Alice Cove

CHAPTER TWO

2.

The first week went by in a blur, logging everyone into the park and not many out. Soon every bay was full up, and the day someone left would be the day someone new came in. Candy had already found a few blokes to devour and some of their friends for me. Wasn’t too interested. Candy setting me up always ended up being with losers. I’d bide my time if at all. Brody called me a few times to help him out, but nothing major, mainly if he couldn’t find something in the shed or if someone had a weird name for something. It was refreshing not having almost a second job but also, it felt weird. I had more time on my hands and more energy and nothing to do with it. Maybe I did need a bloke this summer.

And that’s why I found one, or he found me.

It was my day off and I was laying on the beach working on my tan when I was smacked in the shoulder by a football, my head and I would’ve killed someone. And also probably cried.

I sat up as someone ran over to me, “what the f**k man,” I pegged his football at his chest. He caught it with ease.

He still ran forward and fell on his knees in front of me, “are you alright?”

The sun was behind him so I couldn’t see much. All I could see was he had floppy sandy hair and nice teeth.

“I’m fine, just watch it next time,” I told him sternly.

He pulled his hair off his face sheepishly, “yeah I’m sorry about that. Let me make it up to you?”

I shook my head, “just don’t let it happen again,” I said lightheartedly.

He smiled and then got back up, running over to his friends. From that brief interaction I could see more. He was a typical surfer boy, but not a local or usual from around here. He was lean, tanned, blonde hair, blue eyes, what everyone would describe as a surfer dude, even the twang in his voice. Now that was my type. And no, not because it’s a male version of me.

I laid back down and continued listening to my music. I did always have one eye looking in my peripheral vision watching this boy with his friends. He was always laughing and having a good time. Acting up and joking around. I did notice and few times he’d look back at me.

I turned over to my stomach to even out the tan and maybe 20 minutes had gone by and this boy waved off his friends who went back into the ocean and he started walking towards me. Oh f**k.

He stood over me, blocking the sun from my skin, cause me to pretend to wake up and slide off my glasses to look at him.

“Can I sit?” He asked.

Now I know what you’re thinking. As if these hot surfer dude just comes up to me, like many have before. And I’m not saying I’m some super hot model but on paper I’m every guys type. I’m thin, athletic. I have long blonde hair and big blue eyes. I don’t lack in the curve department. But you know why the main reason is? I’m temporary, everyone loves a summer fling.

I nodded at him and sat up.

“I’m Harry,” he told me.

“Elody,” I said back.

He nodded, “Elody, that’s nice.”

“What are you doing here Harry?” I asked.

He looked confused for a second, but it was playful, “what here? Sitting next to you? Or on this beach in general?”

I chuckled, “take your pick.”

“Well I’m on this beach with my friends. We like to stay somewhere new every year and Jono picked this one. I’m sitting here with you, because I feel bad I hit you with the ball and want to make it up to you.”

I shook my head. “I told you, it’s all good.”

“But I would feel much better if I did,” he insisted.

I laughed, “what did you have in mind then?”

“A beer later this arvo?” He asked, “or are you more a wine girl.”

I nodded, “beer is good. Where are you staying?”

“At the caravan park just there,” he pointed at the caravan park like I didn’t know where it was, “maybe I could get your number?”

I got up on my knees, and scooped up my towel, I was all about the aesthetics and a good walk away.

“What about I don’t give you my number, and when you’re ready this arvo, you’ll find me around the caravan park.”

And that was that. I walked away, and I could feel his gaze the whole time he could see me.

That afternoon I did my usual routine of shower and dress in casual but nice clothes, and do my makeup. In summer season I always had to be prepared at any time for Candice to come round and drag me to some sort of gathering or party. And looking nice just in case Harry found me was a bonus.

I always had my hair down and naturally wave, parting far to the side of my face for my fringe. I barely wore any makeup but I always had to have my usual thick black eyeliner with a wing. I wore my denim shorts and instead of my casual hoodie I had a tight black three quarter sleeve top, obviously with a lower neck line.

On usual afternoons I had a bbq outside sitting around with my beer and vape while I waited for my steak to cook. It was nice, listening to the birds squawk on the trees and even the kids playing and laughing running up and down to paths. It was like white noise to me.

My alarm went off and I turned the bbq off. I let the steak sit inside while I went in and got myself another beer and my plate with salad on the side. I came back out and plated my steak and dug in.

Not long after dinner I stood outside cleaning my bbq when I could see Harry walk up.

“Found you,” he smiled.

“Yes, you did, how long did it take?” I laughed.

He had two beers in hand and passed me one.

“Literally the last path I walked down was this one,” he laughed.

I laughed too. He didn’t seem like a cocky dude, but I guess it was too early to tell.

He sat down on one of my chairs, “come sit down.”

Like he owned the place. But I did what he said.

“How‘s the shoulder?” He asked.

I pretended to rub it, “it’s fine.”

“And the rest of your day?”

“Yeah good,” I answered, “yours?”

“Better now,” he smiled. What a line, haven’t heard that before.

“So who are you here with?” He leant over to look inside my annex. As per usual, everyone thought someone else must be here with me. Especially someone who didn’t know I lived here.

“All by myself,” I shrugged, “no husband going to jump out from anywhere.”

He laughed, “that’s exactly what I thought.”

“How long are you up here for?” I asked.

“We just got in today, up here for two or so weeks,” he told me. No wonder he didn’t recognise me, I was off today so I didn’t check them in.

“What about you?” He asked.

This part was always a kicker, some people thought it was awesome that I lived in a caravan park in a caravan and worked here all year round. Some people laughed in my face. Some people thought that was sad.

“I kinda live here,” I told him.

His eyes widened, “what?”

“I work here.”

And then he relaxed, “oh my god I knew I’ve seen you,” he said with enthusiasm.

I looked at him quizzically, I didn’t work today.

“When we rocked up I saw you take a bunch of coffees up into the office just before we went in.”

That’s right, “small world.”

He looked around, “literally.”

I laughed at that.

“You know what I thought when I saw you this morning?” He asked.

“This chick is going to trip and those coffees will go flying?”

He laughed and shook his head, “nah I thought, I’m going to find this girl.”

“Who knew all you had to do was throw a football at her?” I joked.

“That was still most definitely an accident.”

We looked at each other for a while and smiled. I was the first to look away, down at my beer. Which I noticed was empty.

“Do you want another?” I asked, getting up.

“Yeah sure.” I went inside.

I realised I was running low on cold beer so I was refilling the fridge when I heard Candy.

“And who are you and where is El?” She quizzed Harry.

“I’m inside,” I yelled out before Candy could punch this guy in the throat.

“I’m Harry,” he said to her.

I walked back out and passed them both a beer and sat back down.

Candy gave him a glare, and then looked at me, “we’re going down to the beach tonight.”

“We are?” I knew this wasn’t negotiable.

She nodded, “some guys invited us this morning for drinks.”

I looked at Harry, “you can come if you want.”

“No,” Candy said, “I have something set up for you.”

I gave her a weird look back, I’d rather find my own, which I had thanks.

Harry laughed, “I think that’s me.”

“What do you mean?” Candy asked. Crossing her arms.

“Jono invited you right?” Harry said, standing up.

“Yeah,” Candy said, in her head I could see her trying to piece things together. I already understood, but it was fun to see this pan out.

“I’m his friend, that told him to tell you to invite your friend,” he looked over at me.

He was right, he was going to find this girl. Without the football.

“Oh my god,” Candy relaxed and laughed, “silly me.”

Nice Candy was back.

“Well, maybe I’ll see you girls tonight, I’ll let you be,” he bowed at me, “Elody.”

“See ya.”

And like that he was off.

Candy stole his seat, “so?”

“He’s nice,” I smiled, “and you are so close to ruining it anyway.”

“What do you even mean, I hooked that up.”

I laughed, hard, “I think I found him myself.”

“You heard what he said, his friend asked me to invite you tonight, and I did,” she explained.

I wasn’t going to argue, it was pointless with Candice, “yeah okay.”

We went down to the beach a couple hours later, it was dark, but we didn’t need torches, we knew this place like the back of our hands, and the light coming from where the group we suspected was Harry and his friend shone a light on our way.

I wore what I was wearing before, and in true form, Candice thought this was a patty. She wore a skin tight short green dress that complimented her vibrant hair. She didn’t feel the cold, she had been doing this a long time, plus, it meant some guy would be giving her his jacket, which meant that would be the one she’d go for. Her face had minimal makeup like me, but she packs on the eyeshadow and lipstick. I think it was the salt and sand that always had us with clean skin. It was like a detox every day.

We walked up and everyone turned around to see who it was, understandably, the beach was a public place, and drinking was not allowed. If the ranger caught you it was an infringement. They usually got off if we were there though, we’ve known the rangers for a long time.

I spotted Harry, and there was two other guys and one girl.

One guy and the girl were cuddled up so I guess Candice had only one option.

“Candice,” the guy that was on his own, not Harry, got up and hugged her. He had a darker complexion with a buzz cut and full lips, he was very tall and had to bend down to give Candice a hug.

He then looked over at me, “you must be,” he didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

“El,” I told him.

“That’s right,” he said, he put his arm around Candy’s shoulders and walked her towards the group, and I followed behind. We joined them and sat down on the sand, Candy sat with the guy that got up and I sat in the other empty spot in the circle, next to Harry coincidentally and on the other side of me was the other girl.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Harry smiled at me, he dug out a beer from the esky and handed it to me.

“What a coincidence,” I cheersed him.

The other guy called for Harry and was asking him something.

“Hey I’m Macy,” the girl next to me turned to me.

“Elody,” I smiled at her, “people call me El.”

“You’re the other girl that works here?” She asked.

I nodded. She was a thin girl but with full cheeks, she looked very young in the face but you could tell she wasn’t. She had straight white blonde hair to her shoulders. Very pretty.

“That’s cool,” she looked at the guy next to her, “this is Mac, my boyfriend.”

Mac quickly broke his conversation with Harry to smile at me, then went straight back to it. The boy with Candy must be Jono.

Mac was just like Harry with the surfy tanned body. His hair was darker and long on the top with shaven sides. He had it all pulled back into a bun on the top of his head. He had a short trimmed beard. He kind of looked like a Viking warrior.

“I saw you got hit with the ball today,” she smiled. Trying to make small talk with me.

I laughed, “yeah.”

“You alright? They can get a little rough.”

“Yeah it’s all good.” She seemed really nice.

We chatted for a while, talking about random stuff. They were mainly telling us, and reminiscing, on their summer adventures. They were very into surfing, late night beach fishing and drinking of course. Macy was more like the cheering squad and didn’t partake in many of the activities. I can imagine them one day, being older and still the best of friends, with Macy and whoever the other two marry to be sitting on the beach with their kids watching their dads rip into the waves.

After a while Macy and Mac retreated back to the park. And Harry, Jono, Candy and I stayed. We promised the two boys we’d stay until all the drinks were drunk so the esky would be lighter for them to take back. We sat on the beach in a line of four, looking out to the crashing waves we could barely see in the darkness. Jono and Candy were very cuddly as Harry and I were barely touching shoulders.

“You having fun?” Harry asked me, Jono and Candy were having their own conversation amongst other things, so it was like it was just us.

“Yeah, it’s good,” I smiled. I could tell he was trying to make a good impression. Maybe he wasn’t as confident as Jono, or maybe it’s because I was way less approachable than Candy.

“Okay good,” he smiled back, his smile always seemed to be genuine and full of warmth.

I leaned into him, looking more up at the stars, to make him feel like he was doing something right. I felt him become more at ease, slouching into me, and putting his arm around me.

“You’re much nicer than I thought,” he said into my hair.

“Well beautiful girls like you sometimes can be a bit snobby,” he laughed, “I had to make sure for myself.”

I smiled, he was funny but sincere.

I felt his hand on my jaw, as he tilted my head up, it took a couple seconds, I think he was giving me time to stop him if I wanted to. But I didn’t. The last few centimetres to his lips dissolved quicker and he kissed me. His lips were soft and warm and devoured mine. It was nice. It only lasted a second like a kiss hello or goodbye. When it finished I looked at him and he smiled, he was happy enough with that. For now. I put my head back on his shoulder and we looked ahead towards the ocean.

We stayed like that, just talking about random things, but not talking much. Until it was well into the morning. Then I had to go, I had to work the next morning, well that morning. In 5 hours to be exact.

Jono decided to walk Candy back to her house, which I expect he’d stay there until later in the morning. So Harry walked me back to my van, which he didn’t need to do but he insisted.

“So,” he said as we got back to my van, I turned to face him in my doorway.

“I have work soon,” I said, letting him down gently to any questions of if he could stay.

He laughed, “no, I’ll wait for that. I just wanted to know if I’ll see you again.”

I looked around, “I’d say so.”

He laughed, and without a gesture of asking for permission he leant down to kiss me.

With out know just reaction I felt myself extend up onto my tippy toes to meet his lips with mine.

This time his mouth was open and his tongue gently entered my mouth, like it was searching for something. My tongue met with his. I snaked my arms around his neck and he pulled me in by the waist. I felt him against me and it sent tingles down my spine and to my pelvis.

A couple moments later our lips separated and I was back down on the ground.

“I’ll see you later,” Harry smiled, pushing a hand through his hair sheepishly before walking backwards, watching me, and then finally turning around and walking away.

I couldn’t help but smile, it has been a while since a kiss had me reacting that way.