Page 67 of The Politician

Kendra slowly looked around. “It’s my favourite place. There are lots of secret spots like this around the lake.”

Though Kendra must have seen the place many times before, she seemed to take it all in as if for the first time. Sarah could watch the softness in her gaze, the appreciation in her smile, and the deep inhalation that gave her a relaxed appearance all day and never tire. The moment was perfect.

Kendra removed her clothes, stepped into the pool, and dove into the deeper water. She turned to face Sarah with a beaming smile. “It’s like a bath.”

Sarah tore off her clothes and ran until her feet lost contact with the base of the lake. “God, this is wonderful.” Half-floating, half-treading water, she moved closer to Kendra. “I’m so glad we bumped into each other.”

Kendra leaned her head back and laughed. “You mean you taking out an innocent eco-warrior trying to do the right thing by scooting to work?”

The water around Sarah warmed from the glow inside her. “You are an eco-warrior.” Sarah had been surrounded by aspiring conservationists, but Kendra was as genuinely passionate as they came. Sarah had dropped the ball by heading down a policy and political career route, and even though Kendra didn’t deserve to be here because she’d been sacked, she looked totally at home. “It suits you,” she said.

Kendra ducked under the water and resurfaced. “What does?”

“This place. This lifestyle. You look happy.”

Kendra flicked her hair from her face. “I am. Malee always said I should work here. Maybe she was right. Perhaps everything happens for a reason, even if we can’t see it at the time.”

Sarah acknowledged the tightening in her chest and didn’t know whether it was caused by Kendra’s ability to be happy without her or her own discontent with herself. “I think my parents wanted me to work in politics more than I did.” It was the first time she’d said that to anyone other than Mark and hearing the words left an emptiness behind that spoke of lost time.

Kendra slowed the rhythm with her arms and became quite still. She looked as though she was a Goddess with the water supporting her, and Sarah saw a hint of sadness in her expression. Maybe it was her own. Either way, the emptiness wanted to drag her down. She made wider, firmer strokes to stay afloat. “My father preferred to read me the history of political leaders rather than bedtime stories when I was younger. He was so passionate about it. Still is. I liked to sit at my bedroom window and watch the birds nesting and the new chicks being born and the lambs in lambing season.” She smiled. “Having children was a mistake.”

Kendra frowned. “Your kids are amazing.”

Sarah held Kendra’s gaze. “They’re incredible, and I wouldn’t change that part of my life. It was one drunken night with Mark, a one off.” Sarah sighed. “Termination wasn’t an option, both morally and in terms of my parents’ attitudes. I don’t like the idea of taking a life, no matter how developed that life is. I can’t even deliberately kill a spider, and they freak me out, as you know.”

Kendra swam closer, and Sarah extended her arms to the side to make short wavy strokes.

“I think you’re incredible,” Kendra said. She leaned forward and kissed Sarah’s nose.

“Did you ever want children?” Sarah asked.

Kendra dipped her head under the water and when she surfaced, she spurted it from her mouth into the air.

“Did you?”

“I don’t know. It’s not something I considered seriously. I’m not sure the nappy and regurgitating food stage appeals, but I like your kids. They’re older. I can have a proper conversation with them, and it’s interesting to see them trying to become their own person.”

Sarah hadn’t enjoyed the early days either, though she’d not breastfed the twins for long because her milk dried up too quickly. She hadn’t felt like an attentive mother, always in a rush to get back to her studies, always driving forward to get the best results to serve her career. “I’ve neglected them,” she said. She swallowed to release the tightness at the back of her throat and closed her eyes. When she opened them, Kendra stared at her, and an electric energy passed to and through her.

Kendra swam away, heading towards the beach on the other side of the pool. Sarah watched her easy strokes with a lightness in her heart and a warm feeling low in her belly and swam after her. She clambered out of the pool onto the sand and looked back to where they had come from. It was idyllic from every angle. She leaned back on her elbows and turned her face to the sky, its warmth quickly drying the water on her face. A restlessness came with her thoughts of having betrayed herself in pursuit of her parents’ dreams.

“You’re too hard on yourself about them. They’re smart kids, and they look responsible to me. That’s more than can be said for the oiks I’ve cleared up after. You’ve both done an amazing job, Sarah.”

“Mark has had the lion’s share of the work.”

“And why shouldn’t he? That doesn’t make you a bad mum. It means you’ve shown them a great relationship. They’ll know that.” She stroked Sarah’s hair at the side of her face and turned Sarah’s head towards her.

The back of Sarah’s eyes burned, and she smiled as the tears welled up. “I love you,” she said. Kendra leaned forwards and kissed her. Sarah’s tears flowed. The softness of Kendra’s lips, her tender touch, and the lightness told her everything would be okay. The craving was stronger, but there was patience in the absence of a timetable or the feeling of being watched. She kissed Kendra’s lips with feather-like touches, savouring the sweetness of her warm breath, stirred by the fire in her eyes. Kendra’s wet hair slid through her fingers, and she cradled her head and touched her cheek with her fingertips as she held her gaze. “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered, and the ache in her heart agreed.

Kendra traced Sarah’s mouth with her finger, as if reaffirming the shape of her in her mind’s eye and hopefully committing it to a vision of a future they would share. “What are you thinking?” Sarah asked.

“How much I want to make love to you.”

Sarah lowered her gaze to Kendra’s chest and pert nipples, and heat flooded her cheeks. She touched the soft flesh of her breast. Kendra’s breaths quickened, and her skin prickled. She moved across Kendra’s nipple. Kendra jolted and heaved a deep breath, and Sarah felt the intensity in Kendra’s stare stir in the throbbing between her legs. “You’ll make me come if you keep staring at me that way,” she said and smiled.

Kendra raised her eyebrows, and her smile suggested she’d quite like to see that happen. Sarah leaned closer and pressed her mouth softly to Kendra’s, her tongue exploring gently, unhurried, while desire screamed at her to pick up the pace. She eased out of the kiss, teased Kendra’s nipple, and relished the wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression on Kendra’s face. She placed tender kisses on, and licked across, the flesh of her breasts, savouring the smell and taste of Kendra’s sun-kissed skin. She was delicious, but Sarah was exhausted from the previous night in the jungle. She didn’t want to snatch time together and wonder when the next time would come. She wanted to experience the joy in every second as if it was their first time, knowing that what they had would still be there tomorrow.

Kendra lay back on the sand.

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