by Donna Jay
In her peripheral vision, Katie spotted a car tailgating her. She pulled left, letting it overtake her. She was in no hurry, unlike some people.
“Ha-ha. Look!” Gillian pointed two rams head-butting each other in a paddock.
“You’d think they’d be in a better mood now that they’re not carrying all that heavy wool around.”
Katie slowed for the intersection. Left would take them to Foxton, right to Sanson, and straight ahead to Himitangi Beach.
Once the road was clear, she coasted straight through. The closer they got to the beach, the sandier the landscape became. Small sand hills sprouting tufts of brown grass could be seen in most paddocks.
Toetoe bushes dotted the side of the road. The giant tussock grasses with large creamy flower plumes always brought a smile to Katie’s face.
“Whenever we came to the beach as kids, dad would stop and pluck two stems. One for me and one for Simon. After the day Simon thought he was funny tickling mum’s ear with the plumes, they were confiscated until we got to the beach.”
Gillian chuckled. “Your brother sounds as mischievous as my little bros. I can’t wait to meet him.”
All going well, that would be later today. Katie had given Simon the heads up they might call in on their way back from the beach, but she didn’t want to assume Gillian was hers for the rest of the day. She’d asked Katie to the beach, that was all.
“Do you want to stay up this end, near the shop?” Katie asked as she slowed to a crawl and coasted along the beach. “Or should we go down there.” She pointed to the left where it was a little less crowded.
A family sat on a picnic blanket eating fish and chips straight from the paper. Two boys who appeared to be around ten years old were busy building a sandcastle. Numerous people of all ages, shapes, and sizes bounded in and out of the surf.
“Let’s go down here a little bit further.” Gillian nodded in the direction Katie had pointed. “Not too far though, we don’t want to go outside the flags.”
“Are you a strong swimmer?” Katie asked, keeping her eye on a group of kids kicking a beachball.
“I wouldn’t say strong, but I get by. I don’t really like putting my head under. I’d rather paddle and dig for pipi’s.”
“Ew.” Katie screwed up her face. “Don’t tell me you eat them too?” She wasn’t a fan of seafood, let alone shellfish.
“Nah, but my parents love them. I prefer paua.”
“I’ve heard it can be nice when cooked right.” The one-time Katie had tried paua fritters they were chewy and full of grit. She swore to anyone who’d listen she’d had to pick sand out of her teeth for a week.
“I meant I prefer the shells.” She flashed Katie a cheeky grin. “Not to eat.”
“I knew that.” Katie chuckled. “Mum’s got some really cool paua shell earrings in the shape of a moon. Oh, and Nana’s got a dragonfly broach, its wings are made of paua shell. It suits her.” Katie smiled to herself.
Sitting forward in her seat, Gillian pointed to an empty spot on the beach. “How about here?”
After manoeuvring the car so they were facing the sea, Katie shut off the engine. They stared out the windscreen watching the waves break. A comfortable silence lapsed between them until a loud rumble interrupted the peaceful moment.
“Hungry?”
“Starving.” Gillian rubbed her belly.
After checking the handbrake was on, Katie cracked open the driver’s door. The scent of the ocean filled her nostrils; seaweed and salt water. She rounded the car and popped the boot.
Gillian appeared on the other side. “Can I help?”
“Sure.” Katie tossed her the picnic blanket. “Let’s stay on this side of the car, out of the breeze. We don’t want sand in our food.”
“Oh, come on.” Gillian nudged her. “What’s the fun in that? Isn’t that why people come to the beach? To experience grit in their food?”
“I thought it was to experience sand in your crack.” Katie smiled, delighted with her fast comeback. She didn’t know what was worse, sand in your food or sand where it had no place being.
“Wow, you’re on fire today.” Gillian spread out the picnic blanket.
Katie stabbed the base of the umbrella into the ground and angled it, so the blanket was in the shade.
She grabbed the esky and they both sat, backs against the car, legs straight out in front of them, crossed at the ankles. Katie wasn’t a sun worshipper, but her skin was tanned compared to Gillian’s. “I brought some sunscreen, if you need it.”
“Thanks. I’ll definitely need it.”
She took the sandwich Katie handed her. They devoured them in companionable silence.
Katie tossed the empty wrapper in the cooler and pulled out a container of fruit. “Want some?”
“Oh, what to have? Pineapple or watermelon.” Gillian eyed up the container like a little girl trying to decide what lollies to pick.
“You can have both. There’s plenty.” Katie stabbed a piece of pineapple with a toothpick and offered it to Gillian.
Rather than take the toothpick, she leaned in close, wrapped her lips around the offering and pulled it off with her teeth.
She was fairly sure Gillian was flirting, but she didn’t know what to do about it. At a loss for words, Katie said the first thing that came to mind. “Taste good?”
Gillian pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “You tell me.”
Time stood still as her face inched closer. Katie had seen that look before, but unlike when it’d been directed at her by David, this time she wanted it.
Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest before Gillian’s lips were even on hers. They were warm and soft, and she tasted like pineapple juice.
Their first kiss was everything Katie had dreamed of. Gentle and full of affection. Feelings she’d tried to ignore fired to life. God, how was she so turned on from a simple kiss?
When their lips parted, she was met by Gillian’s smiling eyes. “You okay?”
“Better than okay.”
A car cruised past and parked a little farther up the beach. Until that moment, Katie had felt like they were the only two people in the world.
Coming back to her senses, she mentally chastised herself. She had to be careful. What if someone had seen them kissing?
“Relax.” Gillian removed her hand from Katie’s thigh. “I checked first.”
“Does that ever go away?” Katie asked, dreading the answer, yet knowing if she wanted to live her life as a lesbian, she was always going to have to be cautious.
“Not really, but I don’t get down about it.” Gillian shrugged. “My parents are straight, and they don’t go around kissing in public either, so it’s no big deal.”
Once again, Katie was in awe of Gillian’s attitude. “How do you manage to be so positive all the time?”
“Life’s not a dress rehearsal, chick. We don’t get to do it over again.”
The term of endearment made Katie chuckle. She didn’t feel like a chick. She felt like a mother hen worrying all the time.
Gillian climbed to her feet. “Ready to hit the surf?”
No, I want you to kiss me again.
Too chicken to say as much—huh, perhaps chick did suit her—she closed the esky and followed Gillian to the back of the car.
Once there, Katie picked up the empty Coke bottle she’d filled with water before leaving home, screwed off the lid, and handed it to Gillian.
“Thanks.” She took a swig then handed the bottle back.
After taking a hefty swig of her own, Katie tossed it back in the car. The lukewarm water quenched her thirst but did little to cool her down.
The best way to do that would be to brave the ocean. Although, with Gillian standing so close that was doubtful.
“Did you put your togs on underneath?” Katie asked as she slipped her blue dress over her head.
“A one-piece?” Gillian arched an eyebrow seconds before her face disappeared and h
er dress came off, revealing a black and white polka dot bikini.
She loved how confident Gillian was in her own skin. And rightly so. She was gorgeous.
Katie’s gaze was drawn to the paleness of Gillian’s flesh. She looked like a porcelain doll. Her doll, and she didn’t want to share.
Her gaze travelled over her bikini top, which cupped her breasts perfectly, along the tiny trail of freckles down her left side and stopped at her bikini bottoms.
“Sunscreen. I need sunscreen!” Katie snapped out of her daydream, pleased her voice didn’t crack. She coated her arms and legs then handed the bottle to Gillian.
Quickly and efficiently, Gillian applied sunscreen to her arms, legs, neck, and feet, then handed the bottle back to Katie. She gathered up her hair and turned around. “Do my back?”
Good God, was Gillian trying to kill her? Katie was still reeling from her first real kiss, the first kiss that made her yearn for more.
And here she is offering you more, so get your head out of your arse, and do what the lady asked.
“Sure.” Katie squirted sunscreen on Gillian’s back and rubbed it in, loving the way her muscles twitched beneath her fingers. “All done.” She was disappointed the task didn’t take longer.
“Thanks. Last one in’s a chicken.” Gillian took off running.
Clucking like a hen, Katie flapped her arms. She didn’t bother trying to overtake Gillian, the view from behind was perfectly fine.
***
After jumping waves and giggling like school girls for who knew how long, they finally dragged themselves out of the ocean.
They dried off in tandem.
Katie opened the backdoor, sat on the seat, and brushed sand off her feet. She smiled remembering the countless times her mother had made her and Simon do the same.
Gillian scrunched up her hair, drying it with the towel. “Now for the tricky part.”
“What’s that?” Katie shielded her eyes from the sun.
“Getting out of my wet bikini and into a dry bra and underwear.”
“Oh, I normally just drip dry. If we lay in the sun for ten minutes, our togs will be dry.”
Gillian pointed to the sky. “If I lay under that fireball for another ten minutes, I’ll be the colour of a lobster.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll stand watch.” Katie swallowed hard. Gillian was about to be naked in the backseat of her car. If she had the balls, she’d join her under the guise of getting changed.
Instead, she hung her towel in the driver’s side rear window then returned to Gillian’s side. “I’ll stand with my back to the door. The front seats will hide you from anyone swimming, and there’s no one behind us.”
“What if someone comes walking along the sand dunes?” Gillian cocked an eyebrow.
“I’ll put the boot up if it’ll make you feel better.” Katie took a step in that direction.
“I was kidding, Katie. I’ve done this before. If someone glimpses my boobs or bum, I don’t care. Let them look.”
“Does that include me?” Katie blushed furiously. “Sorry, the sun must be getting to me.” She had no idea where that comment came from.
Yes, she did. She found Gillian incredibly sexy and she wanted to see all of her. But surrounded by people at the beach wasn’t the place.
“You can look all you like.” Gillian gave her a sexy wink and climbed into the backseat.
The heat of the car seared into Katie as she leaned against the door. Her body was on fire without the added warmth. She tried to distract herself from what was going on in the backseat by thinking of mundane things like housework.
That made her think of Simon. She hoped Gillian would say yes to stopping there next. She couldn’t wait to introduce her girlfriend to Simon.
The car shook and Gillian cursed.
“You okay in there?” Katie resisted the urge to turn around and peer in the window.
“Yep, just banged my head on the front seat when I leaned forward to hoist my bra under my boobs.”
Great, now her mind was on Gillian’s creamy flesh and the smattering of freckles across her chest.
“Need a hand?” Katie snickered.
“Sure.”
Shit, her heart raced. That wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting. She had no idea how to respond. She wanted to say yes and no at the same time.
The door clicked open, saving her from her inner turmoil. Katie stepped aside, and Gillian popped out.
“All done.” She twirled in a circle, yellow sundress fanning out around her thighs. Very pink thighs.
“You’re burnt.”
“It’s nothing,” Gillian said. “It’ll be gone in a few hours.”
In the time it had taken Gillian to get changed, Katie’s togs had dried out. She pulled her dress over top and slid her jandals on before stepping off the picnic blanket. At this time of the day, walking on the sand would be like walking on hot coals.
She folded up the blanket while Gillian gathered up their towels. They shoved everything in the boot and Katie slammed it shut.
Back in the car, which offered little respite from the heat, she turned to Gillian. “Are you in any hurry to get home?”
Please say no, please say no.
“Not at all. I enjoy spending time with you.”
“Is it too soon to introduce you to my brother?”
“Are you asking me…or yourself?”
Damn her, she could read Katie’s insecurities like a book. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Would you like to come with me to Simon’s? He lives on a farm and has a chook called Henrietta.”
“A chicken farmer?”
“No, silly. He’s a dairy farmer. Well he’s a cadet at the moment, but he hopes to have his own farm one day.”
“Well let’s go, then. I’d love to meet him.”
Katie started the car. Worry shot through her when the wheels turned but didn’t gain traction. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. This time she let the clutch out slower. Relief coursed through her when the car inched forward. “That was close.”
“I thought I was going to have to get out for a minute there,” Gillian said.
Katie scoffed. “I doubt your weight would’ve made much difference.”
“I meant to push.” Gillian flexed her biceps.
Chuckling, they left Himitangi beach.
Chapter 23
Twenty minutes later, Katie slowed when the driveway to Simon’s farmhouse came into view. The car shuddered over the cattlestop, and the scent of dry grass infused the air.
“Cute place,” Gillian said, turning down the radio.
They peered through the windscreen at the small white cottage with a green roof, paint peeling off the window frames and flax bushes surrounding the perimeter.
The windows were open, but Simon was nowhere to be seen. His car was parked out front, alongside a smaller car, the identity of the driver yet to be discovered.
“Come on.” Katie cracked open the door and Gillian did the same. After opening a rickety old gate, they followed a concrete path to the porch steps.
The front door was wide open, flyscreen flapping in the breeze. “Yoo-hoo,” Katie called out. “Anyone home?”
“Out here.”
Heading in the direction the voice had come from, Katie walked through the living room and out the backdoor.
“Sis!” Simon leapt to his feet, wrapping her in a hug.
A young woman, who appeared to be about twenty, sat on a deckchair under the shade of a huge pohutukawa tree. She wore jean shorts and a red check shirt tied in a knot under her breasts.
“Hey, bro. This is Gillian.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He shook her hand, smiling warmly. He gestured the young woman over and flung an arm across her shoulders. “This is my girlfriend, Jodie.”
“Hi.” Jodie gave them a finger wave.
“This is Katie, my sister, and her…” Simon raised an eyebrow.
Nothing like being put on the spot
. Knowing he had her back, Katie went for it. “My girlfriend.”
Jodie recoiled, rocking back on her heels. “Whoa, as in dating, making out girlfriends?”
Simon scowled. “Is that a problem?”
“Chill, dude.” Jodie pecked him on the cheek. “I’m not one to judge. I’ve just never met a lesbian before. I went to a country school and everyone there was straight.”
“As far as you knew,” Gillian said, beating Katie to the punch.
“I guess so. I mean, it’s not like either of you look gay.”
“And what does gay look like?” Gillian tilted her head, amusement lighting up her eyes.
It was odd to watch Simon’s girlfriend and her own have a verbal sparring match, but nothing about the showdown felt hostile, so Katie held her tongue.
Looking thoughtful, Jodie shrugged. “Damned if I know.” She pointed a finger at Gillian. “But that’s a very good question.”
Before Katie knew what was happening, Gillian’s lips were on hers. Stunned, she blushed all the way from the tips of her ears to the tips of her toes.
“That’s how you tell.” Gillian held Jodie’s gaze, and Katie held her breath.
Grinning, Jodie nodded slowly. “Cool.”
“Anyone who can make my sister blush like that is a friend of mine.” Laughing, Simon headed for the house. “I’ll get some cold drinks.”
Other than her moment of embarrassment, the introduction couldn’t have gone better. Within seconds, Gillian had won Simon over, and that meant more to Katie than she’d realised until that moment.
She sat on a log under a tree, and Gillian sat beside her.
“How long have you guys been dating?” Katie asked Jodie.
“Not long enough,” Simon called from inside.
Grinning, Katie cupped a hand around her mouth. “I wasn’t talking to you, big ears.” She turned back to Jodie. “Care to explain?”
“I rejected your brother’s advances for at least six months. He’s funny and charming and very sweet, but I refused to date him.”
“Why?” Gillian looked as lost as Katie felt.
“I’m the boss’s daughter.”
“Scandalous.” Gillian’s hand flew to her mouth. “Does your father know?”
