it’s so easy to be grateful for his offer to share a room when my debit card gets declined in the hotel lobby. Or maybe I’ve simply resigned myself to the fact that Africa is a place where I end up spending my nights with Deiss. It’s the same hotel we stayed in when I arrived, so I know the room will have two beds, even if they have been pushed together.
“Should I be worried about the fact that my card was just declined?” I ask the group, despite the fact that the guy behind the desk just assured me that their machine frequently struggles with debit cards.
“You should be worried that you live in the 1800s,” Simone says. “Who doesn’t bring a credit card when traveling overseas?”
“I’ve never traveled overseas,” I say, squaring my shoulders at her tone. She’s managing to sound awfully judgmental for someone whose own credit card is tied to a family bank account. “Nor do I use credit cards. I have one, as recommended by Seeking Security, and I buy one thing each month on it and pay it off immediately, in a responsible effort to build my credit rating.”
“I have like six,” Mac says, reaching for his wallet as if he’s going to display them for me like a proud dad with pictures of his kids. “But I like to use the blue one best because it’s made of metal.”
“Quick question,” Simone says, holding a finger up in the air. “If your credit is so spectacular, why did that man just reject your payment?”
“You just heard him say a lot of debit cards are declined,” Phoebe says. “It’s a problem with his machine.”
“I need a shower,” Deiss says decisively. “Liv, let’s go.”
“Wait,” Simone says. “Not together, right? All showering is being done separately, right?”
Because I don’t appreciate her, of all people, questioning my spending, I choose not to reassure her. I arch an eyebrow instead, allowing the corner of my mouth to curl in a suggestive smile. It’s a move that makes me feel petty, but her territorial attitude toward Deiss is beginning to grate.
His hand presses against the small of my back, sweeping me away. Over his shoulder he calls out, “Downstairs for dinner in an hour.”
“I’ll need longer than that,” I say once we’re outside. The moon is full, and the lighting along the wooden-slatted path is a welcome change from the darkness outside the campsites we’ve been staying at. But the density of the jungle feels strange after several days of vast land and open skies.