Epilogue
The sound of a cork popping echoed along the beach. The Prosecco they’d kept from the Tilldale Afternoon Tea had been nicely chilled in the new fridge – whoop! – that Nikki’s Kev had installed at the beach hut last week, after having fitted a solar panel on the roof to provide electricity.
It was early evening, the week after Cath and Will’s – rather sensual and a touch spicy as it turned out – sleepover by the sea, and the beach had virtually emptied.
Nikki and Lily held several glasses aloft, and Cath shared the bottle between them. The group were soon sipping the refreshingly decadent pale-gold liquid, the bubbles fizzing in their mouths.
‘Delicious,’ said Nikki.
‘Cheers,’ said Lily.
‘Cheers,’ echoed Cath.
‘Good health, everyone,’ added Kev.
‘Abso-bloody-lutely,’ Will responded giving a thumbs up.
‘Well then, before we have too much of this, I reckon we should take a dip,’ suggested Dan.
‘Whey-hay, time for some wild swimming.’ Andreas was tearing off his T-shirt as he spoke.
‘Yay, let’s take a swim in the sea!’ Lily was up for it.
‘Come on, folks,’ Dan encouraged. ‘All for one and one for all.’
Andreas’s shorts were now off. He was showing a rather toned chest and was down to his fitted Y-fronts. It wasn’t a bad sight at all, his abs weren’t that far off those of his village stores’ apron, but, oh my … his hands were reaching for the waistband.
‘Hang on, what are you proposing here?’ asked Cath, at the risk of sounding prudish.
‘Let’s let it all hang out, why not. We’re all friends. There’s no one else around,’ he suggested flamboyantly, after scanning the beach.
‘Woah.’ Nikki was putting on the brakes, too. ‘I’m up for a swim but honestly, we don’t need to see you naked, hun.’
‘True, I have enough of that at home,’ added Dan wryly.
‘All the jiggly bits,’ added Nikki, screwing up her nose.
‘Hey, I’m proud of my jiggly bits,’ countered Andreas.
‘Doesn’t mean we all have to see them,’ responded Nikki, laughing.
‘Okay, undies it is!’ agreed Andreas. ‘Come on then.’
Cath felt rather relieved. It had taken enough courage to let Will see her naked, in her mid-fifties, though that had actually worked out pretty damn well.
Speaking of which, Will was stood up and ready, rocking the boxer short look nicely.
Things were beginning to settle down for him post-surgery at last. He’d lost a little weight from his frame, but was now cycling again, and was still looking good.
Dammit, he’d always look good to her, Cath realised with a smile, as she peeled off her T-shirt, getting in to the spirit.
Tops and shorts and skirts and trousers were being tossed aside en masse to the sands.
‘One, two, three and run!’ Will announced.
‘Hurrah!’ shrieked Cath.
‘Whoop!’ Nikki.
‘Yay!’ Lily.
‘Woohoo!’ Dan.
‘Feck, it’s freezing!’ howled Andreas.
They made a dash into the cool North Sea in a take-your-breath-away moment.
Six supper clubbers, side-by-side, all holding hands.
THE END