It Started at Sunset Cottage

by Bella Osborne

  Another sip of wine, but the glass was empty and so was the bottle. Option 2 was looking the most likely now and it was only a quarter to eight. Kate decided tea might be the answer to sober her up and dampen her ardour, but while she was waiting for the kettle to boil she had to accept that the first person who had honestly popped into her head had been Tim.

  Sarah’s car was not the best vehicle for surveillance – there weren’t many original Beetles on the roads and hers you could hear coming a mile off. She could see Andy’s van ahead at the traffic lights, so she relaxed a bit. She looked about her; she was only ten minutes from Kate’s, but it wasn’t an area that was familiar to her. She continued to follow Andy at a distance and then lost him for a moment. As she turned a corner, she pulled over quickly behind some parked cars as she could see that Andy had stopped outside some terraced houses and a figure was just shutting the passenger door.

  “Shit.” Just a couple of seconds earlier and she would have seen who it was. Sarah was grateful when another car overtook her and she could pull out behind it; keeping a car between them meant that Andy was less likely to see his new barking-mad girlfriend stalking him. Unfortunately, the car in front was being driven by someone who obviously felt that 25 miles an hour was fast enough for anyone and she lost Andy at the lights. She strained to see where he went. She opened the car door and stretched out to see him take a right turn further down the road.

  “Come on!” Sarah beeped her horn the second the lights changed. “You want the pedal on the right, for Christ’s sake. Push it down!” she shouted. She took the right turn and found herself in another residential area that she didn’t know. She crawled along, searching either side of the road for Andy’s van. Then she saw it parked further up, outside a community centre. Sarah sat in the car for a minute trying to work out the scenarios that could play out, and then gave up and stormed inside.

  Kate sipped her tea. It was a poor substitute for the wine and wasn’t having the desired effect. She started to think about how Tim might react to Option 3. Kate wondered what sex with him might be like. She conjured up the scene in her mind like she did when she was writing, but erotica was not her genre. There were enough ladies plastered all over the tabloids claiming that he was very good. No complaints that she was aware of. He wasn’t with Lumina any more, so she wouldn’t be hurting anyone, well, at least, nobody she knew, anyway. Also anyone who was seeing Tim must have realised that it was very unlikely to be exclusive.

  She checked the clock. The constant movement of the second hand played on her mind; time ticking away. Her time was ticking away. Was she really going to spend it analysing everything and doing not very much? What’s the worst that could happen if she asked him? He could say no. So what? That was no big deal. This was Timothy Calder and she was not bad looking, with a pulse, and she was asking him for sex with no strings attached, so the likelihood of him saying no was probably quite slim. It really was a no- brainer. Don’t think about it, just do it, she urged herself.

  She put her tea down with such force that a perfect globule jumped up and splashed back down again. She reached for her phone and texted him. It was a cop-out, but it was so much easier than calling. ‘Hi Tim, Are you doing anything exciting tonight? Kate. And she pressed “send”.

  As she put the phone down on the arm of the sofa the screen lit up and a quick glance confirmed her fears; it was Tim. She hadn’t thought this bit through. She’d assumed he’d text back, not call. What was she going to say? Answer it! A voice in her head screamed and she picked it up.

  “Hi, Kate, I saw your text and thought I’d call you back.” Great, he chooses now to become all efficient, thought Kate.

  “Thanks. So, are you doing someone… sorry, something exciting tonight?” Kate cringed at her faux pas, scrunching up her knees underneath herself. The wine was seriously fogging her brain.

  “No, not really. Why?” He sounded curious. Okay need to pique his interest and sound alluring, thought Kate. Who was she kidding? She was no actor; that was him.

  “I was wondering if you fancied,” small pause for effect, give him a second to think what he might fancy.

  “Hello? Kate, are you still there?” Bugger. Left too big a pause.

  “If you fancied coming over,” she quickly added. She knew Tim was looking at the time, and she didn’t even know where he was. Kate was going to need a reason why he should bother to turn out at that time of night. Option 3, she thought, which was the honest answer. Kate believed honesty was always the best policy. Tim cut across her thoughts.

  “It would be getting late by the time I got there, Kate. Are you okay?”

  Come clean. Tell him. Option 3.

  “I need you.” She clenched her eyes tight shut. She’d said it. It was job done.

  “You need me for what? To make up a bridge pair, hold up a wonky table, look over tomorrow’s script?”

  Be sexier, thought Kate, make it clear this time. “No, Tim,” she breathed slowly into the phone, in what she desperately hoped was a sexy way and not an asthmatic-stalker kind of way. “I need you. Just you here, with me, tonight.” More cringing and this time the heavy breathing was real. There was a reason she didn’t write erotica. Her pulse had quickened and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Kate, are you serious?” his voice was warm and smooth and he was interested. Bingo! Reel him in.

  “Deadly serious. Will you come?”

  “I’ll be there about ten.”

  “Perfect!” she said a bit too excitedly.

  “Kate, thank you for… I know this is a big step for you.” And the line went dead. Big step? It would be the first sex she’d had in two years. She wondered if it had all changed and if she’d remember what to do or if she’d mess it up and look like an idiot, or what if things just didn’t work like they should do? Cars and dishwashers often broke down if they weren’t used frequently. She’d soon find out if she needed a full service and MOT herself and Tim was the man to do it.

  Kate had a quick tidy-up, put champagne in the fridge and glasses on the table and went upstairs. After a speedy shower, where she defuzzed in all the right places, a quick pin- up hair-do, a touch of make-up and a fitted, dark-purple dress, she was ready. It was ten to ten. She smoothed out the bedcovers and put the bedside light on its dimmest setting, hoping for a soft-focus effect. A loud knock on the door echoed through the house.

  “Bugger!” Suddenly very nervous, she bolted downstairs and nearly missed her footing in her silly heels and had a quick mental chat with herself. Calm down. It’s only Tim. You’re doing each other a mutual favour, mutual benefit, meaningless sex, no strings. Only, could sex ever be completely meaningless? Now was not the time for her to start asking herself questions like that, when he was standing on the other side of the door. Kate pasted on her best idea of a sexy smile and opened the door.

  Sarah swung open the double doors and found herself in a small, empty lobby. So it wasn’t quite the dramatic entrance she’d thought it might be, which was probably for the best. She went through another door and couldn’t see anybody. She could hear voices upstairs, so she made her way up. She opened a door and found herself in a bar with a dance floor beyond. She stood there for a moment, feeling more than a bit foolish, and scanned the room for Andy. Sarah didn’t see him.

  She went to the bar and ordered an orange juice, then went and sat down at the side of the dance floor. There were quite a few people and more were arriving. They all seemed to know each other and there was lots of kissing and hugging. The lights dimmed and a disco ball started to spin overhead.

  Sarah started to panic. She really didn’t know what she was doing there. This was completely stupid. Andy wasn’t here. She must have got it wrong; that must have been another van that just looked like his.

  She was about to down her drink and leave when the music started. It wasn’t anything she recognised and she didn’t think much of it. Some doors at the end of the room opened and out came couples all lavishly dress
ed; the women, who were of a certain age, in very elaborate layered dresses and their hair pinned up. As the third couple pranced past her she recognised the woman. It was Concetta. Her head was held high and she was pointing her toes and splaying out her arms as she went past. Sarah’s mouth dropped open and she had to work very hard not to start guffawing.

  “Are you following me?” Andy sat down next to her.

  “No, absolutely not! How could you think that?” Andy raised one eyebrow. “Yeah, okay, completely rumbled. Sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry I’ve not been straight with you.”

  “Shhhhhh!” someone leaned over to Sarah.

  “Sorry,” said Andy. “Come on, let’s go downstairs.” They waited until the dancers were over the other side of the dance floor and headed for the exit, Sarah giggling as she went, partly through seeing Concetta in full-on flamenco gear and also with embarrassment at stalking Andy.

  “Look, I’m sorry I followed you. I know that makes me look like a crazy loon, but I heard that woman at yours and after last night I needed to check it out. I know you’re not Shaun, I know that. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, I do. I should have told you before, but it was nothing.”

  “I know that now.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, I figured it out,” she lied. “So you and Concetta. I never would have guessed.”

  “She was missing Spain. I helped her find a local Spanish group and they introduced her to the dancing. She really enjoys it, but she wouldn’t want people to know.”

  “That’s really sweet of you.” Sarah hugged his arm and wondered if it would be very teenager-ish to have a snog.

  “Sarah, I am sorry. I should have told you, about… her getting close to me.”

  “Hey, it’s only Concetta.”

  “No, not Concetta, I mean Melanie.”

  Chapter 28

  Tim couldn’t believe how life could change so quickly. One minute you’re at some event, as dull as a seaside town in January, and the next the person who has totally captured your heart is on the phone saying that they feel the same. Well, not exactly. She didn’t use those words, but her intentions were pretty clear; she said she needed him. Their discussion last night must have made her think and, thankfully realise, her true feelings.

  Pip had got him out of the charity evening; Colin Firth was standing in as host for the second half. The chopper had been ready to go and here he was standing outside her door, waiting. Waiting for the missing piece of his life to finally click into place.

  As the door opened and he saw Kate, he had to quell the urge to whisk her up into his arms and twirl her around. He didn’t want to rush her or freak her out – he’d made too many mistakes with this relationship and he could not afford to make any more. Kate looked perfect. Her slim figure, with curves in all the right places, was shown off to its best in a sleek dress, but he would have been just as mesmerised had she been wearing a sack. Tim looked into Kate’s pale-blue eyes, rimmed with grey, and there was something different about them tonight; they were warmer, more welcoming, than before.

  “Thanks for coming,” she said. She sounded as if she’d been running.

  “Kate, I said if you need me, I’ll always be there.” Tim gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, took her hand and kept hold of it. Kate felt herself relax at his touch, his fingers linked with hers. She shut the door and turned to face him. He was just smiling at her. She needed her hand back for the champagne, so reluctantly she let go,

  “Champagne?”

  “Please.” There was a definite lack of conversation tonight. Kate got the champagne from the fridge and Tim took it from her. “Let me.”

  “I’m guessing you were at a function,” said Kate, nodding at Tim’s dinner suit as he expertly twisted the bottle and the cork eased itself out with the most delicate of pops.

  “Yes, some charity do. I’d done my ‘funny’ speech and Pip got me out of the auction.”

  “You didn’t tell Pippa, did you?” Kate was alarmed. This was what happened when you hadn’t thought things through. Why hadn’t she waited until they’d finished filming? There were only a couple of weeks to go. She’d waited two years, for goodness sake!

  “No, I told her I had a relative who had been taken ill. Nothing serious, but I wanted to see them.”

  “Oh, good,” she said hastily and a little too loudly. Lying came easy to Tim, it would seem. “I didn’t mean to bark at you. Sorry,” she said and he handed her a glass of champagne.

  “To us,” he clinked glasses and there was something in his eyes that drew her in.

  “To us,” she repeated. To Option 3, she thought.

  Sarah had wanted to scream and shout at Andy, to come up with some suitably cutting comments, but she couldn’t think of any. She just stood there like the dumb blonde she felt she was, and said nothing. Andy just kept repeating her name, as if she’d gone into some sort of vertical coma and he was trying to wake her. She didn’t know how long she’d stood there, but when she felt the tears drip off her chin, she knew it was time to leave. And in a very un-Sarah way she simply shrugged off Andy’s grip on her shoulders and walked out, no slam of doors, no last word. She merely walked away.

  Sarah could hardly see to drive, the tears were streaming down her face and there was no off-switch. She wasn’t sure where she was, but she wasn’t about to stop and ask for directions. When she realised that she was completely lost, she pulled the car haphazardly onto the pavement and switched off the engine. She slumped against the steering wheel, but her forehead sounded the horn, which made her jerk in alarm. She decided to curl up in a ball across the two front seats. And there she stayed, sobbing and sniffing, until she cried herself to sleep.

  “Come on.” Kate had had enough of them smiling at each other and led Tim to the sofa. She knew there was no need to rush things, but she wished Tim would take charge a bit more. He must have done this sort of thing a million times, maybe not a million, but probably not far off. She’d check the Guinness Book of Records tomorrow for the exact number. Marmalade opened one eye as they entered the room.

  “Evening, Reggie,” said Tim to Marmalade, who stretched and showed off her claws. Tim avoided the cat and sat slightly turned towards Kate.

  “You’re really quiet,” Kate said. If anything, he looked nervous, which was interesting.

  “I think I’m in shock,” Tim blinked. “I can’t stop thinking I’m the luckiest person on the planet.” Kate thought this was a touch over the top, but it was a nice thing to say.

  “Me too. I’m lucky to know someone like you who’s prepared to do this.” She broke eye contact and sipped her champagne, the embarrassment getting the better of her. Tim looked at her warily.

  “Prepared to do this?” he repeated as he raised his left eyebrow slightly, in that Agent X way he was so famous for, usually just before he killed the bad guy.

  “There’s not many people that you could…” she searched for an appropriate word, “proposition.” Tim looked downright puzzled now. He put down his glass and leaned forward.

  “So, what’s your proposition, Kate? Why did you ask me here tonight?” His eyes were searching her face for some acknowledgment that he hadn’t got this all horribly wrong, that she felt about him the same way he had felt about her for so long. What had been a nagging doubt was now a giant one stomping around in his head, stamping on any trace of happy feelings that he may have had, like nasty little kids stamped on sand castles.

  “There’s a little bit of a story.”

  “I think there always is with you.”

  “Sarah was here today. She was on top of the world. She and Andy have finally got it together and she was so happy, all because she’d had fantastic sex with Andy.” Kate couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with Timothy Calder. It was quite bizarre.

  “I’m guessing it’s not just the sex, though.”

  “Probably not, but still, after she’d recounted every last detail t
o me, it made me think about it… sex.” She looked at Tim shyly. Surely this was the moment where he picked her up, or at the very least, took her hand and led her upstairs. Or perhaps he could just kiss her here and now. She wanted to be kissed. She wanted to be kissed by Tim. Well, who wouldn’t?

  “So you texted me, because…”

  “I thought, who can I ask who would want the same as I do?” said Kate. Tim’s expression was blank.

  “And what is it that you want, Kate?”

  “Meaningless sex, with someone I trust not to blab and who can trust me not to run to the tabloids or demand my 15 minutes of fame in the Timothy Calder spotlight.” She smiled. She was proud of her bravery. It was all there, totally honest, and they both knew where they stood. So can we have the sex now, please? She thought. The champagne had increased her confidence levels and most probably accounted for the deep attraction she felt for Tim right now. Tim reached out and held her hands in his. The familiar electric current pulsed through her.

  “Is that what you want?” his voice hushed.

  “Yes.” Kate was emphatic. His thumbs stroked her knuckles and sent shivers through her.

  “That’s how you think of me? Someone who just wants meaningless sex with you?” His eyes were so sad. She was about to answer, but when she opened her mouth her brain stopped her dead as Tim’s face was now ashen. A little frown flickered across his forehead and then disappeared. “I get it, Kate. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Not with you.” Kate opened her mouth to reply, but brain connection had been totally lost.

  Tim continued to rub his thumbs over her knuckles, as his famous green eyes studied her. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. It was all too brief. He let her go and headed for the door. Kate was thrown into confusion, but got up and followed him. Once outside, he turned to look at her standing utterly bewildered in the hallway. He swallowed hard, turned and walked away. Kate stood holding the door and watched him until he disappeared out of sight. There was no movie moment, where he turned to have one last look. Kate stood staring at the empty night before she closed the door and slumped down on the floor.