Chapter 21 #2
‘There’s a couple of great second-hand bookshops I’d love to show you, so the more time we have the better,’ Bea replied, popping the last strawberry in her mouth.
‘Oh, shit! Is that rain?’ asked Lochlan, as a huge drop of water landed on his cheek.
‘But it wasn’t forecast,’ said Bea, looking up at the sky just as the heavens opened. ‘Quick, over there,’ she said, throwing everything into the hamper and darting towards the cliffs.
‘You’re soaked,’ said Lochlan, as she tried to shake out her dress where it was clinging to her legs.
‘I really am,’ she laughed, ‘you can literally see everything.’
‘Hey, I’m not complaining,’ said Lochlan, pulling her towards him. She shivered as the rain trickled down her back. He wrapped her in his arms and leaned in to kiss her. The touch of his hands on her wet skin felt electric. She kissed him right back, running her hands through his hair.
Suddenly, she realized she didn’t care whether they made it to Rye or not. Being here with Lochlan was all the romance she needed.
Eventually the rain clouds cleared and, by the time they reached Rye, the May sunshine was beating down on them as they wandered the cobbled streets towards Lamb House hand in hand.
Lochlan had loved it just as much as she’d hoped he would – or at least he had when she could tear him away from his phone.
He seemed to be fielding endless work calls and Bea couldn’t help feeling a little irked.
She’d cast apologetic glances at the National Trust guide who was leading their tour, every time his phone rang.
‘I was thinking we could have a poke around the antique shops by the quay next?’ said Bea, looping her arm through his as they left Lamb House. ‘There’s a really cute little teashop, they do the best spiced apple cake—’
‘Really?’ said Lochlan, finally shoving his mobile into his pocket. ‘It’s a bloody nightmare here, with everyone stopping to take photos. It’s too touristy, don’t you think?’
‘Too touristy?’ Bea repeated. She wasn’t sure how to respond. She loved Rye and its quaint cobbled streets.
‘Yeah, don’t get me wrong, Lamb House was great, but once you’ve seen one sixteenth-century house full of beams, you’ve kinda seen them all, right?’ he shrugged.
‘We could go to The Mermaid? It’s gorgeous, like stepping back in time,’ said Bea, wistfully. ‘There’s secret passageways, smugglers songs on the walls, it’s—’
‘It’ll be full of tourists.’
‘Okay, well how about—’
‘Oh, I know!’ he interrupted. ‘There’s a new Scandi design place just opened in Ashford. I’ve been meaning to go there to look at some pieces for the London show homes; top of the range stuff apparently. One of our designers told me about it. We could go for cocktails after?’
‘Erm… I guess we could, if you’re not enjoying Rye?’
‘Like I said… it’s just not my vibe.’
‘Maybe another time? When it’s less busy?’ Bea suggested.
‘Yeah, maybe,’ said Lochlan. ‘Shall we make a move then?’ he said, glancing at his watch. ‘We should make it to the showroom before closing if we leave now,’ he said, striding off in the direction of the car.
‘Wow, would you look at this! I told you it was cool,’ said Lochlan, as they walked into the trendy cocktail bar in Ashford later that day.
‘Yeah, it looks nice,’ said Bea, gazing around at the gold bar stools and stylish black leather booths dotted around the cocktail bar.
If she was being honest, her afternoon with Lochlan had fallen a little flat.
Yes, the kiss on the beach had been hot and she’d loved spending time with him at Lamb House, but the hours they’d spent looking at custom-made Norwegian furniture on an industrial estate in Ashford, didn’t quite hit the mark.
‘Why don’t you grab a table and I’ll get the drinks in? What do you fancy?’ he asked.
‘A mocktail, seeing as I’m driving.’
‘Ah, yeah, sorry I forgot,’ said Lochlan, picking up a drinks menu. ‘Any preference?’
‘Surprise me,’ said Bea, heading for a booth at the back of the bar.
Bea couldn’t help noticing a redhead checking Lochlan out as he waited at the bar.
She wasn’t being very subtle about it but, as Lochlan made his way back with their drinks, his attention remained firmly fixed on Bea.
A small smile escaped Bea’s lips as she registered the look of disappointment on the redhead’s face.
‘Watermelon mojito,’ said Lochlan, setting the pink drink decorated with mint leaves in front of her.
‘Ooooh, this looks delicious,’ said Bea, taking a sip. ‘Mmmm… it is. What have you got?’ she asked, eyeing the thick, green liquid in Lochlan’s glass, which looked pretty disgusting.
‘Midnight Mochi,’ he said, taking a swig. ‘It’s like a matcha latte with a gin kick.’
‘It looks a bit like pond slime,’ she said, wrinkling her nose.
‘Well, it tastes great,’ he laughed. ‘Here, try it,’ he said, sliding the glass towards her.
Bea sniffed the contents suspiciously.
‘It smells better than it looks,’ she laughed, taking the tiniest of sips. ‘Ooooh, I love it!’ she said, surprised that something that looked so repugnant could taste so delicious.
‘Told you!’ Lochlan grinned. ‘There’s this amazing bar we take clients to in London, they’ve got a great mixologist. We’ll go when you come up.
We can work our way through the menu. You’ll love the hotel.
Here, let me show you,’ he said, pulling up their Instagram account on his phone and handing it to her.
‘Wow! This looks gorgeous,’ she said, scrolling through the photos on their grid.
There was a swimming pool, a spa, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and it even had a ‘secret’ garden that reminded her of Notting Hill.
She could just imagine sneaking in after hours, just like Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts had in the film.
‘There are some great bookshops in London I’d love to check out while I’m there… Daunts in Marylebone High Street is a must, and Hatchards of course!’
‘Of course,’ Lochlan chuckled.
‘Ooooh, and I’ve read about a canal barge bookshop too, Word on the Water. It looks amazing, it reminds me a bit of the wagon actually…’
‘Okay, sure,’ said Lochlan. ‘But you have to promise me one thing, Bea?
‘What?’ she asked.
‘That we won’t spend the entire weekend looking at books. The hotel room’s got a hot tub and an Emperor mattress,’ he whispered, leaning in towards her.
‘I think I can promise that,’ Bea murmured, closing the distance between them and placing a soft, lingering kiss on his lips.