“Alright, alright. I’m just trying to work out why you’ve been so out of sorts all day.”
Tom was right, Alianna supposed. She had been distant today. Her mind kept going to the conversation she’d had with Natasha that morning, encouraging her to involve herself with Max. She wouldn’t call it a relationship, because that wasn’t what it was.
It was fun. That’s all it could be.
Couldn’t it?
Long-distance relationships could work, sometimes. Although he still hadn’t said where he was actually from. Maybe that was a sign that he didn’t want anything more serious, and was just looking for some company and pleasure while he was here.
She continued to silently debate this with herself as the next hour passed by. On autopilot, she cleared tables, stacked chairs, counted the ironmarks in the register, cleaned the coffee machines and panini presses. When she finally followed Tom out and called “see you later” over hershoulder, she instantly pulled her phone out of her pocket. She still had one unread message.
Hot Max From The Beach
18:34: I’ll be truthful; I didn’t expect you to go silent on that message. Either I have completely scared you off, or you’re sitting quietly somewhere, alone, thinking of me. Which is it?
Alianna felt a rush of warmth through her core as she bit her lip and contemplated her response to his message.
Ali
19:12: im sorry. i was at work. Youll be pleased to know, I had to throw cold water over my face for five minutes because of your text.
Alianna could picture him laughing at her reply, a smug smile on his face as he typed back.
Hot Max From The Beach
19:14: The last thing I want to do is be an inconvenience while you’re at work. Let me make it up to you. Do you like swimming? It’s a warm evening. I have seen a few people getting pizza from a portable food hut. We could have a swim in the sea, and get pizza. Shadow is invited.
Ali
19:15: portable food hut? Are you from the 1800s? Yes, i would like pizza and a swim. Shadow will steal your pizza. Let me take him for a walk and ill meet you at the beach. West or east?
Hot Max From The Beach:
19:16: West. I’ll see you in an hour?
Ali
19:16: an hour xo
***************
After walking through the park with Shadow, feeding him, and leaving him at home listening to what she had always assumed was his favourite radio station, Alianna walked to the beach to meet Rionan. She had put her hair up in a messy bun and wore her favourite navy-blue bikini. She’d thrown a simple, loose dress over the top for ease.
When she arrived at the beach, she walked a little way down, spotting Rionan sitting on the sand. He was staring up at the sky, like he had been when they were last here. He hadn’t spotted her (or at least she presumed he hadn’t), and she approached quietly. He had sand scattered through his tousled hair, like he’d been here for a while. And he was wearing…
“You are wearingshorts,” Alianna exclaimed, “swim trunks?”
Rionan rolled over in the sand, propping his head on his hand and smiling at her lazily. She felt that all too familiar fluttering in her stomach. “I can’t very well swim in full-length trousers and a shirt now, can I?”
Rionan was, uncharacteristically, wearing a black t-shirt. It was the first time she’d seen him out of finer, more formal clothing. It struck her as odd. He didn’t look bad. Far from it. It was just not the Rionan that she’d got used to seeing.
Standing up, he pulled his shirt over his head, and Alianna sucked in a breath. She’d never been able to see the dark swirls of ink tattooed across his chest and shoulders before. They swirled like smoke, over his shoulders, presumably to his back.
“I didn’t know you had tattoos,” she remarked.
“Oh yes. I have had them for so long that I often forget they are there.”
He turned so that she could see the tattoo that extended onto his back. The swirls travelled down until they reached a small depiction of a well, which sat at the bottom of his back. She moved forward, without thinking, instinctively tracing a finger over one of the swirls. He stilled at her touch.
