Secret Evenings in Pretty Beach

by Polly Babbington

  ‘I’m trying to rescue this piece of old furniture,’ Lottie replied pointing to the antique unit.

  ‘You don’t just stroke vegetables then? You hop in skips and rescue furniture too, do you?’

  ‘Not as a rule, but I’m prepared to get into a skip for something like this,’ Lottie said and pointed to the unit as Connor pulled in and got out of his car.

  Lottie blinked rapidly, tried not to let her mouth hang open and gripped onto the lip on the edge of the skip as she took in the sight of Connor in front of her. Connor Bally was wearing some kind of uniform. She didn’t know what kind but a navy-blue collared shirt with epaulettes and a white badge on the front did it for her. Standing up to her knees in rubble and dirt, Lottie gaped as a layer of gold washed over her whole body and she could have sworn she started to ever-so-slightly quiver all over.

  Delightful. I could eat him. This vision in front of me is that good. Oh my. Did lust just travel all the way down to my toes and back up again? Look at him in that uniform. Swoon.

  ‘Are you serious? It looks like a piece of junk to me,’ Connor said leaning over the top of the skip.

  ‘I’m very serious. Do you happen to know whose skip this is seeing as you work down this way?’

  ‘As a matter of fact, I do. It belongs to Callum from the boat repair place.’

  Lottie continued to stare at Connor and pretend that she was perfectly used to talking to a man in what appeared to be some kind of naval uniform, extremely nice shoulders, and the most amazing eyes she had possibly ever seen.

  Are his biceps really bulging under the sleeves? Thoughts of looking further down to see if anything else was bulging ran widely through Lottie’s head. Crikey, this man is turning me into a complete lunatic. I haven’t thought about a bulging anything for years.

  Lottie looked at the small tin building next to the kayak hire housing the boat repair shop.

  ‘Really? This piece came out of there, did it? From Callum’s place?’

  ‘No, it didn’t, and I only know that because Callum was blocking the road with his van reversed up to the skip the other day. Apparently, it came from his grandma’s house in Seafolly Bay.’

  ‘Ahh, Right. That makes much more sense.’

  They both turned around as someone called out hello. Ben and Sallie were walking along the road with a pram and their friend Nina’s baby Ottilie fast asleep inside with her thumb in and a little pink blanket tucked over her lap.

  Ben and Sallie stopped beside the skip. ‘Silly question. Why are you perched precariously in the middle of a skip, Lottie? And Connor, why are you watching her?’ Ben asked.

  ‘Ahh, just the person! Ben, you have a truck. I have fallen in love with this dresser,’ Lottie said, stroking the side of the old unit.

  ‘You want that thing?’ Ben said looking at the dresser in surprise.

  ‘What’s wrong with you men? Can you not see the potential in this?’ Lottie said as she brushed cement dust and dirt off her hands and pushed her hair out of her eyes.

  As both of them looked back at her as if she was a bit strange, Lottie suddenly realised what she might look like to them. She was standing there in her old gardening clothes, her unwashed, four day old hair was scraped back into a ponytail, she had not a scrap of makeup to her name, and her old comfy tracksuit bottoms which were stretched out of shape at the knees and at least three sizes too big, were tucked into her green Hunter boots. It probably wasn't the most attractive look she could have come up with for bumping into anyone, let alone the man who made every part of her tingle.

  Sallie peered into the skip. ‘It’s to die for! I love it.’

  Ben rocked the pram back and forth and looked at Connor.

  ‘What are you up to, mate? It would take us two secs to get that into the back of my van.’

  ‘Nothing, nothing at all. Yep, I can do that,’ Connor replied, not taking his eyes off Lottie.

  ‘Right. Stay there then and we’ll just drop off this cherry pie at the Boat House and I’ll be back,’ Ben said.

  And Ben and Sallie walked away pushing the pram and Ben quietly chuckled to Sallie

  ‘It appears that cupid is working his magic all over Pretty Beach.’

  Chapter 47

  Lottie clambered over to the edge of the skip, missed her footing on a wobbly piece of concrete, stumbled, got back up again, and laughed as Connor helped her out of the skip. She brushed off her daggy old tracksuit bottoms and looked up at Connor. Looked up into the piercing, beautiful blue eyes and dark, almost black hair.

  ‘You really are quite a case, Lottie. I didn’t think I would be seeing you standing in a skip on the way to work this morning. Entertaining though, I’ll give you that,’ Connor said with a twinkle in his eye.

  ‘I aim to please,’ Lottie said giggling and pulling a piece of concrete off her welly boot. She gazed at him and the impact of the searing blue eyes and the uniform hit her again.

  What even is that? He looks at me and I feel like I’ve just been run over by a train or dipped in gold. Or both of those at once.

  Lottie’s eyes widened as Connor reached over to Lottie’s shoulder and brushed dust from her top.

  ‘You’re covered in dust,’ Connor said as Lottie gaped at the uniform.

  As Lottie and Connor stood beside the skip waiting for Ben to come back with his truck Connor regaled Lottie with funny stories about things that had happened on diving trips over the years. Lottie stood there drinking him in. Lost in his voice. Her senses were overwhelmed by him as Ben pulled up and got out of his pick-up truck.

  ‘Okay, Ben. I’ve been standing here mentally going through it while we’ve been chatting. We’ll take either end, scoop it out over the side there and pop it on the raised grass. You can then reverse up to it and we’ll easily be able to slide it onto the tray. What do you think?’ Connor asked.

  Ben peered into the skip judging the size of the dresser. ‘Yeah. Sweet. We just want to make sure those mirrors don’t shatter. I’ve got some drop sheets in the back there. I’ll pad it out with those.’

  Lottie stood back as six foot two Connor and Ben picked up the antique unit as if it was a piece of doll’s furniture and carefully slid it into the back of Ben’s Volkswagen truck. Ben started to tie the unit with bungee clips to make sure it didn’t move around in the back and Connor hopped back down onto the road.

  Just as Ben was dusting off the dirt from his trousers, Holly pulled up on her way to the bakery.

  ‘What have we here, then? Dumpster diving in Pretty Beach! I never thought I’d see the day Ben Chalmers!’ Holly called out the window.

  ‘I’ve added rummaging around in old skips and furniture removal to flying planes, Holly,’ Ben said laughing.

  Holly frowned out the window, the expression on her face clearly showing that she wanted more of an explanation on what had been going on.

  Connor inclined his head through Holly’s window. ‘I found this tiny and so very beautiful woman perched on top of this skip this morning, Holly. Where I witnessed her in the throes of stroking an antique dresser,’ Connor joked.

  Lottie stood there gaping and listening. So very beautiful? Ooh! That’s not the only thing I’ve been thinking about stroking.

  ‘What? You got inside that skip, Lottie?’ Holly asked in disbelief.

  ‘I did. I had to have a look. Apparently, the dresser was from Callum’s mum. It’s gorgeous and just right for Secret Evenings.’

  ‘How on earth did you get yourself in there?’ Holly asked with a frown.

  ‘I just sort of launched myself over the top and went for my life.’ Lottie giggled.

  ‘Crikey. Go for your life is not wrong - we’re lucky you made it out of there alive,’ Holly answered.

  ‘I thought the same when I saw her standing on top of it,’ Connor replied.

  ‘Well, be careful you crazy lot. I’ll see you all later,’ Holly said and with that, pulled away and back into the laneway.

  Lottie looked into the ba
ck of Ben’s truck at the unit and all three of them decided that it would make it safely back to Strawberry Hill. Connor took his car keys out his pocket and went to go back to his car.

  ‘You’re sure you’ll be okay when you get there? Dimitri and Ben will be good with it?’ Connor said to Lottie.

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘Well, shoot me a text if not.’

  ‘Okay, will do.’

  ‘And I’ll see you in about a week’s time then, if not before,’ Connor said with a smile and kissed Lottie briefly on the cheek.

  Oh yes, Connor. I’ll be seeing you indeed. With bells on top. Gold, shimmering, twinkly all-singing all-dancing bells.

  Chapter 48

  A few days later, Lottie sat on the bench waiting for the Pretty Beach ferry to arrive and held her face up to the sun. It was a beautiful day with rays of sunshine basking the entire wharf in warmth. The weather had brought all the locals out and about and the ferry waiting area buzzed with people on their way into Seafolly Bay and Newport Reef.

  The weather was Lottie’s favourite type - not too hot, a few puffy white clouds on a clear blue sky, and a lovely breeze coming in off the sea. A perfect day for jeans, a t-shirt and, in her case, a pair of oversized earrings. She rarely went anywhere without those.

  Lottie took out her phone and checked to see if the ferry was running to time as she watched a mum with a toddler pointing out at the ferry chugging around the cliffs and weaving its way in and out of the boats as it came in towards Pretty Beach. Lottie’s mind wandered as she watched the toddler - how lovely to have a life ahead of you in a fabulous little place like Pretty Beach. At least her boys had grown up in Pretty Beach. They hadn’t had their dad but she’d done her best, and Dimitri had stepped into Charlie’s shoes whenever he could, and it was a dream place for a childhood.

  Lottie could have done without a trip to Newport and was right in the middle of getting the outbuildings finished for Secret Evenings, but a complication with one of her bank accounts which, according to the woman on the phone in the bank, could only be solved by them sighting her identification, meant a trip into Newport Reef.

  As the ferry banged and clunked up to the wharf the dockhand threw the rope over and the queue of people waiting to board filed onto the ferry. As Lottie stepped on she smiled to herself. A trip across the bay, the smell of the sea in the air, coffee in her takeaway cup, and a piece of homemade banana bread in her bag - there were a lot worse ways of going to the bank.

  She would sit back with her coffee, the sun toasting her face, and revel in the bliss that was the half an hour crossing with nothing to do except think. Think about the new business and ponder the upcoming dinner with Connor.

  Lottie sat on the right side of the ferry, took the banana bread out of its foil, and watched over the ferry barrier as Harry the fisherman chugged back into Pretty Beach. Right down by the Boat House, she could see a seaplane bobbing around and just make out Ben Chalmers walking down the jetty on his way to a plane.

  Lottie’s phone pinged in her bag with a text from Juliette.

  Are you still going to Newport this morning?

  I sure am. I’m on the ferry now.

  Got time for a bite of lunch? I’m in the hospital this afternoon.

  Depends on what time. I’m bogged down with things to do and need to get back.

  I could meet you at the pub on the wharf if you like just before you go home.

  Great. I should be done in the bank by half-eleven.

  Sweet. See you there x.

  Thirty minutes later and Lottie was strolling off the ferry enjoying the sunshine and on her way to the bank. When she got to the bank she was in and out in five minutes. The appointment had been all a bit of a farce - the woman behind the desk had barely even glanced at her driving license and Lottie was strolling back down through the main street of Newport Reef sooner than she’d anticipated.

  Lottie strolled along enjoying the sunshine and just as she was walking past one of the shop windows, she caught sight of herself in the reflection and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to the left and stared at her reflection in the window. She sighed to herself. She was exhausted and it was showing.

  When she’d left Strawberry Hill that morning she’d been quite pleased with herself for washing her hair, putting on a fresh, white, ironed t-shirt and what she thought was a nice pair of jeans. The reflection looking back at her wasn’t saying the same thing at all. The reflection displayed a tired-looking, approaching forty-year-old woman whose once shiny caramel-coloured hair was dull and very much in need of a hairdresser, and the former creamy skin was now on the rather unattractive side of grey.

  What the heck? What has happened to me? I’ve aged ten years in four weeks!

  Lottie turned away from the window and walked along feeling rather deflated. She looked crappy and scraggy and old. Who did she think she was, to be going out for dinner with an extremely bright and intelligent, very easy on the eye, elite, no less, diving instructor with his own diving school? A man who wore a uniform like a dream. A man whose bulging biceps looked far from old and worn out.

  Lottie looked down at her dry, cracked hands and broken nails, which now permanently showed the signs of either gardening or cooking, and let out a huge sigh.

  Ambling down through the High Street with a long face, she looked gloomily into the shop windows. Pretty dresses ready for summer, lovely floaty tops, and linen trousers. None of which she felt she could treat herself to when whether or not she was going to be able to keep her house was on the cards.

  She meandered all the way back down to the sea towards the ferry and sat on a bench on the promenade, opposite the pub where she was meeting Juliette. She sat there glumly with her chin on her hand, thinking about the upcoming events - all the work functions and the dinner with Connor. She was now having serious doubts about going out with him after all. Maybe she didn’t have the time to be doused in the glittering gold that was Connor Bally when she looked as she did.

  Twenty minutes later Juliette, dressed in her uniform, came walking along the pavement with a big bag over her shoulder.

  ‘Hello. Gosh! You’re not looking your usual self. What’s up?’ Juliette asked.

  Lottie shook her head and blinked rapidly. ‘Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you approaching. Ahh, nothing. I’m fine. It’s nothing.’

  ‘No, you’re not. I can tell.’

  ‘Ahh, I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about the Connor thing, and the more I think about it the more I’m regretting it all.’

  ‘What do you mean? Why? I thought you were going out to dinner and everything was rosy? Where has this all come from? When I spoke to you you were so excited.’

  ‘I am. At least, I was. I don’t know I just think I don’t know if I can be bothered with going down the relationship route. You know I’d resigned myself to a life with my vegetables and not having to do anything with myself ever.’

  ‘What’s brought this on? Come on, let’s go and get a drink. You need a chat.’

  As Juliette pushed open the door to the pub and Lottie followed in behind her she continued, ‘I’m just exhausted, to be honest, Juliette. It’s all caught up with me and pasted itself on the front of my face.’

  Juliette nodded. ‘You do look tired.’

  ‘I know. I caught sight of myself in a shop window - you know that thing when you are at home you think, yeah, okay, not bad, doing fine? Not bad for thirty-nine. And then you see yourself somewhere else and you think, who even is that person?’

  ‘Oh dear. I hate that feeling. It creeps up behind you and slaps you on the back just to keep you in your place.’

  ‘Yeah, I hate it too. It hit me right between the eyebrows in the High Street as I walked down the hill. I look like someone painted ten years of ageing on my face overnight. My hair, crikey, I can’t even remember the last time I went to the hairdresser. It’s been years, Juliette. In fact, the last time I cut it at all I did that YouTube thing where you ti
p your head upside down and cut the ponytail.’

  ‘Hmm. At least you have no grey... I spend too many hours of my life with a head full of hair dye.’

  ‘There is that, I suppose,’ Lottie agreed, pulling her hair around to the front. ‘But look at it. It’s not exactly my crowning glory these days.

  ‘So, that’s made you a bit listless about it all, has it? About going on the date?’

  ‘It has. And then the thought of the other stuff?’ Lottie replied, shaking her head glumly.

  ‘What other stuff?’

  ‘You know,’ Lottie said and tipped her head back and raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Right. Yeah. That stuff.’

  ‘Sparkles. It’s been years. Like, years and years.’

  ‘You’ll be fine.’

  ‘I know, but I’m just nervous and then seeing myself in that window has made me question myself. In my head, I’m still twenty-three not nearly forty, dull, and timeworn.’

  Lottie sat back in her chair as two plates of open sandwiches, raspberry water, and an orange juice arrived. Juliette tucked into her sandwich and inclined her head to the side. ‘You know what though, Lottie? Connor won’t give a flying fart about what you look like. I mean it might be a good idea to do a bit of maintenance on your lady parts, but by the looks on his face at the housewarming, he’s smitten with you. Weary or not.’

  ‘You think?’

  ‘I do. I don’t know about him precisely, but I do know that Luke doesn’t give a stuff about all that. It’s something else when someone likes you... I can’t put into words what I mean.’

  ‘I know it’s not about looks. I mean, it helps. The reason I like Connor is because there seemed to immediately be a spark. Something there. The tall, dark, handsome bit is not to be sniffed at though... but it’s not just that so I see what you mean, but I feel dowdy. What’s happened to that twenty-three year old girl I still think I am in my head?’

  ‘Yeah, you seemed to just click with Connor.’

  ‘We did. But I still want to look nice. You know? Feel like a woman again. Sure, I’m comfortable in my old gardening clothes and him seeing me with seaweed in my hair. Ahh, I don’t know, I just want to dress up and look good like I did in the old days. The days before everything happened with Charlie. Not having to worry so much. Let off a bit of steam.’