The Sweet Tooth

by Margot Larson

  The couple returned to their room to grab their jackets and Solomon’s camera before making the fifteen minute drive to Ilfracombe. “Solomon?” Mathieu asked once they were back in the privacy of their room.

  “Yes, Love?”

  “Jeremiah came into some money recently.”

  “Yes, that’s what he said.”

  “I find that quite suspicious.”

  Solomon knitted his brows in confusion, “Why?”

  “Well……you lost some money recently.”

  “Mathieu, I don’t think Jeremiah stole the money. What would the odds be that we would be staying at the inn, out of all the inns all over the country that was bought by the guy that stole the money? No, I don’t think so. The police said that there was a trail to a bank outside the country. I’d be very surprised if the people and the money were still here.”

  “It would be quite the coincidence, wouldn’t it?” to Solomon’s ears Mathieu sounded disappointed.

  “Too much of one I think.”

  “That’s too bad,” suddenly realizing what he said the Irishman corrected himself, “I mean, that it would be nice to find the people who took your money. Jeremiah seems nice it would be a shame if he were a criminal.”

  Solomon laughed, “Yes, it would be.”

  ***

  The Ilfracombe Aquarium was an unassuming little building with a café, gift shop, rest area and gallery. There were tanks full of different fish from the local rivers and estuaries and the coast. Mathieu recognized the starfish, hermit crabs, anemones and prawns from the Rockpool section, rays and lobsters in the Harbour section and he was a little freaked out by the octopus in the Coast section. The couple spent a few minutes in front of the tank with the rays because one of them had suctioned itself to the front glass. They couldn’t decide if the ray looked happy or sad. Solomon noticed that there were many families and couples around the tanks but Mathieu hadn’t seemed to notice. He was happily looking around the aquarium almost as if he was the only one in it. He pulled Solomon from feature to feature pointing at the fish and asking what they were. In all they spent about an hour looking around the aquarium and gift shop. Mathieu bought a small, stuffed starfish he christened ‘Spike’ and Solomon took a picture of the two of them at the aquarium entrance.

  The couple were kind of disappointed with the short time it took to tour the facility and they wondered what else there was to do in the town. Solomon researched Ilfracombe on his mobile but everything they decided they would like to do was in 'Wooly' so they headed back. Their first stop was the ceramic studio (because neither man had been to one before). It was a small shop brightly lit with shelves lining the walls that held the undecorated pottery. There were vases, mugs, all kinds of different animals in all kinds of different sizes, coin banks, flower shapes, dragons, unicorns, boats and all kinds of sea critters. Tables were lined up in the center of the room covered in craft paper for the painters to sit at. Solomon chose to paint a coin bank in the shape of a lighthouse and Mathieu chose a starfish to keep ‘Spike’ company. The attendant brought them the colors they requested; Solomon wanted shades of blue with red, black and white. Mathieu requested yellow, orange, black, blue and green. They took their time painting the shapes, Solomon being a little messier than his artist fiancé but in the end they were happy with their creations and they turned them in to the shop attendant to have them fired. Solomon paid for their items and got a receipt to bring back in two days so they could pick-up the finished products. Outside the shop Solomon asked a passer-by to take a picture of them in front of the sign.

  Their next stop was the Ten Pin Bowling Alley. Ten lanes were to the right of the entrance, there was what looked like a hand pained mural of dolphins, sea turtles and coral reef at the end of the lanes where the pins were set. There was an arcade with floor hockey, pool tables and some arcade games on the other side of the alley. The bar and concession stand were at the rear of the building and at the center of it all was the control desk where people had lanes assigned, rented shoes and paid. Racks of different weight and color bowling balls were along the concourse area behind the lanes and along the wall by the bar. Neither man had bowled in what they claimed was ‘forever’ but after they chose their balls and put on their rental shoes they settled in for a hysterical afternoon. At first neither of them could take down more than five pins on the first ball and two with the spare. Gutter balls came often and anyone watching them would assume they had been drinking because they were laughing so much. They ordered lunch from the alley eatery, chicken fingers and chips for Mathieu and an eight-inch personal pizza for Solomon. Again Solomon was aware that Mathieu wasn’t having any symptoms of his disorder even though all but two of the lanes in the small alley were occupied. They bowled until Solomon got a blister on his thumb and couldn’t hold the ball anymore. During their time at the alley they had been snapping pictures of each other as they attempted to look professional hurling their balls down the lane. Solomon took one last picture of Mathieu standing by the sign outside the alley before they made their way back to the B&B.

  ***

  There was no sign of Jeremiah when the two entered the house and climbed the stairs to their room. Solomon unlocked the door, held it open for Mathieu then locked it behind them. Solomon went into the en suite to wash his hands and look for a plaster to cover his blister; mission accomplished he laid on the bed next to Mathieu. Solomon didn’t bring up his partner’s returned level of confidence wanting to have Mathieu remain that way and not turn into himself like he did the day before. They didn’t mean to fall asleep but they drifted off, arms and legs entangled for a little over an hour anyway.

  Mathieu woke to Solomon’s hot breath huffing into his ear. The Irishman tried to maneuver his body to a new position but the strong arms of Solomon around him made it impossible. Solomon’s hold tightened like he was unconsciously trying to keep the artist from escaping every time Mathieu moved. Mathieu tried to snake his way out of Solomon’s hold and down the bed but Solomon actually growled at the attempt freezing the Irishman in position. The Irishman couldn’t help but start to giggle at the situation he found himself in. “Solomon,” Mathieu sing-songed, “I need to pee.”

  There was no response from the slumbering man so Mathieu tried again, “Solomon.” When there was still no response the brunette thought about tickling the blonde but decided that probably would only result in a very grumpy guy. “Solomon!” Mathieu barked out and that seemed to do it. Solomon’s hold lightened and Mathieu was able to slip out. He put a pillow in his fiancé’s arms to take his place and Solomon settled back down. Before he went to the en suite to relieve himself Mathieu took up Solomon’s camera and took several shots from different angles of the pillow-clutching-blonde.

  When Mathieu returned to the bedroom he wasn't sure if he should let Solomon sleep or wake him up so they could decide where to go for dinner. The artist decided a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt so he removed his sketch pad and pencils from his bag, sat on the chaise under the window and began a preliminary sketch. He wanted to get the position of Solomon’s body and the peaceful expression on his face before Solomon woke up. The artist could finish the sketch later with the help of the photos he took (if Solomon didn’t see and delete them). When he had done as much as he thought was necessary he put the pad and pencils away before climbing onto the bed to wake his partner up.

  Mathieu straddled his sleeping partner and leaned over to lick into the blonde’s ear. When Solomon didn’t stir he nibbled at the lobe, gently biting and sucking. Those actions didn’t wake Solomon either so Mathieu moves down to place kisses along his jaw and neck. “Solomon,” the Irishman whispered when he moved back up to the blonde’s ear, “lover, it’s time to get up. You’re fiancé is hungry.” Mathieu fingered the band on his left hand when he realized that he hadn’t gotten a ring for Solomon yet. He decided that the one thing he must accomplish on this trip was to find Solomon a nice, engagement ring.

  Mathieu managed
to get Solomon to wake up by hopping up and down on the bed while still on his knees. Solomon tried to tackle him onto the bed but again Mathieu managed to slide away and sit back on the chaise. Solomon sat with him as they went through the tourist brochures Mathieu picked up in the foyer. They agreed to try The Red Barn for dinner. The restaurant looked exactly like what it was named, a big, red barn. On their way to a table on the side deck they walked through the main seating area, they noticed light, pine wood everywhere; floors, wainscoting, bar, counters, chairs and table tops. Where there wasn’t wood on the walls there was red paint. Surf boards were hung up along the wall above the bar and photographs of beach scenes hung around the doorways and windows.

  The table on the deck had a wonderful view of the beach and the sunset. There was a group of surfers a few tables further along the deck drinking, eating and sharing tales of their adventures around the globe. Solomon and Mathieu tried not to eavesdrop but it was almost impossible given the noise level at which the group was talking. Solomon took an especially keen interest when he heard the mention of New Zealand and the Taranaki Coast. The talk of New Zealand made him a little home sick, he hadn’t been back in several years. While they ate their seafood soup Solomon told Mathieu a little more about his childhood in New Zealand; gatherings with family, having a Christmas in what was considered summer and of course, the beaches. Mathieu’s beer-battered Cod and chips and Solomon’s seafood platter and salad were served just as the sun began to set.

  They took pictures of each other and the waitress took a few of them together with the sunset as the backdrop. Mathieu thought Solomon was just gorgeous with the reds and yellows of the sinking sun highlighting his partners golden hair giving him an ethereal glow. “I’ve never seen you look more beautiful than you do right now,” the artist took his fiancé’s hand across the table. “I love you so much.”

  Solomon blushed, “I love you too, Baby. I’m so glad you’re having a good time here.”

  “I’m having a great time and it’s only our first full day. Thank you so much for suggesting time away.”

  “I think we both needed to get out of the city for a while. I’d like to relax a little tomorrow, maybe after lunch we can come back and hang out on the beach for a while; go for a swim if the water isn’t too cold yet.”

  “That sounds good. I can do some sketches or read a little. Did you see a place to get chairs?”

  “I think Jeremiah has some chairs he’ll let us borrow. There’s a stack of them on the side of the gazebo.”

  With plans set for the next day the couple headed back to the B&B. Jeremiah was in the sitting room when Solomon and Mathieu got back and the two men sat and talked with him for a while and yes, he did have chairs they could borrow the next afternoon when they went to the beach. They said their ‘good nights’ to their host and made their way up the stairs to their room. As Mathieu stood at the sink in the en suite brushing he teeth he thought about the ring he wanted to get for Solomon; something like his, tungsten with a diamond but maybe with an Irish knot pattern where his had the black basket-weave pattern. He’d like it to be a surprise but he couldn’t figure out how he’d get any alone time on this trip. Solomon had to do all the driving because he didn’t have a license. He was also afraid of buying something Solomon didn’t like or the wrong size. He was going to have to figure out a way to get Solomon into the jewelry store without being too obvious as to why they were there. He pushed all those worrisome thought aside as he finished in the en suite and slid into bed to fall asleep wrapped in his love’s arms.

  ***

  The next morning Mathieu was the first down so he could ask Jeremiah about jewelry stores in town. The Irishman was disappointed when Jeremiah informed him that he didn’t think there were any in Woolacombe but that he’d find a number of them in Exeter. Mathieu would have to do some research on things to do in Exeter so they’d have an excuse to go there or he’d just have to come out and tell Solomon about the ring.

  When Solomon entered the dining room he was just ending a call on his mobile, “I’ve just booked us on a cruise to see seals and porpoises in the Bristol Sea. It leaves from the Ilfracombe harbor at 11 and we have to be there by 10:30. I hope you don’t mind. Do you do well on boats? I hope you do. It’s an hour and a half cruise. I should’ve asked before I booked, sorry.”

  “Oh, um, I don’t know how I do on boats. I’ve never been on one. But it’s fine.”

  Solomon had been pretty excited about the cruise but ‘fine’ was not the way he was hoping Mathieu would react, “Is something wrong? I’ll call and cancel if you don’t want to go.”

  “No, no, I want to go. I was just thinking about something else that I had wanted to do but it can wait for another day.”

  “Oh? What did you want to do?”

  “It’s nothing really, just a bit of shopping.” Mathieu was warring within himself about whether or not to just tell Solomon about the ring.

  “Is there something specific you want to get or place you want to go?”

  “I thought we could go to Exeter. Jeremiah says there’s some good shopping there.”

  “I don’t know, Matt. Exeter is a little farther south than I wanted to go on this trip. You can’t get what you need here?”

  “Jeremiah said that there aren’t any shops here that sell what I wanted to get.”

  “What do you want to get?”

  Mathieu should’ve seen that question coming but he was really hoping that Solomon wouldn’t ask it (he did) or that Jeremiah would come in to take their breakfast order as a distraction (he didn’t). “It’s nothing really. Tell me more about this cruise.”

  While Solomon was telling Mathieu about the cruise Jeremiah finally came in to take their order. Solomon asked for French toast with bacon and Mathieu requested scrambled eggs with bacon and white toast. Solomon had advised that he eat something light because they didn’t know how Mathieu’s stomach would react on the boat.

  But Solomon didn’t want to let the original subject drop, “What did you want to get at the shops?”

  “It’s just a little something. It doesn’t matter. It can wait.” Mathieu hoped he sounded like it really wasn’t a big deal so Solomon would stop asking questions. He really did want it to be a surprise after all.

  “Okay but why won’t you tell me what it is? They have all kinds of shops here. I’m sure you can find whatever it is you’re looking for here.”

  “Solomon, please. Let it go, okay?”

  Solomon let the subject drop but he was clearly not happy about it. He didn’t like to think that Mathieu was hiding something from him and he couldn’t understand why the brunette was being so secretive. Mathieu went quiet hoping to avoid an argument and was sorry he ever mentioned it in the first place. He’d just have to wait until they got back to London to find a ring for Solomon.

  ***

  They made it to Ilfracombe Harbour with plenty of time to spare. Mathieu found a brochure of the cruise and he started to get excited about seeing a porpoise. Both he and Solomon had cameras set up for motion photography and they hoped to get a seat by the side of the boat for better picture taking opportunities. Solomon was still a little upset about Mathieu’s secret but he was getting caught up in the Irishman’s excitement and gradually coming out of his funk. It was time for passengers to board the Ilfracombe Princess and they were indeed lucky enough to get a seat upstairs next to one of the sides.

  Seas were pretty calm as the boat cruised along past Brandy Cove, Breakneck Point, Fresh Waterfall, Lee Village, Bull Point Lighthouse, Rockham Bay, Morte Stone and into Woolacombe Harbour but they didn’t see one porpoise. They spotted a few seals but Mathieu really had his heart set on seeing a porpoise. The brunette also had no symptoms of sea sickness until the boat began its return journey to Ilfracombe Harbour. It started with a vague feeling of unease in his stomach that turned into nausea accompanied by a headache and cold sweats. At first he thought he was having an attack but the symptoms were off he wa
sn't lightheaded or dizzy and his breathing was fairly regular.

  Solomon did the best he could to ease Mathieu’s discomfort; he held the artist close, trying not to rock back and forth, while rubbing his back. A fellow passenger on the boat told them that if they sat more towards the center of the boat the rocking motion would be felt less which would help Mathieu feel a little better so they slowly made their way to the center of the boat. Other passengers gladly stepped aside because the Irishman looked like he was going to be sick any second. By the time the boat approached the dock Mathieu was one hundred percent sure he was going to die.

  “Don’t let me die, Solomon.” Mathieu moaned, holding is stomach, “I’m too young to die.”

  “You’re not going to die, Love,” Solomon replied with a suppressed laugh, “You’ll be fine once we’re off the boat.”

  The brunette clutched onto the front of Solomon’s green hoodie, “I’m dying and I never got you an engagement ring. I so wanted to get you a nice ring and now it’s too late. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Oh,” Solomon grinned, the light bulb going on in his head, “Is that what the big shopping secret is? You don’t have to get me a ring.”

  Mathieu closed his eyes at the suggestion of another helpful passenger and rested his head on his partner’s shoulder, “Yes, I do, but it’s too late. Tell Anders that I appreciate everything he did for me and not to miss me too much. I don’t want you to be sad either. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and I love you. I want you to have all my stuff when I’m gone.”