Citrus Blossom

by Sarah Pond

  At home, there were so many reminders of Olivia, particularly the two paintings of St Ives, but Jasmine couldn't bear to put them away. She was still wearing Olivia's ring, too. She wasn't ready to be with anyone else yet, although she knew that she would have to move on eventually. Still, it had only been a few weeks. Jasmine had spent a bit of time hanging out with Fran. She and Phoebe had split up, so Jasmine and Fran were trying to help each other through things. At least they both understood what they were each going through. They both kept telling themselves that it was for the best. Walking through the lounge one day, Jasmine looked at the small lemon tree that she had bought at the Eden Project. In its pot in the sunshine, with it's beautiful white flowers blossoming, all the memories of that holiday came flooding back. She remembered Olivia dancing around on the sand, arms outstretched and her face to the sky, and Jasmine sank to the floor, hugging herself, tears flowing down her face.

  Olivia was finding it difficult settling back into life in Cornwall. It seemed so quiet after London. She missed Emma, Laura and her job. She missed Jasmine so badly, it was unbearable. She wondered how she had let things get this far. She had gone home to Jasmine to apologise, and had made things worse, like she was on some kind of self destruct. What was the matter with her. Ella loved having Olivia at home, but she was worried about her. Olivia wasn't eating or sleeping properly. She tried to get Olivia to talk about what had happened, but she would either clam up or cry. Becky was thrilled to have Olivia back home, but after a few days she hated seeing how unhappy she was. This wasn't the Olivia she knew. One day they were sitting on the beach, chatting. Becky said that she couldn't understand why they couldn't work things out. Olivia started crying again, she felt that crying was about all she did these days. 'I really messed things up. I was selfish and immature.'

  Becky said, 'Look, it takes two, you know.'

  'Yes, but if anything happened, I just bolted. That business with Phoebe, I didn't give Jasmine a chance, I said that it was just a matter of time before she would be with someone else. I really hurt her.'

  'You were upset, she must have known that.'

  'I disappeared on her for a few days. Then when I went home to make up, I accused her of sleeping with Susan. It's like I just couldn't stop myself. She deserves someone better than me. I kept hurting her, she'll be better off without me.'

  Olivia had been back in Cornwall for over three weeks. It was the day of Ben and Tina's wedding, and Ella was helping Olivia and Becky to get ready. They had their hair done, and Olivia wore hers up. With all the excitement of the day, it helped to take Olivia's mind off of things. She decided that from today, things would be different. She was going to pull herself together, and get on with her life. The sun was shining, and the family were all excited. Ben and Tina were getting married at the local church, and going on to Tina's parents for the reception, with the marquee in the garden. The wedding was taking place at midday. Tina was wearing a stunning white satin dress, with little rose buds embroidered on it. Olivia and Becky wore dresses in a deep claret satin, which matched Ben's tie and waistcoat. The service was beautiful, and Olivia wiped a tear away as Ben and Tina exchanged their vows. As they walked out of the church, everyone congratulated the happy couple, and some threw confetti. Everyone then made their way to the reception.

  The garden was beautiful, with a large lawn and borders full of spring flowers surrounding it. The marquee was white, and decorated with fairy lights and flowers. The tables were set up for lunch, and Olivia was sitting at the head table, along with Becky and Dan. The lunch was lovely, and afterwards there were a few speeches. There was a live band, and the singer had a fabulous voice. They began to play The Way You Look Tonight, and Ben and Tina had the first dance. Everyone applauded, then more couples joined them on the dance floor. Liam was there with Lucy, and Becky danced with Dan. Olivia smiled, watching her parents dancing closely. Olivia looked down at her left hand, and the ring that Jasmine had given her. Her heart ached so much, she didn't think that she could stand it. The band began the next song, Just the Way You Are, and immediately Olivia was transported back to her first date with Jasmine. Feeling that she couldn't breathe, Olivia stood up to go and get some fresh air.

  'Dance with me.' Jasmine was looking longingly at Olivia.

  'Wh, what are you doing here?' Olivia couldn't believe her eyes.

  'I was right, you do look gorgeous in your dress. I want to dance with you. Please.'

  Jasmine's heart was beating so fast. She took Olivia's hand, and they both felt that familiar electric connection, as she led Olivia to the dance floor. They danced, letting the music wash over them. 'I can't believe you're here.'

  'I can't believe that I let you go,' Jasmine said as she looked into Olivia's eyes.

  Ella, Steve and Becky couldn't help watching to see what was going to happen. After seeing Olivia miserable for these last few weeks, they really wanted her to be happy. As the song came to an end, the next one began, Gershwin's They Can't Take That Away From Me. Jasmine sighed, she loved this song, she found it achingly romantic. She softly sang along in Olivia's ear, 'The way you changed my life, they can't take that away from me...'

  As the song finished, Olivia wanted to get some fresh air. It was early evening now, and the May air was fresh and cool against Olivia's skin. Jasmine followed her out. Olivia stopped, and turned towards Jasmine. 'I'm sorry about what I said, I didn't mean it. The thing is, the feelings that I had for you were so overwhelming, they scared me. When I thought I'd missed my chance with you, it hurt so much, I'd never known anything like it. And when Fran said those things, my world came crashing down around me. I couldn't believe it was happening...' Olivia paused, and a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.

  Jasmine wiped it away, 'Hey, it's okay.'

  Olivia's tears began to fall freely, and she continued, '...and a part of me thought that it was inevitable, like I knew that something would happen, and you would meet the person that you're really meant to be with.' Now that Olivia had admitted her feelings out loud, she couldn't control the sobbing.

  Jasmine was astounded. 'You're the person I'm meant to be with. Since the moment I first saw you and wanted to kiss you, I've never wanted anyone else.'

  She was also feeling very heavy hearted, Olivia was talking in the past tense. Did that mean she no longer felt the same way. Olivia said, 'Feelings do change, though. Once upon a time, I thought that I might marry Liam. You were in love with Phoebe. Fran and Phoebe were committed. None of us can know what's going to happen.'

  Jasmine was feeling scared now, fuck, maybe Olivia was over her now. She looked at Olivia, 'When you stop thinking for a moment, how do you feel, in here?' she asked, placing her hand over Olivia's heart.

  'When we were together, I never felt happier or more alive in my life,' she said with certainty.

  Jasmine looked wide eyed at Olivia, feeling so much love for her. 'You're right, we don't know what's going to happen. All I do know is that in this moment, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Also, I desperately want to kiss you,' and Jasmine's mouth was on Olivia's, and she held her tightly. Feeling Jasmine's lips on her, being held like this, Olivia knew that in this moment, there was nothing else that she wanted more.

  They made their way back to the marquee, and danced together for the rest of the evening. They were dancing to a slow song, and Jasmine said, 'I love you so much. I've missed you, my life is empty without you. Please come home with me.'

  Olivia pulled back to look at Jasmine, into her soft, dark eyes. 'Yes. I've been so miserable, I can't believe we let things get so out of hand. I love you. Ever since that first kiss, when you turned my world upside down, I've only ever wanted you.'

  They kissed, not caring if anyone was watching. By this point, most people had heard about Jasmine, the woman who had stolen Olivia's heart. Ella watched them dancing and laughing together. She was delighted to see her daughter looking so happy again.

  After the wedding, Jasmine went b
ack home with Olivia. They had got changed out of their wedding outfits, and into pyjamas. Sitting in the lounge, drinking hot drinks, Olivia was asking Jasmine how she knew where to find her. Jasmine reminded Olivia that they had the wedding invitation at home, and that the address was on there.

  Ella said, 'I want to thank you Jasmine, this is the first day that Olivia's laughed since she's been home.'

  Olivia and Jasmine exchanged a look, and Ella decided that it was time for them to go to bed, and she and Steve said goodnight. It had been a very busy and emotional day, and she was thrilled that both of her children were so happy. Once her parents had gone upstairs, they were at last alone, and Olivia pulled Jasmine towards her, kissing her tenderly. 'You are the most romantic, spontaneous and sexy person that I've ever met.'

  Jasmine looked cheekily at Olivia, 'I think I'm going to burst if I don't fuck you right now.'

  Olivia laughed, 'And you certainly have the filthiest mouth of anyone I know!'

  She stopped talking as she felt Jasmine's hand slide under her top, and felt that familiar, delicious tingle over her skin, as her stomach did its familiar twist of anticipation...

  THE END

  Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you would like a sneak peek of my next book, please continue reading below. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support, particularly when I disappeared for hours at a time to write!

  About the author

  Citrus Blossom is Sarah's first novel. She had the inspiration for it whilst sitting in the garden. Once she started writing, she couldn't stop!

  Connect with Sarah

  Sarah's website

  Sarah's blog

  twitter @palmtreesarah

  Smashwords Author Profile

  Other books by Sarah Pond

  I'm currently writing another novel, Hibiscus, which will be available in November 2016

  If you would like a sneak peak of it, please read on...

  Hibiscus

  Rachel was looking forward to her holiday. Work had been really busy recently, and this was her first holiday away in over three years. After everything that had happened with her ex, she knew that the break would be good for her, and she didn't remember the last time she had been out of London. Rachel's life and soul had gone into the art gallery that she and Tom had set up. If she was being really honest with herself, Rachel hadn't wanted to take any time away. If she kept busy, then she didn't have to think too much about other things. This probably wasn't a conscious awareness on her part. After three years of very hard work, business was doing well, and Tom insisted that she go away to unwind. He knew that Rachel needed it, even if she couldn't see it for herself. They both had personal assistants who would help out, and Tom assured her that everything would be in good hands.

  It was a Friday morning, and Rachel finished up the last bit of work, and ran through with Lisa what needed doing while she was away. Lisa assured her that they were all up to date with everything. Tom walked into Rachel's office, 'Will you just go already, we'll be fine!' Tom hugged Rachel, her head barely reaching his shoulder. Tom was tall and slim, with prematurely grey, close cropped hair. He bent down to kiss Rachel on the cheek, and released her. After hugging Lisa and Eric goodbye, they managed to get Rachel out of the door, and send her on her way.

  Rachel left the gallery, and headed to Paddington, to catch the train to Devon. It was a warm June day, and the sun was shining. Rachel let out a deep breath, and decided that she wasn't going to think about work for the next two weeks. This was a tall order, but she was determined to do it, if for no other reason than to prove that she could. Rachel found a seat on the train easily, as it wasn't busy, and settled down for the long journey. As her mind wandered, she realised that this was the first time that she had been away on her own. She was thirty now, and previous holidays had always been with her parents, or friends. Her last holiday had been with her then boyfriend Mark, in Corfu. It had been a great holiday, just before she started up the gallery. It was setting up the gallery that had ultimately ended their relationship. Rachel had met Mark at a party, when they were both twenty three. They had a lot of fun together, and three years later Mark asked Rachel to move in with him. They settled in well, and were very happy to begin with. Things started to change when Rachel got involved with setting up the gallery with Tom. Mark thought that all she ever did was work. It was true, she was so passionate about the gallery, and there was so much to do. Everything else in her life took second place. Mark felt like he was single again, and started going out on his own with his friends more and more. He met a lovely woman one evening, and they chatted for hours. He really enjoyed her company. Over the next couple of weeks, he decided it was time to move on with his life, and had a talk with Rachel. He wanted to be with someone he would get to spend time with. Although Rachel was upset, she completely understood, she never had time for anything or anyone if it wasn't connected with the gallery. They parted on good terms, and Rachel hoped that Mark would be happy. Sometimes Rachel would get lonely, but most of the time she was too busy with work to think about it. She idly wondered whether she kept herself busy so she wouldn't have to think about it. She did miss having someone to go home to at the end of the day, and just chat with. Still, she was an only child, so growing up had been used to spending a lot of time on her own.

  As the train rattled along, Rachel thought about the little cottage that she was going to be staying in. It was a tiny one bedroom place, up a hill. It had a view of the sea, and it sounded perfect for a place to unwind. Rachel could relax, read, go for walks, lay on the beach and swim. She had purposely booked somewhere central, so she didn't need to go out of town if she didn't want to. She didn't drive, as around London she didn't think there seemed much point. Public transport was easy and convenient for her. Rachel could read or listen to music whilst she was travelling, which she found a more relaxing prospect, rather than battling traffic.

  The train arrived late afternoon, and Rachel checked the address. The owner had emailed Rachel to say that as she was going to be away, a woman called Lea would be looking after the cottage. In the meantime, the door would be unlocked so she could let herself in, and get settled. Rachel found the road, and climbed the hill to the top. There was a row of quaint little cottages, and number five, Rachel's home for the next two weeks, was in the middle. Each of the cottages was painted in a different pastel colour, and number five was pink. Rachel opened the door, which led straight into the lounge. There was a sofa, an armchair, and a small fireplace. The walls were whitewashed, there were blue curtains, and a big beige shaggy rug on the floor. There was a small television and dvd player in the corner, and no phone line or wifi. Perfect for getting away from everything. Rachel put her case down, and explored. It wouldn't take long, as the cottage was two up, two down. The kitchen led off of the lounge, and had a small pine table in it. On it, was a welcome note, and some homemade scones. The note said that there was also some clotted cream in the fridge, milk and some jam. Rachel smiled as she read it, thinking how thoughtful it was. She walked back through the lounge, and up the stairs. There was a small bathroom, and the bedroom was quite a good size for such a small cottage. It had blue gingham curtains and duvet cover, and was whitewashed, like downstairs. She lay down on the bed, and it felt very soft and cosy. On the wall opposite the bed, there was a painting of a beautiful pink hibiscus. The cottage was perfect, and Rachel could already feel herself beginning to relax.

  Rachel went back downstairs, her rumbling stomach telling her that she was hungry. She filled the kettle with water to make herself a cup of tea, and went to fetch the milk and cream from the fridge. After preparing the scones, Rachel sat down at the little table with her cup of tea. She could never quite remember whether it was cream or jam on top, depending on whether you were in Devon or Cornwall. She put a big dollop of each on both halves of the scones, and bit into one of them. Where Rachel had rather overloa
ded the scones with both cream and jam, they overflowed and covered her top lip. Licking it off, she smiled to herself, feeling like a child again as she remembered a holiday in Cornwall with her parents, and her first cream tea. These scones were delicious, so light and fluffy. Once she had finished her tea, Rachel decided to unpack her case. She carried it up the narrow stairway, and lay it on the bed. It didn't take long, as she hadn't packed that much. Then she went back downstairs, and turned the radio on. Bruno Mars was singing 'Locked out of Heaven'. Rachel loved that song, and she turned the volume up, and began to sing along and dance, letting the music take her away. She had a sense of freedom that she hadn't felt for a long time.

  Lea lived along the road, at the end cottage. She had been asked by Sue, the owner of the cottage, to make sure that Rachel was settled in and had everything she needed. She walked up to the door and knocked, then waited. Lea could hear music coming from inside. Perhaps the woman couldn't hear her knocking. Lea gently opened the door, to see a woman dancing, her long golden brown hair flying around her face. She was completely lost in the music, singing along with all her heart. Lea actually felt her knees weaken. Wow, so that was a real thing, then. She watched her, completely captivated.

  Lost in the music, Rachel spun around and caught sight of a woman watching her, smiling. She stopped short, blushing profusely. Lea said, 'Sorry, I did knock, but I don't think you heard me,' as she ran her hand through her blond wavy hair. The woman had the bluest eyes that Rachel had ever seen, and it felt to Rachel that they were looking right into her very being. She suddenly felt very self conscious, and didn't notice that the woman was blushing. Feeling flustered, Rachel turned the radio down, trying to compose herself. She pushed her hair away from her face. 'Sorry. Have you been there long?'