by Anna Samuels
My heart beat accelerated as I looked up and met her eyes. She was stunning. She was captivating. Her whole presence filled the room.
‘What can I get you?’ she asked, still smiling.
‘Oh, uh…two hot chocolates please.’
‘No problem.’
‘To take away,’ I added.
‘Yep,’ she nodded and turned to the coffee machine to start heating the milk. ‘Miserable day out there…’ she commented.
I felt myself turning redder by the second. What a strange reaction I was having to her, I mused. ‘I uh…it’s raining,’ I said stupidly.
‘That’s what I meant,’ she chuckled.
‘We’re down on the beach,’ I murmured. ‘Looking for treasure with the kids.’
‘Nice day for it!’
‘Yeah…sort of.’
Silence fell for a long moment while she made the drinks. I felt uncomfortable and found myself moving from foot to foot awkwardly. I found the need to fill the silence and began talking again. ‘This is a great new place! It wasn’t here last time I was visiting.’
‘Oh we’ve been here about a year now,’ she told me, smiling.
I couldn’t help noticing how her eyes crinkled attractively when she smiled. Her blue eyes were dark and intelligent, framed by thick lashes which accentuated their depths. ‘Oh right…who built all this?’
‘Well, I’m the owner,’ she told me. ‘We’ve been building for a year now and still got more to complete the whole business.’
My heart thumped along merrily. ‘Oh you’re the owner?’
‘Yes.’
‘My sister said she knows you actually.’
‘Oh? Who’s your sister?’
‘Laurie…Laurie Matthews.’
‘Ah Laurie! Yes, she often comes in here with the kids! I didn’t realise she had a sister!’ she exclaimed, placing the two drinks down in front of me.
‘Yeah…I don’t live here anymore.’
‘Didn’t you grow up here?’ she asked, cocking her head to one side.
‘I did, yeah…I miss it, actually,’ I told her, glancing out to the stormy sea which looked atmospheric and beautiful.
‘Move home then,’ she said with a shrug.
I nodded politely. ‘Yeah…’
‘Okay…just the two hot chocolates?’ she asked.
‘Oh and two lollies,’ I said, placing them down on the counter.
The woman chuckled. ‘Perfect.’
‘I know,’ I grinned. ‘Kids eh?’
‘Got to love them,’ she smiled.
Our eyes met and we shared a brief moment where something connected between us. The glance lasted a moment longer than normal, and as I looked away downwards, I felt my awareness of her surge through my system.
The moment quickly passed and she turned to press the buttons on the till. ‘£4.50 please.’
I handed her a £5 and waited for the change. As she passed the change back, her hand brushed mine and I felt electricity pass through me. I glanced up and noticed her eyes were on mine, her gaze a little intense.
‘Thank you.’
‘No problem,’ she repeated.
I picked up the lollies and put them in my coat pocket. I then lifted the two drinks and looked up again. ‘Have a good day,’ I told her.
‘And you…I’ll get the door for you.’
‘Thanks.’
We went to the door and she held it open for me as I stepped out into the rain. The wind was gusting strongly and the rain coming down harder. I glanced up and wrinkled my nose a little as the rain covered my face.
The woman stepped towards me and reached her hands up towards me. My heartbeat quickly began hammering away in my chest as I wondered if she was going to kiss me. Instead she lifted behind my head and pulled my hood up over to cover my hair.
‘There,’ she said softly. ‘Now you won’t get so wet,’ she murmured, her face close to mine.
This close, I could see her features in finite detail. She was absolutely stunning and I knew without doubt that I had never felt so drawn to anyone in my life before. She made me aware of her with everything she did, with every move she made. Her eyes regarded me curiously and I wondered what she was thinking.
‘Thanks,’ I mumbled softly, feeling myself reddening once more.
‘No problem,’ she smiled.
I glanced down to her mouth as she smiled. Another mistake. Her lips looked inviting, her teeth straight and white. My eyes flickered back up and dark, blue eyes met mine. I took a step back, her nearness making me uncomfortable. ‘Uh, bye…’ I said walking backwards slowly.
‘Uh bye,’ she said with a chuckle.
She was mocking me, teasing me a little. I smiled even as I turned redder and then headed off down the path which would lead me back to the beach.
I wandered back slower than usual, mulling over the experience I had just had. The owner of the café was the most captivating woman I had ever met and I had felt an instant connection with her. I could still feel the reaction to her flooding through my system. I realised I felt alive again. I realised there was a feeling there that I had not felt in such a long time that it was foreign to me. As I reached my family, I had a little smile on my face with the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, I could meet someone and feel the way that I had always longed to.
‘Hey you! You’ve been ages!’ Laurie called.
‘Sorry!’ I said, reaching them. ‘Shall we have these in the car?’ she asked. ‘It’s pretty wet.’
‘No problem,’ I replied and then grinned to myself. ‘No problem,’ was what the woman in the café had said to me a lot.
We all traipsed up to the car and with the children in their car seats enjoying their lollies, Laurie and I sat in the front sipping hot chocolate.
‘Ah, this is nice,’ Laurie murmured.
‘Delicious,’ I commented.
‘What did you make of the new café and restaurant?’
‘I thought it was great! What a difference it makes to the beach! I bet they’re doing well!’
‘Oh it’s heaving in the summer. Really lovely,’ Laurie told me.
‘I uh…I met the owner,’ I told her.
‘Alex?’ she asked, brightening.
‘Yes…although she didn’t tell me her name,’ I said, replaying her name over and over again in my head. Alex. Alex. It suited her. I liked it.
‘She’s lovely,’ Laurie said, ‘Really friendly.’
‘She sure is,’ I said, smiling and remembering the gorgeous woman who tempted me so much.
‘What’s that look?’ Laurie gasped, grinning at me widely.
‘What! Nothing!’ I lied.
‘Don’t be silly! Ally! I know you, remember! You liked her!’
‘So what if I did?’ I said defensively, but still smiling. ‘She’s a gorgeous woman.’
‘I don’t think she’s gay, Ally,’ Laurie told me then.
‘Of course she is,’ I scoffed.
‘What?’
‘She’s gay, Laurie…I can assure you of that.’
‘How do you know though? You can’t know that!’ she argued.
‘I just know,’ I assured her. ‘I can’t explain how…it just…well, it’s obvious to me.’
Laurie frowned a little. ‘Well I never saw that.’
‘Well you wouldn’t,’ I smiled. ‘You’re not a lesbian.’
She grinned. ‘No, I’m not. But I have a lovely sister who is!’
I smiled back. ‘Thanks.’
‘It doesn’t seem to be letting up. Shall we head home?’
‘Good idea,’ I nodded.
We finished up our drinks and headed back to Laurie’s house.
Chapter 4
Family time
We spent the day doing the things a family with young children do on a wet, rainy day. We painted pictures and stuck on stickers, we made a mess with glitter and spent an age clearing it up. We baked a cake and decorated it lavishly with all the sweets we could find
. We then sat eating it with big smiles on our faces. We watched a family film-Finding Nemo was Katie’s choice and we all went with it. By the time Daniel got home, we were all cosy and warm, cuddled up on a big sofa together.
I stayed with the children while Daniel and Laurie headed upstairs to get showered and dressed. Half an hour later they headed out to dinner, after kissing the children goodbye and telling them to be good.
‘Ally?’ Zachary began, the second the door slammed behind them.
‘Yes Zachy?’
‘I’m hungry,’ he complained.
‘Katie hungy too!’ piped up a little voice.
‘Really? Didn’t you just have tea?’
‘I know, but couldn’t we have a little treat?’ he asked in a semi-whiny voice, seeing what he could angle out of me.
‘Well…’ I began, ‘there are definitely apples out there in the kitchen…’
‘No!’ he exclaimed. ‘Something nice!’
‘There’s also oranges…’
‘No Ally! Something nice!’ he demanded.
‘Hmm…’ I said, pretending to think deeply. ‘Well, I don’t get to see you often, do I?’
‘No…not lots at all!’ he said.
‘Well let’s think…I could make a little phone call…’ I told him slowly.
‘Yeah?’ he said, his eyes brightening.
‘And order us pizza!’ I said dramatically.
‘Pizza!’ he all but screamed and launched himself across the sofa onto my lap. ‘Pizza! Pizza!’ he chanted.
‘Alright! So long as you’re good!’ I told him, lifting him bodily off me and plonking him on the seat beside me.
‘I’m always good, Ally. My teacher says so.’
‘Oh does she?’ I grinned. ‘She hasn’t seen you at home,’ I said and began tickling him all over.
Zachary laughed and squealed in sheer delight which brought Katie over to join in the fun. She climbed on to my lap and began bouncing up and down.
‘Ickle me! Ickle me!’ she babbled.
‘Tickle you both!’ I yelled, one hand on each of them.
They laughed and giggled and when it all calmed down a bit, I finally phoned for pizza. I ordered two for us all to share and then hung up when they told me it would be forty five minutes.
‘Okay! Pizza will be here in a bit so let’s go and get your jammies on and then we can set up another film for movie night!’
‘Movie night!’ Zachary called out happily. ‘Can we watch Despicable me 2?’
‘Yep! Whatever you fancy!’
‘Yes!’ he said happily.
‘Come on Katie,’ I said taking her hand. ‘Let’s get your pyjamas on!’
‘Mummy?’ she asked, looking up at me.
‘Mummy be home soon,’ I told her. ‘We’re going to watch a film!’ I told her my eyes wide.
‘Yay!’ she grinned, revealing her lovely new teeth. ‘Me like film!’
‘Me too. Come on then.’
We all went up the stairs and while Zachary changed himself, I got Katie dressed into her pink princess pyjamas and then added slippers and dressing gown to keep her warm.
‘Shall we go downstairs now?’ I asked her. ‘We’re going to have pizza and watch a film!’
‘Yum!’ she said, referring to the pizza.
‘Do you like pizza?’
She nodded solemnly. ‘Me love pizza!’
I smiled at her. She was a sweetheart. ‘Come on then,’ I said, scooping her up into my arms. She was getting tired now, it dawned on me. She was looking sleepy and had stopped charging around so much.
Downstairs, we started the film, all cuddled under a big fleecy blanket in the lounge. When the doorbell rang, I collected the pizza and we all ate slices on our laps. It was yummy and warm and the children’s smiles warmed my heart.
After we had eaten, we all relaxed watching the film. Katie slowly fell asleep beside me, so I lifted her onto my lap and cradled her close as she slept. Zachary sidled up closer to me and then nuzzled into my side warmly. The moment was rich with love and felt like a turning point for me. This was what I wanted for my future, I realised. I had always had the idea of having a family in the back of my mind but sitting on the sofa with my niece and nephew cuddled up against me made it clear in my mind. I would have a family, one way or another. I just needed to make some changes and make it happen.
As I thought of a family of my own, a face popped into my mind. It was Alex, the owner of the café I had met earlier in the day. I gazed off into space as I remembered her crinkling eyes as she smiled and the way my heart had raced as she had lifted my hood. I had never felt so intensely aware of another person and it had felt good. Just thinking about her made me feel alive. Just thinking about her made me feel excited. I wondered about her as I sat in the quiet lounge. Who was she? Was she as friendly and personable as she made out? I wished I could go back and talk to her more. She intrigued me and I was attracted to her. I resolved to try and see her again.
The film ended and the credits rolled. I glanced down to see that Zachary had fallen asleep too. He was slumped down on the sofa.
I slowly stood with Katie and walked up the stairs with her asleep in my arms. After lying her in her bed, I tucked her up warmly and then pulled the door up a little. Then I went to collect Zachary and as I lifted him off the sofa, he didn’t wake, just resettled in my arms. I carried the sleeping boy up the stairs and into his bed. Again, I tucked him in and pulled up the door.
With the children asleep, I headed for my room. I sat on the bed with the door open so that I would hear the children if they woke.
I debated turning on my laptop and searching for new jobs. I considered doing a search for somewhere to live either in London or home in Bournemouth. I settled on pulling out the other thing I took everywhere with me. My sketchpad. I pulled it from the bottom of my luggage case and spread it out before me on the bed. Pencil in hand, I began drawing from memory and became completely lost in my task. Shapes and ideas took form and an image was created before I even consciously knew what I was drawing.
I shaded and added detail and before I knew it, a face looked back at me from the page. It was Alex…the woman who had gotten into my head in the space of a few short moments. I added to the drawing for a few minutes and then stood, stretched and headed down the corridor to check on the children.
They were both still sleeping soundly and so I went back to my room. Sat on the bed, I turned the page and began another composition. This one of Hope Beach.
I became lost in my task again and didn’t look up until I heard the front door and then Laurie appear at the door.
‘Hey! Everything okay?’ she asked in a whisper.
‘Yes, they’re both fast asleep,’ I smiled.
‘I know, I just looked in on them. Were they well behaved for you?’ she asked coming in to sit on the bed.
‘They were great. We watched a film, ate pizza and laughed. I loved it and I think they were happy too.’
‘I’m sure they were,’ she smiled. ‘Thanks so much. We had a lovely dinner out. It was great to have some time alone with Dan.’
‘Well anytime! It gave me the chance to see a little glimmer of your world…and I like it.’
‘You still want a family some day?’ she asked.
‘Definitely. Even more so after spending time with Zachary and Katie.’
‘They’re good kids.’
I nodded, ‘Lovely.’
‘So, what have you been up to?’ she exclaimed, turning to look at my sketch of Hope Beach. ‘This is incredible!’
I smiled and looked down at what was shaping up to be a pretty good piece of work. ‘Thanks. I sketch all the time. The images this morning must have inspired me.’
‘Wow, I’d forgotten how talented you are…well not forgotten, just kind of put it to the back of my mind.’
‘It makes me happy,’ I murmured, looking at the work I had created.
‘Do you do portraits?’ she asked, still lo
oking at the sketch.
I considered this for a minute before answering. I then looked at her warily. ‘Promise me you won’t laugh? Or mock me?’ I said.
‘Why would I do that?’ she exclaimed.
I flipped the sketch pad over to reveal the portrait of Alex on the other side. Beside me, Laurie gasped.
‘What?’ I said, ready to defend myself.
‘Ally!’
‘What?’ I demanded.
‘That is breath-taking! Wow, you’ve captured…I don’t know what you’ve captured, but it’s incredible! You have an absolute gift! Wow,’ she repeated.
I looked down at the picture I had created and cocked my head to one side, considering it. I had captured something. It was the light in her eyes when she had smiled at me that morning. The look in her eyes was what drew you into the picture.
‘Well, I know I said I wouldn’t tell you what you should do next in life but let me just say this…it would be criminal to let this gift pass you by. I had no idea you had gotten so much better over the years. If you’ve sat here tonight doing these then just imagine what you could make with more time on your hands!’
I nodded slowly, considering her words. ‘You think I’m good?’
‘Good? Good is not the word, honey. You’re incredible! Amazing! Talented! Put it to some good…starting tomorrow!’
‘What’s tomorrow?’ I asked confused.
‘Would you draw us? The family? I’d love to have an artist-drawn portrait of the family. It would mean so much!’
‘Oh well I’d love to! I don’t have the supplies with me though.’
‘We’ll pop out in the morning to the art shop!’
‘Okay then,’ I grinned. ‘I’d love to!’
She smiled. ‘Well, I’m going to get to bed. All this adult time has worn me out!’ she chuckled.
I smiled at her. ‘Go enjoy some more adult time while you have the chance,’ I laughed.
She giggled prettily. ‘I must just do that! Thanks for tonight, sis. You’re a star.’
‘I know,’ I grinned. ‘But you deserve it.’
‘Night Ally.’
‘Night Laurie,’ I replied.
The following day, we went out in the morning to the art shop. We bought supplies and some extras for the children to do craft with and headed back to Laurie’s house.
