The Number 8 Read Free Page A

walking back towards the driver.
    “Mr nothing. Call me Ben.”
    “OK, Ben. How long have you been driving these tour buses then?”
    “A few years now. Mostly this route. It never gets old.”
    “So I guess you aren’t from here originally?”
    “No, lived in England for most of my life but…I much prefer it here.”
    Dante was sure he heard his voice crack a little but didn’t push it any further.
    “Where do you live now then?” Dante asked.
    “Here and there. Most of the year I’m driving these tours so I don’t really get a chance to settle down.”
    “Did your family move out here with you?”
    “What is this, twenty questions?” He smiled, then quickly changed the subject. “I wouldn’t miss out on the beach if I were you. Some pretty amazing views down there and after your little…accident,” he smirked, “you need a swim to clean yourself up.”
    Then, before Dante had a chance to respond, he used a lever by his foot to close the doors.
    Rude
, Dante thought.
    Dante got the hint and made his way down the sandy path. He had a strange feeling about this driver. He wasn’t your average bus driver and he clearly hadn’t taken this job to make any friends. But then again, Dante had gotten a little personal pretty quickly. If someone had asked him certain questions he would be taken aback. He wasn’t in the habit of telling strangers his personal business.
    Everyone has secrets, Dante
, he thought.
    But Dante was here to do, not to think, so he wandered off.

Chapter 5
    He felt the sun caressing his skin as he edged along the path. New Zealand had had a warm winter and Dante was lucky enough to be there for the start of spring. A magical time of year. But while the days may be warm, the nights would not. About halfway down to the beach, it got too sandy for his shoes to be effective, so he took them off and carried them under his arm. The sand was a comfortable temperature but he had to skip the first few steps so his feet could adjust. He could abide dry sand but loathed it wet. It had no business getting into the cracks and crevices it found its way into.
    He rounded the last corner and was met with a view that he had been hoping for since he left England. People playing volleyball, others swimming and catching the waves. Asmir was with a group who were relaxing in what looked like holes in the sand that they had dug with spades. The sea, the sand, the sun. It was perfect. He hoped there would be more of this to come.
    Asmir was lying on his back with his shades on in a hole that was way too small for him.
    “Typical. Look at everyone else’s hole. Deep and long enough to fit them in comfortably. Look at yours, shallow and half your size. You may as well be sitting on the sand.”
    Asmir cooly pushed his shades down his rather large nose and said, “Wanna come in?”
    Dante sighed and grabbed a spade that someone no longer needed and began to dig his hole. Deeper and longer than anyone else’s. It took him a while but it was worth it. He sank into the deep pool of warm water and exhaled loudly.
    “Amazing isn’t it?” Annie asked from just over his left shoulder.
    Dante was so relaxed that he couldn’t even verbalize a reply. He just paired a grunt with a thumbs-up gesture.
    He only had a few minutes to himself before Asmir got sick of pretending that his hole was adequate and rolled into his. A wrestling match ensued that dragged in a crowd. They exaggerated pro wrestling moves that they had seen on TV and got roars of laughter from an adoring public. Annie and Becki even picked sides. Annie had backed him, Becki had gone for Asmir.
    “Dante, you’ve got this!” Annie cheered from the side.
    “I think I backed the wrong guy,” Becki jeered, trying to get a reaction from Asmir. And she did. He stepped up his game.
    After a few minutes they got tired and lay back in the pool that was about as big as a hot tub and let the sun hit their faces. The crowd dispersed and neither of them spoke