‘There’s hardly anything there,' she replied, her voice strangely higher than usual. ‘Very glad you survived.’
Erin and Becky had a much less carnal experience while examining Aiden’s hand, but as they peered closely at it, he locked eyes with Alex, just for a moment, and it was enough to make her realise that she might be in serious trouble.
‘I might head back,’ Alex announced. ‘Grab a shower before the joggers return and use all the hot water.’
‘I’ll walk back with you,’ Aiden said. ‘I need to make a quick call and my phone is out of battery. Again.’
‘Keys under the mat,’ Erin replied. ‘See you back there.’
Alex counted thirty steps before she was certain that everyone was out of sight.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked.
‘I’m going to charge my—’
‘No, not that. With the hand touching and the eyes and the smouldering looks, what are you playing at?’
‘Me? You touched my hand! I was just showing my battle wounds!’
‘You know what I’m talking about. And in the kitchen yesterday.’ She found herself stomping now which was rather difficult to do in the sand. ‘Standing there in your T-shirt and your boxers with your hair. Ridiculous.’
He started to laugh. ‘You’re acting like this is all me. You were also in the kitchen yesterday. I might have been looking at you, but you sure as hell were looking right back at me.’
‘I know. Shut up.’
They reached the house and held back a little before going inside.
‘We’re adults,’ Alex insisted. ‘We should behave as such.’
‘I completely agree… but can I ask you something?’ Aiden said. ‘It’s been bugging me since I got here.’
‘Sure.’
‘What exactly isan absolute ride?’
‘Oh my God,’ she mumbled, her face turning a delightful shade of beetroot as she rushed inside, almost tripping over the chairs on the patio.
Once in her room, Alex closed the door, grabbed a pillow from the bed and screamed into it. This was awful. If she’d known this was how the weekend would go, she’d have made some excuse and stayed home with Winston.
* * *
Everyone was exhausted when they returned from the beach, Erin especially who proclaimed that she could not be arsed cooking and did everyone want a takeaway? There was a general rumble of agreement.
‘I could fair go a Chinese takeaway,’ Tara said. ‘Been ages since I had one.’
Becky could practically feel Christine die inside from disgust. She didn’t do well with junk food and unless they had takeaway avocado and quinoa, she just might starve.
‘What are the options?’ she asked, hoping that at least somewhere would grill some tofu. ‘Not sure I could handle anything too greasy.’ This of course was a lie. She was ravenous. She would eat a deep-fried shoe if someone offered it.
‘There’s the usual Chinese, pizza, fish and chips but I was thinking lobster,’ Erin replied. ‘There’s a grand wee restaurant on the seafront that does takeaway.’
Christine’s ears pricked up. ‘Lobster? Do they do also do oysters?’
‘They do,’ Erin confirmed. ‘But I thought you were vegetarian?’
‘I make an exception for oysters.’
‘Right, well, they do most seafood. I’ll pull up the menu online. They don’t deliver, but I can go and pick it up.’
