Golden Sands
Rachel gave a content sigh as she lay back onto her towel, moving her sunglasses further up her nose. “I can’t thank you enough for this, darling.”
“An’ Ah’m gonna keep sayin’ ya don’t gotta do that.” AJ shook her head and rolled her eyes, as she stepped behind the pair’s wind break. “Once were enough, sugar, an’ we both know ya needed a break before gala season rolls ‘round.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true...” Rachel started, smiling as she slid into a more comfortable position. “But the fact remains that you didn’t have to do this. Heaven knows this couldn’t have been cheap...”
“Ya sayin’ I can’t afford to do this?”
“No, not at all,” Rachel barely let finish AJ finish before answering. Think before you speak, you imbecile... she berated herself. “It’s just...” she started, before massaging her temple and sighing. “Oh, why can I never figure out how the right way to say anything to you?”
“An’ why do ya always gotta worry ‘bout the right way ta say somethin’?”
“I just don’t want to insult you...”
“Sugar,” AJ sighed before continuing. “Ya ever think that maybe tryin’ ta sugar coat everythin’ is what gets me mad in the first place?”
“I guess...” Rachel smiled. “Fine, I suppose I’m just worrying in general. I just don’t want you to think you have to do things like this to keep hold of me...”
“Well, Ah can’t say Ah was expectin’ somethin’ like that...” AJ said, laughing a little, as she picked her old hat from one of the windbreaker’s posts. “Rach’, Ah’m doin’ this ‘cause Ah wanna, not ‘cause Ah think Ah gotta...”
“I know, I know. I’m just not used to things going my way...” Rachel lazily sketched in the sand with her finger. “It just seems too good to be true.”
“Ah ain’t plannin’ on goin’ anywhere, sugarcube...” AJ quipped as she walked out from behind the sunshade, fiddling with the straps on her swimsuit. “Yer as stuck as Ah am with these flippin’ things...”
“Oh, come here...” the designer rolled her eyes and giggled at her girlfriend’s struggles. In less than a minute, the bikini top was secured properly. “There we go. Now, think you can manage that yourself next time?”
“Yeah, Ah can dress myself,” AJ said, smirking at the other girl. “Ah’m a big girl now.”
“I may not be able to match you in strength, Abigail,” Rachel said, a grin of her own appearing as she stared her girlfriend in the eyes. “But I’m a designer. Tongue lashings are in my job description.”
“That a threat or a promise?” AJ asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
“If you’re a good girl, maybe later you’ll find out...” She said, before stretching back out along her towel. “But for now, I feel like working on my tan...”
“Alright, have fun Rach’,” AJ sat on her towel facing Rachel. She leant over, and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek, smiling as she pulled away. “Join me in the water later?”
Rachel sighed and smiled. “I’ll see how I feel, but I won’t promise you anything. If not, then perhaps tomorrow...” She rolled onto her side, so she was facing the tall farm girl, who started to lean in towards her again. As their lips met again, AJ began stroked the nape of Rachel’s neck, slowly moving her fingers up to stroke through the designer’s hair.
Once they broke apart, the pair stared into each other’s eyes for a minute or two. AJ was the first to move, laying her hat beside her towel as she rose to her feet. “Keep an eye on that fer me, Rach’,” She asked. “Wouldn’t want it ta get ruined...”
“Of course.” She said, smiling. AJ smiled back, then headed for the shoreline.
Rachel watched her leave, biting her lower lip again. Now Rachel, it’s not polite to stare. Even if it is such a pleasant sight...she thought, before licking her lips slightly. Oh who are you trying to fool. You know you’ve always loved to watch her leave...
Letting that last thought linger, Rachel sighed, laying back down on her towel. The warmth of the sun and the distant sound of rolling waves soon led to her drifting away.
***
An hour later, AJ finally returned from the water. She laid out next to Rachel, reaching into the ice box to pull out a bottle of cider. She turned to her sleeping girlfriend, and rolled her eyes, gently shaking the sleeping designer.
“Five more minutes...” Rachel murmured as she rolled over.
AJ snorted a laugh, before shaking the sleeping girl a little more firmly. “Rach’, five more minutes an’ yer gonna start peeling...”
Rachel sat bolt upright. A shiver passed down her spine at the thought, before she turned to face the farm girl.
“That wasn’t funny...” She said, pouting as she took the offered drink.
“Sorry Rach’, but it weren’t meant ta be. Ya were dozin’ fer a while there.”
“Well, I should at least thank you for waking me in time.” Rachel said, before sipping at her cider, and placing the bottle beside her. “Did you enjoy your swim?”
“Yeah, it helped cool me off. It’s a mite hotter than Ah thought it’d be...”
“Hmm... I do suppose it is a little warm today.” Rachel turned to her bag, and pulled a bottle out. “Would you mind awfully giving me a top up, darling? It simply wouldn’t do for me to end up with sunburn so early on...”
“Sure, sugarcube. Just leave it ta me.” AJ said, measuring out a small amount of the sun cream. “Shoulders first alright with ya?”
“Sounds delightful.” Rachel purred, as she turned her back to AJ and leant in.
AJ worked methodically, until Rachel’s shoulders were fully coated. “Alright, lie down now sugarcube.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Rachel sounded distant. AJ just rolled her eyes, letting her hands move further down Rachel’s back.
The soft humming from beneath her did nothing but encourage her.
***
“There ya go, that’s everywhere.” AJ said, as she pulled her hat down over her eyes.
“Thank you, darling.”
“Don’t mention it, sugar. Think it’s mah turn for a nap now,” AJ asked between a yawn and stretching her back out. “Wake me up fer lunch?”
“Of course.” Rachel leant in and kissed AJ’s cheek. AJ smiled, before repositioning her hat to cover her eyes.
Just as soon as Rachel had settled and AJ was snoring, Rachel’s phone started to ring.
“Hello?” She answered, turning away from AJ to keep from waking her.
“Hi Rach’,” The voice at the other end’s accent was unmistakable. “How’re you an’ mah sis doin’? ”
“Oh, hello Blossom. Everything’s fine here, how are things back home?”
“Ain’t gonna lie, could be better... ”
“Why,” Rachel asked, sitting up on her towel as she spoke. “Whatever’s the matter?”
“Well, I had ta pull an all-nighter ta finish preppin’ fer all the work ya wanted doin’. So Steph got up first, an’ she tried ta make breakfast...”
“I said I was sorry... ” Stephanie’s voice squeaked through the phone.
Rachel took a few deep breaths. “How bad was it, Blossom?”
“Well, she tried ta make toast... ”
Rachel breathed a small sigh of relief. “Well, that’s not too bad, I suppose. Just mop up the puddles, and every...”
“Umm... Rach’, ” Blossom sounded even more nervous than when she’d started. “She was makin’ French toast... ”
Rachel’s eye twitched as she gave a few nervous laughs, before fainting onto her towel.
“Rach’? Ya there? ”
AJ lifted the hat from her head and groaned as her nap was rudely disturbed. A quick glance to her side revealed her girlfriend had fainted. The muttering wasn’t a good sign. The fact she was muttering in tongues...
Spying the phone in the sand, AJ took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She silently prayed whoever was on the other end could shed some light on the situation.
She coughed a few times to clear her throat, before speaking into the mouth piece. “Hello, Rachel Belle’s phone,” AJ spoke without a trace of her usual accent. “I’m sorry, but she can’t come to the phone right now.”
“Oh, hey sis. Ya got a cold or somethin’? Ya sound a little weird... ”
“Oh, hey Blossom...” AJ let loose a sigh of relief, and massaged her throat. “Nah, just tryin’ somethin’ I haven’t done in a while,” she started, before shaking her head quickly. “But that ain’t important right now. Ah’m gonna assume that Rach’ bein’ laid out has somethin’ to do with y’all?”
“Well, more Steph than me... ”
“Hey! ”
“...But yeah. Steph tried ta make French toast. ”
AJ sighed. Her surprise at Rachel’s reaction was quickly fading...
“Did ya get the fire out?”
“Both of ‘em. ”
“Anythin’ ya can’t fix?”
“Nah, Steph at least kept it all contained. ”
“And can ya get it done up again before we’re back?”
“Er... ” AJ could almost hear her little sister’s fidgeting. “Ah ain’t sure, sis. Ah’m gonna end up fallin’ behind with the renovations, thanks ta the clean up. Sure, it ain’t anything tough, but it still takes time... ”
“How much?”
“Few days, shouldn’t be more than three over. ”
“Alright, Ah gotta run it by Rach’, so Ah’m gonna put ya on hold,” AJ said, before dropping the phone to the sand again. She sat down beside her prone girlfriend, and waved a hand in front of her face. “Rach’, are ya in there?”
When there was no change in her response after a few seconds, AJ leant over, and gave Rachel a deep kiss. When she broke away, and felt Rachel try to follow her, she grinned. “Welcome back, sugar.”
“Mmm...” Rachel said, before shaking herself out of her stupor and sitting up. “Oh, AJ, I had the most dreadful nightmare. Blossom called, and said Steph had burnt down the Boutique trying to make breakfast...”
“Rach’, don’t worry, she didn’t burn it down,” AJ moved round behind her, and put a comforting hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “There were a couple of fires, but Blossom already put ‘em out. Says she can fix everythin’ an’ still do that work ya asked for. She’s just gonna need a few days more than planned,” AJ listened as Rachel purred, leaning into her. “An’ ah gotta say, ah don’t think ya wanna be goin’ back before the works done.”
“But what about my orders,” Rachel asked with closed eyes, biting her lip to keep focus. “I can’t just abandon them. You know how important the gala is for the Boutique - and not just because of the money...”
“Ah know,” AJ said, softly massaging the designer’s shoulder while thinking. “Ya got all ya numbers in ya phone, right?”
“I’m not sure, darling, but I suspect I have at least most of them...”
“Then Ah guess ya let all ya can know somethin’ came up, an’ it’s gonna take an extra week fer gala stuff. Anythin’ that can’t wait, or ones ya can’t get in touch with, ya finish them first, as soon as we get back.”
Rachel sighed. “I suppose that’s the best I can do...”
AJ nodded, before picking up the phone again. “Alright, ya got a few extra days ta sort everythin’. But ya better have done before we get back, ya hear?”
“Yep, got it sis. ”
“Oh, and do tell Stephanie she’s banned from the Kitchen. Again.” Rachel chimed in from behind AJ’s shoulder.
“Did ya catch that?” AJ asked.
“Oh come on! Seriously!? ”
“...Does that answer ya question? ”
“Eeyup,” AJ and Rachel chuckled a little at their sister’s responses. “Ya should probably get started, Blossom. Talk ta ya later, alright?”
“Yeah, talk later. Bye sis. ”
AJ passed Rachel the phone back. “So, what we gonna do with a few more days vacation?”
Rachel considered that for a few seconds, before looking around the rest of the deserted beach. “I do have one idea...” she stared AJ’s eyes as she spoke, hooking one hand around the other girl’s neck, drawing her in closer.
***
Blossom and Stephanie blushed in the middle of the kitchen, her phone now on the floor, at the other side of the room. Thankfully, the noises it had begun producing were being dulled by the distance.
“Do ya think they realised they didn’t hang up?” Blossom asked, eyes darting around the pristine room. She wasn’t willing to look at the phone right now, let alone approach the thing.
“Better questions – why didn’t you just hang up, rather than throw your phone across the room,” Stephanie squeaked, hands stuck to her hips. “And why do all of your plans now end up with me banned from someone’s kitchen?”
“It’s a new phone, Ah still ain’t figured out all the buttons yet...” Blossom shrugged, as though that was usual. “As fer the plan thing? Ah’ve seen ya cookin’, Steph. Ya burn cereal, turn toast in ta soup, an’ Ah don’t even wanna know what ya do ta make orange juice grey...” Blossom deadpanned, staring her friend in the eye, arms crossed across her chest.
“...I only did that twice...” Stephanie countered, shrinking beneath Blossom’s glare.
“It shouldn’ta happened once...” the young engineer spoke under her breath, before shaking the distractions from her head. “Mah point bein’, all we need ta say is ya tried cookin’, an’ no-one really pays attention ta the rest...”
“...Fine...” Stephanie finally relented. “Still, they’re gone for the rest of the week. Congratulations. One last question - what was the point of that anyway?”
Blossom’s victory grin faded quickly. “Ah... umm... gimme a sec...“ her eyes started darting around the room again. “They needed more than just a long weekend together?”
Stephanie face palmed. “They only need that ‘cause you traumatised my sister into thinking I was making breakfast,” she spoke, her hand still glued to her head. “Besides, I’ve been practicing...” she hastily added under her breath.
“Ah needed more time ta finish the renovations?”
“That’s the excuse we made up together, Blossom,” the young musician was glaring at the engineer again. “Try again.”
“Err...” Blossom started, before her shoulders sagged. “Fine, Ah forgot, OK?”
“Damnit Blossom. It was your plan,” she yelled, her voice cracking into its usual squeaks. She jabbed a pair of fingers into her forehead as she spoke. “What am I going to do with you?”
The silence that fell over the boutique was interrupted unintentionally, by a response from Rachel (despite being a thousand miles away). “Ride cowgirl, ride! ”
The two girls in the boutique turned bright red, and raced to hang up.