Pieces of My Heart (31 page)

‘I did point that out, but he’s mad keen,’ Sally said.

‘Well, I think it’s great. It shows a very adventurous spirit.’ I smiled at Simon.

‘No, Mum, it shows he’s insane.’

‘Maybe Maura rubbed off on him.’ Sally grinned at Simon, who laughed good-naturedly.

‘Oh, is Maura your mad wife? Mum told me she’s a total nutter.’

I tried to suppress the urge to put a surfboard in Sarah’s mouth.

‘She definitely has a screw loose,’ Simon admitted, ‘but, thankfully, we’re separated and Sally seems very sane.’

‘That’s what you think.’ Sarah snorted.

‘Less of your cheek, thank you.’ Sally wagged a finger at her. ‘How’s the play going?’

‘Very well, thanks. I reckon I’ll be the hottest Juliet ever.’

‘And how’s Bobby?’

‘Still cool.’

‘Good for you.’

‘OK.’ Paul stood up. ‘Before I start packing the car, Sally and Ava, are you sure you don’t want to come surfing with us?’

‘I’ve tried it and hated it,’ I reminded him. To Simon, I explained, ‘I spent the entire time falling under waves and being hit by the board. I was black and blue when we got home. I need to warn you that it can be pretty tough out there.’

Simon smiled. ‘Thanks, Ava. I may not get up today, but I’m keen to give it a go. Even if it’s just to tell the boys in the office that I did it.’

‘Well, you can count me out. There’s no way I’m getting into ice-cold water in a rubber suit to try to stand on a tray. Not even for you, babe.’ Sally kissed Simon, who hadn’t let go of her hand since they arrived.

‘Wow, you guys really are in love,’ Sarah said. ‘Way to go, Sally.’

They were utterly besotted with each other. He couldn’t take his eyes off her and she just glowed with happiness. It was lovely.

‘Simon, it’s going to be bloody cold out there, so I’m giving you a rash vest to put on underneath the wetsuit. It’ll give you an extra layer of insulation. I’ve got boots and gloves and a hood for you too,’ Paul said, showing Simon the gear. ‘And I’m going to lend you my long board.’ He produced a surfboard that was at least nine foot tall. ‘It’s better for beginners. I use it mostly for summer surf.’

‘That all looks great.’

‘It’s good to have a partner in crime. Right then, let’s hit the road.’

‘Enjoy yourselves, you crazy people. I’m going to stay here in my warm house and watch movies.’

‘See you later. Be good.’ I kissed Sarah and climbed into the car.

Paul tied the surfboards to the roof and threw the rest of the gear into the boot. Sally and Simon climbed into the back. Even though I’d told Sally it would be freezing on the beach so she should wear really warm clothes and a windcheater, she had dressed up for the occasion. She was wearing black skinny jeans with high wedge-heeled boots, a black polo-neck and a fur-trimmed suede jacket. I was wearing an old pair of jeans, a long-sleeved thermal T-shirt, a polo-neck, a jumper, a fleece, a big wool-lined windcheater and wellingtons.

Every time I looked in the mirror, Simon and Sally were whispering to each other or kissing. They couldn’t get enough of each other. Sally was like a young girl in love. I envied them. They seemed so carefree while I felt crushed under the weight of everything that was going on. When I glanced at Paul, the lines on his face seemed deeper. You could tell he was feeling the strain too. I longed for the days when we’d had no worries or responsibilities.

Sally and Simon giggled about something in the back and he kissed her neck. I remembered when Paul and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I remembered when he used to look at me the way Simon looked at Sally – as if she was the most incredible person on the planet, pure adoration. We needed to get our mojo back. We were still young, but I felt old.

When we got to Magheramore Beach, Paul pulled up on the side of the road. ‘Sorry, guys, I have to park here. They’ve put a gate up to stop cars driving down. It’s only a five-minute walk to the beach and it’s good for surfing.’

While Paul and Simon sat on the edge of the boot changing into their rash vests, wetsuits, boots, hoods and gloves, Sally and I sat in the back. Sally was shivering. It was sunny but bitterly cold.

‘Look at Simon’s body – isn’t he hot?’ Sally asked, admiring him.

‘I don’t want your boyfriend to catch me checking him out,’ I whispered.

‘Go on, he’s not looking.’

I glanced over the top of the back seat to see Simon’s stark naked back – and bum – and then he turned around. Shit! I jumped back down, cringing. ‘Well, he thinks I’m a pervert now.’

‘Did he see you?’ She giggled.

‘Yes, he bloody did. I’m so embarrassed.’

‘Don’t worry – he was married to a nutter so he thinks all women are mad. Did you see his bod?’

‘I got a good look, more than I ever hoped to see, and, yes, he is in good shape,’ I lied. Simon wasn’t particularly fit. He was pale and round.

‘I’m telling you, Ava, the sex is fantastic.’ Sally sighed with satisfaction.

I sighed over the distant memory of amazing sex with Paul. My advice from Madame Sophie had gone out of the window with everything that was going on at home. Paul and I hadn’t had sex in ages. He hadn’t even looked interested. We were both too shattered. Sleep was a welcome relief, these days.

Sally got out to help Simon with his wetsuit. They kissed and hugged when she fitted the hood over his head. Paul pulled his on expertly, then took the boards down from the roof. He strode off down the lane as we trundled after him, Simon holding Sally’s hand, me trailing behind, envying them their closeness, both physical and emotional.

‘Argh!’ Sally shouted, as she stumbled into an enormous pot-hole. Her foot was stuck in knee-deep water. Simon pulled her out.

‘Bollox! I love these boots.’ Her right foot was covered with muddy water.

‘I told you to wear wellies,’ I reminded her.

‘Yeah, well, I wanted to look nice.’

‘You’d look good in anything,’ Simon assured her. They kissed, again, and Sally cheered up. She hobbled forward, her boot squelching along the path.

The beach, when we got there, was stunning. It was a small bay with cliffs on either side and you had to walk down steep steps to get to the sand.

There were two other surfers. Paul knew them so he went over to say hi, while Sally and I laid out the rug. I sat down while she hovered beside a shivering Simon.

‘Simon, Sally tells me you’re a lawyer. What do you specialize in?’ I asked.

‘Would you believe family law?’ He grinned.

‘You must see some sad cases.’

‘I do, actually. It’s always tough when there are kids involved. Thank God Maura and I didn’t have any. It just makes everything so much more complicated.’

‘And they’d have had her genes,’ Sally added.

‘Which would not be a good thing. Yours, on the other hand, are a different matter. Our kids will be great.’ Simon kissed her.

Paul came back. ‘Sorry about that. They’re two guys I meet down here all the time. The smaller one is a professional surfer. They said the surf’s really good today, up to eight feet.’

Simon didn’t seem too thrilled by that.

‘Simon, I just want to give you a few tips before we head into the water,’ he continued. ‘It’s all about paddling and balance. You need to watch the board – it can, as Ava said, hit you and knock you over. When you’re paddling out, if the nose of the board starts to dip forward into the water – it’s called pearling – you just need to move back on it to readjust your weight. If you put too much weight on the back of the board – this is called corking – you need to shuffle forward until it’s lying naturally in the water. When you’re paddling out, do it like the front crawl, one arm at a time.’

‘Right, excellent. How do I stand up on it?’

Paul laughed. ‘It’s very difficult to get up on your first go, but the best way to do it is like this.’ He lay down on his board to demonstrate. ‘Lie on your chest, head up, looking forward. Put your hands on the board beside your shoulders, palms down, like you were going to do a push-up. Push your upper body up while pulling your feet under you, laying them on the line down the middle of the board so your weight is centred.’

Simon copied him. Sally clapped. ‘You’re a natural.’

‘Thanks.’ He kissed her again.

‘Sally, can you peel yourself off him for a minute?’ Paul asked.

‘I’m trying to be encouraging.’

‘Just don’t smother him before he’s got into the water. Now, when you come up on the board, remember to keep low. If you stand up straight you’ll fall. You have to crouch down like a sumo wrestler and grip the board with your feet. And always remember to look up. If you look at your feet, you’ll fall down.’

‘It’s really hard so don’t worry if you can’t get up. I was hopeless.’ I wanted to reassure Simon. He didn’t look very sporty and the chances of him getting up were very slim. I also wanted to make polite conversation with him so he didn’t think I was some kind of peeping Tom.

‘Thanks, Ava. I’m a pretty good skier so I’m hoping to get the hang of it quickly.’

I didn’t mention that I was a very good snowboarder and it had made shag-all difference to my surfing skills.

‘Let’s go for it,’ he said, taking his glasses off and handing them to Sally.

The two men jogged down to the water’s edge. Well, Paul jogged, Simon kind of panted along beside him, trying to balance the board under his arm. When they got to the edge, Paul said, ‘I’m going to head out to catch the waves breaking. Why don’t you stay here in the white water near the shore? Just be aware of the currents. They’re pretty strong and tend to drag you to the left towards the rocks.’

‘Go on, Simon, I know you’ll be great,’ Sally shouted.

‘Let’s do it,’ Paul said, and ran straight into the icy sea.

Simon followed. After he’d gone three steps, we heard, ‘FUCK! It’s freezing.’

Paul looked back and laughed. ‘Come on, you’ll warm up soon.’

Simon followed him in, cursing all the way.

For the next half an hour we watched him trying to lie and balance on his surfboard and paddle, but it kept tipping over. We saw him swallow half the ocean. But he kept trying. Paul meanwhile had paddled far out and was standing up and riding waves like an old pro. I hadn’t realized how good he’d got. It was pretty impressive to see him balancing on a wave … sexy.

‘Do you think you should tell him to come in?’ I asked Sally, as Simon disappeared under the water again.

‘No point. He’s a man. He’ll stay out there until he gets up on that board or dies of hypothermia,’ Sally said.

‘FUCK!’ we heard again, as the board smacked Simon on the shoulder.

We both began to laugh.

‘Thank God he’s crap at it because I have no intention of freezing my arse off while he surfs. I’m turning blue. No wonder you never come with Paul.’ She pulled her jacket around her and tried to drink the coffee from the flask but her hands were shaking too much and she spilt it on her jeans. ‘Shit. It’s unbearably cold, my foot is wet and soggy, my boots are ruined and my hair is a mess with all this wind and sand. There is no way in hell I’m ever letting him do this again. He can stick to golf. This is not civilized. It’s for teenagers looking for thrills. Paul is insane. How can he like it?’

‘He loves it. He says he completely switches off and thinks of nothing but the next wave. It’s a mental holiday.’

‘FUCK IT!’ we heard, as the board walloped Simon on the side of the head.

‘Or in Simon’s case a mental thumping.’ She giggled.

‘I think you’re safe. It doesn’t look like Simon’s talents lie in surfing.’

‘Thank God for that. I’ve lost all the sensation in my toes. Have you anything else in that basket, like alcohol?’

I handed her the second flask, which had brandy in it.

‘At least this will help numb the pain.’

‘Sally, does Simon want to have kids?’ I asked gently. She put the flask down.

‘I don’t know. He’s mentioned them a few times but only in general terms and I always change the subject.’

‘Have you told him how you feel about it?’

She looked away. ‘Not yet. I’ll get around to it.’

‘
Whoooooohoooo!
’ Paul whooped, as he came in on a huge wave.

‘FUCK THIS,’ Simon roared, as he disappeared under the water again.

‘Hey, boys, Ava and I are turning to ice. Have you had enough fun yet?’ Sally shouted.

‘Five more minutes,’ Paul said, paddling back out.

We heard an unintelligible grunt from Simon.

‘Paul’s five minutes means half an hour,’ I warned her.

‘I can’t take any more, I’m too cold.’ She was shivering again.

‘We could just head back to the car and drive to the nearest pub.’

‘Tempting as that sounds, it has taken me forty-three years to find a good man and I ain’t leaving him here to drown.’

‘Looks like your surfer dude has had enough.’ Simon was struggling out of the sea, dragging his board behind him.

‘Piece of cake,’ he said, flopping down on the rug as we laughed. ‘Stop! Don’t make me laugh – I think I’ve broken a rib. Everywhere hurts.’

‘I’ll kiss your face now and the other sore bits later,’ Sally said, and they kissed.

I tried not to look as uncomfortable as I felt. I walked down to the edge of the sea and motioned for Paul to come in. He came out, smiling. ‘God, that was fantastic. Is Simon all right? Not too battered and bruised?’

‘I think he’s recovering,’ I said, as we watched the two love-birds smooching.

‘Ah, young love,’ Paul said, as he walked up to them. ‘Come on, you two, we need to get this man into some warm clothes. I hope you haven’t been put off for life – it was tough out there today.’

‘I have to be honest with you, Paul.’ Simon’s teeth were chattering so badly, it was hard to make out what he was saying. ‘I really don’t think surfing’s for me. I’m a Quaker, and we’re better suited to golf and chess.’

‘Fair enough. Let me at least buy you a well-deserved drink.’

‘That I can handle.’

‘Hear, hear,’ Sally said, as she and Simon walked arm in arm up the lane.

‘You looked good out there,’ I said to Paul.

‘I was showing off for you.’

‘It was fun,’ I admitted.