Getting Real

22. Bases Loaded



The insanely catchy beat of Foster the People’s Pumped up Kicks was rolling through Rand’s head. Why was it that pop songs and advertising jingles were the hardest to get free of? But it seemed an appropriate tune for watching kites flying over the beach and pretending not to watch Harry. Or at least not to freak her out by getting caught watching her.

It was hard to take his eyes off her. It’d been an inspired idea to play hooky. He remembered trying to talk her into jigging school, but she never would. She would wave to him through the school gate. But she’d never skive off and join him at the beach when she should’ve been in class. Today was a rest day for Harry, but Rand was definitely absent without leave. He figured Rielle would give him what for about it, but whatever hell she stirred up was worth it, to win this time to be with his girl.

He couldn’t help but think of Harry as his girl. Even though that had a very school yard ring to it—it fit. She wasn’t yet his lover and she was more than a passing infatuation, so that made her girlfriend material as far as he was concerned. And didn’t that feel grown up. Not very rock and roll, but he liked it.

Harry wore a big brimmed, straw sun hat that shaded her face and shoulders. She was eating an ice cream, trying to lick the drips off the cone before they trickled down her hand.

He sat forward. “Let me help.” He took her hand and brought it towards his mouth. He licked a little river of peppermint as it slid down the cone, starting from the bottom and moving up to where her fingers were wrapped around it, and on towards the scoop at the top. When his tongue flicked across her fingers she sucked in her breath. She would’ve jerked her hand away had he not been holding it.

“Get your own.” She wrenched the cone away and he laughed to see her flush under her hat.

Harry thought the coming sunset was sad. It was pink and orange and framed the city in a misty firelight, but it meant the day was coming to an end, and she didn’t want it to. They’d played tourists in the city, and had a wonderful day just being together. Rand got recognised a couple of times, but the fans were cool and once they’d had their moment with him, were happy to move on. It was a very Brisbane thing, laid back and no worries.

She wanted more days like this with him, just to get to know him properly beyond her school girl memory. But it was all getting very serious, moving too fast, and if she didn’t want Rand in her bed and all over her life, very soon—even tonight—she had to do something to slow things down.

As if to remind her how hot things had become, Rand sat forward again and kissed the back of her neck, his tongue making little circles, causing shivers to cascade down her spine.

“You might want to cool your jets,” she said, moving out of his reach.

“Is that an instruction?”

Was it? Gosh no, she didn’t want anything they were doing to stop, but it was too fast for comfort. “No, it’s just a suggestion.” She paused to see how he’d react and when he didn’t say anything, she asked, “Would you take an instruction from me anyway?”

She heard him snort. “I’d take anything from you.”

She sat forward. “That’s what I mean.”

“Ah,” he said, and she could tell by the tone of his voice he was digesting that.

A red and yellow arrow-shaped racing kite was dipping and weaving in front of them, making a buzzing sound as it carved through the air. It turned against the wind and suddenly lost power and direction. It started drifting, floating, slack-stringed, like a falling autumn leaf. Its owner pulled hard on the strings and raced about on the shoreline trying to catch the current and keep it afloat, but it tipped nose-first, picked up speed, and crashed into the sand.

Were they like that kite, Harry wondered. Buzzing around one minute but destined to lose momentum and hit the deck hard? That’s not what she wanted. Rand had gone quiet and she couldn’t stand not knowing what he was thinking. She dared not ask him in case he was reconsidering things, so she filled the silence by saying, “It’s a beautiful day.”

He was statue still beside her. Maybe now he saw a good reason to slow things down? Then he ran his hand slowly down her back from the bare skin at her neck to her waist. “It’s not the only thing that’s beautiful.”

She shifted on the bench seat and turned back to him. “I’m flattered, but you know the beauty thing is very superficial.”

He ducked down to see under the brim of her hat. “I was gone on you when you were a skinny, awkward ugly duckling with train tracks on your teeth.”

She gasped and dropped her head lower. “Ah.”

“Yeah. So be nice, ‘cause now that you’re a friggin’ swan, what do you think it’s doing to me?”

She said, “Ah,” again, and curled her toes, trying to hold on to the sound of his voice, a low growl, best savoured cuddled close in the dark—not here in a public place with joggers, cyclists, kids on skateboards and people walking dogs all around them.

“Given the swan thing, I was thinking I’d like to renegotiate on the bases,” he said.

“Really”

“Yeah. Since things went so well with the combo first and second base, I was wondering how you’d feel about combining third and fourth base.”

Harry exhaled.

Rand said, “I was thinking it would be an inconvenience to get you all naked and then have to stop. I mean, it would be downright rude. It makes sense to keep going, don’t you think?”

She knew there was probably a smartarse line she could deliver, to keep things light, drag the temperature back down. Bantering with him was like another form of dancing. It was sexy and stimulating and drove her senses wild, but it was time to get serious about her terms. She took her hat off and ran her fingers through her slightly damp hair.

“Uh oh,” he said, swivelling to face her, seeing her frown. “I went too far, yeah?”

She shook her head. “No, it’s just this whole thing between us is fast. I’m not sure where it’s going to leave me.”

“Where do you want it to leave you?”

She groaned, “I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know there is stuff I don’t want.”

“Tell me what you don’t want.”

“I don’t want to be a notch in your belt.”

Rand tangled his hand in her hair, following the movement she’d made seconds ago. “Curious expression that.”

His fingers were at the back of her neck now, massaging gently.

“But you know what I mean. I don’t want to be another conquest of the famous Rand Mainline.”

“What else?”

“I don’t want you to think you have to sleep with me because we started this. I don’t what you to be nice.”

He flattened his hand on her shoulder. “You don’t want me to be nice?” he said, the inflection in his voice rising.

“You know what I mean. I don’t want you to take pity on me—poor sad Harriet.”

“God! I don’t think you’re poor sad Harriet.”

She shook her head. “Shh let me finish. I don’t want you to think you have to make more of this than it is.”

“Is that it?”

She nodded.

Rand said, “It’s like multiple choice. Let me get this straight. You don’t want A: to be just another conquest. B: me to sleep with you out of pity. C: for me to make more of this than it is. Is that it?”

“D: all of the above.”

“Right and E: none of the above.” Rand reached for her hand. “Harry it’s E: none of the above. I’m not thinking of you as a conquest. In my experience conquests are quicker and they don’t taste nearly as sweet as you.” He kissed her hand. She opened her mouth to interrupt and he put his finger over her lips. “Wait,” he admonished. “There is nothing about you that I could pity. You’ve turned into one amazing chick. I know what this is between us, even if you don’t, and baby, I’m worried I’m not making enough of it.”

She looked at him wide-eyed. She was completely infatuated with this man who’d been in her dreams for so long, so it hardly mattered what he said. She’d give anything to be with him and worry about the consequences later.

He said, “Here’s what I think we should do: A: Trust each other. B: Enjoy what we’ve got. C: Play it all the way. D: Know there is nothing we can’t have if we both want it.”

She said, “E: all of the above.”

The city spread out in front of them, smouldered in the final stages of the sunset. Rand reached for her, wrapping his arms around her, drawing her against him. She rested her head back on his shoulder.

“All the bases are loaded sugar, batter up.”