Please Forgive Me (16 page)

They parked the car in a public car park in town and at Alex’s suggestion, decided to break for lunch in a shrimp place nearby before heading to the studio.

Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf was full of seafood shacks and markets and looked to Leonie to be a sort of miniature version of the one in San Francisco. She was already spellbound by the beauty of the bay and would love to try one of the whale-watching trips being offered to tourists, but chances were they wouldn’t have the time.

Having shared a basket of delicious fresh shrimp served with lime-juice and followed by a leisurely coffee, they got back in the car and headed for the photography studio, which was right in the heart of Cannery Row.

The now-defunct sardine canning street in Monterey was now a homage to tourism, although as she and Alex made their way along the narrow streets, Leonie couldn’t help but admire the old historic canning factories, charming Victorian-type inns, and pretty shop-fronts dotted everywhere. As they walked, she kept stopping to window-shop in the variety of little cafés, chocolate shops and art galleries that dotted the roadside.

Eventually they came to a stop in front of Cannery Row Photography.

‘Oh God,’ Leonie grimaced nervously once again. ‘I’m really not sure if it this is a good idea at all. I mean, what are we going to do, and how are we going to know if it’s the real Helena. I just don’t think I can…’

‘Relax, you don’t have to do anything,’ Alex reassured her. ‘You wait here and I’ll go in and ask a couple of questions, and then come back out and let you know what I think. Then, once we’re sure it’s her, we can decide where to go from there, OK?’

‘Right, sounds good.’ Leonie wasn’t really cut out for this kind of thing, and as much as she wanted to pass on the letters, she wasn’t really sure how best to approach this.

‘You’ll know if it’s her straightaway though, won’t you? Seeing as you were neighbours and everything.’

Alex grimaced. ‘I wouldn’t count on it. I never really got a proper look at her, and it was some time ago. Who knows, maybe the face will ring a bell?’ she said before going into the studio.

After a few minutes waiting outside, Leonie decided to find a shadier spot. The streets were busy and the afternoon sun hot and punishing, so she could do with some cooling down. She headed a little way down the street and out towards the coast, the light sea breeze giving her instant relief. After that, she couldn’t help but be drawn towards the waterfront, where the water sparkled prettily under the sunlight.

Out on the horizon, and much to Leonie’s delight, she spotted what looked like a couple of seals basking lazily in the water, or was it sea otters? From this distance, she couldn’t be sure. Either way, the sight of them lying on their backs, lolling in the sunshine was wonderful to behold. Adam would have loved this; she mused, the thoughts of her ex drifting into her consciousness yet again.

‘Cute little guys aren’t they?’

A male voice from nearby almost lifted her out of her skin and Leonie quickly discovered that she wasn’t alone. A little further along, someone else was watching the sea otters.

A surfer, perhaps? He was barefoot and wearing a wetsuit, and with his hair slicked back from a sun-kissed and rather weather-beaten face, he looked as though he himself had just stepped out of the ocean.

‘They’re amazing,’ she replied, shaking her head in wonderment. The sea creatures had now disappeared from view back beneath the water, but she was still keeping her eyes peeled in the hope of a repeat performance.

‘You think that’s something, you should see what’s going on underneath,’ he said in the manner of someone who knew exactly what he was talking about, and Leonie realised that she’d been wrong in thinking he was a surfer. A scuba diver more like.

‘I can imagine,’ she said, wishing she could have the opportunity to dive here. She and Alex probably wouldn’t have time on this visit.

‘Have you been to the Aquarium?’ he asked then in a slightly accented drawl that Leonie couldn’t place.

‘Nope, I’m just on a flying visit, I’m afraid,’ she told him, explaining how she and Alex had just got here.

‘And how long are you guys staying?’

‘Just the one night, although we haven’t found anywhere to stay yet,’ she added just for something to say.

‘Well, isn’t that a shame,’ he replied, and Leonie couldn’t be sure, but she thought she heard a hint of mischievousness in his tone. Was this guy
flirting
with her?

Suddenly non-plussed, she reddened, unsure how to react. He was tall, very tanned and possibly blond although it was difficult to tell when his hair was so wet. There was no denying he was
extremely
attractive too she noted, blushing even more. ‘I can recommend a couple of places if you like.’

‘Um, thanks but I’d better go back and find my friend,’ she muttered uneasily, moving away. ‘Oh… there she is now.’ To her immense relief, she spotted Alex heading towards them, looking distracted. ‘Alex, over here!’ she called out, and as her friend approached, she noticed the guy stop suddenly in his tracks.

As did Alex.

‘Well, how did it go? Was she there or …’ the rest of Leonie’s sentence trailed off, as she realised that her friend was staring hard at the wetsuit guy, an unfathomable expression on her face.

‘Seth,’ she said, her tone measured.

‘Hey Alex,’ the guy said quietly. ‘It’s been a while.’

OK, get a grip, Alex told herself. So Seth – of all people – had just materialised out of nowhere.

‘How are you doing Alex?’ he drawled easily, as if it was only yesterday since they’d last seen one other. And judging by poor Leonie’s rosy complexion and flushed demeanour, clearly he hadn’t changed a bit!

‘I’m doing just fine,’ she replied in a breezy tone, determined to match his relaxed attitude.

Leonie looked from one to the other, as comprehension dawned. ‘Oh, you two know each other.’

‘Yep,’ Seth replied, while Alex just stood there, trying to figure the quickest way out of this.

‘So how was Florida?’ she found herself asking. ‘I heard you were down that way recently.’

But according to her lawyer, clearly not for some time.

‘OK.’ He shrugged his bare shoulders in that careless offhand way that had always driven her nuts. In more ways than one. But damn it, he looked good and she couldn’t blame Leonie for getting flustered.

All that time spent out on the ocean leading diving expeditions had lightened his (now slightly longer) hair and darkened his complexion in equal measures, while the wetsuit defined his still very lean and rangy frame. ‘I missed the West Coast though,’ he added, eyeing her directly.

‘Yeah, well I’m sure you made the most of your time down there – you always do,’ she added, unable to resist the barb. ‘So how long have you been back?’

‘Just a couple of weeks. There’s a guy with a dive-shop here I promised I’d help out for a little while.’ Now he looked a bit shame-faced. ‘I was going to call –’

‘Sure you were,’ Alex smiled tightly, unwilling to even entertain the idea. He was going to call her? When? ‘Anyway, we’d better get going,’ she said, turning to Leonie.

‘Wait – I hear you guys are looking for somewhere to stay?’

‘We’re just fine, thanks,’ Alex interjected, but maddeningly still found herself unable to take her eyes off him.

He held his hands out wide in supplication. ‘Hey, you know I’d be only too happy to help you ladies in any way I can.’

‘I’m sure you would,’ she replied sardonically, with a pointed glance at Leonie, ‘but we’re doing just fine as we are.’

‘But I know this place like the back of my hand…’

‘It’s fine Seth, honestly,’ Alex said her tone firm, and Leonie gave her a questioning look. ‘As I said, we’d better go.’

‘Come on Alex, don’t be mad at me,’ Seth pleaded then. ‘I was going to call, I swear I was. It’s just, I kind of got side-tracked and – ‘

Alex whirled around wide-eyed. ‘Side-tracked – for a whole year?’ she retorted, and immediately wished she hadn’t. ‘Not that I give a damn,’ she added quickly, ‘but the very least you could have done was told me where you were.’

So I could have got you out of my hair once and for all
, she added silently.

‘Yeah well, maybe I didn’t want to,’ he shot back, not in the least bit apologetic now. ‘Maybe I wanted – ‘

‘You just wanted to suit yourself, and to hell with everyone else, right?’ Alex argued, shaking her head in disgust. ‘Wow, you really haven’t changed a bit, have you? I guess I thought you might have grown up by now.’

‘You thought
I’d
have grown up?’ he retorted, eyes flashing.

‘Um, I think I might go and do a bit of shopping…’ Leonie began meekly.

‘It’s OK, Leonie, you don’t need to go anywhere.’ Alex replied. ‘We’re done here.’ With a final stony glare at Seth, she went to walk away again.
 

‘OK you’re right, you’re right, it was wrong of me,’ he conceded, his voice somewhat gentler this time. ‘I should have told you where I was.’

‘Damn right you should,’ she reproved, refusing to grant even an inch in return. But that had been part of the problem, hadn’t it?

‘Actually yes, I think I will go shopping!’ Leonie interjected brightly. ‘There’s a lovely little toffee-apple shop back there I liked the look of, so how about I meet you back here in say… half an hour?’ she said, quickly toddling off before Alex even had a chance to reply.

Now the two of them faced one another again, and this time neither seemed to know what to say.

Eventually Seth spoke up. ‘So how have you been?’ he asked his tone softer this time.

‘Fine, no thanks to you.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry things got left that way, but everything was so crazy and I couldn’t think of any other way to – ‘

‘To hurt me? I thought you’d already done that,’ she said, folding her arms across her chest.

‘Don’t be like that Alex.’

‘How the hell do you expect me to be, Seth? You just walk away like nothing happened…’ She shook her head, annoyed with herself that even after all this time he still managed to get under her skin. It was the sheepish, hangdog face that did it, that and those slate grey eyes and wayward smile … not the mention the fact that his sheer proximity seemed to send every nerve ending in her body on full alert.

‘I guess I hoped we’d have put all that behind us by now,’ he said gently. When she said nothing, he went on. ‘Anyway, I’m here now and ...’ He moved to approach her and Alex quickly stepped back.

‘You’ve got no right, Seth,’ she reproached him, snapping back out of her reverie ‘Not after what you’ve put me through.’

‘Hey, why does it always have to be my fault?’ he said, getting angry again. ‘You were the one who decided to –’

‘Well what did you think I was going to do?’ Alex shot back hotly. ‘Just stand by and do nothing? What kind of an idiot do you think I am?’

Seth took a deep breath and sighed. ‘Look, there’s no sense in going over all this again now is there? Can’t we talk about it some other time?’

Alex didn’t particularly want to get into it now either; there was hardly any point and besides it was ancient history after all. ‘You’re right, this really isn’t the time or the place,’ she conceded. ‘Believe me, the last thing I expected was to bump into you today.’

‘What are you doing down here anyway? That girl… she said you guys were here on a flying visit?’

‘It’s a long story.’ Alex sighed, feeling jaded all of a sudden.

Strangely, Seth seemed to sense this. ‘Look, she probably won’t be back for a while, so why don’t we go and catch a beer somewhere while we’re waiting. We can keep an eye out for her in the meantime.’

Alex didn’t really trust herself to be anywhere near him at the moment; and it was hard enough coming face to face with him today, let alone sitting down and sharing a drink.

Yet somehow, she found herself agreeing. ‘Fine, but don’t think you’re off hook that easily,’ she warned him sternly, in a weak attempt at staying in control and keeping her composure.

But as was always the case with Seth, this was damn nigh impossible.

He led her further along the street to a bar that had outdoor seating, and they sat facing each other on opposite sides of the table, neither of them making eye contact while they waited for Leonie’s return. The afternoon was sweltering and due to this, and also in no small way the shock of bumping into him, Alex drank down the majority of her Corona in one long gulp.

Seth raised an amused eyebrow. ‘That’s my girl. Good to see you haven’t lost it,’

he grinned, his eyes crinkling up in that familiar mischievous way.

‘Don’t push your luck Seth,’ she warned fiddling with the neck of the bottle. It had been a long time since she’d heard him call her that, and damn it, the casually intimate way he’d said it still got to her. Avoiding his gaze, she fished out the lime quarter and began to chew on it, while staring unseeingly out across the bay.

‘You still do that too, huh? Guess you haven’t changed at all.’

Alex gave a short laugh. ‘Don’t be fooled. I’ve changed a hell of a lot in the meantime – unlike some people.’

He set down his drink. ‘Meaning?’

‘
Meaning
I saw you with Leonie earlier. You were hitting on her before I came along, weren’t you?’ She looked up, and saw that he was trying his utmost to maintain a solemn expression.

‘Hey now, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You might as well admit it. It’s not as though I give a damn either way.’

‘I was only being friendly…’ Seth insisted, but failed to contain the impish smile working its way along his lips.

Alex shook her head, recognising that look all too well. ‘You really just can’t help yourself, can you?’
 

‘Well maybe I was – just a little bit,’ he admitted, a twinkle in his eye. ‘She is kind of cute, but not really my type when it comes down to it.’

‘Not your type…’ Alex rolled her eyes in disbelief and no small measure of amusement. ‘I didn’t think there was such a thing.’