Summer Loving

by Lise Gold et al.

  Freya took a seat and picked up her spoon. “My gran. I spent a lot of time with her and Granddad. She taught me to cook, he taught me to fix things.” She shrugged and dipped the spoon into the dish, coming up with a steaming mouthful that she promptly blew on until finally, she opened her mouth and ate it. Throughout the entire movement, her eyes stayed firmly on Alex. And it was kind of sexy, Alex thought.

  Tucking in, Alex offered, “I’m impressed; it’s delicious.”

  “Thank you. It’s just something I’ve perfected over the years. Eve used to love it.”

  “Eve?”

  “My partner,” she replied, slowly.

  Well, that answered that question, thought Alex, a little disappointed. She took another mouthful and swallowed before continuing. “Oh, right. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked for a girlfriend,” she admitted. “Unless pot noodles count?”

  Freya laughed and picked up her beer, taking a long swig. “No, I don’t think they count. And I am going to assume that girlfriend didn’t hang around for long.”

  Raising her eyebrows, Alex chuckled. “Surprisingly not. So, how long have you and Eve…”

  “Oh, we…we’re not, not anymore I mean. She moved out, and well, it was all very amicable.”

  “That’s a shame…at least have a blazing row.” Alex laughed again, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Yes, at least when John left, I knew why he was going. Bloody Gemma down the pub was why he was going.” She laughed too.

  “Oh, right so…god, I’m such a bad lesbian. I stereotype people all the time. I had you down as straight, then a second ago I’d flipped you to gay and now…You’re bisexual. I’m sorry.”

  Freya grinned. “Actually, I’m gender blind, or pansexual if you want,” she said, enjoying the confusing look on Alex’s face. “I think that was the problem for Eve, she couldn’t quite get her head around it.”

  Both bowls were empty, and Freya offered a second.

  “I shouldn’t, but it was that good, and I am ravenous these days with all the manual labour,” Alex said, handing over her bowl for a refill. Freya didn’t have a second bowl, but she did get two more beers from the fridge.

  “Never done that before, huh?” She sat back in the chair and raised one foot to the edge of the seat.

  “Never, office job since leaving school. Worked my way up and then…woke up one morning and thought, what am I doing with my life?” Alex greedily scoffed the last mouthful, pushing the bowl away. “Seriously, that was delicious.”

  Freya smiled at the compliment. “So, what were you doing with your life?”

  Alex picked up her bottle and started to peel the label off. A distraction from answering the question. “I guess, I was avoiding it. If I just kept working, then I could keep telling myself that I was successful and living the dream.” She put the bottle down. “But, it wasn’t my dream…not anymore anyway.” She picked it up again and swigged from it.

  “Well, here’s to new dreams, blisters, and beer,” Freya offered, sitting forward and holding out her bottle.

  As the glass chinked, Alex repeated, “Blisters and beer!”

  Chapter 4

  The office was a mess. Paperwork from years of accounts and a business that technically didn’t exist anymore were piled up and ready for the shredder. That alone was going to take days. The accountant agreed that it could all go. This was a new business now so none of it mattered, except to Alex. It was her dad’s life, everything that mattered to him: the holidaymakers, the invoices and marketing campaigns. Throwing it all out was going to take some effort. But for now, she would put it to one side and worry about it another day, when she was mentally ready for the shredder.

  The new computer was set up. On the screen was the website that had been advertising this place for years. She frowned as she read the description. It might have worked in 1987, but this was a new century. “That just sounds ridiculous,” she muttered to herself as she read back the last paragraph.

  “What does?”

  She spun around in her seat and found Freya standing in the doorway wiping her hands on a towel. Her hair, which had been swept up into a neat bun that morning, was now not so tidy as wisps stuck to her face. Oil and dirt smudged her cheeks.

  “Just this.” Alex pointed at the screen and pulled a face. “Trying to re-write the website, jazz it up a bit.”

  “Oh, totally not my thing, but happy to listen if you need a sounding board.”

  Alex smiled. “Thanks, maybe when I actually have something worth reading.” She sighed. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

  “I need to head into town and get some supplies for Van 8. The plumbing in there is just… well, it needs replacing.”

  Alex laughed. “Thanks for leaving out the descriptors. Okay, how much do you need?” She pulled out her wallet.

  “I dunno, I’ll order some stuff and let you know. In the meantime, wanna stretch your legs? You’ve been in here for nearly five hours. I was thinking of a quick walk along the cliff top.”

  She ran a hand through her hair. “Why not, it is kind of suffocating in here.”

  Freya grinned. “I’ll just wash up and meet you outside in ten?”

  Outside, it was fresh. Spring had arrived early and the sun was shining, but it was still chilly enough for a sweater. Alex looked around and for the first time, actually began to see the park taking shape. The skips were long gone, the pool area was clean, and the pool itself was ready to be refilled. The first twenty or so vans had been jet washed and now sparkled as the sun glinted off of the windows.

  “Your dad would be proud,” Freya said as she came up behind her. “It’s really taking shape now.”

  “Yeah, I just wish…” She sighed heavily and pulled the zip on her jacket further up. “I should have visited more, when he was still here.”

  Freya studied her before she started to walk. “You know, there wasn’t anything you could have done to change what happened. Your dad…he had his demons, things that had nothing to do with anyone else. It was just the way he was. The way his brain was wired.”

  “You’re probably right, but it doesn’t mean I feel less guilt.” She held the gate open and Freya walked through. Alex couldn’t help but admire her friend as she passed. Out in front of them, there was nothing but green fields and blue sky. It was beautiful. Fresh, salty air whipped up in the wind and blew her hair around her face. Alex smiled at the sight.

  “Do you remember when we camped up here one night? Your dad built us a campfire and then showed us how to warm up beans and cook sausages.” Freya grinned. They had done so many fun things as kids.

  Smiling, Alex nodded. “Yeah. God, I had forgotten about that.” She had forgotten a lot of things over the years. Too busy with her career to spend time reminiscing. It was one of the last things she had done here.

  “We should do it again,” Freya said, pulling her hat down further over her ears.

  Alex laughed. “Me? Camping?”

  “Why not?” Freya laughed. “It would be fun.”

  “We’re thirty-something years old, Freya,” Alex reminded her.

  Freya stopped walking. “And? Is there a time limit on fun?”

  “No, of course not…” Alex turned away and looked out to sea. When she turned back and found Freya staring at her incredulously still, she continued. “I haven’t…since I was a kid, it’s been…I mean…”

  “Alex, stop overthinking everything. Sometimes, it’s just fun, to have fun. Think about it,” she argued, before striding off with a smiling glance back over her shoulder. “Come on.”

  When they got back, Freya headed straight for the next van she was working on, leaving Alex to contemplate having fun. It certainly hadn’t been much fun recently, at least not until Freya turned up in her life again.

  She was headed back to the office when she remembered that she hadn’t told Freya about the broken light switch in the hallway upstairs. Meandering back outside, she took the pathway that led down to c
aravan number nine.

  Number nine had always been her favourite number, she had no idea why, but it was. As she neared number eight, she could hear a lot of screeching and swearing. Hot footing it, she ran the last few feet and climbed up the two steps and into the caravan. The sight before her caused her to laugh, catching Freya’s attention.

  “Don’t bloody stand there laughing, grab me that wrench!” she shouted, lying on her back, with her head and shoulders underneath the sink. Her knees were bent, and she had grease marks smudged across her cheek, with the pipe spurting water all over her.

  Alex moved forward quickly and grabbed it. “Sorry,” she giggled, passing the tool down.

  “Throw me a towel, or something I can…” Freya squeezed the wrench into place and yanked hard to turn the bolt. “…wrap around this.”

  Once again, Alex moved speedily, picking up an old rag that was lying on the floor. She handed it over. Their fingers touched briefly and she felt a spark of something, something she hadn’t recognised in a while, but she shrugged it off.

  “Thanks,” Freya said, still tightening the valve. The water stopped spraying. “Okay, can you just turn on the tap for me?”

  “Sure,” Alex answered. It was a small space and with Freya lying prone where she was, Alex had to step over her with one leg and lean into the sink. She twisted the tap and it spluttered before the entire thing burst and water splashed up and out and covered Alex. Shrieking, she jumped backwards at the exact same time that Freya sat up. They collided, with Alex toppling backwards. Freya reached out and at the last moment grabbed her hand and pulled her forward so she landed in Freya’s lap.

  They were both soaked through. Both looking shocked until at the same time, they burst into laughter. It took a moment to compose herself, and when Alex finally realised Freya had stopped laughing, they shared this weird moment, like a spell had been cast.

  Reaching up slowly, she rubbed her thumb across Freya’s cheek and made the smudge of grease worse. That made her laugh again.

  “I should get back. I was just going to tell you that there’s a switch needs looking at…in the hallway.”

  “Okay.” Freya’s eyes travelled downwards. “You might want to change your shirt though,” she said, following it up with a wink.

  Alex looked down and realised her white shirt was all but see-through. “Good plan.”

  Chapter 5

  They had their first booking. A family of six would be arriving the second week they were officially open, which meant that Alex was now under pressure to get things organised.

  The entertainment block was a few licks of paint away from being finished, so she was hurriedly running around trying to book some entertainment. As it was not her forte, she hadn’t realised just how difficult it might be leaving it this late. Even the cheapest options were all booked for most of the summer already.

  She had managed to employ several new members of staff, who would all be starting work the following week. The kitchen needed chefs and dishwashers – “food prep people,” that was what the woman at the local recruitment office had said. She needed bar staff too. So her wages bill had moved from one (Freya) to twelve already. But it was still the barest of bones for a kitchen and bar. It would have to do until they got on their feet and she could see where more hands were needed.

  Today, she was looking to add to that by hiring four more cleaners, and someone to work alongside Freya in the day-to-day maintenance.

  Her bank account was dwindling drastically though. The lump sum that she had put aside for building works was almost gone, but at least everything was going to plan. They had twenty-two vans ready for habitation. The pool was cleaned and refilled, and she had organised for someone to come in once a week and give it the once-over.

  Every day a new lorry would arrive with another delivery. Frozen food for the kitchens, kegs of beer, bottles of pop for the bar. Eventually, she wanted to create a small shop area where people could purchase essentials like milk and bread, newspapers, but for now she was busy on the phone to Chloe the Clown. Having spent the morning looking through websites and watching YouTube videos of said performers, she had made a list of those she thought might be a fit.

  “So, I’m looking for someone to come in one day a week and entertain the kids?” she explained to who she assumed was Chloe.

  “Oh.” She made a whistling sound. “You’ve left that a bit late.”

  Alex huffed. “Yes, I know…I’m kind of new to all of this and…look, can you do anything? I just need an hour a week, I can stretch to two if that works better. Two hours, twice a week. Say, Tuesdays and Saturday?”

  Chloe clicked her tongue. “No can do on the Saturdays, fully booked out for kids’ parties. I suppose I could squeeze you in on a Friday afternoon?”

  “And the Tuesday?”

  Silence, but for the flicking of paper back and forth as Alex assumed Chloe was checking a diary. “Alright, I can do Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoon. But that might be subject to change.”

  Alex knew that meant if a better paid offer came up. “Fine, great. We open first week of April, so I’ll see you then.”

  “Okay.” The honk of a clown’s horn ended the call and Alex flopped onto her arms on the desk with a groan.

  “Everything alright?” Freya asked, stepping into the room. She perched on the corner of the desk and smiled down as Alex lifted her head, noticing the bare legs before anything else came into view.

  “Well, we have a clown.”

  Freya chuckled. “A clown?”

  “Children need entertaining, that’s what I am doing…losing the will to live, and hiring entertainers.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, I know a couple of lads in town. They have a band, and I am pretty sure they would love the gig. If you want, I can give them a call?”

  Alex sat up properly and looked at her. “They any good?”

  Freya’s head tilted to one side and she frowned. “Would I suggest them if they weren’t?”

  “Sorry, of course not,” Alex said, absentmindedly patting Freya’s knee. “Okay, an in-house band would be good. And then I can book different support acts throughout the season. In fact, that might be useful. People might want to come and stay if we had a particular entertainer that week.”

  “Yeah, remember the old 80s disco? People love that kind of thing.”

  There was a ding from the computer, a new email. Alex clicked it open and browsed quickly. “Another booking,” she said excitedly. “That’s two now.”

  Freya jumped up. “I’d better get back to work then.”

  She was heading out of the door when it suddenly dawned on Alex that she hadn’t asked what Freya had wanted. “Oh, did you need me for something?”

  Grinning, Freya winked. “Nope, I just wanted to see you.”

  She was gone before Alex could even register the words, let alone what they meant.

  Chapter 6

  Alex was feeling rather chuffed. Her marketing plan was working. Her strategy was to let the caravans out at a knockdown price for this season in the hope that they would get a lot of bookings, and those people would leave great reviews, and also potentially book again the following year. Of course, prices would go up the following year, but she would still keep them to a reasonable level where she could cover the bills, feed herself, and build the business. In just a week since the adverts went out to all the relevant travel brochures, she had secured 39% occupancy already for the coming season.

  Smiling, she closed down the computer and grabbed her coat. The paperwork could wait till tomorrow.

  “Freya?” she called out. It was getting on for seven p.m. on Friday night, and they were going into town to check out the band that was playing at the local pub. This was their audition for the summer season at Angel Falls. Alex was looking forward to it and really keeping her fingers crossed that they were as good as Freya said, because she needed them.

  “I’m in here,” Freya called out from somewhere down the hall.
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  The door to Freya’s room was open, and Alex popped her head around it without even thinking. “Oh, shit, so sorry.” She jumped back out into the hall with a palm across her eyes and the sound of Freya laughing in her ears.

  “It’s fine. Jesus Alex, you’ve seen a pair of tits before, surely.”

  Of course she had, but that wasn’t the point. She hadn’t seen Freya’s before, and usually when she did get to look at such things, it had come with an invite to bed first.

  “Yes, of course, I just…I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

  Freya appeared at the door. She now had a bra on at least. “Don’t be ridiculous, wait in here. I won’t be long,” she said, tugging Alex by the arm and dragging her inside the small room, plonking her down on the edge of the bed. “How did you get on today?”

  Alex watched as Freya moved around the room in her underwear. Nice underwear, the kind Alex liked to see her girlfriends in. White lace, partly sheer, and it all matched, which only added to the enticement.

  “Uh, yeah it was fine. The ads seem to be working, so…” Alex said. She leant back casually and rested on her elbows, enjoying the view. Freya was attractive; she was aware of that more and more with each passing day.

  “Well, that’s good, right?” Freya asked, pulling a dress over her head. Her fingertips inched down over her hips, pushing and pulling at the material until it was smoothed out and perfect.

  Alex hadn’t seen her wear a dress before. Mostly she wore overalls, ripped jeans, or sweatpants covered in paint. “You look nice,” she said without thinking.

  Freya turned to face her. “Thanks, you scrub up alright yourself.” She winked, and Alex felt a shot of arousal pass through her.

  “Yeah, I figured it was a dressing-up kind of event,” Alex said, quickly trying to hide her embarrassment. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror when she stood up. Blue jeans, white shirt, and a black waistcoat. To be fair, the waistcoat was probably the only real difference to what she wore daily, but it was at least clean, and ironed.