Page 100 of Coming Home to Wishington Bay
‘Dinner. Tonight. Seven-thirty.’
‘Who?’
‘Me and you.’
‘Oh! I …’
‘You just said yes when I asked you.’ He frowned.
I did? Oh crap.
‘Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind already? Surely I deserve a chance.’
I wasn’t entirely sure that was what he deserved at all but seeing Gabe with a beautiful woman’s arms wrapped around him had thrown me.
‘Sure,’ I replied, not really sure at all but the deed was done now.
‘Great!’ His reaction was a lot more enthusiastic. ‘So, I’ll pick you up about quarter past?’
‘OK. Yes. Fine.’ Hearing more laughter from next door, all I wanted to do was close the door. And the windows. ‘I have to go now.’
‘Right. See you later then.’ He stepped forward a little. ‘I’m really looking forward to it, Holly.’
A peal of tinkly, feminine laughter rang out.
‘Uh-huh,’ I said, distractedly, and shut the door before turning and leaning against it. What the hell was I doing? I’d never let a man scramble my brain like Gabe McKinley had and it had been so busy cooking itself as I’d tried not to watch him walk in with the stunning woman, I’d just agreed to have dinner with the previous man to give my ego and self-confidence a walloping. All in all, today had started well and quickly gone downhill.
At the sound of my mobile, I pushed myself away from the door (which I had at least found now opened, and hadn’t been painted over after all), and headed towards the sound. The phone was sat outside on the table under the large sail shade where I’d been until the doorbell rang, and everything that had ensued from there had cast a shadow bigger than the parasol would ever manage over my entire day.
It wasn’t until I stepped out that I saw Gabe and his guest sat on his own patio. Gigi had never bothered with a screen between the two houses, having always been the sociable type and having like-minded neighbours, even before she and Grandpa had invested in the place themselves. However, now I really wished she had as it would have shielded me from the view that greeted me as I stepped out to answer my call. Gabe was sat with his wetsuit half on, the top and arms hanging loose, the hard, defined muscles of his chest uncovered. Opposite him stood the woman he’d arrived with – a woman for whom the term ‘bikini body’ seemed to have been specifically invented.
I pulled the loose, old overshirt I’d been wearing to work on the furniture around me a little closer, swearing as I bumped into the table, my mind preoccupied with thoughts I didn’t want in there.
‘Afternoon to you too!’ Carrie laughed.
‘Huh?’ I said, trying not to surreptitiously look next door again. Seriously, how could a bum be that perfect? And so high? I was pretty sure mine had never been like that even back when I was a toddler, and then gravity and I had been playing tug-of-war with it ever since. Admittedly it, and other things, had tightened up over the summer, now that I was getting some exercise, but still. I snuck another look. Bloody hell. So unfair.
‘Oh! Sorry,’ I said, turning my back to them both as I realised my colourful phrase had also been Carrie’s greeting.
‘You OK?’
‘Yeah,’ I said, forcing a bright tone into my voice as I heard a chair scrape behind me and a few seconds later, endured my own privateBaywatchhell as Gabe and his new girlfriend jogged down to the water’s edge, surfboards under their arms, laughing together. I moved again and pretended I hadn’t been wishing for a rogue wave to knock the pair of them over.
‘You sound weird.’
‘Thanks. I do not sound weird.’
‘You do but never mind. So, when were you going to tell me?’
‘Tell you what?’
‘That you and Gabe were back together? What’s happened? Is he not going now?’ Carrie fired questions like an automatic ball server on a tennis court.
‘Umm … never, because we’re not. Nothing’s happened apart from the fact that he’s in the sea now with his new girlfriend who is bloody perfect and … what was the third one?’
‘Is he not going back to Australia now?’ Her enthusiasm had somewhat diminished.
‘Oh right. I’ve no idea. I guess so but I really don’t know. I hope so anyway.’
