Running From Love

by Jen Silver

  “Yeah. Some people are keen. Is it true we’re having a competition during the week?” Sam twisted the cap off the bottle and took a long swig.

  “Yup. You’ll get a practice round tomorrow with instruction. On Tuesday we’ll start you off with a referee for each group.”

  “Wow. Just like on TV.”

  “Yes, but we’re really there mainly to answer questions. As you’ve found out, there are a lot of tricky rules in golf. And some you never know about until you find yourself in that situation.”

  “I hope we’ll be supplied with a lot of balls.”

  Jordan thought Beth was looking remarkably cheerful considering she had just been faced with an enraged lover. She waited until they had negotiated the path and were seated comfortably, backs against a warm rock, before asking the question. “So, how did it go with Lydia? I mean, I could see she was upset, but you two seem calm about it.”

  Beth took a deep breath before answering. “I think it was shock more than anything. Perhaps I should have pre-warned her, but it wasn’t really something I could do over the phone.”

  “Still, she had a point,” Sam interjected. “I mean, it’s a long way to come to find out you’ve been dumped.”

  “Are you feeling sorry for her now?”

  “In a way. But I’m sure she’ll get over her disappointment.” Sam laid a heavy emphasis on the word “disappointment.”

  Jordan looked from one to the other as they burst out laughing. “What’s the joke?”

  “That was the last thing she said before she shot off. Told Beth she was “disappointed” in her. I think I could have come up with a stronger expression in her place.”

  “I guess that’s part of the problem.” Beth closed her eyes. “She’s always been so controlled in everything she does.”

  “And controlling,” Sam added.

  “Yes, that too. Maybe that’s why her kids don’t come home very often. They’ve escaped the nest and found freedom.”

  Jordan watched the waves as they rumbled towards the shore. The tide had turned but it would be another hour before the water reached them. She did empathise with Lydia in a way, knowing what it felt like to be on the receiving end of finding out your relationship was over by less than conventional means. Her last girlfriend had informed her by text. And the one before that had announced it on Facebook before sharing her decision with Jordan.

  “What do you think she’ll do now?”

  Beth didn’t even have to think about it. “She’ll want a refund, first and foremost. She won’t leave here without getting her money back. I’ve no doubt she’ll hit me up for petrol costs.”

  “What about your job? You work together, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I’m expendable. She can’t get rid of me before the new term starts, but she’ll be wanting me out by Christmas.”

  Sam pitched in heatedly. “She can’t do that. You’re a good teacher. And you’ve been at the school longer than she has.”

  “She has the power though.”

  “You’re not powerless. The union will stand by you. And, I’m sure she won’t want to do anything that will undermine her position.”

  “Coming out as a lesbian, you mean?”

  “Exactly. She’ll find out just how much the governors love her then.”

  Beth didn’t seem to have an answer to that and they all sat quietly, watching the oncoming waves.

  †

  “I felt sorry for her.” Freya leaned into Andi.

  “That’s very sweet of you. However, you’ll be bankrupt in no time if you have many more lesbian dramas. Maybe you should restrict your customers to happily married straight women.”

  “That would be no guarantee of something like this not happening again.”

  Freya had offered Lydia a full refund for the two weeks even though Beth had use of the chalet for four nights as well as taking part in the golf lessons in the latter part of the week. She had also told her she could stay overnight in the chalet, or another room if she preferred. Andi had supported her in this, saying she didn’t think Lydia should be making the long journey back to Yorkshire. Of course, she had plied her with gin, so there was no way they could let her get back in her car.

  Freya lifted her head to look into Andi’s eyes. “Do you think you can remember what we were planning to do earlier?”

  “Mm.” There was no hesitation in her lover’s response as she placed her hand on Freya’s bare thigh and started to stroke the sensitive skin between her legs.

  She was on the verge of suggesting they continue in the bedroom when they were interrupted by Tris’s noisy entrance.

  “Sorry, ladies. I know this isn’t a good time but thought I should let you know. Goran’s PR team has gone into action. It’s all over Twitter and will likely make the national news headlines tonight.”

  Andi jumped up as Freya hastily rearranged her shorts.

  “Damn him! I thought he was going to wait at least another week.”

  “So, do you have a plan? What are you going to do when your phone starts ringing?” Tris wasn’t at all concerned about the position he’d found them in, and showed no sign of leaving them to it.

  “I’m not going to answer.”

  “So you’re going with the “no comment” policy? Is that really a good idea?”

  “What can I say? Yes, I’m a lesbian, and we’ve deliberately misled everyone all this time for the sake of our careers. That will go down well.”

  “Honesty is always the best policy.”

  “Thanks. That’s rich, coming from you.”

  Freya stood and placed an arm around Andi’s waist. “Hey, let’s not fight among ourselves. The focus will mainly be on Goran for now. The football season is just starting and the media circus will camp out there. Ladies’ golf is hardly centre stage. There will be some muttering and probably just shaking of heads with—‘I always thought she was anyway’—and it will blow over. By the time Goran and Ryan walk up the aisle, people will have got used to the idea.”

  “You have a rose-tinted view of human nature, my dear.” Tris gave his wife a fond look. “That could be how it plays out with The Guardian readership, but the tabloids are going to have a field day with this. I’m sorry, Andi. I really am. That’s why I think you need to have a strategy in place.”

  He walked over to Andi and showed her the Twitter and Facebook feeds already trending. “You can’t hide away from it here, either. This will come as a shock to staff and guests alike.”

  Andi read some of the posts. “Okay. I’ll call Lisa. This is right up her alley, she loves a challenge.”

  Ever since retiring from the tour five years earlier, Lisa Chalmers had worked hard setting up a PR business, with a niche market focusing on women golfers. Andi had been her first client. She just hoped this wouldn’t put a strain on their friendship, but Lisa had helped her muddle through the Sonya Erikson saga. If anything could have destroyed their normally easy-going relationship, that whole sorry business would have been it.

  Tris took his iPad back from her and nodded. “Good idea. Hopefully we can keep a lid on it at this end. But you’re going to have to face the music at some point since the Ladies European Masters is coming up.”

  †

  Andi sat on the edge of bed and scrolled through the Twitter feeds Tris had shown her. Some were enthusiastic, complimenting Goran’s courage in coming out. Others were more caustic, questioning why either of them needed to hide their sexuality. The ones that had Tristan worried were the hate-filled comments from homophobes, but they were mostly directed at Goran. Male trolls particularly.

  Andi had seen Lisa at Woburn but they hadn’t talked much. Lisa was handling PR for quite a few golfers on the tour and spent most of her time during the tournament with some of her newer clients. Andi sighed again. She really couldn’t put it off. Tris was right, someone had to be fighting in her corner.

  Lisa answered after a few rings. “Hey, how’s my favourite Canadian superstar?”r />
  “Don’t let CJ or Brooke hear you say that,” Andi responded with a similar teasing tone.

  “I thought I’d be hearing from you.” Lisa’s voice turned serious. “Don’t you think you could have given me a heads up?”

  “Sorry. I thought Goran was going to keep a lid on it for a bit longer.”

  “So, I’m guessing you’re in Cornwall with the delectable Lady T.”

  “You guess right. And I’m more concerned about the impact on her than on me.”

  “That’s very chivalrous of you, I’m sure. But it’s your career on the line, not hers.”

  “Yes, but it’s not like I’m just starting out. I was thinking of cutting down my schedule anyway.”

  “She really has got you by the short and curlies, hasn’t she?”

  Andi squirmed. “It’s not that.”

  Lisa made a sound that sounded like a snort.

  “No, really. She’s just started her golf resort business. I don’t want anything I do, or rather what Goran does, to hurt that.”

  There was silence at the other end of the connection and Andi thought Lisa was going to hang up on her. She was relieved when her friend spoke again.

  “All right. I’ll see what I can do in terms of damage limitation. Just keep your head down and I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  “Yes, I think I can promise to keep my head down.” Andi couldn’t resist the attempt to make Lisa laugh.

  “Thank you! That’s not an image I need just before dinner.”

  Andi could hear the smile in her words, as well as the laughter just before she ended the call.

  Chapter Twelve

  Tris’s intervention and the ensuing discussion about what Andi should do or not do in response to Goran’s coming-out announcement had taken up the time Freya had planned to use in other ways. Now she was in the dining room checking everything was in place for dinner. She didn’t know if Lydia Carmichael would be joining them. When she was dropped off at the chalet earlier, she had been given the choice of coming to the manor for dinner or having room service.

  Jeff Palmer had gone home for the weekend to spend time with his grandchildren, and two of the guests had made arrangements to meet friends in Padstow that evening, so there was enough space for an extra guest.

  Freya hoped Lydia would join them. She didn’t like to think of her suffering alone in the chalet. When the time came, if Lydia hadn’t arrived, Freya would go and invite her personally to come and she would make sure Sam and Beth were seated at another table.

  Satisfied that everything was ready, Freya walked out into the hall. Two people she didn’t immediately recognise were just coming through the front door. Youngsters, a boy and a girl, possibly wanting to know if they were hiring any more staff. As they drew closer she realised she knew the boy, having met him a few times. He was Goran’s nephew, but she couldn’t remember his name.

  He obviously recognised her. “Lady Temperley!” He rushed towards her and kissed her on both cheeks, European-style. More of an air kiss. “I need to see my uncle.”

  “I’m sorry. He was here, but he left on Wednesday.”

  His face fell.

  “Andi’s here though.”

  The transparency of his emotions made it easy to decipher his thoughts. Andi was possibly the last person he wanted to see.

  “She knew. All this time! It’s some sort of sick joke. It has to be.”

  “I am sorry—” Freya wished she could recall his name and was only saved from having to ask by Andi’s arrival.

  “Hey, Dario! What are you doing here, buddy?”

  He glared at her with an intensity that was intended to skewer the recipient’s insides.

  Andi started to say something but stopped as more people came into the hall. Freya knew she had to act quickly.

  “Let’s go up to our apartment where we can talk in private.” She led the way, not looking back. It was a trick she had learned early on in her marriage to Tris. Some deep feudal instinct made people obey just because she had a title in front of her name. They all dutifully followed her upstairs. Once inside, Freya turned to the young couple.

  “We haven’t been properly introduced. What’s your name, dear?”

  The girl opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Dario pronounced proudly, “This is my fiancée.”

  “Congratulations. Can I get you something to drink? Beer, wine?”

  “Beer, please.”

  The girl just nodded. Freya wondered if she could speak at all. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn’t place it.

  †

  Sam led the way to the bar. “My round. What are you having, Jordan?”

  “Pint of Potion. Come on, Beth. Let’s grab the table by the window.”

  Sam ordered two pints and a glass of white wine for Beth. She brought the drinks over to the table and sat down. Beth seemed to be in a daze.

  “What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Did you see her?”

  “Who?”

  “That girl in the hall when we came in.”

  Sam shook her head. She had been focused on getting into the cool space of the Library along with the first taste of a cold pint after their walk up from the beach.

  “I’d know that face anywhere. It’s been staring out at me from Lydia’s mantelpiece for the last six months.”

  “Lost me,” Jordan said. “She looked a bit young to be an ex-lover.”

  “It’s Tara, her daughter. She’s supposed to be working on a cruise boat. Lydia said she wouldn’t have any holiday until November or January. Unless, of course, Lydia knew and wasn’t planning on telling me,” Beth added, bitterly.

  Sam didn’t know what to say to that. She glanced over at Jordan who shrugged and lifted her glass to her lips. Before she could think of anything, a noisy group entered the bar and Tammy made a beeline for them.

  “Hey, mind if we join you?”

  “It’s a free country.” Sam hoped that Tammy would take the subtle hint and find another place to sit, but after a week in her company she knew Tammy didn’t do subtle.

  “Great, thanks. We’ll pull over another table.”

  They were joined by Liz, Tracy, Simone, and surprisingly, Rosemary. Sam wondered how Rosemary had ended up with this group of dykes. Maybe they were just being kind and had invited her to tag along if she was on her own.

  “So, what have you been doing today?” Liz asked.

  “We went down to the beach.”

  “Oh, I thought the path was out of bounds.”

  “It is if your ball goes over the edge.” Tammy had already downed half her pint. “We played nine holes with Roger this morning. I’m really looking forward to doing the full eighteen tomorrow.”

  “Did you play today as well?” Sam addressed Rosemary, not wanting her to feel left out.

  “No. Simone and Tracy were going to Tintagel and I went with them. I’ve never been before. It’s amazing.”

  “The birthplace of King Arthur. Is it as enchanting as the stories make it out to be?” Beth asked. Sam was pleased to see that she had perked up.

  “Yes. There’s a lot of tourist crap on sale when you arrive at the car park, but once you’re out on the headland, you can feel the atmosphere.” Simone sounded enthusiastic. “We even ventured into Merlin’s cave. That was truly magical.”

  “Yeah. On our way home, we’re going to stop over in Torquay and visit Kents Cavern.” Tracy sounded enthusiastic about the prospect.

  “What’s that?” Beth asked.

  “It’s a cave system where they’ve found ancient human and animal remains. Experts reckon it’s been in use for hundreds of thousands of years.”

  “And you can go in, can you?”

  “Yes, it is now recognised as a global geopark by UNESCO. Very much worth a visit.”

  Sam could see that Beth was interested. She was planning to visit her parents in Looe before heading back to Yorkshire. If Beth were to be
travelling with her, perhaps they could make a side trip to Torquay before setting off for the North.

  Geology and ancient history obviously weren’t on Tammy’s list of interests and she butted in now with something completely unrelated. “Hey, you guys. Have you heard the news about that footballer? You know, the one who was here last week? Goran something or other. Turns out he’s gay. And he’s going to marry his boyfriend.”

  “Goran Mihajlovic. Plays for Liverpool, doesn’t he?” Tracy interjected.

  “But, he’s married. To Andi.” This from Jordan, who was now looking shell-shocked.

  “Oh, yeah. But, come on. It’s pretty obvious which side she bats for.”

  Sam looked at Rosemary and wondered what she made of this bit of news. She probably didn’t even realise that Simone and Tracy, with whom she had spent the day, were a couple.

  “I wonder if she’ll go back to her maiden name. I think it’s something ordinary, like Green,” Simone said.

  “Oh, I always thought she was Croatian. The dark hair, high cheekbones…” Liz’s eyes were glazing over.

  “No. She’s Canadian by birth. Her mother has some native Indian heritage, but her father is English.” Simone seemed to be something of an expert on the golfer’s personal history.

  Beth stood suddenly. “Excuse me. I’ll see you guys at dinner.”

  “Are you okay?” Sam noticed that she had finished her wine.

  The smile Beth gave seemed a bit forced. “Yes. Just something I need to do.”

  Sam watched her leave the bar and wondered if that something had anything to do with the arrival of Lydia’s daughter.

  †

  The comfortable surroundings of the Temperley’s living room and a cold beer in his hand seemed to have a calming effect on Dario. Andi had known him from his early years as a toddler and knew how much he hero-worshipped Goran. He even looked like him, affecting the same hairstyle.

  “It’s not a joke, is it?” He fixed his dark-eyed gaze on her again, but with no venom in his eyes this time.

  “No, it’s not. And I’m sorry you had to find out like this.”

  “Why? Why did you marry him?”

  Andi knew this was the question she was going to get asked by a great many people in the days ahead. “Because I’m gay, too.” That was the short answer and in this situation it wasn’t enough. “Because we needed to hide our sexuality for the sake of our respective careers. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered so much for me, but I think you know it would have been impossible for Goran to have come out back then, when he was starting out.”