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“And risk you cutting traffic? I don’t think so. I’d rather keep my life over a parking spot, thank you very much,” Paige remarked.
Olivia tutted. “I would never do such a thing.”
They weaved through traffic and narrow side-streets for a further twenty minutes before they finally snagged a parking space in a small, off-peak car park. “Is it pay and display?” Paige asked as Olivia pulled into the spot, narrowly chipping her wing mirror against the minivan parked askew beside it. She unclipped her belt and twisted round in her seat to look for a parking metre.
“Looks like it. I’ll go grab a ticket. Be right back.” Olivia threw open her door and was gone before Paige could offer her any change.
Paige leaned back with a sigh, spying Olivia in the rearview as she strode towards the ticket machine. Her long, tanned legs stretched out from her shorts, her hair sashaying along her back like liquid sunlight. She’d always been a stunner, but it was like Paige was noticing for the first time how… attractive she was.
Paige blinked, shaking the thought from her mind. Where had that come from?
She leaned her elbow against the open window, trying to cool the flush on her skin from those unbidden thoughts.
It was difficult to meet Olivia’s eye as she came back, ticket clutched in one hand, purse in the other. “Three quid for an hour’s parking! Ridiculous,” she muttered as she tucked the ticket between the dashboard and the windscreen, the timestamp printed in bold letters. “Anyway, we need to be back here for ten to two. That’s enough time, isn’t it?”
“Plenty,” Paige said, reaching into her bag for the water she’d packed.
After taking a sip to quench her thirst, she screwed the cap back on and climbed out of the car, stretching her arms over her head. The edge of her shirt rode up, exposing a strip of pale stomach, and she caught Olivia’s gaze flit towards the bared skin before quickly looking away. Her stomach fluttered.
“Was that water?” Olivia said, clearing her throat. “Could I grab a sip?”
Paige nodded, tossing the bottle towards her. “It’s a bit warm.”
Olivia shrugged, taking a long drink and letting out a refreshed sigh. “Alright, let’s head into town.”
They crossed the stretch of carpark, and Olivia paused by the parking metre to pin her hair back out of her face with her sunglasses, fishing a stick of lip balm out of her bag. Paige couldn’t help but watch as she glossed it over her lips, leaving behind a soft pink hue.
“Did you lock the car?” Paige blurted, if only to stop her mind from going places it shouldn’t.
Olivia rolled her eyes, playfully poking Paige’s elbow. “I’m not that forgetful,” she said. “But now you’ve said it, I’m second-guessing myself.” She turned round, pointed the keyfob in the general direction of the car and clicked the button. “There, should be good now.” She dropped the keys back into her tote bag with a soft clink.
Paige toted a travel-sized black backpack of her own, and she was already regretting not swapping it out for a smaller shoulder bag. She fumbled with the straps until they no longer dug in, then realised Olivia was watching her with an amused smile.
“All of that sun cream weighing you down?” she teased, and Paige made a point of ignoring the comment.
They left the car park through the pedestrian exit and stepped out onto a charming cobblestone path that wound its way through town. The buildings here were tall and narrow, built from marble-grey rock that had been weathered by salt and wind. The sea wasn’t visible above the shingled rooftops, but the air had an echo of fish and brine that made Paige breathe a little deeper.
“How about we stop by a cafe and grab a drink for now,” Olivia suggested, pressing close to Paige as a group of tourists hurried by, red-faced and ferrying beach balls and buckets. Olivia’s arm chafed hers, creating static in the air between them. “Then, once we’ve checked in and unpacked, we can hit the beach. I hope you brought some swimwear.”
Paige scratched her cheek. “Um, kind of.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Olivia said, stepping off the path and onto the road to let a woman with a stroller go past.
“It means I don’t actually own a swimming costume,” Paige admitted. “I figured I’d just wear some shorts and a top or something if we did go swimming.”
Olivia stared at her, dumbfounded. Her sunglasses began to slip down her forehead until she nudged them back up. “I can’t believe you came on holiday without a swimming costume.”
Paige shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t be a huge deal.”
Olivia composed herself. “It’s not. But maybe we can find something in one of these shops.” She pointed to a small boutique across the road, selling handbags and neck scarves and other nautical-themed accessories.
“Or maybe I can just stay on the sand while you go frolicking in the waves.” For no more than a moment, Paige imagined Olivia in a bikini, her golden-tanned body splashing around in the waves, and her throat went dry.
Olivia snorted out a laugh. “I did notbring you all this way so you could just stay on the sand. And I don’t frolic either.”
Paige smiled despite herself. “Fine.”
They had finally made it into town, judging by the proliferation of cafes, bars and souvenir shops lining the street. Postcard stands were perched out on the pavement, set beside displays of buckets and nets for rock pooling. It reminded Paige of the seaside holidays she used to go on, back when her parents were still together, still happy. Those memories were distant now though, like grains of sand slipping between her fingers.
