Chapter 15

Leah left the house feeling a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. She couldn’t believe how much like a teenager she felt again. It had been a long time since a man had made her feel this way. Fighting away the urge to start giggling she let herself into the house and comfortably planted herself on the couch staring into the distance beyond the window, allowing herself the occasional grin. Her thoughts were soon disrupted when she heard the front door open and the others came pouring in, most of them rather tipsy. David and Katie almost knocked Leah over in their eagerness to escape to their room, while Jon and Dot greeted her with a hug. Jon stumbled towards the couch while requesting that he would like another drink. “So a good night I take it?” Leah asked Dot who seemed to be most sober of them. “Oh it was fantastic! First good night out we’ve had together in so long,” Dot replied while raiding the cupboards for Jon’s wine. Finally managing to find some she got out a glass and poured it rather chaotically, leaving more on the worktop than in the glass itself. More spilled out as she made her way towards Jon with it. Stopping just short of him, she turned back laughing and handing the glass to Leah. “I guess this is your’s now. He’s fell asleep over there.” Leah took the glass saying thanks and studied the tiny dribble left in the glass which Dot apparently hadn’t noticed. “Wow lady! If you keep drinking like a fish your going to end up flat on the floor. I turned round and you’ve finished the whole thing,” Dot said wide eyed. Leah couldn’t help but laugh before explaining that most of the wine was on the floor.


Leah took charge of the wine pouring duties and the two women sat at the kitchen table talking until the early hours of the morning about everything and nothing. Leah eventually worked up the courage to tell her about her kiss with Richie and was shocked when she told her she already knew, that Richie had phoned Jon and he had told her. “Seems like he’s had the same effect on you as you have on him,” Dot smiled. “So you fancy some shopping when we get up to buy something for tomorrow night?” Leah looked at her puzzled as to what she was talking about. “I take it Richie hasn’t phoned you yet then? Jon arranged a night out for me, you, him and Richie. Well you know now, I’ll text Richie and let him know you’re going,” Dot said. Leah laughed at the lack of choice she had been offered in the decision. Before they went to bed they had to take an arm each of Jon and pulled him up the stairs eventually getting him to lie on the bed. It seemed impossible to wake him until there was an almighty thud of the two women falling over a lamp cable and he jumped up from the bed to find Leah and Dot lying in a heap on the floor. “Dot, did you go all lesbian on me and I fell asleep and missed it?” he mumbled in a disappointed tone before lying back down and falling asleep as though nothing had happened. Leah and Dot were in hysterics at the way he spoke before getting off the floor and heading to bed.


Leah was so excited about the prospect of a night out with Richie that it had taken her a long time to fall asleep resulting in her waking up late the next morning. Before she knew it Dot had her breakfast cooked and was ushering her out the door so they could start their shopping trip. They trailed around the shops for the majority of the day, both unsure of what to buy. Trying on what seemed like most of the shop, Dot eventually settled for a long, classy black dress with a deep cut back while Leah chose a simple yet beautiful long, blue dress with a split at the side. Making it back to the house in just enough time to get ready before the car pulled up outside to take them to dinner. Leah followed Dot down the stairs to where Jon and Richie were waiting. When she spotted Richie, Leah felt her heart race. He was wearing a black suit that looked great on him, it was a colour he really suited. As she approached him, he took her arm and walked her out to the car, opening the door for her. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other but they didn’t have to, their eyes were speaking volumes and Leah felt Dot and Jon had noticed it too as they kept glancing over to them. Arriving at the restaurant the four of them took their seats and gave their orders. Before they knew it dinner had been and gone and they were moving into another room for the entertainment. Dot and Jon were one of the first couples to get up and dance, leaving Leah and Richie alone together. She had earlier been told by Jon that Richie doesn’t dance and it was one thing she was determined to change. Grabbing his hand she pulled him up on the dance floor and she immediately sensed he felt uncomfortable and could see him checking for people watching him. She was surprised at his reaction as she had always thought him a confident person. She walked him over to the gardens where it was empty hoping it would make him feel better about dancing. To her relief it worked, at first he just swayed nervously on the spot but after a while he relaxed and Leah thought he was actually quite a good dancer. They spent the rest of the night out in the gardens alone just dancing and talking, occasionally Leah thought she could see Dot or Jon’s head peeking round the corner watching them.


The drive home felt much quicker than the drive to the restaurant. Jon and Dot seemed happier than Leah had ever saw them, she waved goodnight to them both as they went into the house leaving her and Richie outside alone. “I had a great night tonight,” Leah said hoping Richie also had enjoyed it. He didn’t say anything for what seemed like an eternity, but moved closer to her never once taking his eyes off hers and picked up her hand. “I enjoyed it too, but you know it doesn’t have to be over yet. There’s no one in the house tonight, Ava’s with David and Tico is away for the night, you could come in for a while,” he said pulling on her hand to lead her to the house. Leah stopped where she was. “You know I could do that, but I would prefer to go this way,” she said tugging on his arm and running towards the beach. He followed after her, catching up he threw his arms around her waist lifting her up and swinging her round until they both fell on the sand. They spent a short time just lying there staring into each others eyes, both seeing the hunger they had for each other. Leah jumped up first, “Come on, I want to show you something. The water is perfect for it right now.”


She took his hand and they walked towards some rocks that were leading out to sea. Carefully they made their way out. “Where are you going? Please don’t tell me your some suicidal nutcase that’s brought me out here to die,” Richie joked. Leah laughed only telling him to follow her. She made her way towards what looked like open water but on closer inspection was rocks that were just under the surface of the water. They finally arrived at a large rock that both of them sat on. “Right close your eyes for 10 seconds and listen to the sea. When you open them, look up at the stars,” Leah instructed Richie. He did as he was told and looked at the stars, which he thought looked amazing. He hadn’t noticed them all night but sitting out there they seemed so bright and full of life. “Now look around you,” Leah smiled at him. Everywhere he looked around the rock they were on seemed to be the sea, he couldn’t see any of the rocks they had used to get out there. The view was breath-taking, it looked like they had their own little island that no-one could get to, surrounded by the peaceful sound of waves and the beauty of the stars. Richie appreciated the place more than Leah had imagined he would. They spent a long time lying on their backs staring up at the sky in silence. Richie leaned over and moved in to kiss her. It was a soft, tender kiss that felt electric due to the surroundings they were in. The energy engulfed them both as they tasted each other hungrily. Getting carried away they both rolled off the rock and into the sea. Leah laughed hysterically as she got back on the rock and pulled Richie out, who seemed shocked at having landed in the water. “I think we can call it a night now,” Leah said standing and taking Richie’s hand as they made their way back to the beach and went their separate ways.