Page 67 of Barging In
Victoria rolled her eyes and grinned. “No, and I have hormones to thank for that. I endured it because, well, I had a crush on a friend. It stayed one-sided, as it always seemed to back then. Who wanted to be out and proud under Section 28? We hid ourselves. Some of us married the nearest man we found vaguely attractive who didn’tlook like he’d kill us and hoped for the best. All so we could pretend we werenormal.” She gave a thin smile. “Then you grow up, the world changes, affords you some rights… and you find yourself trapped anyway.”
Realising she had perhaps revealed a little too much, Victoria bit her lip.
“You aren’t trapped, Victoria.”
Victoria squeezed the railing as frustration began to take hold. Had Clem not listened to a word she said? Or simply not understood?
She was about to correct her when Clem added, “Stuck, maybe. Wedged somewhere awkward, where a step the wrong way feels like falling off a cliff edge.”
Victoria loosened her grip, the tension easing in her fingers. Clem was trying. She didn’t fully grasp what was at stake, but she was at least reaching for it.
“Something like that,” she conceded.
“Can I ask… have you ever told anyone about you and Drew? About your situation?” Clem asked gently.
Victoria shook her head. “I’ve never had anyone to tell.”
Clem’s eyebrows knitted together. “What about Jasper?”
“I don’t want to worry him. Although I’m sure he suspects something is wrong. Especially after spotting Hannah waiting in Drew’s car, and the fact that we didn’t arrive at the party together.”
“Oh. But surely he’d understand?”
“Maybe. But I also employ him. His whole life is in that museum. He knows if we don’t make improvements, then we could close, but as for my marriage problems, why drag him into something he can’t fix? Especially when I have no intention of losing the wharf.”
They fell into silence, both lost in their thoughts, until aboat came towards them in a narrow stretch. Clem expertly navigated past them, offering a wave as they passed.
“You’re a natural at this,” Victoria commented.
“Yep, it’s in my blood,” Clem said, staring into the distance. “I’ve steered bigger boats. My parents’ is a wide-beam. That’s over twelve feet.”
“I must admit, when you mentioned a hotel boat yesterday, it was the first I’d heard of one.”
“There are a few about. If you can manoeuvre one that big, you can handle anything,” Clem said, her posture sharpening. “Have you ever steered one?”
“No. I managed to avoid it on my week-long trip. Not that I’d remember even if I had. It feels like a lifetime ago.”
“Come.” Clem stepped back from her spot next to the tiller, one hand still gripping it. “Have a go now.”
“Oh, no. I couldn’t,” Victoria protested, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, even though she was tempted.
“Come on. For me?” Clem urged.
Victoria felt Clem’s hand around her waist, gently drawing her towards her body. It was impossible to refuse Clem when she was this close, and Victoria was enjoying the feeling of her fingers pressing into her too much to resist. She let Clem take control, manoeuvring her beside the tiller and placing her palm on the wooden handle. Clem’s warm hand settled over hers, firm and guiding.
Their closeness was making Victoria’s chest heavy, and Clem’s breath ghosting over her neck only weighed on it further. She knew she should pull away the moment goosebumps prickled across her skin; instead, she leaned in slightly, allowing Clem to take charge.
As they rounded a bend, Clem gripped her hand harder, but as they came onto a straight stretch sheremoved her hand entirely. Victoria jumped with surprise. Without Clem’s touch, everything felt a little less certain. Her pulse quickened, and a tightness squeezed her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
As if reading her concern, Clem placed her hand back over Victoria’s. Her body pressing in close again only served to make everything worse.
“You’re doing great,” she whispered in her ear.
“I think that’s enough,” Victoria said finally, extracting her hand from under Clem’s and stepping away. “I don’t want to be responsible for sinking your boat. You might go back to hating me.”
“I never hated you, Victoria.”
Victoria arched a brow, questioning.
