by Jen Silver
“Shit.” Andi didn’t know what else to say. Long-term relationships had always been a mystery to her. She had known Freya for many years but that worked because they only met up a few times each year. She wasn’t sure she could handle Freya’s intensity full time.
Andi touched Sam’s arm. “We should probably be getting back or they’ll be sending out a search party.”
The thirteenth hole was a good way from the clubhouse and there was another half-mile to the manor. Andi thought she could probably snag a buggy once they reached the clubhouse.
“At lunch, I didn’t think you were too happy being asked about using male caddies,” Sam said, as they started walking across the fairway.
“No. Well, I had a female caddy once. It was a good partnership for a while. But she walked out on me in the middle of a tournament. Left me on the course with nine holes still to play.”
“Wow. That must have been hard.”
It wasn’t a memory Andi liked to dredge up, however she decided to tell Sam the story to distract her from her own troubles.
“Stella and I had a good partnership. She was an excellent golfer and could have turned pro, but she didn’t fancy standing around in a golf shop selling equipment and giving lessons.”
“Could she have gone on tour, like you?”
“She played in some amateur tournaments, but soon realised she didn’t respond well to the pressure and expectations placed on her to win. Anyway it was my fault she left like she did. I got involved with a young player and Stella had already warned me that she wasn’t going to stand by and watch me make a fool of myself. Like the idiot I was, I didn’t listen to her.”
“But how could she walk out on you in the middle of the course? I mean, those bags look really heavy.”
“Yeah, I figured I might be able to struggle on for a few holes and maybe the event organisers would let me use a trolley. In the end, a young man in the crowd, Louis Herman, saved me from having to do that. He was a member of the club and, after consultation with a rules official, it was agreed that he could carry my bag for the rest of the round. And he did a pretty good job, too.”
“Does he still caddy for you?” Sam asked.
“When I’m in the States, if he can take the time off. He was in the middle of doing a law degree when that happened. He’s now a partner in a law firm in New Jersey.”
“So, it didn’t work out with you and the other player?”
This was the part of the story that Andi really didn’t want to tell. Not to someone she barely knew anyway. Getting over the loss of Stella had been hard enough, but what happened after that and the whole Sonya Erikson saga, that had been the real killer.
Andi changed the subject, asking Sam about her work, and they compared notes on different places they’d visited. Andi’s observations on most locations included only the view from the plane as it landed, and the drive to the golf course for the next tournament.
When they reached the clubhouse, Andi went in and collected a buggy key from behind the counter. She thought Sam was grateful for not having to make the extra walk up the hill to the manor. The next two weeks were going to be a fitness test for quite a few of the students. Walking around a golf course might look like a leisurely stroll in the park, but it would take its toll on the beginners if they weren’t used to taking much exercise. Just because this was a holiday for her, Andi knew she couldn’t slack off on her own fitness regime. She hoped to manage a workout in the gym before dinner.
†
Beth walked down the hill from the chalet, breathing in the softly scented air. The azalea bushes lining the path to the manor were in full bloom.
She was feeling buoyed by the conversation with Lydia extolling the wonders of the surroundings and how much she was going to love it. She hadn’t mentioned Sam’s presence. With a place this size and the number of students on the course, she thought they could manage to avoid contact.
Sam had told her this was a job for her so she would be preoccupied with that anyway. Beth knew how thoroughly Sam approached any of her research assignments.
After the initial shock of seeing Sam before the induction session, Beth reasoned that the situation was manageable. It didn’t have to be a problem. They could all behave like grown-ups.
She had been tempted to talk to Sam again after the tour of the facilities but she had disappeared. Probably for the best since Lydia had called just after Beth returned to the chalet to take a pre-dinner shower.
“Hey, there. Beth. Wait up!”
Beth turned to see the couple from the next chalet walking rapidly down the hill. She remembered their names from the introductions earlier—Tammy and Liz.
“We’re going to hit the bar. Fancy joining us for a quick one before dinner?” Tammy, the taller of the two, was smiling at her.
“That was my plan, too. I would love to join you.” Beth waited for them to draw level and they walked around to the front of the house together.
“Isn’t this place amazing?” Tammy enthused as they walked into the entrance hall with its expansive floral display.
“Yes. I had seen the photos on the website but I don’t think I expected it to be quite so five-star hotel-like.”
“I think it’s not so grand for the residents in the house.” Liz said over her shoulder as they followed Tammy towards the bar. “None of the rooms are en-suite.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. One of the others told me earlier. They’re sharing three bathrooms and only one has a bath.”
Beth tensed at the mention of bathrooms, hoping Tammy wouldn’t bring up the scene she had witnessed earlier. With any luck she hadn’t registered the friction between Beth and Sam.
The heavy oak-paneled doors leading to the Library were open and sounds of talk and laughter wafted through. They walked into a large airy room with double doors opening out to a patio. Tammy reached the bar first and turned to ask what Beth would like to drink.
“A dry white wine. But I’ll pay for my own.”
“No you won’t. This is only the first night. Plenty of time to reciprocate.”
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll find a place to sit. Inside or out?”
“Out, I think. Take advantage of the sunshine while it lasts.”
Beth scanned the tables and was pleased to see that, although several tables were occupied, there was no sign of Sam. Rosemary was sitting by herself and waved when she saw her. Beth went over and sat down. “I’m with Tammy and Liz. Do you mind if they join us?”
“No. Of course not.” Rosemary gestured with her hand. “Can you believe this view?”
From the tour they’d had, Beth knew the golf clubhouse was somewhere below where they were sitting but it was hidden from sight by some clever landscaping. Their vantage point on the patio offered an uninterrupted view of part of the course and the sea beyond. Once again, Beth thought how much Lydia would enjoy this experience. Still, only one more day until her arrival, and that would pass quickly with the golf lessons, plus more eating and drinking, no doubt.
Tammy and Liz brought their drinks out and she enjoyed the easy camaraderie of their light-hearted conversation and the cooling breeze coming off the sea.
†
Jordan finished her five-minute gentle warm up at a walking pace and programmed the treadmill for an uphill jog. It felt good to give her lungs and leg muscles a workout. She liked to stay active and there had been too much standing around today.
Reviewing the day so far, she smiled at the thought she’d bagged the best looking woman in the group for her teaching sessions. Sitting next to Beth Travers at lunch, she had taken the opportunity to appraise her physical attributes. There was a good chance she enjoyed running as well. Of course she hadn’t been able to ask, but she was curious to know whether or not the absent Lydia was just a friend or something more. The chalet had two bedrooms and they may have chosen to book it together to enjoy the comfort. But maybe they also wanted the privacy the chalet afforded if t
hey were on intimate terms.
Jordan checked the timer on the machine and was surprised to see she’d been jogging steadily for ten minutes. Adjusting the controls to warm down, she concentrated on her breathing and then slowed to a stop. After stepping off the conveyor belt, she towelled off and considered the options of going for a row or doing some weights. The weights won out and she sauntered into the other room to start her routine.
To her surprise, the room wasn’t empty. She hadn’t heard anyone come in but she had been in a world of her own while jogging.
Andi was lying on a bench doing butterfly lifts and wearing only a black sports bra and matching boxer shorts. Not wanting to break her concentration, Jordan walked over to the shelves holding the free weights and selected two 5kg dumbbells. Sitting on the edge of another bench, she started with a set of palms-up wrist curls.
The sight of Andi’s bare abdomen in her peripheral vision was a distraction though, and she wasn’t concentrating on the exercise. She closed her eyes and tried to remember how many reps she’d done.
“Hey, Earth to Jordan.”
Jordan opened her eyes to see Andi was now sitting up on her bench, the dumbbells on the floor.
“You looked miles away. I thought you were going to drop those on your feet.”
“Um. Yeah. Guess I’m not really focusing.” Jordan could feel her ears turning red and tried not to stare at Andi’s toned midriff.
“Want to try a bit of sparring?” Andi nodded towards the heavy-duty punching bag hanging in the far corner of the room. “That’ll keep you on your toes.” Without waiting for an answer she stood in one fluid motion, bending to pick up her weights and return them to the shelf.
Jordan shook her head and wondered when she would wake up from this dream. Only that morning she couldn’t believe she would be spending two weeks in the company of a golfer whose career she had followed avidly. Now she was alone with her in a gym, wearing her sweaty workout clothes with a face as red as a beetroot, and not from the exercise. She got up slowly and put her weights back.
Andi held out two pairs of boxing gloves. “Red or black? Your choice.”
Jordan hesitated.
“It’s okay. They’re brand new, like everything else in here.”
“Oh.” Jordan took the red pair from her. More embarrassment, as Andi had rightly guessed she didn’t want to put her hands in rancid-smelling gloves. She pulled them on and tightened the straps as they walked over to the bag.
“You’ve done this before, right?” Andi positioned herself behind the bag.
Jordan nodded. Then realised Andi couldn’t see her. “Yes.”
“We’ll start with the old one-two—a jab and a cross. I’ll start and we alternate, but keep pace with each other. Okay?”
“Sure.” Jordan took up her boxing stance and waited to hear the smack of Andi’s gloves on the other side of the bag. The two punches came hard and fast.
With Andi setting a rapid rhythm, Jordan had to react quickly to keep up and avoid getting hit by the heavy bag as it swung menacingly towards her. It was exactly the workout she needed and she was sweating profusely by the time Andi called a halt.
†
Andi smiled to herself as she showered again, the third time that day. She’d enjoyed the workout in the gym and the punching session with Jordan had been fun. Getting the younger woman to relax with her had taken a bit of time, but she thought the shared activity had been productive in that regard.
Her freshly laundered clothes had been returned to the room. Andi chose her favourite soft denim jeans and a white tailored shirt. It didn’t seem likely Freya would be insisting her guests dress formally for dinner. When she’d last seen her, Freya had been working on a seating plan for the evening meal. On the way down the stairs, Andi was struck by the idea that maybe she should check on Freya’s arrangements. Sam Wade wouldn’t want to be sitting next to her ex. But Sam hadn’t told her the woman’s name.
There was a lot of noise coming from the bar so it seemed most of the guests were in there already. Andi walked across the hall to the dining room. No sign of Freya, but she could see there were name cards at each place setting. She moved around the tables and found her own name quickly. It seemed that Freya had noted who had been sitting with them at lunch and had mixed things up. She eventually found Sam’s name on the first table she had passed, the one nearest the door. Jordan and Tony were the golf hosts. The other three names were unfamiliar to her—Charlotte, Melody, and Hannah. Well, she could only hope they weren’t the names of Sam’s ex. Andi decided to position herself at the door to gauge Sam’s reaction when she sat down.
†
The talk with the golfer had settled Sam’s nerves, but she still had dinner to get through and the rest of the evening. And the next day, and the day after that. She thought about phoning Sandra Morton and telling her she couldn’t do the job. Short of breaking her leg or coming down with a life-threatening illness, that wasn’t really an option. Sam didn’t want to get a reputation for being unreliable. And word would spread quickly if she let the Morton Agency down.
Sam needed the work to keep up her mortgage payments. Visions of having to sell the house and move back with her parents had assailed her on quite a few sleepless nights. Moving back home at the age of fifty-three, how sad was that? It wasn’t even really home. Her childhood had been spent in Hexham in Northumberland; a long way from Looe on the south coast of Cornwall, her parents’ retirement cottage.
She decided to skip a visit to the Library before dinner. Beth would probably be in the bar enjoying a glass of white wine. It was her drink of choice before meals unless they were having pizza. Sam shut her eyes to block out the vision of one of their evening rituals, curled up on the sofa sharing pizza and a bottle of red wine while watching an old episode of Morse on TV. Hermy would be watching them closely from the armchair to see if they were going to drop any tasty morsels onto the carpet.
Time to make a move; she couldn’t put it off any longer. Waiting at the top of the stairs, Sam heard the group leaving the Library to go into the dining room. She lingered until she thought they had probably all passed through the hall. Andi met her at the door and smiled at her encouragingly.
“Your seat’s on this table.” The golfer indicated the first table in the room.
Sam glanced at the women already seated and smiled back at Andi. She didn’t know any of them, apart from the golf pro, Jordan.
While the starters were being served, Sam looked around and saw that Beth was sitting at the table by the window. She laughed at something the woman next to her said. Sam took a deep breath and willed herself to look away. You can do this. Just take it one day at a time. More easily thought than done, she knew. Once they started the golf lessons, she could immerse herself in the experience. Beth’s presence needn’t be a problem. Lydia’s might be, though, the little voice in her head reminded her.
“Would you like some wine?”
Sam turned to look at the speaker who was holding a bottle of red. “Yes, thanks.”
“It’s a merlot. One of my favourites. I’m Charlotte by the way.”
“Sam. We met at lunch, didn’t we?”
“Yes, we were on the same table. But it was hard to get a word in with that Tammy holding forth most of the time.”
Sam smiled in agreement and took a sip of the wine. “Mm. That is nice.”
The rest of the meal passed pleasantly. Jordan and Tony kept them amused with anecdotes about the working life of golf professionals. Sam wished she’d brought a recorder as she couldn’t make notes at the table but it was all good material for her research. Perhaps she would try to get Jordan on her own and talk her through some of her experiences.
Having been the last to arrive in the dining room, Sam was one of the first to leave. She followed Charlotte out and then detoured past the floral display. Hidden behind towering plants, she listened for the receding footsteps. Most of them were heading for the bar again as a quiz night ha
d been announced. Beth would be in her element. Whenever they had teamed up with Troy and Webby for the monthly gay social evenings in town, it was Beth’s knowledge of pop culture picked up from kids at school that got them the most points. Sam’s general knowledge helped to some extent and Webby had total recall on which teams had won the FA Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1871.
“Hello again.”
Sam turned to see Andi smiling at her.
“Not joining in the quiz?”
“No. It’s been a long day and it’s starting to catch up with me. And at my age I need my beauty sleep.”
If the golfer considered challenging her about ex-partner avoidance, she clearly thought better of it and just said, “I wouldn’t say you need it. But you’re probably wise to rest up before tomorrow’s activities.”
“I didn’t think golf was that strenuous. I mean, you just hit the ball, walk slowly after it and hit it again and again until it ends up in the hole.”
Andi grinned and shook her head. “You have a lot to learn. And, as you’ll find out, it’s not so much the physical side of the game that wears you out; it’s the mental one. Controlling the flight of the ball is easy compared to controlling what goes on in your head.”
“I’ll bear that in mind. Thanks for the tip.” Sam smiled. “Good night.”
“Good night. Sleep well.”
Sam walked up the stairs thinking that sleep wasn’t likely to come easily.
Chapter Seven
The students had split off into their designated groups for the first teaching sessions. Jeff and Tony were on the driving range, Roger in the practice bunker, and Jordan on the putting green. They would be doing a rotation during the morning so each group received instruction in the different areas.
Jordan took a basket of balls and a selection of putters out to the green. She planned to explain the different styles of putter and her students would be able to try each one to see which they preferred. Two of her group had arrived, Sam and Rosemary. The session was due to start at nine thirty and they were five minutes early. Jordan set the basket down on the edge of the green and lined the putters up against the bench.