think. And I’m terrified because he’s in there with him now…and that’s all Chris’ fault,’ Emma continued.
‘God alive! Is he Dominic’s father?!’ Ally questioned.
‘No! No, of course not.’
‘Then what’s the problem?’
‘I think he thinks he is.’
‘Then just set him straight.’
‘I still have feelings for him,’ Emma admitted. She hadn’t thought about saying that. Her sensible side should have prevented her from saying that. But it was true. Without thinking too hard about it, just in the raw, most base sense, he made her feel how she’d felt when she was seventeen. It was like falling in love for the first time all over again.
‘I think you’d better tell me everything … on skis.’
Chapter Eleven
August 2005
‘We could swim…now we have caught fish,’ Guy said.
She was feeling lightheaded from the wine and full from the baguettes and cheese. She smiled, feeling content, warm and deeply satisfied for the first time in a long time. She lay back on the grass bank and stretched her arms behind her, flexing out her fingers, reaching out into the air. She almost felt free. Then suddenly her fingers recoiled as they made contact with something cold and wet.
She screamed and leapt up, wiping her hand on her dress. It was the fish Guy had caught and partially wrapped in the paper bag that had originally housed the bread.
He laughed at her, his green eyes alight with amusement. Then he began to peel off his t-shirt. The sight of his tight, brown body, the sun reflecting off the slight sheen made her insides unfurl.
‘You swim?’ Guy asked again.
‘Do I swim? Or do I want to swim now?’ Emma asked in soft tones.
‘Swim now. Take off clothes,’ Guy said, his fingers unfastening the button at the top of his cut-off jeans.
‘Oh no, I don’t think so,’ Emma said.
‘Why not?’
‘I…’
Why not? Why couldn’t she? No one was around, just her and him. She didn’t have to be the person she was back at home. She could be anyone she wanted to be. This was her chance to escape her life for a moment. Here there was no house still tainted by death, no grief counsellors explaining all the stages she had to work through…and there was no Marilyn.
As the name came to mind she was struck by a feeling of rebellion. She stood up on her feet and hurriedly lifted her sundress. She knew he was watching and she liked it. She pulled the cotton fabric up and over her head leaving herself in a white underwire bra and high-legged cotton briefs.
He appraised her, from the ends of her toes to the top of her head, nothing escaping his gaze. And then he pulled down his shorts and threw them into the bank. They landed on top of Emma’s dress.
She unfastened the back of her bra and let it fall down off her shoulders. She removed it from her arms, then stood before him, her breasts bare, her heart beating hard in her chest. She had never been semi-naked in front of a boy before and it was terrifying. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. It was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.
‘Come, we swim,’ Guy said, holding his hand out for her.
Dressed in just her knickers, she took his hand and let him lead her into the water. Despite the heat of the day the water chilled her toes and she held her breath as he made her step forward, deeper, until she was past up to her knees and the water was on its way to being waist height.
‘It’s so cold! Gosh, it’s cold!’ Emma exclaimed, hopping from one leg to another and trying not to shiver.
‘The cold is good. It is … how you say …
apisant
,’ Guy said, still holding her hand.
‘I don’t know what that means,’ Emma said.
‘It makes you feel very good,’ he responded, turning back towards her.
‘Fish don’t bite, do they?’ Emma asked, trying to lighten the mood as he moved closer.
‘
Non
.’
He stood opposite her, so close she could feel his breath on her
‘God alive! Is he Dominic’s father?!’ Ally questioned.
‘No! No, of course not.’
‘Then what’s the problem?’
‘I think he thinks he is.’
‘Then just set him straight.’
‘I still have feelings for him,’ Emma admitted. She hadn’t thought about saying that. Her sensible side should have prevented her from saying that. But it was true. Without thinking too hard about it, just in the raw, most base sense, he made her feel how she’d felt when she was seventeen. It was like falling in love for the first time all over again.
‘I think you’d better tell me everything … on skis.’
Chapter Eleven
August 2005
‘We could swim…now we have caught fish,’ Guy said.
She was feeling lightheaded from the wine and full from the baguettes and cheese. She smiled, feeling content, warm and deeply satisfied for the first time in a long time. She lay back on the grass bank and stretched her arms behind her, flexing out her fingers, reaching out into the air. She almost felt free. Then suddenly her fingers recoiled as they made contact with something cold and wet.
She screamed and leapt up, wiping her hand on her dress. It was the fish Guy had caught and partially wrapped in the paper bag that had originally housed the bread.
He laughed at her, his green eyes alight with amusement. Then he began to peel off his t-shirt. The sight of his tight, brown body, the sun reflecting off the slight sheen made her insides unfurl.
‘You swim?’ Guy asked again.
‘Do I swim? Or do I want to swim now?’ Emma asked in soft tones.
‘Swim now. Take off clothes,’ Guy said, his fingers unfastening the button at the top of his cut-off jeans.
‘Oh no, I don’t think so,’ Emma said.
‘Why not?’
‘I…’
Why not? Why couldn’t she? No one was around, just her and him. She didn’t have to be the person she was back at home. She could be anyone she wanted to be. This was her chance to escape her life for a moment. Here there was no house still tainted by death, no grief counsellors explaining all the stages she had to work through…and there was no Marilyn.
As the name came to mind she was struck by a feeling of rebellion. She stood up on her feet and hurriedly lifted her sundress. She knew he was watching and she liked it. She pulled the cotton fabric up and over her head leaving herself in a white underwire bra and high-legged cotton briefs.
He appraised her, from the ends of her toes to the top of her head, nothing escaping his gaze. And then he pulled down his shorts and threw them into the bank. They landed on top of Emma’s dress.
She unfastened the back of her bra and let it fall down off her shoulders. She removed it from her arms, then stood before him, her breasts bare, her heart beating hard in her chest. She had never been semi-naked in front of a boy before and it was terrifying. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. It was frightening and exhilarating all at the same time.
‘Come, we swim,’ Guy said, holding his hand out for her.
Dressed in just her knickers, she took his hand and let him lead her into the water. Despite the heat of the day the water chilled her toes and she held her breath as he made her step forward, deeper, until she was past up to her knees and the water was on its way to being waist height.
‘It’s so cold! Gosh, it’s cold!’ Emma exclaimed, hopping from one leg to another and trying not to shiver.
‘The cold is good. It is … how you say …
apisant
,’ Guy said, still holding her hand.
‘I don’t know what that means,’ Emma said.
‘It makes you feel very good,’ he responded, turning back towards her.
‘Fish don’t bite, do they?’ Emma asked, trying to lighten the mood as he moved closer.
‘
Non
.’
He stood opposite her, so close she could feel his breath on her
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