Lines We Forget (16 page)

“Not everything.”

“Well, he can play most things. He sings too.”

“Not that well.”

Anna rolls her eyes. “Told you he’s too humble for his own good.”

Janice smiles warmly and says, “Ah young love! You two are so sweet. Remember when we were like them, Tony?”

A footballer scores a goal during the second match shown on the TV and Tony jumps up, fist in the air. “Get in.”

“Tony?”

“Yeah, sorry, love. I do remember. Good times.”

“So tell us all about how you met. Anna’s told me once but I want to hear it again,” Janice says.

Tearing his attention away, Tony pats his wife on the shoulder. “Janice love, save the twenty questions till tomorrow morning, would you? I’m sure these two just want to get an early night’s kip.”

Anna begins to clear away the mugs and Charlie offers to help before Tony's hand firmly pats him on the back as he switches off the TV. “Off you go, son, if I know our Anna she’ll have a lot planned for you tomorrow. Sure she wants to drag you round Lyme, to the Cobb and harbour.”

“I’m sure she does, really looking forward to it all.” He smiles, even though the thought of a long day ahead makes his legs ache already.

“Come on then, let’s give you a quick tour of upstairs.” Anna pulls him away from her parents and he wishes them a goodnight. Relief washes over him as they climb the wooden steps up onto the landing, to finally be alone again.

***

Charlie’s heartened to see that Anna’s room is exactly as he expects it to be. Like a back to front version of her other one, miles away in London. It feels warm and lived-in, even though he knows she hasn’t been back in months. A small double bed takes up most of the room. A few posters are still tacked to the wall, along with flyers for parties that have been and gone.

“So what did you think, then?” she asks as he peers down at a corkboard full of old pictures, Anna in a sequin Union Jack dress, ginger wig on, arm pointed out like she’s been snapped in the middle of a dance routine.

“About what?”

“My parents, silly.”

Charlie smiles and nods his head. “Yeah, they’re really nice.”

“Not so scary, was it?”

“Well, it kind of was, but I got through it.”

She laughs and starts to chuck cushions off her bed. “They like you. I can tell. My dad patted you on the back, called you ‘son,’ that means something, Charlie. He’s never done that before.”

“Have you ever brought any other guys back? To meet the parents?” he asks.

Anna shrugs. “Once, maybe. I mean, there were boys from school who came over for tea and birthday parties back when I was younger. But it was never serious.”

As he turns his back to undress, she closes the curtains and switches on the chain of fairy lights hung above the bed. Locks the door too with a knowing wink.

Purposely taking his time to root round in his backpack so she can sort her nightclothes out, Charlie hears her giggle. He really hopes she doesn’t decide to sleep naked again, like she’s been doing for the past few weeks because of the heat.

“Why are you wearing a t-shirt and shorts to bed?” She laughs, pulling at them a little too closely. It doesn’t help at all.

He steps back to gather his thoughts, to hopefully resist. “Not here, Anna, it’s just weird. Doesn’t feel right doing…this when your parents are sleeping next door.”

“Joe’s old room is next door. Parents’ is right at the other end.” She continues to slip her fingers beneath the fabric of his boxers and he fights against the rush of blood that threatens to give in. “Both sleep with earplugs. Out like lights as soon as they hit the pillow, so don’t worry.”

“It’s still not right though, is it? I don’t want them to think I’m in here with their daughter…doing things.”

“But I
want
you to do things. Lots of naughty things.” Anna’s clearly not in the mood to listen, because she’s stripping off and peeling back the ditsy floral covers. She beckons him to join her by lying out straight, her elbow propping up her head.

“Contrary to how I act now…” She begins to giggle. “I wasn’t always such a saint growing up. I’m pretty sure they’re aware of that.”

Slipping into the bed, he’s careful to keep his distance and not give in to the gorgeously warm and very much naked woman beside him who’s closing the gap between them without hesitation.

“Many a teenage fumble happened under these bed sheets, Charlie.”

“I did not need to know that.”

“Oh, come on! I was joking.” Her fingertips trace the line of hair from his belly button down. “Well, only slightly.”

He tries to ignore the way her brown eyes burn into his with the desire to be mischievous and wild, but it’s no use.

And as her kisses wash over, Charlie knows it’s much too hard to resist such a wonderfully stubborn and wickedly wild beauty.

***

Anna

Stretching out beside a nude Charlie, Anna weaves her fingers through his messy hair and thinks about all the ways she’s lucky to wake up next to him.

How the sunlight’s streaming in through a gap in the curtains, shining down to define the muscles in his back. How sexy they are to observe. Hot flashes of last night’s naughty fumble flood back as she wraps her leg round his waist. How he’d been terribly quiet but still very responsive to all the things she asked him to do. It’s some miracle that she’d been able to bury her face into a pillow to stifle the noise she made when he did. Just how wonderful it felt to have him there, deep and close. Even now in the warm morning light Anna feels like the cat that’s got the cream.

When Charlie startles easily as her mum drums a loud knock against the door, she laughs to watch him quickly grab at a pair of shorts by the bed, still half asleep.

“What was that?”

“The door’s locked, don’t worry,” she whispers as he scrambles to pull a t-shirt over his head like a mad man. “It was just my mum. She’s probably got breakfast ready for us.”

When he calms down, she takes her dressing gown hung up on the door and wraps it tight. Asks if he’s hungry after their exhausting but satisfying night’s indulgence.

“Starving, but I could really do with a shower first. I look a mess.”

“It can wait. Mum’s no doubt cooked us both a big fry up.”

“Just a quick one?”

“Nope, come on. Can’t keep her waiting.”

Putting on a fresh set of clothes, he duly nods and peers out the curtains as the rays of sun set his golden hair alight. “You’ve got a nice garden. I wish I had one back in London.”

Anna sighs. “Me too. Oh, the perks of home.”

***

Downstairs, Anna spies her mum fussing over the dishwasher and makes her jump by calling out loudly, “Morning!”

“Good morning, love.” She turns round and pops a bottle of cold ketchup on the small breakfast table. “And good morning to you, Charlie. I hope you slept well?”

Anna stifles a giggle when her mum wraps her arms round him and squeezes his shoulders tight. Not least because he looks so uncomfortable, shocked by it.

“Morning, Mrs. Garrett.” Quickly he takes a seat.

“Janice, love, it’s Janice.”

Anna finds it hilarious to watch as her mum fusses round him, filling up his plate with slices of sizzling, crisp bacon and plump sausages. Poor Charlie clearly doesn’t have the heart to tell her that he can’t eat any of it, and Anna’s not sure she does either. If there’s one thing she knows for certain about her mum, it’s that she doesn’t trust vegetarians and has been known to make her opinion that they are just being fussy clear on one too many occasions.

“Looks wonderful, Janice, thank you.” Charlie smiles warily as he starts to cut up a piece of the bacon. Anna rests her hand on his and stops him.

“I’ll make us some tea before we tuck in. You want one, babe?”

“Yes, please. That sounds great. I’ll wait for you.”

She nods and fills up the kettle. Her mum continues to scrub away at the kitchen sink until she lets out a little shriek and drops the washing up liquid.

“What?”

“Crap—I forgot the time. I need to meet your father in town. The Johnsons have invited us out for lunch and I’m going to be late now.”

“Oh, okay, will you be here when we get back later?”

“Of course, although I heard there’s rail engineering work going on Sunday, so you might want to check about staying over tonight. You might be stuck here till Monday if not!”

Anna nods and moves out of the way as her mum dashes about madly, retrieving a pair of flip-flops by the back door and her handbag.

“Charlie, remember to put on some sun cream. It’s hot out today.”

“He’ll be fine!”

“He won’t be after you’ve dragged him half way round town,” her mum snorts. “Charlie, love, there’s some in the bathroom cabinet if you need it.”

Anna gives her a kiss goodbye and he stands up, thanks her for breakfast. When the front door slams and the tea’s brewed, she scoops up his plate and swaps her scrambled eggs, toast, and beans for his meat.

“Here you go. I can’t believe you were about to throw away ten years of meat sobriety just to impress her!”

“It’s a sacrifice I was willing to make.”

“You’re cute. Now eat up because I’ve got a lot to show you and time’s ticking on.”

Charlie eats in silence quickly and finishes before she’s even had time to take another sip of tea. He clears away the table and asks if he can finally have a shower.

“Yeah, but let me show you how it works. The showerhead’s dodgy,” she replies, leaving her breakfast to head upstairs.

Turning on the shower, she fetches a clean fluffy towel and explains that it’s prone to making a funny squeaking noise because no one’s gotten round to fixing it yet.

“No worries, I’ll be quick anyway.” He waits for her to close the door, which gets her thinking. Sets her pulse racing.

Standing firm, she asks if he needs any further help. Anna surprises herself by the flirty and suggestive way the words slip out, her heart beating fast in the hopes he’ll take up her offer.

“Really? Here, in your parents’ bathroom?”

She continues on a charm offensive. “Well, it would save time and water if we shared. Might even be fun.”

“What about your breakfast? It’ll get cold.”

“You can warm me up instead.”

“Honestly, how do you have so much energy left after…?” Charlie whispers as the water steams up the windows. “You know, last night?”

“What can I say? The thought of you naked and wet just gets me all hot and bothered easily,” she replies matter-of-factly, not beating round the bush. “I want you. All the time.”

“So you keep saying.”

“Can you blame me, though?” She watches as he swaps shorts for a towel, covering his modesty in one swift move.

Slowly backing into the shower, he turns, throws it away, and sighs, lips curling up into a grin. “Fine. No funny business though.”

“Of course not.”

“You’re such a liar.” He laughs as she slides in without a second thought, dropping the dressing gown, the water falling between them hot and comforting.

And just as she’d hoped, as the steam engulfs them, Anna feels his gaze linger on her and she knows it won’t be too long before the rest of him follows suit, unable to resist.

***

Walking with Charlie round the harbour wall, waves gently lashing below their feet, Anna takes in a deep breath of fresh, salty air and tells him for what she’s certain must be the thousandth time how much she really loves being home.

How she misses it all.

“It’s real pretty, right?” she sighs, taking in the sights, linking arms with him as the sun beats down. She thinks it couldn’t look any more picturesque. The summer months always bought out the best in the town, turning it into a mini Mediterranean-looking port rather than just some old seaside resort.

Charlie picks at another soggy chip with his small wooden fork and nods. Anna watches as he takes it all in too, letting his hair fly free in the light breeze. His arms look tanned already.

They walk on the wall of the Cobb that snakes round the bay as it forms a home for all the seat boats and trawlers. Anna enjoys the quiet, tranquil feeling of being back close to the sea.

She points his attention to the colourful pastel beach huts that give way to the jagged Jurassic coastline. Tall cliffs full of history and discovery, fossils lurking beneath them, which she had tried in vain to uncover during her childhood.

Anna delights in telling him all about the history of her small hometown. Its glory—all the sights that collectively make her heart swell and feel proud. Along with a few choice tales of her teenage years spent drinking cheap cider under the stars.

“Down there by the huts is where I had my first kiss. It was a bit shit, if I’m honest. Put me off boys for a long time after.”