As usual, and for the lack of anything else to do, I was drawn towards a vacant picnic table on the edge of the grassy embankment that overlooked all the water action. Stepping up, I moved to dodge the dried bird poo and sat in a relatively clean spot on the top, stretching out my long legs to rest on the seat. I placed my hands back on the table ledge and closed my eyes against the blinding sunrays. I enjoyed the warmth of the hot summer wind as it rolled in from the lake. I smiled against the humming of the boats and jet skis, the laughing of terrified children as they were flung along the water’s surface in their giant, inflatable tubes. The callings and joy the summer brought out in people, the long-lost sounds of my childhood – all the things I had missed these past summers living in the city. I would never get tired of hearing it, and just when I thought I could finally relax away from my usual surroundings, my eyes snapped open to the sound of a voice I would recognise anywhere.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You’ll get burnt!”
Ugh!
I straightened from my reclined position to see Sean standing before me in knee-length boardies, and … Good God, he’s not wearing a shirt. I quickly averted my eyes as I wiped my hands on my shorts from touching the grimy tabletop.
I could only imagine his smug smile broadening at my lame attempts not to eye his six-pack; he was such a smart-arse. I sighed and stared intently at my fingernails.
“I think there’s more chance of you getting burnt than me,” I said, coolly looking up to meet his eyes.
Look at his face, look at his face; don’t look down, don’t look down.
“So the princess has escaped from her tower,” he said with a devilish grin.
“Does that make you the Court Jester, then?” I mused.
Sean swept his hand to the sky and bowed low. “Yes, m’lady.”
I framed my face with my hand, shielding my eyes from the blinding sun. “You’re an idiot!”
“I would prefer to think of myself as a lovable rogue.”
I shook my head and a sudden silence swept over us. I looked past Sean to see jet skis churning circles in the water.
Sean followed my line of vision. “You gonna go in?”
My attention snapped back to him. “No!” I blurted out a bit too fast.
Sean’s smile evaporated. He stared at me as if gauging if I was serious or not.
“Well, you can’t sit here all day staring off into the distance.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “It’s kinda creepy.”
“Is that right?” I said, squinting back up at him.
Sean nodded. “Creepy.”
I rubbed my palms along my thighs, wary of getting too much sun. I caught Sean staring at my motion before he quickly looked away.
He cleared his throat. “I’m just finished here; how about we go on a land expedition, then?”
“Land expedition?”
“Yeah, I’ve got to pick up some supplies from down the street.”
“Wow, sounds like a riot,” I mused.
“So eager to get back to your tower, Princess?”
I paused before I let out a sarcastic comeback (my natural defence), and thought about what exactly waited for me back at the Onslow. Chris shouting orders and a semi-trashed kitchen. Yeah, I think I could live without that for a bit longer.
“All right, Captain Excitement, take me on this life-changing land expedition then.” I climbed off the tabletop and brushed peeled paint flakes from my shorts and hands.
“Life-changing? I’m afraid I’ve oversold it to you. The last thing I want is for you to be disappointed.”
I smiled sweetly as I sidestepped towards the car park. “I bet that’s what you say to all the girls.”
Sean paused. His brows creased in a mixture of horror and confusion, the corner of his mouth curving incredulously as he began to follow after me.
“What did you just say?”
I just giggled and sped up, my head darting backwards to see where he was. As soon as the words had tumbled out I knew it meant trouble; I had read it all over his face. When I ignored the question it just dug me into a deeper hole.
“Right! That’s it!” he said, and ran after me.
I screamed. Bolting across the car park, finding it hard to run in my thongs, it wouldn’t take much for Sean to reach me; three of my steps were equal to one of his and with him giving chase I was doomed from the start.
“Sean, don’t!” I screamed breathlessly as I struggled to scramble up the grassy knoll towards the car park. Finally I lost my thong and faltered.
That was all he needed to seal my fate. I felt the whoosh from behind and my world spun as I was rolled onto my back, the spiky blades of grass digging into my shoulders as he pinned my arms to the ground with his iron grip.