Fifteen
Gill was startled to see her latest client at the beach. Then she remembered… Erica was a friend of Olivia’s. No doubt it was she who had invited her. Then her eyes moved to where another familiar figure and a chocolate-coloured dog were getting out of a car. It couldn’t be, but it was… Joe Harris and his dog.
Gill shouldn’t have been surprised. Erica was his sister, after all. It was only natural he’d accompany her to the beach. But Gill was suddenly very aware of her old black swimsuit, the one she’d dragged out from the back of a drawer when she’d begun these early morning swims, reasoning no one would care what she wore. And no one had. But the thought that Joe Harris who’d already seen her at a disadvantage – twice – might see her like this, made her want to disappear.
She dropped her towel on the beach and, leaping into the ocean, and gasping at the shock of the temperature, she swam out to sea as fast as her arms would take her. Once out there, far from the beach, she turned on her back as she usually did and gazed up at the sky, waiting for the sense of peace to envelop her. But all she could think of was the man who, even now, would be walking along the beach with his dog.
It was a nice dog, from what she could remember from their meeting over coffee and seeing its head hanging out of the window of the car with which she’d had a near miss. She liked dogs. It was the dog’s owner who she was unsure about. Joe Harris was the mayor, a respected member of the community, a widower. She’d known his wife before her illness took over her life. Barb Harris had been a member of Gill’s book club, always one of the first to comment on the book of the month which, unlike Gill, she always read. You could always tell who had actually read the book, and who, like Gill often did, relied on repeating what they had read in the reviews from other readers.
The sky changed colour. The day had begun. It was time to return to the beach. With a bit of luck, Joe and his dog would have gone.
‘Hello, Gill,’ Erica said shyly, picking up her towel which lay next to Gill’s. ‘I didn’t know you were part of this group.’
Before Gill could reply, Olivia joined them. ‘What did you think, Erica? Isn’t it amazing to be out here as the sun’s rising? You’ve met Gill?’ she asked, as if suddenly noticing Gill.
‘I have, and yes, it is,’ Erica replied, towelling her hair. ‘It’s so peaceful out there, as if you’re the only person in the world.’
Gill nodded. She knew exactly what Erica meant. Even if she didn’t always manage to achieve that sense of peace, it was something she continued to strive for, wonderful when she attained it. She was glad if Erica had managed to put her worries aside while she was swimming. Maybe, Gill thought, she should introduce some of the other clients to the group. But then it wouldn’t feel the same, a tiny voice in the back of her mind told her. She preferred to keep the different parts of her life separate, compartmentalised. This was the first time her work life had impinged on her personal one.
Gill was on her way to her car, wearing a loose robe, a towel around her neck, when she became aware of a panting sound behind her. Turning quickly, she was shocked to see the chocolate-coloured labrador and its owner close behind her.
She stopped, flustered, her hand going to her wet hair which was plastered to her head. All she wanted to do was get into her car, drive home, and take a hot shower. She didn’t want to speak with Joe Harris, to have him see her like this. But it was too late.
‘I thought it was you,’ Joe said, as the dog sniffed at Gill’s ankles, her tongue tickling her toes. ‘I wanted to thank you for being so helpful to Erica yesterday.’
‘I was glad to be of help, but I was just doing my job.’ She shuffled her feet. She was eager to get away but didn’t want to appear rude. He was the mayor, after all, and his sister was her client. This wasn’t a situation in which she felt at ease. Couldn’t the man sense her discomfort, that she was wet, barely dressed, and needed to get home?
Evidently not, because he continued, ‘I thought it was you I saw the other morning… In the Prius,’ he added with a grin when she didn’t immediately respond.
‘Sorry about that. My mind was elsewhere. If I caused any damage…’ Was this what it was about? Gill was sure her car hadn’t made contact with his.
‘Not at all.’ It was his turn to look ill at ease. ‘When Erica said she was coming to the beach this morning to join the swimmers, I took the opportunity to join her. Oh, not to swim,’ he chuckled, clearly seeing her surprised expression. ‘I thought it would give me the opportunity to meet you again.’
Gill stared at him as if he was mad. He wanted to meet her again? After seeing her in tears, after she almost ran into him? ‘But…’ she began.
‘I know. I could have contacted you at your office, even checked out your phone number, but this…’ he scratched his head, and gave a lopsided grin, ‘… it seemed like a good idea at the time. I’m sorry if I took you unawares. The point is…’ He kicked at the sand by his feet, causing the dog to shy away. ‘I wondered if you’d like to have a drink with me sometime… or dinner?’
Stunned, Gill was lost for words. She looked down to where the dog was gazing up at her with soulful eyes, then up to where Joe’s eyes held a similar expression. ‘I… I…’ she stammered, her only desire to get away from this awkward situation as quickly as possible. ‘Y… yes, of course,’ she found herself saying, only to see his face light up.
‘Great, I’ll call you.’ Joe turned away, pressing his car key as he went, the dog loping along behind him.
Gill stared after him in dismay. What had she done?