One Long Hot Summer

by Antonia Adams

  ‘Thank you so much. Sometimes I think he forgets he’s got a mother at all … Oh, I’ll have to go. I’ve got a call waiting on the line and I think it might be Roberto. Speak to you later, Lily. ’Bye.’

  With that, she put the phone down.

  ‘How is she?’ Ryan asked.

  ‘Very well,’ I replied, ‘but maybe you should find that out for yourself. You don’t have to tell her you’re not in Thailand; just let her know you’re still alive.’

  Aware I was in danger of sounding more like his mother than Amanda did, I took a sip of my coffee, registering a strong aftertaste of whiskey. ‘Wow, there’s a kick to that!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘I thought you might need it if you were on the phone to Mum.’ Ryan grinned. ‘You know what she’s like when she settles down for a chat. I never ring her unless I know I’ve got at least two days’ worth of supplies to hand …’

  We were still laughing when Charlie popped his head round the door. ‘We’re going to scoot off,’ he said. It seemed Amanda’s unexpected phone call had killed the party mood. ‘We’ve put the dishwasher on, so you don’t have to worry about that, Lily. Thanks again for dinner. See you tomorrow, Ryan.’

  With that, he and Giles left the house. Charlie drove a dirt-streaked old Land Rover with a couple of surfboards lashed to the top. Ryan and I stood on the doorstep and watched him back it a little recklessly down the driveway and on to the road.

  I couldn’t help wondering what might have happened if Amanda hadn’t rung when she had. Ryan would have shared his story with us, and then it would have been my turn. What would I have told them? Maybe I’d have confessed to the night I fucked Alex at a stuffy dinner party thrown by his boss, feigning a headache and giving Alex five minutes to join me in the guest room, where he’d gone down on me while the other diners ate their beef Wellington, oblivious to our antics.

  Somewhere along the way, I’d lost that wild sense of mischief. Spending time around Ryan and his friends, still so spontaneous and carefree, reminded me how much I needed to put the fun back in my life. Maybe I should join the boys for a morning’s surfing? I’d never as much as held a surfboard, but they could teach me the basics between them. It might even prove useful research for my new novel.

  Shaking my head, deciding that might be just a step too far, I turned to make my way back inside the house. Ryan reached out and caught hold of my hand, sending a giddy thrill through me.

  ‘Lily, I – I just wanted to say thank you,’ he said, his blue eyes fixed on mine.

  ‘For what?’

  ‘For not ratting me out to Mum. You didn’t have to do that.’

  ‘And what would it have achieved if I had?’

  ‘Well, I know you came here to be on your own. I can’t help feeling we’re getting under your feet.’

  ‘Not at all – and if you were, do you think I’d have agreed to cook dinner for everyone?’

  ‘No, and I really appreciate that. So do Charlie and Giles. And we’ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.’

  ‘Oh, there’s no need for that,’ I assured him. Just having Ryan in the house had such a positive impact on my writing; I could no longer imagine being here all alone. But of course I couldn’t tell him that. The less I told him about how I felt, the better for both of us.

  Chapter Five – Party

  ‘I’M THROWING A PARTY on Friday night,’ Ryan said as he passed me in the hall, lugging his surfboard out to the car. Our paths had barely crossed in the past week. He’d been leaving the house early and coming back late, and I’d been locked away in my makeshift study, the free-standing fan Ryan had brought down from the attic working overtime to cool the air as I polished the first three chapters of Off The Lip, ready to send them to Robyn. Of course, there was still the small matter of finishing Seafront Attraction, but one thing at a time.

  ‘Ah. Now I know why your mother’s blocked from following your Facebook updates. You don’t want her to know you’re inviting a load of complete strangers over here to trash the cottage in her absence.’

  ‘Hey, not fair!’ Ryan retorted. ‘They’re not strangers. They’re all our surfing buddies – oh, plus a couple of girls Charlie was chatting up in the pub the other night – and we’re going to have the party on the beach. Get a barbecue going, set up a sound system …’

  ‘Annoy all the neighbours …’

  ‘We’ve thought of that. We’re going to invite them too. That way, they can either bring a bottle and join in, or they’ve had fair warning and they can make plans to be somewhere else.’

  ‘And this is my fair warning, is it?’ I asked, thinking I’d go into Weymouth and have dinner on Friday evening, maybe catch the new Hugh Jackman film at the local cinema.

  ‘No, it’s a request for your presence. We want you at the party.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think I’d exactly fit in with a bunch of surfer boys?’

  ‘Are you kidding? It won’t be the same without you. Say you’ll come, Lily?’

  Ryan stared at me with big, puppy dog eyes and something deep inside me melted. ‘OK. Yes, I’ll come. Why not? Maybe it is time I let my hair down for once.’

  ‘Oh, just one last thing,’ Ryan said in the moment before he slammed the front door behind him. ‘The dress code for the party is strictly swimwear.’

  People started arriving for the party around nine on Friday. Not surprisingly, after receiving their invitations our nearest neighbours had both decided to be elsewhere for the evening. Ryan had spent the last hour or so setting up a fire pit on the beach, close to the cottage, and the scent of grilling chicken, heavy with lemon and garlic, wafted on the air. The sound system he’d mentioned when he’d been planning the party turned out to be an old-fashioned boom box, playing dance tunes whose heavy bass lines floated out on the still night air.

  Cars parked on the road outside the cottage, disgorging little knots of partygoers clutching six-packs and bottles of cheap cider. Once they’d navigated the zig-zagging cliff path down to the beach, Ryan took the offerings from his guests. He plunged the cans and bottles into the old tin bath we usually used to wash Dexter, which had been filled with ice to keep the drink cool.

  I sat on a blanket, close to the low cliff, nursing a plastic cup of white wine as I watched Ryan laugh and joke with his friends. I’d been apprehensive when he’d told me the dress code was swimwear. It was an obvious choice – on a hot night like this, who wouldn’t be tempted to spend at least part of their time in the water? Ryan wore nothing but a pair of baggy blue shorts, and the sight of his nicely muscled body, tanned a couple of shades darker than when he’d first arrived by the summer sun, made me yearn to run my fingers over the firm planes of his shoulders and chest. But I wasn’t too keen on wearing something revealing myself, not when all the other female guests would be nearly half my age. I didn’t have a bad figure – being tugged along by Dexter as he pulled at his lead on his walks gave me all the exercise to balance out my sedentary working habits – but I doubted I could compete with their youthful bodies and sun-kissed skin. With my red-headed, Celtic genes, I struggled to achieve any kind of tan. Instead, I simply cultivated the pale and interesting look.

  Mostly, the girls arrived with slouchy T-shirts thrown over their bikinis – if a couple of triangles of fabric held together with string could be classed as a bikini, that was. I’d wrapped a floral sarong round my hips, feeling more comfortable with that extra coverage. Ryan hadn’t mentioned a girlfriend, or even anyone he was interested in among the girls who hung round the surfing crowd, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t invited someone here tonight with the intention of hooking up with her.

  ‘Hey, Lily!’ I looked up to see Giles standing before me, clutching a can of beer. He swayed slightly, as though he’d already had a drink more than was good for him. ‘Come and dance with me.’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t think so. This isn’t really my kind of music.’

  ‘Oh, come on.’ His tone was beseec
hing. ‘I hate to see you sitting there on your own, when you should be having a bloody good time like everyone else.’

  I thought about trying to convince him I was having a good time, then wondered what I really had to lose. Draining the last of my wine, I clambered to my feet and followed Giles over to the patch of sand where half a dozen people were dancing. The music changed to an uplifting, trancey tune that made me want to twirl slowly on the spot, revelling in the feeling of being alive and surrounded by happy people on such a glorious night. I hadn’t had more than a cup of wine, but at that moment I guessed I was just high on life, using a phrase that would have made me cringe in other circumstances.

  I thought I caught sight of Ryan watching me, the look on his face one of amusement and something like admiration, then a couple came to dance alongside Giles and me, blocking him from my view. The girl by our side had wild corkscrew curls and skin the colour of caffè latte, and I noticed Giles giving her a lustful glance, his eyes lingering on her barely-clad backside even after the man with her pulled her into a tight embrace, dancing in a suggestive fashion that had more to do with his evident need for her than the beat of the music.

  I couldn’t help grinning. ‘So … Got your eye on anyone in particular tonight?’

  He shook his head. ‘Just thought I’d leave it to fate and see what happens, you know? But Charlie’s after the blonde in the black one-piece.’ Giles gestured in the direction of the girl he meant with the hand that still held his beer can. ‘She’s the barmaid at The Dolphin; that’s the pub we usually go drinking in. I keep telling him she’s got a boyfriend and he’s got no chance, but you know what Charlie’s like. Nothing if not determined.’

  ‘And what about Ryan? Is he chasing anyone?’ Despite myself, I had to know.

  ‘Ah – now that’s where it gets really interesting.’ Giles leant close. ‘I know I shouldn’t be telling you this, and if he asks, don’t say you heard it from me, but there’s only one woman in Ryan’s heart.’ Giles broke off as the music segued into something more frantic, driven by a pounding drum-and-bass rhythm. ‘Oh, man, I love this tune!’

  ‘Giles.’ I did my best to drag his concentration back to the matter in hand. ‘You were about to tell me who it is that Ryan likes.’

  ‘Well, she’s not a million miles away from here, I’ll say that much.’

  ‘Giles? Come on, don’t tease me like this,’ I begged.

  ‘OK, here’s your second clue.’ He pointed at me and winked.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right, Lily. He’s got the hots for you, big time. But I think the whole “you being his mum’s best friend” thing makes it a bit tricky – at least for him. I keep telling him he should do something about it. I would if I was him, because you’re fucking gorgeous.’ He went to take another swig from his can, seeming baffled to find he’d already emptied it. ‘I need another one of these. Can I get you anything?’

  ‘I’ll come with you, sort you out a plate of food,’ I told him, guiding him through the mass of dancing bodies in the direction of Ryan’s fire pit. We’d have some serious cleaning up to do tomorrow, I thought, even though we’d already left out a couple of black bin bags where people could toss their empty cans and discarded chicken bones. But I’d worry about that later. For the time being, I was too busy wondering how to deal with the bombshell Giles had just landed on me.

  The best way to do that was to stay out of Ryan’s path for a while, just till I’d digested all the implications. Even as I decided that, I heard a familiar voice at my ear. ‘Hey, Lily. Enjoying yourself?’

  ‘Oh, hi, Ryan. Yeah, I’m just trying to get some solid food into Giles. Otherwise he’ll be sleeping his hangover off on the beach.’

  ‘Well, it wouldn’t be a proper party otherwise.’ He reached for a paper plate, piling it high with chicken legs, Cumberland sausages and a hunk of French bread. ‘There you go, mate,’ he said, handing it to Giles.

  ‘So how come you’ve ended up manning the barbecue?’ I asked. ‘I’d have done that for you.’

  ‘Sorry, barbecuing is strictly a man’s job.’ He grinned. ‘Never come between a bloke and his slightly charred shish kebabs or there’ll be hell to pay. Have you never read Men Are From Mars, Women Have Impossibly High Standards, or whatever it’s called?’

  Giles, having grabbed another beer, caught my eye and gave me another significant wink, inclining his head in Ryan’s direction before plonking himself down on the sand and tucking into his food.

  ‘Mind you,’ Ryan continued, ‘I wouldn’t mind getting away from the grill for a few minutes.’ He called over to a short, dark-haired lad in his early 20s who was rummaging through the impromptu cooler in search of a drink. ‘Hey, Chrissy, you wouldn’t mind manning the barbie while I take a bathroom break, would you?’

  ‘Sure thing, mate,’ Chrissy replied in a strong Australian accent.

  Expecting Ryan to make his way up to the cottage, I was surprised when, instead, he started walking down the beach towards the water’s edge. When he beckoned me to follow him, I did, trotting to catch up with him.

  ‘I thought you needed the bathroom?’ I asked.

  ‘No, but I knew if I gave that excuse, Chrissy wouldn’t fail to take the reins. I just wanted to get away from everyone. We’ve not really had the chance to talk all evening, and I wanted to be sure you’re enjoying yourself. I mean, this isn’t really your usual crowd, is it?’

  ‘Are you saying I’m an old fuddy-duddy?’

  He shook his head. ‘No, but I can’t help thinking you’ve already done a lot of partying when you were my age, and you’re probably bored of it now.’

  Looking out to sea, where the full moon’s reflection was captured and held by the waves, I replied, ‘I was never really the party-going type back then. But I’m having a good time tonight. Giles can be very entertaining when he wants to be.’

  ‘Yeah, can’t he just?’ Ryan grinned. ‘I saw the two of you having a bit of a heart-to-heart earlier. Nothing serious, I hope?’

  ‘I don’t think Giles is capable of being serious. No, we were just talking about random stuff. Like who Charlie fancies – and you.’

  ‘Me, really? What did you have to say? Anything interesting?’

  I knew I was in danger of making a fool of myself, of spoiling the easy friendship we’d built in the last few weeks, but I didn’t care. Maybe I’d been infected with a case of summer madness. Whatever the cause, something about the moon on the water and the muted sounds of the party, music and voices far enough away to let me know there was no danger of our being overheard, made me bold. ‘OK, Giles was telling me there’s a woman you like, but you don’t want to let her know because the situation’s a bit complicated. But the truth is she already knows how you feel, because she feels the same way.’ My eyes locked with his, and I took a breath, not sure I wanted to know what his reaction was going to be.

  Ryan didn’t say anything at first, and I was sure I’d blown it. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if he told me he was going to pack up his things and go and join Charlie and Giles in the B&B. Then he took an awkward pace forward. In that moment, as we stood looking at each other, I became aware just how much bigger and broader than me he was. ‘Oh, Lily,’ he murmured, and brought his mouth down to meet mine.

  His lips were soft, and his mouth tasted of the red wine he’d been drinking. I raised myself on tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck. Ryan pulled me to him, hands clasping my sarong-clad backside, and I could feel his cock starting to stir into life, pushing at my belly through his shorts. All the doubts I’d had about whether we should be doing this, wondering if it was inappropriate to act on my desire for a younger man, melted away under the onslaught of his kiss.

  By the time we finally broke the kiss, I felt breathless and light-headed. Ryan’s face dissolved in a grin, as though he couldn’t believe quite what he’d done.

  ‘That was nice,’ I told him. ‘So nice I think we should do it again.’


  Ryan obliged, his kiss just as strong and passionate as before, then his mouth moved on, lips nibbling softly at my earlobe before seeking out the sensitive spot on the side of my neck. He held my hair away from my skin, licking and lapping a wet trail down to my collar bone. By that time, I was squirming against him, my pussy liquefying, my whole body on edge and desperate for more intimate caresses.

  Part of me wanted him to just lay me down on the sand and fuck me, but that wouldn’t have been the most sensible idea. Everyone was still clustered on the makeshift dance floor, but that didn’t mean someone might not have the bright idea of coming down to the sea to cool off, and the last thing I wanted was to be caught with Ryan’s cock buried in my pussy.

  ‘Maybe we should take this inside?’ I suggested. ‘That is – if you want to?’

  ‘I’ve never wanted anything more,’ Ryan assured me. Taking me by the hand, he led me back up the beach. No one paid us any attention as we passed: Charlie had made his move on the blonde barmaid, and was muttering something in her ear, making her giggle in response. Giles and Chrissy were standing at the barbecue, no doubt discussing the finer points of how you grilled a burger without reducing it to charcoal. Everyone else was far too busy drinking or dancing to notice Ryan guiding me up the cliff path, towards the empty cottage.

  We slipped in through the kitchen door. Dexter, snoozing in his basket near the oven, roused himself briefly at the sound of Ryan’s voice, before giving a little whine and settling back down to sleep.

  I’d never felt as giddily excited as I did climbing the stairs, hand in hand with Ryan. It seemed everything that had happened since I’d walked into the kitchen and found him standing there half-naked, hunting through the fridge, had been leading to this moment. We’d tried to fight our feelings and failed, and now we’d surrendered to the inevitable.

  ‘Your room or mine?’ I asked, as we stood on the landing.

  ‘Mine, I think,’ Ryan said. ‘Unless you’ve got a stash of condoms in yours that I don’t know about.’