The Cottage on Sunshine Beach: An utterly gorgeous feel-good romantic comedy

by Holly Martin

  Melody stared out at the turquoise waters for a moment, embarrassment turning to anger.

  ‘Excuse me, I need to talk to Jamie.’ She marched off.

  ‘Oh no, wait, did I say something wrong?’ Klaus called after her. ‘Don’t listen to me.’

  She ignored him and walked straight into Starfish Court and into Jamie’s art studio.

  Jamie looked up when she walked in. He was mixing what looked like paint in a small pot. His whole face lit up at seeing her but the smile quickly fell from his lips when he could quite clearly see how angry she was.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You told Klaus we haven’t had sex yet?’

  He cringed and swore under his breath. ‘It wasn’t like that—’

  ‘Did you tell him all about last night, about how we kissed and I stopped you from taking it any further? Did you have a good laugh about it?’

  ‘What? No!’

  ‘You said you were OK about it, that there was no rush and you wanted to do it right. And then you come in here and tell Klaus that you’re sexually frustrated and how much you’re desperate for me. He said you were like a rabid dog. Is that all this is to you, just sex? I thought we had something special that went way beyond that.’

  ‘Firstly, I’m going to kill Klaus and, secondly, I never said any of that. He was going on and on, begging me for details of our sex life and in my frustration to get him to shut up, I told him there was nothing to tell. And being the big tart that he is, he was horrified that we hadn’t jumped into bed with each other after the first kiss. He asked me if I didn’t want to sleep with you and I said of course I did, but was happy to wait until you were ready. And he’s bloody translated that to me being desperate to have sex.’

  She shook her head, angrily, although what he said did seem totally plausible. It sounded exactly like something Klaus would say.

  He took a step towards her but she stepped back out of his reach.

  ‘Don’t. I’m so embarrassed right now. You discussed our sex life with one of the most indiscreet people in the village. You might as well have taken out an advert on a huge billboard and told everyone that we’re not doing it.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I really am.’

  Klaus appeared in the shop doorway then, looking horrified.

  There was nothing left to say so she turned and walked out of the studio and back into her own shop.

  17

  ‘Helloooo, can I come in?’ Klaus said, peering round the shop door waving a white flag a few hours later.

  A smile twitched on Melody’s lips. He was one of those annoying people who it was impossible to stay mad at.

  ‘I suppose,’ she said.

  ‘Jamie sent me round to help set up your camera, so I’m here to save you from technological despair.’

  ‘And?’ Melody prompted.

  His face fell. ‘And to apologise for being a complete ass,’ he said, staring at the ground like a forlorn child.

  ‘You are an ass. You coerced Jamie into telling you something he didn’t want to tell you about and then exaggerated it wildly when you told me. How many people have you told?’

  ‘No one, I swear,’ Klaus said, running his finger in a cross shape over his heart.

  ‘Well make sure you keep it that way,’ Melody said, hoping she sounded suitably stern enough that this time this piece of juicy gossip would remain between them.

  ‘I am sorry. You two are so perfect together and I just thought maybe with a little nudge you might…’ he trailed off. ‘I’m sorry. Jamie really did do his best to fend me off when I was pushing him for details. He was the perfect gentleman and told me he wasn’t discussing your relationship with me but then I kept pushing anyway. He also said he was more than happy to wait for you, that it would happen when you were ready and he was fine with that. Don’t blame him for me shooting my mouth off.’

  Melody sighed.

  ‘OK, tell me where everyone is going to be sitting during this wonderful course of yours?’ Klaus said, clearly hoping to change the subject.

  As he had apologised profusely, she decided to let it go.

  ‘There will be small tables there and I’ll be standing over here. Probably behind this cabinet,’ Melody pointed.

  ‘OK, so we can set up the projector here and it will project what you are doing with your hands on the wall behind you. We’ll get a throw or something to cover the cabinet, so it’s not distracting with what’s inside.’

  ‘I have the exact thing,’ Melody said, going to her small storeroom at the back and pulling out a sparkly cream tablecloth. She laid it over the cabinet and Klaus placed his projector and camera down and started rigging them up to each other.

  ‘So what did you get Jamie for his birthday?’ Klaus said, as he untangled wires.

  Melody stared at him. ‘When’s Jamie’s birthday?’

  Klaus looked up. ‘Oh honey, it’s today.’

  ‘Oh no. Crap.’ She cast her mind back to the previous year. She had been away with Isla and Elliot for two weeks and she had totally missed the Sculptures in the Sand Festival the year before. She had clearly missed Jamie’s birthday at the same time. She hadn’t really been friends with him then. They’d been in that stage of awkwardly trying to avoid each other after that amazing first kiss. ‘Why didn’t he say anything?’

  ‘He hates celebrating his birthday. He’s had a bad run of them and I think he would just prefer to bypass them now. His birthday always fell in the school summer holidays and all the children of the village were away on holiday. One year he had a birthday party and no one turned up.’

  ‘Oh no, how awful,’ Melody said, her heart breaking for him. That must have been a terrible thing for a child to go through.

  ‘It gets worse. One year his dog died and they buried it in the back garden – that was a pretty crappy way to spend your birthday. When he was thirteen he went to that big theme park in the next town. One of his so-called friends thought it would be funny if he gave Jamie some shellfish without him knowing. I think he found this bottle of oyster sauce in the supermarket and added it to his burger. Jamie went on one of the rides with this girl he liked and threw up at the top of the loop – all over him, all over this girl. Poor Jamie was so embarrassed. Oh and one year, when he was fifteen I think, no maybe sixteen, he had a party and invited this girl he fancied. She asked if she could bring a friend and then she only bloody well turns up with her boyfriend in tow. I think it was another teen birthday party, maybe his eighteenth, when another girl he was dating told him she just wanted to be friends and then went off and promptly snogged his best friend, on his bloody birthday. She could have at least waited until the next day. All in all, he’s not got a great track record when it comes to successful birthdays.’

  ‘And I’ve just shouted at him,’ Melody groaned. Another cherry to add to the cake of birthday disasters. ‘I haven’t bought him a gift either.’

  ‘I don’t think he’ll care. Wait, that can be your birthday gift to him, lots of hot sex,’ he winked at her.

  Melody rolled her eyes. ‘I’m not jumping into bed with him just because it’s his birthday. We’re waiting for the right time.’

  ‘And when is that?’ Klaus started attaching the camera to a small stand.

  Melody sighed. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘What is it that’s holding you back, honey?’ Klaus gave her his fullest attention. ‘Some asshole of a man hurt you?’

  ‘No, nothing like that.’

  ‘Was it really bad sex?’

  Melody thought about this. ‘I don’t think it was great. The first guy I slept with I never saw again.’

  God, why was she discussing this with Klaus? No wonder Jamie had spoken to him about their relationship, he had this power to make you talk.

  ‘Ah, the first time you have sex is always tricky. Not only do you have to find out what you like but you have to get used to each other’s body too. Find where the other person likes to be touched, what they like in bed
. It takes time to get sexual compatibility with a partner. It’s never going to be amazing the first time you sleep with a partner and even less so when it’s your first time having sex. What about your second serious boyfriend?’

  ‘Well… it was better. Nice, it was nice.’

  ‘Oh shit, nice sex? No one wants that. You want bodice-ripping sex.’

  Melody laughed. ‘Not much call for wearing bodices these days. Anyway, Kevin always seemed to enjoy himself, but I don’t know if I really contributed to that enjoyment.’

  ‘You slept with a guy called Kevin, this is getting worse.’

  Melody laughed again. ‘He was a nice bloke. Well, to start with.’

  ‘There’s that word again, Jesus, I hope none of my ex-partners describe me as nice. Do you think Jamie’s nice in bed? Is that what you look for?’

  ‘No, I imagine Jamie knows exactly what he is doing in the bedroom. I’m sure he’s very passionate if his kissing is anything to go by.’

  ‘Passionate, that’s definitely the sort of sex you want.’

  ‘Oh yes,’ she said, excitedly. She pressed a hand to her stomach at that thought. Every time she imagined making love to Jamie, her stomach did this little summersault of joy and excitement. She couldn’t wait to take that step with him.

  ‘So what’s holding you back?’

  ‘I’m guess I’m just scared. I want it to go right. Everything else seems to be going wrong on our dates and I just want this to be perfect. I suppose I’m scared that it will be crap and he won’t want to do it again.’

  His face softened. ‘There’s no way Jamie is walking away from this. He is crazy about you. He could have the worst sex of his life and he’d still be coming back for more. As I said, it takes time to get to know each other sexually, but you guys have plenty of time, neither of you are in this for a one-night stand. And you both have so much chemistry, it’s bound to be hot. Those nerves you have now are never going to go away – whether you date for a few weeks or a few years, that first time together is always going to be nerve-wracking. So you might as well enjoy it now. When I spoke to Jamie this morning, he said things were going so well that he wished he hadn’t waited so long. Don’t look back and regret the time you waited.’

  Melody thought about it. It was a good philosophy. She just had to find the courage to do it.

  Jamie was busy painting the mermaid statue he’d made for Melody, concentrating on the fine detail of the scales. Klaus had gone home a while before, but Jamie wanted to get this finished.

  He had no idea whether his date with Melody was going to happen that night but it didn’t look likely. Yet again, he’d ticked the box for another crappy birthday.

  ‘She looks beautiful,’ he heard Melody say behind him.

  His heart leapt. He turned round and something in her eyes told him she wasn’t here to shout at him again.

  He swallowed. ‘I don’t think I’ve done it justice. I haven’t captured the warmth that I get from my muse. There’s no glow or that happiness that she gives me.’

  Her mouth twitched into a smile and he let out a small sigh of relief. They were going to be OK.

  ‘I also haven’t captured her generous ability to forgive.’

  She smirked. ‘I don’t think there’s really anything to forgive. Klaus has a way of making you talk even when you don’t want to say anything. He told me you were being the perfect gentleman in refusing to say anything to him about us. I’m sorry I shouted at you.’

  He stepped forward quickly and took her in his arms. ‘You have nothing to apologise for. I’ve known Klaus for a long time, I should be better at telling him to piss off rather than let him keep tapping away at me until I crumble. I’m sorry.’

  She reached up and stroked his face. ‘Let’s stop apologising. Are we still on for our date tonight?’

  He grinned. Maybe this birthday would have some redeeming features after all. ‘You can count on it.’

  She leaned up and kissed him, smiling against his lips.

  ‘I have to meet Aidan first but that shouldn’t take long,’ Jamie said. ‘Come round about seven. I’ll leave a key under the mat just in case I’m a few minutes late.’

  ‘And this is the date that can’t possibly go wrong?’ Melody said, stroking her hands up his back.

  ‘I have a few ideas.’

  She smiled. ‘I do too.’

  He kissed her briefly. He didn’t know what she had planned but this birthday was sounding better and better.

  Condoms. Where the bloody hell were the condoms? Melody scanned the shelves of the tiny supermarket to try to find them but no luck. She prayed that she wouldn’t have to go to the chemist to buy them. Elsie West, who owned the chemist, would be sure to tell Agatha that Melody had bought condoms and then the whole town would know she was having sex, or at least planning to.

  She didn’t know when she was going to do the deed yet but at least if she had condoms, then she was ready. Maybe tonight, on Jamie’s flawless date, the right time would suddenly present itself. And if not, then at least she would be ready for it when they did.

  Finally, she found them, next to the hairbrushes and hair ties, because that was the logical place to put them.

  She studied the shelves for a moment. There were so many different sorts. She picked up a box to look at just as Agatha came round the corner. She quickly fumbled to put it back on the shelf and managed to knock three other boxes off in the process. She bent and grabbed those and one more box fell on her head.

  Agatha was suddenly there, bending to pick up the last box. Melody cringed. Her carefully laid plans had gone awry.

  ‘Looks like Jamie is in for a fun birthday,’ Agatha said, putting the box in Melody’s basket, then perusing the shelves and adding two more different boxes.

  ‘We’re not… I was just looking,’ Melody tried.

  ‘Less looking, more doing,’ Agatha said. ‘I think you should strip off naked, tie a big ribbon around you and give yourself to Jamie as a birthday present.’

  ‘Klaus said more or less the same thing,’ Melody grumbled.

  ‘I’ve always liked that Klaus, wise man.’

  ‘I think Jamie might be a bit disappointed with that birthday gift. I’m sure he would much prefer a nice jumper or a book about sculptures,’ Melody said. ‘At least he can take those back with the receipt if he doesn’t enjoy them.’

  ‘Now you listen to me,’ Agatha said, linking arms with her and guiding her away from the condoms so she couldn’t change her mind and throw all three boxes back on the shelf. ‘It is not your responsibility to make sure he has a good time during sex. The only thing you need to worry about is your own happiness.’

  Melody felt her eyebrows shoot up. ‘That sounds a bit selfish.’

  ‘Men can find their happiness very quickly and easily, women need a little more help and time.’

  Melody cringed that they were actually talking about this. She needed to change the subject fast. But actually she didn’t, she just needed to humour her. If Agatha thought she was going to go along with her mad idea then she wouldn’t spend the next half hour trying to persuade her.

  ‘OK, if I’m going to give myself to Jamie as a gift, where would I get a bow big enough?’

  ‘The little wedding shop might have something, or the card shop,’ Agatha said practically, as if they were discussing where to get something much simpler. ‘You could even get those little adhesive rosettes to stick over each nipple.’

  ‘Ouch, I wouldn’t fancy Jamie trying to remove those,’ Melody said.

  ‘No, fair point.’

  They got to the till and Agatha insisted on paying. Hell, if Agatha was going to humiliate her in front of the whole village by telling everyone this huge piece of gossip, then Melody wouldn’t feel bad about Agatha paying for the condoms.

  Agatha escorted her outside. ‘I’m so excited for the two of you. I think you welcoming him home wearing nothing but a smile and a big bow is going to be the best birthday pr
esent of all. Birthdays should always hold good memories and now you’re going to give him one. Ha-ha, literally.’

  Agatha gave her a hug and walked away cackling to herself.

  Melody watched her go. Maybe Agatha was right. Maybe she could do this for Jamie. Maybe sex didn’t need to be all romance and candles and perfection. They were supposed to be having fun on their dates. She wanted Jamie to relax and not worry about what to do or say all the time and she needed to take some of that medicine herself. This would be a silly, fun way to get over her nerves and just enjoy herself instead of holding the moment to such high standards. She smiled with excitement at what the night would hold and what Jamie’s face would look like when he came home. It certainly would be a night to remember.

  18

  Melody stood nervously in the lounge, completely naked, waiting for Jamie.

  She had arrived at his house a bit earlier than he’d asked her to come round. Fortunately, he’d left the key under the mat as he’d said he would, which made her plan easier. When she had pushed the door open and the dogs and Dobby had greeted her, she had felt a little embarrassed as she had started getting undressed in front of them, which was ridiculous considering her plans for the evening. So she’d hurried off upstairs to undress in his bedroom, leaving some condoms by the bedside table just in case they managed to make it to the bed. In fact she’d left the condoms everywhere, in the shower, next to the sofa, in the kitchen, not sure where the passion would take them. And then she’d sat down on the sofa to wait for Jamie. But now she had been waiting for over half an hour and, with each minute that ticked by, her doubts got bigger and bigger.

  This was a mistake. If she was going to make love to Jamie for the first time, she could have done it in many romantic ways. She could just have kissed him after another one of their disastrous dates and not stopped until they were both naked and sweaty. All their kisses were very passionate, any one of them could easily have led to that.