Page 52 of Hidden Gem
“I know. I thought about that, but I just couldn’t help myself. I mean... it’s a lighthouse!” He examined her face, holding his breath.
To his relief, the worry melted away and a smile broke through. “It’s got very small windows, so that’s good. Those bigger ones are up on the top level. So, it’s perfect for hiding. As long as the press doesn’t find out you’re in a lighthouse...”
“Yeah. That wouldn’t take them long.”
Jason opened the red front door with the key he found in the lock box. Together, they stepped inside. The tiny windows streamed in narrow pillars of daylight, leaving most of the room in shadow. The decor was bare and nautical, not quite as romantic as Jason had hoped.
Marnie skipped around the room, her eyes wide and arms spread. After one loop she took the spiral staircase leading to the upper level. He followed at her heels.
The top floor windows framed a breath-taking panorama across the rocky coastline which levelled into smooth sand before reaching the low-tide waves. The evening sun made everything glow in shades of peach and gold. The beach was empty of people, the road in-between quiet. It was perfect – a secluded fortress at the edge of the world, fifteen minutes from the Beehive. He could make it to the meetings on Tuesday and return here at night. He could sleep and work and not fail. Thanks to Marnie, he had a shot at the housing portfolio. Anything felt possible.
Marnie stood at the window with her back to him.
Jason snuck closer and wrapped his arms around her. “Will you stay here with me?” He cringed at the neediness in his own voice. Like a little boy. Why couldn’t he sound solid and dependable? Seductive? He had to improve his game, especially now he’d slept better. Otherwise, she’d never let go of those reservations he felt stewing right under the surface.
“It’s beautiful...” Marnie turned around, her eyes clouded. “Let’s eat something and go for a walk! Maybe we can spot a blue penguin?”
“Are they common around here?”
“I think so,” Marnie chirped, leading the way back downstairs.
“Remind me to show you the video of Benedict Cumberbatch trying to pronounce the word penguin. It’s hilarious.”
“Why? Can’t he say it?”
Jason chuckled. “Not even close.”
She headed to the fridge. Jason held his breath, hoping the host had provided anything and everything under the sun as requested. He’d paid handsomely for the extra trouble.
“Oh, my God!” Moving a stack of yogurts, Marnie pulled out what looked like a tray of readymade turkey sandwiches.
“I told them to go beyond the supermarket and get us something special.”
“You paid them to go shopping all over town for us? That must have been expensive!”
Jason couldn’t hold back his proud smile. “Don’t worry. Totally worth it. Tea?”
He boiled the jug while Marnie unwrapped the sandwiches. They sat down at a small table perched under one of the tiny windows giving to the beach. Jason connected to the wi-fi and found the penguin video.
After laughing at Benedict talking about ‘pengwings’ and ‘penglings’, they ate in absent-minded silence, focused on the window. It looked like a painting, a rugged coastal scene from a hundred years ago, with no signs of modern life. Jason wished they could travel back in time, to an era before internet and all the shit that came with it. Those invisible strings, hooked onto his flesh, tugging him with every notification. Without the weight of those demands, without the publicity, everything could be so simple.
Marnie sucked in her lips to catch the falling crumbs and wrinkled her nose. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Jason’s neck felt warm and he wondered if he was blushing. “The light... you look like a painting. I just want to remember this moment.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she burst out in laughter, snorting her tea. “What?” She hiccupped through an answer he couldn’t make sense of. After a while, her laughter settled and she managed to form words. “I’m sorry! I just can’t believe the things you say. It’s like I’m watching a movie, and my parents are mouthing those cheesy lines to each other. They used to do that, making faces. When they were still alive.”
“Cheesy lines?” He tried to smile. Maybe he deserved it.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...” She blushed.
“What happened to your parents?”
Marnie looked out the window, her mood shifting. “Dad died. After that, Mum lost interest in everything. Looking after him was such a big part of her life. I feel like she developed cancer at will, just because she decided it was time. I know that makes no sense, but I always felt like she’d already checked out, and no cure, no treatment could help. You know how people rally their support group and beat cancer? It was never like that.”
“So, you swore to never to lose yourself in a relationship like that?”
Marnie smiled and shook her head. “Never had to worry about that. I was already divorced. It was a rough couple of years.”
