Fifteen
Eatingfishandchipson the beach was not the best idea as Lucy and I soon discovered. Humans aren’t the only species partial to this seaside favourite. Seagulls rather like them too.
And let me assure you, in case you should be in any doubt whatsoever, being dive-bombed by a flock of seagulls, will soon put paid to any ideas you may have of a leisurely lunch, and it’s not the way to have a fun day out.
I don’t care if being splattered by horrendously smelling, bird poop was a sign of good luck. You can keep your good luck, and you can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.
‘Any more brilliant ideas?’ I asked Lucy, once we’d made our escape and found safe ground in a beach hut owned by Sam’s dad, to which both Sam, and now Lucy, had a key.
‘Sorry about that,’ she laughed, as I attempted to wash off the bird poop.
The beach hut not only had a sink, but also a kitchenette with an electric hob, and a kettle, and even a little fridge with one of those tiny freezers at the top.
There was also a compact but surprisingly comfy seating area comprising a bench with a padded seat and back, two additional small chairs, and in addition to those, a table top that pulled down like the ones they have on planes and trains, only this was much larger, and made of polished wood.
‘You could almost live here,’ I said, glancing around once I had removed as much of the ‘lucky’ bird poop as I could.
‘You could. Except the local authority doesn’t allow it. You’re not even supposed to sleep here.’ A wide and rather mischievous smile spread across her face as she smoothed her hand along the bench seat. ‘This is where Sam and I made love for the very first time, ten years ago. It was the first time for me in every sense of the word, as you know. Although not for him.’
‘Eew!’ I said, stopping myself as I was about to sit on that very seat. ‘I’ll sit in one of these chairs then. But thanks for sharing.’ I threw her a mock look of reprimand and she burst out laughing.
‘I think it’s romantic.’
‘You would. Actually, it is.’ I grinned at her and then pulled a face. ‘Have you had an action replay since you’ve been back here? Or do I not want to know?’
She giggled, and a red flush crept across her face as she let out a long, wistful sigh.
‘Let’s just say, that when I was back here in February, Sam took me to some of the places we had been ten years ago, and that since I’ve moved down here, we have come here once. Or possibly twice. But it isn’t as comfortable as either of us seem to remember it being all those years ago, and now that Sam has his own house, with a king-sized and exceedingly comfortable bed, we would rather be in that. Don’t get me wrong. We both still like to … explore other avenues, but not so much these days. Especially since there seems to be CCTV cameras everywhere.’
‘You can be arrested for that, you know, under certain circumstances, so do be careful.’
‘We are. I remember you telling me all about the various laws and how they’ve changed. Sometimes it’s good to know a police officer. Although I don’t suppose Jasper would agree with that right now.’
I tutted at her.
‘This has been fun,’ I said. ‘But I need to get back to the grindstone of this wedding planning business before too long. At least now we know that the sailing club hasn’t done a wedding but would be happy to do so if Adele and Marcus like the idea.’
‘And we’ve got the celebrant, plus the cars, all sorted,’ said Lucy. ‘Thanks to Tilly.’
‘I’m not sure there’s that much left to do,’ I said. ‘Can wedding planning really be this easy?’
‘Are you considering it as an alternative career?’ Lucy gave me a hopeful look. ‘We could run our businesses in tandem if you did. Wouldn’t that be great?’
‘It would. But no. This is fun. But I wouldn’t want to do this for a living. I’ve watched those Bridezilla shows on TV. I thought criminals were hard work. Some of those brides were truly terrifying.’
‘But having dealt with all those criminals, don’t you think it would make you better able than most to cope with such behaviour?’
‘Perhaps. But it’s still a no from me. I realise how much you’d like me to move down here, Lucy. I’d like that too. I’ll admit the place does have a certain appeal. Especially since meeting Jasper. But I need to be sure. And I’m not. Do I really want to throw away all my hard work and start all over again in a new career? I need more time to decide.’
‘I know you do. I promise I won’t keep badgering you. Okay. I suppose we’d both better get back to work. Some of us may be on holiday but the rest of us have empires to build, and walls to have knocked down, and new patio doors to have fitted. Not forgetting, gorgeous boyfriends to go home to and have rampant sex with. You should get yourself one of those.’
‘Believe me,’ I said. ‘It’s on my list.’ I grinned at her. ‘I’ve pencilled in Jasper in the agreed column. Only he doesn’t know that yet.’
‘You’ve got handcuffs, haven’t you, if all else fails?’ She laughed, standing up and linking her arm through mine. ‘And on that subject. Is there any chance I might borrow those sometime? For a little … project of my own.’
‘Don’t even think about it. Besides. I happen to know you sell them in your online store. They may be pink and fluffy, or leopard print velvet, but they’ll do the job as well as the real McCoy.’
