Alice Cove

CHAPTER THREE

3.

The morning was a blur. Constantly checking people in, along with multiple calls from Brody, so much was going wrong today. I was constantly running from the shed and to the office, back to the shed. Every now and then I’d catch Harry, and he’d watch me confused as I jogged around, I’d just give him a smile back and keep jogging.

“Please, can we block Brody?” I laughed to Darls as I caught my breath in my office desk.

“Well could you imagine if Brody wasn’t here?” Darlene tempted

“Oh f**k that.” I laughed.

I got to returning emails, it was mainly a copy and paste along the lines of ‘thank you for your enquiry but f**k off we’re full.’

Of course Darlene wrote the templates, not me.

I was exhausted from barely any sleep, and my workout of running around all morning that if anyone tried to argue a point to me today, or question me, I would blow. And just as that thought went through my head the door swung open. This was it. A Karen was about to walk in and I’d lose my job.

It was Harry. With a big clear cup of ice coffee.

I smiled, “oh my god is that for me?”

I could almost feel Darlene pop her head out from her office to see who it was. Probably thought it’d be Candy with a cup for both of us.

“It is,” Harry smiled. I felt like he was like a puppy dog, you make him know he did a good job and he was super ecstatic about it. That was a good trait that not many men had. Usually they wanted you to do the good job.

“Thank you so much,” I took the cup from him, “that’s so sweet of you.”

He shrugged, “I just finished up at the beach and went to grab one for myself and you’re on the walk back so thought you might need one.”

“Thank you.”

“What time do you finish up?” He asked me.

But before I could answer a few loud people opened the door, carrying on their conversation as they walked in and came straight up to the counter.

“Hello,” one almost yelled at me.

“I’ll see you later,” Harry said, as he was pretty much pushed aside and out the door.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I said to the group.

“I was here first,” a man pushed in front of a lady who shoved him back. I assumed they all knew each other or else it was super rude. I laughed and joked around with them until they all got signed in and their keys and piled out.

I did some more computer work while no one was at the desk, sipping on my coffee.

“So who was that?” Darlene asked, walking out of her office. She doesn’t come out until customers are gone.

“Oh, they were just all signing in,” I told her.

She gave me a stern look.

“Oh,” I joked, “that was Harry, I met him yesterday.”

“Did you do a Candice?” By that she means did I f**k him on the first night.

“No,” I said in a surprised tone, “and he didn’t even try. We did kiss though.”

Darlene smiled, she always liked when I had morals unlike Candy.

“I saw you have a peek, what do you think?”

“He’s super cute,” she smiled. He is.

“Who’s super cute?” Just at that moment Brody walks into the office.

“No one,” I blurted out before I could stop myself.

Darlene looked down at me wide eyed.

“Okay then,” Brody looked between us both, “don’t mind me then, just need to get someone paperwork from out the back.”

He slid behind both of us and out into the back room.

“What was that about?” Darlene hissed at me.

I shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t know.”

I went back to my computer, still feeling Darlene’s glare piercing a hole in the back of my head.

The afternoon always goes by really quick. We don’t give late check outs during the busy season, some people do leave the afternoon before the end of their booking, but that wouldn’t be now, that’s more the people leaving at the end of the season. We were still midweek of the first week, so no one would be checking out now, they’re all here for the weekend. And if by 3pm there is nothing on the books I can leave, Darlene always stays back being office manager, and no life when jasper is away, so if anyone comes in for some reason she deals with it. And on the odd occasion will call the receptionist that was on to help her if need be. So essentially we were all on call all the time, but we were barely in the office, so it was a cruisy job that evened itself out in the end.

So I left at 3. Went straight to my van to change into my bikinis, there was still plenty of daylight to be spent at the beach. I put a long singlet over the top of my bathers, grabbed my towel then off I went. I didn’t need much else.

I set my towel down on the beach and took off my singlet, I stood at the shore for a while, letting my toes feel the water before the rest of me as the last of the waves sprayed my legs. The water was cold today. Some one grabbed my waist from behind me causing me to jump, I turned and it was Harry.

“Hey you,” I said.

He pulled his hand through his hair, “hi.”

I smiled at him with squinted eyes as the sun was behind him.

“How was work?”

“It was alright, the coffee helped thanks again,” I said.

“Going out there?” He looked at the ocean.

I nodded, “yep, in a minute.”

“I’ll see you out there.”

And then he jogged off into the ocean, diving through the first wave that dared to crash over him.

I watched him for a while, after he got up from his dive he shook his hair off his face, like a dog trying to dry themselves. He stretched his arms and dove back under. It was refreshing to see someone else enjoy the water for what it was. He seemed to love being in there, even without a board.

After a while I decided to go in, I walked in and dove under the waves until I got to the calm.

“It’s nice in isn’t it,” Harry said to me, swimming over.

“Yeah,” I said, he came close enough to wrap his arms around my waist, I wrapped my legs around him so he was holding me up. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as we bobbed along with the water together.

After a couple of minutes I felt Harry’s grip change.

“You better f*****g not,” I laughed.

Harry gave me an evil glare and in less than a second I was flying in the air and then crashing back into the ocean.

After being under water for a moment I submerged, pulling the hair back from my face.

“You’re going to pay for that,” I laughed.

Harry chuckled and went off swimming, I chased him. After a while he slowed down and let me catch him.

I lunged for him and he grabbed me spinning me. He held onto me, dunking us both under the water. When we came back up and gasped for some air whilst laughing, he stopped my laughing by kissing me.

“You play dirty,” I said between kisses.

“Yes I do.” We stayed in the ocean for a little while longer then came out and shared my towel. Laying down and talking until we were dry.

I was starting to have actual feelings for him already. He was so nice, interested in what I had to say. It was more than an attraction now. But I always had my walls up, after all, he’d be gone in two weeks, but I knew I should have fun while he was here, and he wanted to. It definitely seemed like he wanted to.

Harry walked me back to my van, “maybe I’ll see you tonight?”

“What are you doing now?” He asked me.

“I’m knackered from last night and work so I might take a little nap first,” I told him.

Harry shrugged, “I’m pretty tired. I can nap with you?”

He was sheepish, almost embarrassed to ask in fear of rejection. It was cute.

“Okay,” I shrugged.

I had an idea where this was going, and after my revelation of before, I was down. His kissing made me feel a certain way, I was interested to see how this would feel. If I stayed awake.

Harry followed me inside, shutting the van door behind him, I turned on the fan and laid down on the bed, he laid down next to me.

“Legit sleeping okay,” I laughed, “no talking.”

He made a motion like he was zipping his lips up and I laid my head down. Harry laid down and pulled me against him.

We stayed silent for a while, my eyes were closed and I was counting my breathing to help me go to sleep. I was tired, but my mind was wide awake, so was my body as Harry wrapped his arms tighter around me.

From behind me Harry pulled my hair off my neck and started kissing the salt away, he was licking and sucking just under my ear, it some how caused me to push against him, and that’s when I felt him. I couldn’t help it as I turned over, holding his head with both my hands and pulled his face towards mine and kissed him. As soon as I did this it’s like it awoken something in Harry. He swung one leg over so he was straddling me, he grabbed my hands with his and held them crossed over my head as he deepened our kiss, his tongue met mine and they danced together, it was wet but so refreshing and erotic. He was such a good kisser that I felt like a teenager again and just wanted to make out for hours. But my body had other plans. My hips bucked up towards him and in turn he pushed down with his, pinning us together. As his lips left mine, so did his hands, and he quickly went back to kissing my neck, his hands trailing down the sides of my torso and back up again underneath my shirt, his hands landed on my breast for a moment, then he stopped kissing my neck and looked down and into my eyes for a second.

“f**k you’re beautiful,” is all he whispered and then his lips were back on mine again.

He slid my bikini top to the side and started groping my breast, tweaking at my n*****s.

I pushed him off of me, and he sat back on his heels, worried he might’ve done something wrong. He didn’t, I pulled off my shirt, bikini with it and pulled him back down onto me. He was already bare chested so our skin stuck together with our sweat as I gripped at his back trying to get him even closer to me. My legs instinctively wrapped around his hips as I pulled him into me, my arms snaked around his shoulders as he wrapped his around my waist.

He somehow kissed me deeper than before, he then kissed my cheek, my jaw, my neck, my collarbone, my chest and then finally my breast. I writhed under his touch and tussled with his hair.

After a while he moved downward again, spreading kisses all down my torso until he arrived at the top of my bikini bottoms, he laid kisses all along the top and then looked up at me, lust in his eyes, but still waiting for approval. I lifted my hips so he was able to pull them down.

“f*****g hell,” is all he could say as he looked over my naked body.

He kissed the lips between my legs, I held myself up with my forearms, trying to get a handle on things and he nibbled slightly before licking along the crease and to my c**t resting just inside the folds, he knew he found it because he stayed there sucking lightly. I wriggled underneath his touch and couldn’t take it anymore, I grabbed onto his biceps and pulled him up towards him as I kissed him with force, fumbling to try and pull his shorts down.

He helped my with it and slid his shorts off.

Not breaking our kiss for a second he lifts on of my legs by the knee and placed it on his hip as he drove his hard member into me. He stopped half way into me, making sure it wasn’t going to be a painful experience. I pushed towards him, welcoming him. We both gasped as he fully entered and my shoulder fell completely onto the bed. He put an arm behind my neck, anchoring us. The other bringing my leg closer to me as he thrust in and out slowly, but building up momentum. My breathing got louder, I couldn’t help it, until I was moaning and almost vibrating underneath him as he picked up the pace. We stayed in that position, just getting faster and faster, until we both couldn’t handle anymore.

“Oh f**k,” he whispered under his breath. I wasn’t far off. I wrapped my arms around him and gripped at his back, telling him I was so close.

“f**k,” it escaped my lips, I couldn’t help it.

And it was all the encouragement he needed as he got that last spur of energy, pounding into me until we both sighed hardly in release.

He laid on top of me for a moment, kissing my neck, before sliding off and getting up to the small bathroom I had to clean up. I grabbed the singlet from the floor beside me and wiped myself, going into my side drawers and getting out some underwear.

“I better go,” Harry declared as he came out from the bathroom.

I looked at him, do I say okay thanks?

Harry laughed “just kidding.”

He jumped back onto the bed and pulled me back to him, resting my head on his chest.

“Time for that nap.”

I don’t remember much after that before waking up a few hours later, waking up because Harry still hadn’t left my side or let go of me, it was sweaty. I expected to wake up alone after he would have slipped away a few minutes after I fell asleep. But he wasn’t like other guys who would’ve got what they wanted and left. It was becoming more apparent that I was right, he was genuine.

Harry was dead asleep, I tried to move around to wake him up, but he didn’t budge. I made as much movement as I could getting out of bed, and he finally stirred. “You’re up,” he said through sleepy eyes.

“Yeah, just woke up,” I said, grabbing a bra out of the drawer to put on, then a tshirt.”

He rolled to be on his back as he rubbed his eyes.

I grabbed some stuff to go to the ablution block and have a proper shower. Wash my hair, shave and what have you.

“What are you doing?” He asked me, still lying there.

“I’m going to go have a shower,” I said throwing my towel over my shoulder, “you can wake up a bit more here before you go it all good.”

He nodded his head and I left for the ablution block.

I had a long shower, washing my hair was a big task, but also I did take my time. Thinking about s*x with Harry even made my v****a tingle. It was good. I was expecting a jack rabbit moment but there wasn’t one at all.

I dried off and got dressed in the cubicle and then did my makeup at the sinks and full length mirror, it was much better than doing it in the sweaty van. I finished up and walked back to the van, wondering what I was going to do for my late dinner. As I got closer I managed to recognise the figures sitting in my chairs. It wasn’t Harry. Candice and Brody. Oh f**k.

“Well hello there,” I raised an eyebrow at them both. Then went inside to put my s**t away and grab a drink. When I did so I checked to see if Harry was inside, he wasn’t. I could be safe.

“Hello to you too,” Candice said in her suspicious voice. I don’t think I’m safe.

Brody nodded, not saying anything.

“Is our sweet child not a virgin anymore?” Candice asked. She was joking obviously.

Brody almost spat out his beer.

“Oh my f*****g god Candy,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Did Harry forget his shirt? Or did he leave it on purpose?” Candy asked.

I looked at Brody. He was loving this, but also looking very stern.

“He didn’t bring one,” I offered.

Candice couldn’t keep up the acting as a disappointed mother and lost it laughing.

“Good on you,” she tipped her drink to me.

I sat down on the grass in front of them, sipping on my drink.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit unprofessional?” Brody asked.

“Oh cmon,” Candy moaned, “where else are we going to find any fun?”

I laughed, “there’s no rule Brody, you can get your rocks off with a lonely single mum.”

“Or a younger woman,” Candy winked at him.

He smiled, “I’m here to do a job.”

“You say that,” I mused, “until you get the urge.”

“You’re not that old, I bet you still got it,” Candy smiled. No doubt thinking about what he’s got.

I could see Brody flush a little, it was cute.

“Well what do I owe the pleasure of both of you gracing me with your presence?” I asked.

“We’re going to get drunk!” Candy screamed.

Brody ‘shh’d her.

“It’s not noise curfew yet,” Candy shook her head, “always on the job you.”

“Candy has pulled me into going up the country club for a drink,” Brody said.

“You just finished your first week, you got to let off some steam,” Candy said, “and El is going to help.”

“I am?” I asked.

“Unless you’ve got a hot date?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Fine,” I moaned, getting up, “just hate that I actually have to wear shoes.”

My shoes were just white converse. So it wasn’t too bad, I don’t think I’ve worn heels in the last five years. And not many times before that. Candy obviously wore heels though. Even though we had to walk for ten minutes, with a decent amount of incline. She was a pro.

I’m surprised we didn’t even have to tell Brody twice we were bringing roadies. I thought for sure he’d guilt trip us on street drinking. But the more he drank the more casual he seemed.

When we got to the country club we headed straight to the bar. The term country club was pretty loose, there was a lot of old men, just finishing up on the bowling pitch, but apart from that it was just a bar really. A long bar outstretched the back wall with two pool table and a few bar tables around the place, and in the front room was dine in seating for people who wanted a meal.

We introduced Brody to the two bartenders that were on shift. Jacob, who was barely 18 and his older sister Katie. She was around Brody’s age and she swooned. It was a family run business.

There was 4 children, the other two with partners, and their parents, all working shifts between bar staff, waitress and chef.

“What will it be?” Katie asked us.

“Three dark and stormies,” I chimed in, my favourite drink.

“Of course” Katie laughed and went on making them.

“How’s the summer so far El?” Jacob had a huge crush on me ever since he started working here at 15.

“Busy, you?” I asked.

Candy kicked me, she thought it was hilarious.

“Yeah same,” he smiled. Then hurried off as an old man called for him. Wanting a drink.

Katie gave us our drinks and kept talking to Brody. The small talk, like where you from? Why you here? Married with kids? Smooth Katie.

Candy and I decided to play pool, she assumed some guys would come in for a drink soon after their dinner so bending on over a table would help her. I loved playing pool so I was down, Candy was s**t at it. She claims she’s not, and if she’s s**t some guy might come help her shoot her shot, and she’d help them later the same. Good plan, but it was intentional she just wasn’t any good.

I beat her every time, sometimes could pants her. Though I’d never offer her to pay up, because she would be happy to do it.

We were half way through our game when Brody came over, “why didn’t you guys save me?” He asked as I took my shot.

“We thought maybe it was time for you to loosen up,” Candy laughed.

“She’s missing half her teeth,” Brody declared.

We both laughed, as I lined up for my next shot, sinking a ball prior.

A few guys had come through and were playing on the other pool table, eyeing us off. Candy was eyeballing them back, I wasn’t interested. I had Harry, I know we weren’t dating or anything, and never would be. But I tried to stick to one guy at a time. Being a holiday destination, I could have any guy that was looking for something really, but I wasn’t like that. I let Candy have that role without competition. There was nothing wrong with it, no judgement, power to her. It just wasn’t for me.

Our game had finished so Candy handed the cue over to Brody and walked over to the other table to chat with the boys.

“Play again?” Brody asked. Setting his drink down on the side.

“Yeah, sure” I said, going over to my drink.

Brody began to rack up as I finished my drink. Jacob had already made me a new one and set it beside the one I was finishing. I smiled at him in thank you. They always gave locals a running bar tab we could fix up at the end of the week, it was nice but dangerous. Then they’d just text us and we’d transfer it to the family account. Bit of a tax write off but hey, it wasn’t me.

Brody had already racked and broke, sinking one solid so he had his next shot, sinking another. Maybe he’d be better competition that Candy.

He missed the shot.

“Okay let’s play a game,” Brody began, “when we get one in we get to ask the other person a question.”

I thought about it for a second, “alright.”

I lined up a shot and sunk one in. It was a solid like the one sunk on the break so that was two down for me.

“Okay,” I began, thinking about my question, “do you have a family somewhere?”

Brody laughed, “straight to it. No I don’t, never married, never had kids, and my parents passed away a few years ago. I have a sister in the city.”

I had another turn but missed, was close though. But I ended up lining Brody up for an easy shot.

He took it and sunk it.

“Why the surfer guy?”

That wasn’t a question I was expecting, “I don’t know. He’s good looking, and he’s actually a really nice guy.”

Brody laughed, “I expected you to go for a bad guy, neck tattoos, maybe an eyebrow piercing.”

I laughed, “my shot.”

I missed, I took a swig of my drink.

Brody’s turn and he gets one in, “why did you choose to stay here?”

I thought about this, there was many reasons, all long and damning. I shrugged, “I love the beach, and I was jobless and lived with my parents when the opportunity arose.”

He nodded. That seemed to be enough for him.

He took another shot, and got one in.

“Is there more to that story?”

I nodded. He didn’t step further, knowing not to go there. Maybe his story was the same. One more shot for Brody, and he missed.

My shot, got one in. Was a complete fluke.

“Why haven’t you been married?”

“Well,” Brody took a sip of his drink, “working on the farm was tough when my parents got sick. Pretty much 16 hours a day. Didn’t have the time. Had girlfriends here and there but they never stuck.”

Fair enough. I had another shot, sunk it.

“And why aren’t you interested in any women here?”

He looked at the table, I guess sizing up my next shot, “I had my fair share of one night stands when I was younger, I’m kind of over that. The next person I want to be with is the last, not really many with potential like that around here is there?”

Why were all these questions about significant others, I know why, it’s the same as truth or dare or have you ever, it’s the fun stuff. But it also had me wondering if there was a connection here that I’ve missed.

I took my next shot, sinking two. My ball, and that black.

My head got the better of me and I missed what would’ve happened.

“No,” I crouched on the ground, I had been beat.

Brody laughed, slapping me on the shoulder, “good game…for a girl.”

“Sexist bastard,” I laughed, getting up and grabbing my drink.

We grabbed another drink each and then went outside on the terrace to drink them, while I vaped. Yes I know, I’m gay for vaping, but whatever. I haven’t smoked a cigarette in two years thanks to this baby.

We sat out there, talking about work mainly, amongst other things. But what else really was there. Not long later Candy came out. She sat with us with a smile on her face.

“So Jono is old news now?” I asked.

She shrugged, “for now it looks like maybe.”

I laughed and shook my head at her, I could never keep up.

We sat out there drinking for another hour. Taking turns going in to grab the next round. We drank spirits all night so we were all pretty tipsy, if not drunk.

“Candy, you ready?” Some guy came out with his friends and called for her.

She checked her phone, “yeah sure.”

She looked at us, “you’re good if I go right?”

“If you are,” I looked at these guys faces intently. Trying to burn them into my memory just so I could get a sketch artist to draw them if need be.

Candy pointed at Brody, “you get El home alright, okay?”

He put his hands up surrender, “will do.”

Candy ran off with this guys, some guys, she met them an hour or two ago, she then sat out here with us, not them, or maybe join the two, and when they’re ready to go they call on her.

It seemed Brody was thinking about the same thing, I looked up to him furrowing his brow and looking agitated.

“Finish these drinks and we’ll go home yeah?” I declared.

Brody looked at me and his face soften, a tiny bit.

“Sounds good.”

It only took 2 minutes and we were done so we started the walk home, it was easier walking home, not just because we had been drinking but all those inclines became declines.

We talked and mucked around on the way home, I balanced along the curb as we walked, pretending I was on a tight rope.

“I like you, you know, you’re a good girl,” Brody said.

“Oh yeah?” I pondered playfully, “why’s that?”

“You’re fun, you’re carefree, you don’t let anything get to you,” he said, “but when it comes down to it, you get the work done, and look out for others over yourself.”

I stopped walking, “wow, that was actually really nice.”

“Just be careful okay,” he stopped and looked back at me, “the world is a worse place than you think.”

I rolled my eyes and started walking again. Don’t I know that!

Not before long we were back at the park walking down the paths, it was pitch black almost apart from a few lights and we tried to be quiet. Snickering quietly in the process.

“I’ll walk you home,” Brody whispered, as we got to the T junction where we parted ways.

“No,” I shook my head, “it’s okay.”

He walked in front of me towards me van anyway.

We got to the front of my van and I stood in front of the annex door, “well, it seemed like you did have fun so mission accomplished.”

I saluted him.

“Yeah, thanks for a good night,” he smiled.

He leant down to hug me goodbye, it was awkward, we both leant to the same side, then both readjusted to the other.

“f**k it,” I heard Brody whisper to himself, then all of a sudden his lips were on mine. It was two seconds of soft lips with rough hair, and then I felt Brody’s demeanour change and he stood back up to his height.

“I’m sorry,” Brody turned, “I didn’t mean to.”

I was dumbfounded, “it’s okay. We’ve been drinking.” Holy f**k.