Page 66 of Take Her On

Jamie peered round to find what Maya was pointing at. “The Trotter van?” A tacky metal pin from the show Only Fools and Horses rested on the bed of copper coins in the machine.

“Yeah, he loves that show.”

Jamie tried not to focus on the fact that Maya still hadn’t introduced her to her family yet. Not since they’d…been doing whatever they were doing, anyway. She supposed she shouldn’t take it to heart—Jamie hadn’t introduced Maya to hers either, but that was with good reason. What was Maya’s excuse?

She hated all the rules of casual dating. The unwritten law of being cool and collected. She just liked to be herself, unfiltered. When she couldn’t be, a strange feeling descended on her. She pushed that feeling away, focusing instead on the pin and how excited it made Maya.

“Let’s win it for Grandpa then,” she said.

They spent the next hour feeding pennies into the slots, trying to edge the little van to the end of the drop. They’d definitely spent more money than the little novelty thing was worth, but Jamie didn’t complain; she was as focused on winning the pin as Maya was.

When it eventually tumbled over the edge with a waterfall of two-pence pieces, the two of them cheered so loudly, the sound cut through all the arcade noise. Jamie picked Maya up, twirling her around the dingy carpet.

She put her down, stupid smiles on both their faces, and Maya bent to scoop up the winnings. It felt like they’d just won the lottery.

If the lottery was a prize worth no more than £2.50.

But, still, they’d won, and that counted for something.

Jamie threaded her fingers through Maya’s. “You hungry?”

They left the arcade and bought some chips—Jamie drowning hers in vinegar—then she led them down the steps and onto the beach. They slipped off their shoes and socks to walk barefoot across the sand as the deep blue waves lapped against the shore. Gulls cawed above them, the fresh salty air calling them closer to the sea. She chose a spot away from the few dog-walkers and produced a blanket from inside her rucksack, laying it on the sand. Collapsing onto it, she kicked grains all over the red fabric. How she’d already managed to get sand everywhere was beyond her. She glanced at Maya, expecting a comment, but she just laughed, taking a seat beside her.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, eating their chips and looking out at the sea. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun.

But the darkening sky confirmed the day was coming to its end. That thought sunk low into her stomach, taking hold. She glanced at Maya and found a faraway look on her face.

“Where’d you go?” Jamie asked. “What were you thinking about?”

Maya watched a seagull dip and dive over the waves and let out a sigh. “About how I don’t want this day to end.”

Jamie smiled at that and popped another chip into her mouth. “That’s funny. I was just thinking the same. But I’m glad we did this,” she said, once she’d finished chewing. “It’s nice to get away.” She rested her empty cone beside her and blew out a breath. “It’d be great if we could just bubble ourselves off, wouldn’t it? Make time stop for a moment. Stay in this infinite loop.”

“Arcades, chips, and the sea? What more could we want?”

“Exactly.” She turned to Maya, grinning. “Plus, a couple more of those kisses wouldn’t go amiss.”

“You’d be lucky, vinegar breath.”

Jamie cracked into laughter. “What an insult. That cuts deep. What’s worse, though, are those chips of yours. They look as dry as breadsticks.”

“You clearly have an unhealthy obsession with vinegar.”

She shrugged. “There are worse things to be addicted to. I’ll take it.”

Maya paused, the waves crashing in the distance. “Is that why you don’t drink?”

She shrugged again. “Nah. I just don’t like it. There’s not really a story there. Just personal preference.”

“That’s fair enough.”

“What about you?”

The directness of her question seemed to catch Maya off-guard. “What? Why do I drink?”

“Yeah.”

Maya was quiet for a while, watching the waves sweep over the shore. Most of the beach had emptied now, apart from the gulls searching for any leftovers. “I guess I used to drink to forget.”