by Emma Nichols
Ariana stepped out of the house and studied the shutters on the living room window, to the right of the front door. She entered the garage and dug out the rough sandpaper she had seen, ambled back to the window and started rubbing at the loose paint. The top of the shutter out of reach, she walked back to the garage and returned with a short ladder. Propping the ladder against the wall, she climbed and continued rubbing the small piece of sandpaper on the painted wood.
Nikki slowed as she reached the top of the slope, glanced out over the west-cove and gathered her breath. See, it’s as beautiful as ever, she said, to the box in her hand. She followed the path to the right, tracking the low walled garden, leading up to the front of the house. Passing the steps down to the lower floor, she stopped suddenly and placed the box carefully on the wall. She gazed up with a stunned frown. ‘What. Are. You. Doing?’ she asked, her deliberate punctuation and tone laced with bemused amusement bringing Ariana’s hand to a stop.
The ladder wobbled with the sudden rush of insecurity that startled Ariana, and she grabbed at the wall. ‘What the…’ she blurted, unable to turn her face from the whitewashed stone and appreciate the beaming grin on Nikki’s face.
Nikki stepped closer and held the ladder firmly. ‘You okay?’ she asked, biting on her lip to prevent the laughter escaping.
‘I…’ Ariana started, gripping more tightly at the rails of the ladder.
‘Climb down slowly,’ Nikki instructed, her eyes suddenly entranced by the bare legs above her head. She coughed to clear her throat, only averting her gaze at the last minute, enjoying the view as Ariana descended.
Ariana moved slowly. Absorbed with sanding the wood, she had lost sight of the fact that she was up a ladder, and she wasn’t that fond of heights. One pace at a time, she made her way down. Nikki stepped aside as she reached the bottom, giving her the space to put her feet on solid ground.
Nikki assessed Ariana’s flustered face, the small piece of rough paper in her hand, and then the partly sanded shutter. The impact of the sandpaper was barely noticeable. ‘Hmm,’ she said, starting to chuckle.
Ariana slapped her on the arm, ‘What?’ she asked, defensively.
‘You redecorating then?’ Nikki asked, sporting a scrunched up nose, squinting again at Ariana’s handiwork.
‘Yes,’ Ariana retorted, waving the tatty piece of sandpaper at Nikki.
Nikki’s eyebrows rose. She scanned the other four sets of shutters on the wall, squinted again as she processed the remaining windows in the house, and grinned mischievously. ‘Well, that’s going to take you the best part of a year,’ she said, with a sympathetic laugh. ‘Just doing the windows,’ she added, ‘and then there’s the walls,’ she continued.
Ariana studied the chipped pink nail vanish and picked at the broken nails on her right hand. She started to chuckle, her eyes slowly rising and meeting Nikki’s. ‘What do you suggest?’ she asked.
Nikki looked at the shutters again, with a carpenter’s eye. ‘I can take them down and work on them in the workshop,’ she offered.
Ariana’s smile widened. ‘Really!’ she said excitedly, and then just as suddenly, a wave of rejection passed through her, leaving a dull feeling in its wake. Why would Nikki want to help her, when to do so would result in her selling and leaving the island sooner rather than later? The smile fell from her lips, and the feeling of emptiness dived into the space created by her thoughts. ‘Are you sure?’ she asked, in a more reserved tone.
‘Sure,’ Nikki replied with a shrug. If Ariana intended to do-up the house before selling, the least she could do would be to ensure she didn’t kill herself in the process, and with the amount of work that needed doing, she could bank on Ariana being around for the rest of the summer. ‘Is there a screwdriver in the garage?’ she asked.
Ariana nodded. She watched as Nikki disappeared and reappeared carrying a multi-piece toolset, a hand-drill and extension cable, and a beaming smile.
‘Right,’ Nikki said, heading for the ladder. ‘Where’s the socket?’ she asked.
Ariana indicated to the wall, just inside the front door and Nikki plugged in the cable. ‘I’ll undo the top screws first. You’ll need to help support the shutter,’ she said, nodding for Ariana’s affirmation. She leapt up the ladder.
Ariana had nodded back, though she hadn’t quite heard all the instructions, pleasantly distracted by the long tanned legs directly in front of her eyes. She noted the lighter skin of the creases at the back of Nikki’s knees, the firm muscles of her calf and hamstrings, leading to the join between the top of her legs and buttocks. As Nikki reached up, so her shorts inched up a fraction, and a new, sweet scent caught Ariana by surprise.
Nikki descended the ladder, removed the drill from its box and inserted a screwdriver head. She squeezed the trigger, and the head spun. ‘Good,’ she said, jumping back up the ladder, drill in hand. ‘You need to support the shutter,’ Nikki said again, louder this time, coaxing an entranced Ariana into the task.
‘Sorry,’ Ariana said, her voice broken. She moved away from the tantalising aroma and view, to the side of the ladder and held the bottom of the shutter. She didn’t hear the noise of the drill, and when the shutter dropped from the top, it caused her to jump, bringing her attention into sharp focus.
‘Have you got it?’ Nikki asked with urgency, gripping at the top of the wooden structure before it fell and ripped out the lower hinge.
Ariana clung to the wood, pressing it against the wall for stability. ‘I think so,’ she said, less than convincingly.
Nikki scampered down the ladder and quickly helped to suspend the shutter against the wall. She stood a couple of inches taller than Ariana, so her reach was higher, but the position had Ariana clamped to the wall as well as the shutter. The proximity drew a smile to Nikki’s lips. ‘Mmm,’ she mumbled, clearing her throat. She waved the drill in the air and pressed the trigger. Ariana was directly in front of the hinge Nikki needed to access.
Ariana gulped, the heat from Nikki’s body flaming through her, scorching the skin where they touched. She had stopped breathing, Nikki’s scent sending her spinning, delirious, and intoxicated. ‘Oh!’ she exclaimed, suddenly aware that she needed to shift her position across so that Nikki could access the screws. She moved sideways.
Nikki groaned. It was an involuntary response and directly related to the sensations building low in her core. Ariana’s dark eyes had been so close, her full, rosy lips so kissable. It had taken every ounce of restraint to not make a fool of herself right there and then. She directed the head of the drill. ‘Hold on to that,’ she said, pointing to the exact point on the shutter. Ariana complied. Nikki supported the upper part of the shutter with one hand and unscrewed with the other, allowing the rusty screws to drop to the floor. As the last one fell, the shutter dropped, and she pressed it hard against the wall, lowered the drill and took a firm grip on the slatted wood. ‘You okay?’ she asked.
Ariana nodded. She was floundering. ‘Fine,’ she said, gripping with all her might and following Nikki’s lead, lowering the shutter to the ground.
Nikki shifted the ladder to the other side of the window and began the process again. By the time the second shutter lay on the floor, Ariana felt dizzy. ‘Do you want a drink?’ she asked, hoping the more cooling air inside the house and a little space from Nikki might bring her back to her senses.
‘Sure,’ she said, wiping a bare arm across her forehead. The sun favoured this side of the house in the morning, creating a suntrap. Her mouth was feeling parched. She smiled, her head on a tilt, watching Ariana escape into the house.
Ariana took in the fresh air, heading towards the kitchen, trying hard to stem the flow of thoughts that challenged the plan she had devised for her and Soph’s future. The smell of Nikki lingered. She poured two tall glasses of water, her hand shaking. The urge to kiss Nikki was so intense, to feel her soft lips, sweet taste, her strong arms holding her close. She wanted to scream. She blew out the air that had stopped in her lun
gs, shook her thoughts from her mind and clamped down on the feelings that had her behaving like a teenager, buried them back inside her chest and closed the lid on the box. Now was not the right time, or place for sentimentality, she reminded herself. Walking back down the corridor, drinks in hand, she felt strong again. She handed over the glass, her eyes locking onto Nikki’s and congratulated herself.
‘Thanks,’ Nikki said, taking the glass and downing the water in one long slug. ‘By the way, I brought this,’ she said, reaching for the small, simple, wooden box and handing it over.
Ariana slowly lowered her gaze to the urn, the hollow, empty feeling returning to her chest, sliding, and forming a dense weight in her gut. The reality dawned like a tonne of bricks. She took the box tentatively.
‘Sorry,’ Nikki said softly, with a compassionate smile. ‘With the… decorating, I forgot,’ she said, her hand indicating to the shutters resting against the wall.
‘It’s okay,’ Ariana said quietly, her attention on the apologetic, hazel eyes, suddenly struck by a profound sense of loneliness. ‘Do you want something stronger to drink?’ she asked, feeling the need to dampen the rising negative emotions and the company of someone she trusted.
Ariana had turned back into the house before Nikki could answer. She placed the box on the kitchen table as she passed and headed straight for the freezer. She pulled out the chilled bottle of ouzo and two glasses from the cupboard, poured one shot and downed it on the spot. The burning pain at the back of her throat took her breath away, but it was also a welcome distraction from the turmoil that plagued her: the lustful thoughts as she stared at Nikki on the ladder, the reality of Sophia’s ashes in the box, and then the future. Her heart had already started to gain her attention, and it was driving a wedge between her thoughts and her feelings. She could barely breathe with the confusion.
‘Maria not here?’ Nikki asked, glancing around the room.
Ariana paused. ‘She’s taking a paid break,’ she answered, a wave of guilt adding to the anxiety churning in her stomach.
Nikki nodded. ‘She deserves one,’ she said. The comment helped a little.
Ariana forced a smile. She picked up the chilled bottle and the two small glasses and headed onto the balcony. She poured the drinks and handed one to Nikki.
Nikki stood, looking out over the water, sensing the shift in Ariana’s demeanour. Even she still struggled with Sophia’s absence, and she had had the time to adjust. Ariana, on the other hand, hadn’t yet begun to grieve for her loss. She leaned against the walled edge. ‘Such an amazing view,’ she said, scanning the territory she knew well, around to the jetty where the ferry sat, and beyond to the far edge of the west-cove. Then out to sea, Ithaka visible in the distance, the warm breeze transporting the essence of the sea. ‘Beautiful,’ she mumbled as if to herself.
Ariana moved across the small space and stood, following Nikki’s gaze. ‘It is,’ she said, her tone calmer, her posture softer.
Turning towards Ariana, Nikki studied her. She coughed to clear her throat. ‘You okay?’ she asked, tenderly.
Ariana nodded slowly, turned to face Nikki, reached out and placed her hand on her arm. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
Nikki shrugged. ‘For what?’ she asked.
‘Last night, the shutters, the ashes, everything,’ Ariana rambled.
Nikki stared into Ariana’s sadness, her senses consumed by the lightness of the touch on her arm and the piercing dark-brown eyes that ran a direct line to her heart. She had spent the best part of the night trying to rationalise all the reasons why getting involved with Ariana would be such a bad idea, but none of them had convinced her then let alone after the close-contact incident they had just shared against the shutter. Ariana felt it too, of that she was sure. ‘Do you want a hand,’ she asked, hoping the answer would be yes.
Ariana frowned, confused by the question.
Nikki’s heart felt as though it was melting under pain of Ariana’s expression. She studied the lost look with renewed determination. No matter what had happened between them, that was in the past. If Ariana needed to sell to create a life for herself and Soph, then Nikki owed it to them both, and Sophia, to help her. For once in her life, Ariana deserved to have someone backing her decision, whether they agreed with it or not. And Nikki didn’t agree with the sale, but above all else, Ariana’s future happiness was the most critical factor in the whole damned equation.
Ariana stared vacantly at the fire in Nikki’s eyes, her mind distracted by the feelings driving her to do something she might later regret. She would most definitely regret. ‘Sorry,’ she said, reminding herself there was a question to be answered, one that she couldn’t remember.
‘With scattering the ashes,’ Nikki said, tapping the side of her head as if to admonish herself for her lack of clarity. ‘Can I help in any way?’ she asked again. Sophia had often talked about having her ashes spread around the rose bushes, and they had joked about her keeping an eye on the place from the other world. Nikki drew a long breath and released it slowly.
Ariana turned towards the sea. She didn’t want to think about scattering the ashes. She closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts.
‘Sorry, I just thought you might want some company,’ Nikki explained.
Ariana nodded, she would. ‘Yes,’ she said, her voice broken.
‘There are quite a few rose beds around the garden,’ Nikki added, trying to inject a little light-heartedness.
‘Yes there are, and she knew how much I hated gardening,’ Ariana said, with a wry smile. She was beginning to feel a little woozy from the stiff drink and starting to enjoy the carefree feeling that had blocked her thoughts and released the delicate heat that slowly spiralled down her spine.
Nikki tilted her head, her lip curling up on one side. ‘She’ll be watching and telling you how to do it,’ she quipped.
‘I wouldn’t put it past her.’
‘I’m free now if you want,’ Nikki offered.
Ariana nodded.
*
‘Hey,’ Gianna said, swaggering towards the music on the cliff top, a large bag slung over her back.
Soph stopped playing, turned and couldn’t help the smile that appeared, or the warmth that invaded her chest. ‘Hey, you! She pulled her feet up from the cliff’s edge and stood. ‘What’s that?’ she asked.
‘We’re going snorkelling,’ Gianna replied, with a chuckle and a wicked grin.
Soph paled.
‘You’ll be fine. You get to stay on the top of the water,’ she said, dropping the bag at her feet and resting her hands on her narrow hips.
Soph licked her lips. Gianna’s assertiveness, her dark eyes, the crop-top and short shorts that hung off her slim hips, were all having a stimulating effect on her lower regions. Her mouth was dry, and she had already stopped processing the idea of being in the water with fish that bite and other sea creatures that might attack her. Her eyes were busy, and her mind was on a very different track.
‘Come on, let’s go,’ Gianna said, picking up the bag and heading towards the house. ‘I’ll wait here while you drop your guitar,’ she said.
Soph ran down the slope and into the house, Gianna, a pace behind her waited outside the front door.
‘What are you doing?’ Nikos asked, approaching from the olive grove.
‘Going snorkelling,’ Gianna responded.
‘Don’t you have work to do?’ he asked, knowing the answer.
‘I’ll do it later,’ Gianna said, trying not to get drawn into his obvious annoyance and coming across as conceited. He had barely spoken to her in the last few days and when he had he was always telling her off for something. Her mama had done nothing but complain about being on paid leave, which she didn’t get. She would have snapped Ariana’s hand off for the chance to be paid to take a holiday. And, anyway, they didn’t pay her that much in the first place. She could take a week off and no one would notice.
‘Be sure that you do,’ he said, turning and walking aw
ay from her.
She huffed, tried to ignore the sick feeling that niggled at her. She had always got on well with her papa, but ever since they found out about the sale, he had been grumpy, and she understood that; but since she’d started hanging out with Soph, he had become really irritable. Did it matter whether she did her stupid work or not if they were soon to be out of a job anyway?
‘Ready?’ Soph said, drawing Gianna from her frustrations.
Gianna picked up the bag and threw it over her shoulder. ‘Come on,’ she said, heading down the track to the east-cove at a pace.
‘You okay?’ Soph asked, assessing Gianna’s gritted teeth and pinched features. Something was endearing about the petulant look, she mused, her lips curling at the thought.
‘Fine,’ Gianna grumbled.
Soph had spotted Nikos talking to Gianna, from the house, and it was clear he had been giving her a hard time about something. ‘Your papa doesn’t like me much,’ she stated.
Gianna stopped walking, turned and held Soph’s eyes. An electric current fizzed down her spine, and she couldn’t find the words she wanted to say. She could feel the pressure building behind her eyes, threatening to spill onto her cheeks.
‘It’s okay,’ Soph said, with a shrug. ‘He doesn’t need to like me,’ she added, taking Gianna’s hand in hers. ‘As long as you do,’ she added. She smiled mischievously, her eyebrows rising and exposing the whites of her eyes.
Gianna’s breathing settled and her shoulders sat an inch lower than they had done a moment ago. She tried to smile, but her jaw was still too tense to comply.
‘Does he know you’re gay?’ Soph asked, squeezing Gianna’s hand, drawing her eyes.
Gianna nodded. ‘He doesn’t like it,’ she said, her voice quiet, ‘but he knows,’ she said with certainty.
Soph shrugged. ‘Definitely me then,’ she said, with a chuckle, releasing Gianna’s hand.
‘He’s giving me a hard time for not working,’ Gianna said, cursing at the discomfort that jammed her mind.