Angela took a seat with Dot at the rustic pine table, taking in her surroundings.
The cottage had been fully renovated; nice wood finishes with all the convenience of modern technology. The character had been preserved in small details; rustic moldings, wood beams on the ceilings and a large grey stone fireplace mantel. Despite its beauty and comfort, Angela decided she preferred her quaint cabin. Although she did conclude that the odds of bugsightings would be quite smaller in the cottage…. she eyed the puffy pull-out couch.
“So Angela, can you believe my son doesn’t let me smoke in the cottage,” Dot asked her, not so much a question as it was a statement.
“There’s nothing wrong with the porch,” he said, with a hint of a smile.
“But to make an old woman like me go outside to have a cigarette, that’s just insane.
Don’t you think Angela?”
“Hey, I’m not getting in the middle of this,” Angela clarified.
“See Mum, you don’t have an ally in her either.” He smiled at Angela as he brought up a large platter of sandwiches.
“It’s absolutely unfair,” Dot said as she reached for a sandwich.
They had roast beef and chicken salad sandwiches with salad and lemonade. Angela practiced her French and encouraged Michael to do so, too. There would be no English at the table, with the exception of clarifying for Dot who really didn’t care for a large portion of the conversation. Angela was impressed with the level of Michael’s French. He was by far, much better than he had made himself out to be. He just seemed very self conscious about it. Angela encouraged him not to be. She also encouraged Michelle and Eric to stop teasing him when he mispronounced words. She explained that this would only set him back. They agreed and promised to be better, albeit still giggling occasionally.
As a result of the practice conversation, they learned much about each other. Angela learned that the kids both played hockey, and both enjoyed swimming. Michelle was taking singing lessons and Eric was a bookworm, like Angela. They were both fans ofThe Harry Potterseries. Eric and Michelle learned that Angela figured skated as a girl but wasn’t a greatswimmer. She told them she wasn’t working at the moment but that she would love to work with children. Michelle suggested that she be a teacher; and Angela considered how strange it was that she had never considered it. Michael struggled a little to follow, but tried hard to understand all the words being said; especially those concerning Angela. Dot left to smoke a cigarette on the porch and then settled herself on the sofa for a nap.
Angela helped Michael and the kids clean the kitchen. Thankfully they were assisted by a dishwasher and all the modern conveniences one could ask for. Angela observed that Michelle and Eric were great, well raised kids; helping without being asked, not distracted by their own pursuits and various gadgets. As she shuffled dirty dishes, utensils and condiments bottles, Michael shot her his irresistible crooked half-smile. He wasn’t making this easy. She wondered if he was flirting with her in his own assuming way… but on further thought, she truly believed he had no idea what he was doing to her.
“How about some horseshoes later?” he asked her as he was putting away the last few dirty dishes.
“Um... I think I’ll pass.” She thought about the promise she had made to herself. Besides, she didn’t remember ever playing horseshoes and was sure she would make a fool of herself.
“Well. If you change your mind, let me know,” he said with a hint of disappointment.
Later in the afternoon, they were all sitting on the porch, chatting and looking at the lake. Eric and Michelle suggested going for a swim. Angela froze at the suggestion. No thank you, she was quite comfortable, sitting there on the porch in the warm sun. She wasn’t much of a swimmer and she knew the water would be freezing. If it were winter, she’d put on a pairof skates and be in her element. Her swimming skills were basic at best and she didn’t trust herself swimming in water over her head. Eric suggested she wear a life jacket, which she didn’t deny was a solution to her problem. Yet, she still tried to get out of it but to no avail; all four of them were on her case, even Dot was in on it.
“Don’t be a wet towel, girl.” It was an ambush.
She looked at Michael, her eyes pleading with him. He just smiled that mischievous smirk of his, which made her blood boil. Why was he doing this to her? He seemed to enjoy her discomfort.
“You can’t come to the cottage and not swim,” he told her. “You knew there was going to be a lake, didn’t you?” he teased.
“Of course I did,” she said, quite annoyed. “I’ll go put on my bathing suit.”
She reluctantly walked to her cabin wondering all the while if he hadn’t come to her defense for the soul reason of seeing her in her bathing suit.
“Probably,” she thought. He was a man after all.
“Well...” She decided she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction; she would put on the black skirted one-piece granny suit she had brought. It was understated, elegant and modest; as she saw herself. Sure, she could picture it on Dot, but it was the perfect suit to wear under the circumstances; she wouldn’t be giving Michael the wrong idea.
As she shuffled through her bag, she grew tense. She couldn’t find it. Had she forgotten it? She clearly remembered packing it. As she practically emptied the tightly packed bag, she saw it: the suit. But it wasn’t the one she had packed; it was the white bikini.
“Damn you, Robert.”
She knew exactly how it had gotten there. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t wear this. She considered her options for a minute. Maybe she could borrow a suit fromMichelle or Dot. Michelle’s would be too small and she couldn’t bear the idea of crawling to Dot, telling her she had forgotten her bathing suit. Dot would probably make her work for it; sit with her on the patio while she smoked, or paint her toes or something. Not worth it. She decided to wear the suit with a cover up she had brought. But, she knew the cover up would have to come off if she was going swimming.
She slowly walked over to the dock, quite self-conscious.
“Well. It’s about time!” Dot yelled at her as Angela walked carefully down the dock. Dot was wearing a black suit not unlike the one Angela had packed.
As Angela took a seat on one of the empty lounger chairs, she noticed that everyone was quite occupied in their own activities, and paid no attention to her. Michelle and Eric were already swimming, Michael was sitting on the edge of the dock, and Dot was lying on a large chair, resting under her large brimmed hat. This wouldn’t be so bad.
“There’s a jacket over there for you, little chicken.” Dot pointed at the stairs were a bright yellow and blue life jacket was hanging on the post of the stairway.
