Aria almost jumped out of her skin before blushing the colour of a beetroot at where her thoughts had been going.
Sophie stepped onto the vegetable patch she’d just planted up.
‘Cabbage!’ Aria warned.
‘Aubergine!’ Sophie fired back. ‘Is this like vegetable rock, paper, scissors? In which case, I win, because aubeys are purple snipers.’
Aria waved her away. ‘You are stepping on my cabbages and caulis and carrots. I’ve just spent an hour planting them.’
‘Oh, sorry. But they’re not actual veg yet, are they?’ Sophie took a step back. ‘Do you live here?’
‘No! This is my holiday home. Well, not a home,’ Aria said, rushing to clarify things before the whole world cottoned on to the deception. ‘More of a fishing hut.’
‘And do you go fishing?’
‘No.’
‘You come here to avoid angling and…plant cabbages?
I don’t eat anything green. Or purple either, to be fair. But I’m sorry I stood on them and hope they’re beautiful when they grow up. I wish I had the time to have a hobby. I’ve beenbusy over there.’ She pointed in the direction of Nic’s house. ‘He was taking a shower when I left. I reckon his biceps need their own YouTube channel. I’d even sit through the adverts.’
Aria felt another stab of jealousy in her belly. ‘Capitalist pig,’ she reminded herself.
Sophie heard her and chuckled. ‘Smoking hot capitalist pig. Talking of that, I hear you are an estate agent now. Do you like it?’
‘It’s a job. Do you like working in a supermarket?’
‘God no.’
‘How come you ended up…’ Aria ground to a halt in case she sounded judgemental.
But Sophie wasn’t offended. ‘It’s a temporary job while I look after Grandad. Always wanted to work with sharks. But there aren’t too many round here.’
‘Apart from the property variety.’ Aria started to tidy her tools away. ‘You live with your grandad?’
‘Yup. Can’t afford a place of my own. Although hopefully that might change.’ So, was Sophie having thoughts of moving in with Nic already? Aria felt a wave of embarrassment push through her at the idea of clamping Nic’s thumb in her jaw like a Great White. But Sophie was on a different track and asked Aria if she’d heard about the new property rule being brought in.
‘Apparently, my mother’s been shouting about it around town. They’re going to give locals an advantage when it comes to buying houses – blocking offcomers from purchasing some classes of properties. In my opinion, they should go further. The government should make everyone with a spare bedroom offer it to a young person for free. Although I pity the poorperson that would have to stay with my mum. She absolutely terrorises the town council.’
‘Is she still the deputy leader? You wouldn’t believe how much her name was thrown around our dinner table when my dad was alive.’
‘Oh, I would.’ Sophie nodded fervently. ‘She’s still second in command but wants to be top dog.’
‘It is right that local people get first dibs on local properties,’ Aria said, after a pause.
‘Hard agree. Offcomers should be last in line and only allowed to buy a house if no one else wants it.’
‘They should be made to stand in a line of their own!’
‘Or in a repurposed shark cage. Anyway, better go.’ Sophie gestured at the big house.
‘You’re going back to Nic’s?’
‘Unless you want another game of rock, paper, cabbage,’ Sophie guffawed.
***
When Sophie left, Aria kicked around a bit outside. She was desperate for a swim, but all the research she’d done had put her off. The lake did look enticing, though – maybe if she didn’t go under? Nipping into the cabin, she stripped off her clothes, popped on her costume and added a lycra top to protect her skin from toxins. She walked down the beach and waded in, her amygdala going into the usual flight-or-fight mode as the water encased her limbs. But her conscious brain was on standby for flight, and she kept her head above thesurface while she crawled a few hundred metres. Then she flipped and floated on her back, enjoying the weak evening sun on her face and wishing she had someone to talk to. Right now, her dad’s absence filled the land and sky. As she swam closer to the shore, she watched Tiger catching an imaginary fish in the shallows, without venturing any further than his stubby legs could take him. Water flew off his fur as he shook himself and padded back onto the beach. He was her closest link to Dad now. She remained in the shallows for a while, then climbed out with numb toes, wincing on the stones until her feet entered her sliders. As though he understood the problem, Tiger gave her foot a good licking and she laughed at his initiative. Walking back onto the veranda, she instructed him to bring her the towel she’d left in the hut. He was on it in a flick of his tail, dragging it off the sofa for her and bringing it out. What a good team they were becoming, she decided, patting him on the back and praising him for his cleverness. Her dad had got one thing right by pairing them up. After a few teething problems, and some sleepless nights caused by his snuffling and snoring, the dog had been nothing but a joy, although their relationship hadn’t yet been tested by a search for a proper job, a flat and all the other things she needed to live a normal life in this upmarket town.
