One Day: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Wednesday, July 15, 1992. Emma and Dexter are on Day 2 of a trip to the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea. Neither wants a serious relationship at the moment, with Emma having gotten out of a relationship with a bicycle repairman and Dexter having dumped Naomi as well as several other women,  currently being only casually involved with a former model named Ingrid. Dexter and Emma have agreed to what they call The Rules of Engagement for having a platonic trip, which includes things like separate rooms and no nudity.

Dexter and Emma are reading on a ferry, but Dexter gives up, saying he’s struggling with Lolita, which Emma gave him. Just then a girl and her boyfriend come over and say they recognize Dexter from television, on the show largin’ it. Dexter gets a little embarrassed and tries to introduce Emma too, saying she works part time at Amnesty International now and part time at a restaurant while training to be a teacher. Afterwards, Emma accuses Dexter of putting on a Cockney accent on television and for the tourists who recognized him. Dexter says he has to use an accent or else it alienates his audience.

Dexter asks Emma what she thinks of the TV show he’s a presenter on. She says it’s not for her but that he’s good at what he does. The two of them disembark, and as Dexter goes to find a place to stay, Emma reminds him they need two rooms, per the Rules. Dexter finds a place with multiple rooms, but he lies when he returns to Emma, saying he could only find a place with one room and one bed. He reassures her that it’s a big one. Emma hesitates but then accepts.

Emma sees the room, which has a balcony, and loves it. She tries to appear sophisticated and unimpressed. She goes into the bathroom and struggles with her new contact lenses, which she’s gotten to replace her glasses. She used to believe that anything other than wearing National Health spectacles was vanity but eventually gave in to Dexter’s nagging to get contacts. As Dexter and Emma get ready to go to the beach, he makes fun of how much sunscreen she puts on. He helps her put sunscreen on her back, commenting on how low the back of her one-piece suit is scooped. She notices the yin-yang tattoo he got in India.

On the beach, Dexter and Emma note that many people are nude, and some are even barbecuing without clothes on. Dexter suggests that maybe they should do the same to be polite, but Emma says it’s against the Rules. Dexter says those are just guidelines, and it’s not like he hasn’t seen her nude before. Emma refuses but says that Dexter is funny and should be on television.

Dexter and Emma go back to their room. He showers first. Emma reads, then goes inside to get a beer. She sees the that bathroom door is open and watches the tanned Dexter shower with his back turned. When he suddenly turns to face her, she drops the beer. She showers, then meets Dexter on the balcony. She suggests maybe just staying where they are instead of island-hopping. They decide to go to dinner.

At dinner, Emma suggests that so they don’t run out of things to talk about on vacation, each night they should reveal a secret. She makes Dexter go first. Dexter talks about kissing a man at a gay club he went to with Ingrid recently. He didn’t mind it but still has little interest in men. When it’s Emma’s turn, she admits that she used to have a crush on Dexter back at university, before they even properly met. Dexter says that doesn’t count—it’s not a secret because Tilly already told him back then. He asks whatever happened to that crush, and Emma says that meeting Dexter cured it.

Drunk, Emma and Dexter leave dinner to go walking. The sea is calm, and Dexter suggests swimming. Since they don’t have swimsuits, Emma accuses him of trying to trick her into skinny-dipping, but she joins him when he undresses and goes into the water. Dexter worries briefly that he’s on the verge of a “Situation,” since he’s still sort of seeing Ingrid and since Emma is possibly his best friend. Still, he apologizes for being glib back at the restaurant. He says he liked her romantically back at university too, although he adds that almost everyone is his type. He thinks at the time he wasn’t ready for the sort of serious relationship Emma would want.

Dexter offers Emma a secret no-strings-attached fling. Emma is angry and almost amused at his audacity. She wants to shout at him but instead just pushes his head under the water. Dexter takes this as a no. Emma says the time for that has passed and if a person feels the need to keep something a secret, maybe that thing is a mistake in the first place.

When they get back to shore, Dexter sees someone stealing his clothes. He complains that they were expensive, but Emma finds it funny. She finds a blue plastic sack for him to wear temporarily. They head back to their room. As they lie in bed, Emma says that she’s been having a good trip so far, even if they did break most of their Rules. They say goodnight, and Dexter thinks about all the possibilities of what could happen over the remaining eight days of their trip.