Starting Over - Chapter Five - A day at the beach

Chapter Five - a day at the beach

They rode for a while; every now and again he’d pull over and point out various sights. They’d travelled about an hour when he pulled off any major road, and took them along virtual lanes. When he pulled the moped to a stop she was amazed. They were at what would be an estuary, if it wasn’t so dry. A deserted beach flanked the water in front of them, but a rocky crag provided some shade. The water was clear, the sand pale...and it was SO peaceful!

                “It’s beautiful!” she sighed trying to climb off the moped but was severely hampered by the rucksack.

Grinning Jan jumped off and took the bag from her, carrying it across the sand, before wheeling the moped in to the scant shade available. Ellen marvelled to see that along with an extensive picnic courtesy of the kitchen, he’d brought towels and a picnic blanket. Laying them on the sand, he took the picnic filled bag into the shade next to the bike, lifted off his vest, then flopped onto the outstretched rug.

Suddenly Ellen felt apprehensive. It all seemed a little wrong to stand and purposely undress in front of him, he’d seen her in her beachwear other times, but this felt almost like a grand unveiling. So she took her time wrapping her hair up into a top knot, kicking off her shoes, then she followed with her vest and shorts, slipping down next to him. Though she needn’t have worried, it seemed he was asleep already!

She studied him now that he wasn’t aware. She’d not seen him like this, relaxed and half dressed, she’d presumed he was slim, but under his t-shirt he had a lean and muscular body without being too over defined. His stomach was flat, his Pecs firm and his arms strong, a tattoo adorned the right one, something else she’d had no idea of before now. It was some sort of entwined pattern, a cross? A snake? She’d have to ask him later. He also wore a set of dog tags around his neck and a leather bracelet wrapped around his wrist.

Ellen remained propped on her elbows, looking out at the Med, which was as still as a millpond. 

She’d almost dozed herself when she heard his voice cut through her quiet thoughts.

                “So what are you going to do when you head back home?”

She turned to look at him; he was rolled towards her, his head supported on his elbow. The fingers of one hand trailed through the fine warm sand.

                “I don’t know exactly. I’ve given my home up; I was supposed to move into a new house...I’ve got no job, my replacement called me to tell me as I was flying out here.”

                “Job? How?”

She then explained that Richard was her boss.

               

                “Let me get this right, the guy screws your best friend and then sacks you? He can’t do that! You need to see a lawyer, unfair dismissal runs to tens of thousands of pounds.”

With a small sigh she replied honestly, “I don’t have the money for that. I paid for virtually all the wedding, and he wanted it to be huge. He was always going to get me a joint credit card so that he could take over paying, but it never happened.”

By now Jan was sat up staring at her, “you joke? Surely?”

She sat up too and shook her head, “we had a wedding for two hundred, more in the evening.” She smiled at the irony, “it cost me thirty thousand pounds, some things are still to be paid for part of why I came away was to run away from even more creditors!”

Ellen could see the blaze of anger flash across Jan’s face, “and you’re going to let him get away with this? Ruining you on so many levels?”

                “What can I do?” She didn’t admit that for a small amount of time when nausea and fear of her debt ridden life took over her that she’d actually thought about ending it all. Now she was embarrassed that she’d allowed herself to get to such a low point, and it made the conversation difficult.

                “You can take him on; get him to deal with it all! I presume he has money?” When she nodded he groaned, reaching out to cup her cheek gently, “you look SO sad, and I’m so sorry for starting this conversation.”

She had this overwhelming desire to tell him everything, to be honest, yet she knew she still had to protect herself, “I’ve realised that he was manipulating me for years...all of our time together probably. I’m more upset at the loss and betrayal of my best friend, than anything else.” She looked up into his dark encouraging eyes, “we were like sisters!”

                “But you have two sisters!”

She rolled onto her tummy, propping her head on her upturned hands, “you were right earlier in your assessment of me. I’m the middle child, between two beautiful and successful sisters. Charlotte is a ballet dancer, travelling with the Bolshoi Company, she was the youngest lead dancer they’ve ever had, and the first ‘foreign’ one, she’s beautiful, glamorous....then there’s Sara my younger sister, she was a catwalk model from her teens, now she’s a studio model, there isn’t a magazine on the shelf that she’s not in. I spent years following them around, tagging behind my mother. The ugly chubby failure!”

He shook his head, “you are beautiful, inside and out, and as for chubby....you have the most erotic curves I have EVER seen! Hardly chubby!”

She blushed, “thank you! I think my self esteem stayed at home and when I met Richard I fell for his flattery...I won’t let my guard down again.”

He leaned in, devastatingly close to her, “it seems that no one deserves you, family, friend or fiancé. If you’re not going to strike out, get revenge then you may as well not go home, travel, stay here....have some of the fun you’ve missed out on the last few years.”

She tried to quell the anger at his scorn at her current predicament, “we can’t all just drop everything!”

Remaining calm he half grinned, “Here we go again, ‘Jan is a drop out with no place in society’! You are SO transparent and SO judgemental Ellen! I may be very little in your eyes but I’m happy and in control of my life. Unlike you! So don’t look down your nose at me,” he touched her nose gently, “though it is a VERY beautiful nose....because you can’t always measure success and happiness by money and material gains.”

She gulped; he’d delivered that in such an even unflustered tone, “you must hate me....”

He shook his head, “I couldn’t hate you, all I see is someone who’s been put upon and not been allowed to be themselves for a long time. Well now Ellen, you’re not someone’s sister, or daughter, not anyone’s fiancée or friend. Today you are Ellen....”

                “Reynolds!” She added at his prompt.

               

                “...Ellen Reynolds. And the world is your oyster. You can say and do ANYTHING you like!”

She dropped her head to her folded arms and felt tears escape. His hand on her shoulder told her he knew she was upset but that he wasn’t going to force her to discuss things further.

                “No one’s ever been that honest with me, or really cared what I want.” She finally managed to raise her head to look at him.

With a knowing nod he smiled, “that’s the greatest tragedy of it all Ellen, you’re not the failure, you’re the failed. By everyone. And even now you still want to succeed in their eyes. I hope you use this time here to think about what YOU want. Not your mother, your sisters, or your bastard of an ex...”

                “A swim?” she offered needing to break the seriousness. Jumping to her feet she chuckled, “last one to the sea is a smelly bastard!”

Sprinting as fast as she could she almost hit the water before he flew past her. After three running strides he dived under a wave emerging a few feet further in front shaking the water from his hair like a dog. Meanwhile she froze literally; the water was cold around her ankles, then her knees. When she reached mid thigh, she had lost her nerve. That was when Jan grabbed her around the waist and pulled her backwards into the gentle swell. She landed on him elbowing him in the stomach squealing at the ice cold shock, the water closing over her head. They were both laughing and spluttering as they emerged from the depths.

                “Bastard!” she offered over her shoulder as she dropped into the water, swimming strongly across the bay. She could hear him splashing behind, trying to catch up with her, and once she reached a safe distance she paused treading water.

Jan was breathless when he caught up with her, it amused her and she was laughing as he puffed.

                “It’s beautiful here!” she announced, slowly moving towards shallower water, only stopping when she could touch the bottom. Soon he was in front of her.

                “I love it here. Away from the masses, it’s so relaxing!”

She tried to laugh, but suddenly the thought of him here, in this beauty spot with numerous women flashed into her brain.

                “I’ve only ever come here alone!” he announced, spookily reading her mind correctly.

                “It’s none of my business Jan, you do what you do!”

He shook his head as he laid a hand on each of her shoulders, “I’m telling the truth Ellen, ever though you doubt me, I like you, I told you that.” The pressure of his hands, the proximity to each other, the sun, it all seemed to be raising her libido to ridiculous proportions, now it was all she could do to control herself. “If you weren’t on the rebound, if it wasn’t all so messy.....you’re too special to spoil this...” With a huge sigh he studied her, his eyes locking onto hers and not waivering. It was all too much for Ellen.

As he made to turn away, she reached out and cupped his cheek,  her thumb stroking that angled cheekbone, he moaned, his eyes widening as he searched hers for an answer.

                “Don’t Ellen....” his voice was a whisper.

She slid a long slim finger over his lips hushing him, their lips were a breath apart, and she leaned in and brushed her mouth to his. With a moan he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. For Ellen it was a revelation. She couldn’t remember ever being kissed so purposefully, his lips were cold and salty from the sea, so probably were hers, but they were soft yet demanding, she’d initiated the kiss, but he was definitely in control now. His lips were determined, his tongue battling to invade her mouth. And with a gentle moan she submitted.

His hands spanned her bare spine, the sensation of his hot fingers sending ripples of pleasure through her body. Her knees felt weak, her body was pressed against his, ALL of his, two cold wet bodies entwined intimately, warming up with every second, and she knew he was feeling exactly the same as she did, he couldn’t hide that bold evidence.

Letting her head fall back she opened her mouth to him, probing with her own tongue, tasting him, teasing him. A million kisses with Richard hadn’t accumulated to this level of excitement, of this passion.  His lips left hers, kissing the corner of her mouth, then a trail across her cheek. She raised her hands curling her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her, loving the contact of his hands, his lips, his body.

                “Ellen....we shouldn’t...” he finally managed to drag himself away from the delights of her body, and as he looked at her his eyes were hazy with passion, this was hard for him to slow.

                “We’re both grownups Jan!”

He kissed her forehead, his hands running up and down her spine in an erotic pattern, “true, but I think you’re better than this! Here on the beach....”

Swinging her arms around his neck she leaned back and looked up at him, “are you saying you’re a gentleman?”

He grinned “all I know is what I want to do, and what’s the right thing are not even in the same universe.”

Leaning back in his arms, Ellen looked up into the generous face; his smile was sexy, promising, yet also filled with regret, “trust me to get the man with the conscience!” She announced her smile matching his.

                “It could’ve been VERY different.”

She kissed his lips, a thank you; he’d been the best tonic for her woes the last few days.

                “Let’s go warm up!” he offered with a little irony, it had definitely been red hot between them the last few moments.