All I managed in response was, ‘Erm.’ Even that sounded more like a squeak than a word.
I grabbed my glass and took several more gulps. The last time I was here, Sam and I had spent most of the week having sex. Great sex. Fantastic sex. Mind blowing sex. But after that first day together when he taught me how to sail, we did little else but have sex. At least, nothing I could really remember right now. Is that what he was suggesting?
I shivered with anticipation, quivered with excitement, and tingled with delight at the very thought of it. All my dreams werecoming true. And I’d only been in Fairlight Bay for an hour or two.
Well, perhaps notallmy dreams. Sam had already made it clear that relationships still weren’t his thing. If we spent this week together it would simply be another holiday fling for him. Could it be merely that for me? Or would I want it to be something more? It had been ten years and I still wasn’t over him. Could I risk having sex with him all week, without risking my heart breaking, all over again?
‘Sorry,’ he said, shaking his head as he reached for his own glass. ‘I could’ve phrased that better.’ He had a quick swig and then he smiled. ‘What I meant was, it would be great to spend some time with you this week. If you don’t have any plans. I could show you the sights. Take you sailing. Have you sailed much since … then?’
I shook my head. ‘No. Erm. That would be nice.’
His eyes held mine. ‘Yes. It would. I could give you a tour on my bike. Do you like bikes?’
I shook my head again. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never been on one.’
‘Never?’ His look now was one of incredulity.
‘Everyone I know has a car. Apart from you. Do you have a car? Or just a bike?’
‘Two bikes and a car.’
‘Oh. Erm. A bike ride would be nice. I think.’
‘You’d be safe. I’d make sure of that. And we could do … other things. Anything you want to, really. I’m easy. What I mean is, I’m happy to do anything you’d like to do. I just … it would be great to … get to know you again.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘That would be … great.’
Our eyes locked. My heart raced. Electricity coursed through every inch of me. But we were both avoiding talking about the one thing I was sure was on both our minds.
Sex.
‘Is everything okay, here?’ The waitress was back again.
‘Yes,’ said Sam, not taking his eyes off me. ‘Everything is…’
‘Great.’ I finished the sentence for him, but then I dragged my eyes away. ‘We should eat before this gets cold.’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I suppose we should.’
Twelve
We chatted about all sorts of things while we ate. I asked him about his travels; he asked me about uni and my life in Leeds. I asked for more details about his life since then, and he asked for more about mine.
‘After I returned home,’ Sam said, ‘I spent the first few years getting the business off the ground. I’d still got some savings, having worked whenever I got the chance while I was travelling, and my granddad passed away soon after I got back, and he left me some money.’
‘Oh I’m sorry. About your granddad, not the money.’
He threw me a smile. ‘Thanks. He’d been unwell for years, so in a way, it was a blessing when he went. And I was able to grow the business must faster with the help of that money. I like to think he’s a part of the business, and that he’s looking down and cheering me on.’
‘I’m sure he is.’
‘Yeah. Anyway, the Covid years were tough. For everyone, of course. But I was lucky, and afterwards, I worked even harder. I’m in a really good place now and life is … treating me well.’
‘I’m so pleased for you. And I’m glad you found a job you enjoy.’
‘I enjoyed teaching people to sail,’ he grinned. ‘Especially you. But I love everything about bikes. Did you know that, every year, there’s a bikers’ rally where thousands of bikers, ride down from all over the country to Fairlight Bay? It’s over the May Bank Holiday weekend, and there are literally thousands and thousands of them. Bikes, and bikers for as far as the eye can see. You should come and see it. If you’re free.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ I said. ‘And I’d love to see it.’
