Author's Note: How could I not slash Janice Garvey at some point? Although there is a sad lack of female characters who I felt would be worthy of slashing her with, perhaps Pauline but they haven't exactly hit it off too well. So I decided that as Siobhan Finneran and Elizabeth McGovern have such great chemistry over at Downton Abbey, I'd invent an OC in Elizabeth's image and so we have Caroline West...
Janice Garvey noticed the skinny, dark haired woman already sitting at the pool bar straight away. She was regular here enough to know when someone new was on the scene. The woman was slowly sipping a colourful fruit cocktail but looked a little out of place in her smart trouser suit. Janice placed her order with Mateo and turned to introduce herself while she was waiting for her drinks.
"Hi, 'aven't seen you 'ere before, just arrived-like? I'm Janice by the way." Janice stuck out her hand and plastered a big smile on her face trying to come across more friendly rather than nosy. The stranger smiled, took the proffered hand and shook it.
"Hello, I'm Caroline. Yes I have, although it's much warmer than I expected." The gentle American lilt was refreshing to Janice's ears; most people in this resort had come from England and many of them from the north.
"Yeah, bit of a heatwave this week." Mateo placed Janice's drinks on top of the bar and now disturbed from her scrutiny of the stranger, she picked up the tray.
"Might see yer 'round then? Enjoy the holiday."
"Thanks." Caroline watched the British woman walk over to a group of people who she assumed must be her family.
A few hours later Caroline had changing into more suitable attire for a holiday in the sun and was lounging on one of the sunbeds by the pool. She was engrossed in her book and didn't have time to react to Janice's cry of 'watch out!' before being hit by Michael's beach ball. Janice swotted her son's shoulder before heading over to make her apologies to the American.
"Hiya again! Sorry 'bout me son, I did tell 'im ter be careful." Caroline smiled up at Janice and put her book down.
"That's alright, kids hey?" Janice glanced back to where Mick and Michael were messing around several sunbeds away from them. Janice took the opportunity for a few moments peace and sat on the empty one next to Caroline.
"You got any kids?" She tried not to be but Janice had always been a nosy bugger. This woman seemed mysterious somehow and she was keen to find out more.
"No, I never found the time. I'm what you would call 'career focused.' "
"Oh, what do yer do?"
"I work for the government, and before you ask it's really not that exciting. Believe me; all long hours, boring meetings and lots of testosterone and posturing from the guys!" She laughed gently, which put Janice at ease enough to laugh along with her. Although Janice could tell there was a lot more to that story, despite the humour.
"What about you, what do you do for work?" Caroline seemed genuinely interested, but Janice felt quite inadequate in comparison to this glamorous American woman with a career.
"Nothin' much, being a mum mostly." Caroline smiled and looked over at Mick and Michael.
"He looks like a sweet boy. Have you just the one?"
"No there's 'Tel too, but she's at home with the baby...her baby." Caroline's eyes shot up.
"You're a grandmother? I don't believe it!"
"Neither can I, wasn't too chuffed at first mind, but once the deed was done...'E's a lovely little fella, wouldn't be without 'i'm now." They lapsed into a moment's comfortable silence before Janice remembered herself.
"Sorry love, I'm takin' up yer time, I should leave yer to it." Janice made a move to go, but Caroline put her hand on her arm to stop her.
"No, no, it's been lovely talking to you, really lovely. To be honest it's all a bit unfamiliar and I'm a little lonely really." Janice sat back down, her hunch about this woman being intriguing was turning out to be correct.
"Out 'ere on yer own then? 'Ow come?" Oh yes Janice Garvey, not at all nosy are you? The Mancunian woman internally chastised herself.
"That's a long story. Why don't we go out somewhere tonight? I could really use the company. Only if your family can spare you of course?" Janice took one last look over at her son and husband playing silly beggars and turned back to her new friend.
"I'd bloody love to!"
"Great!"
Janice spent ages getting ready for her night out with Caroline and Mick took the piss at every opportunity he got.
"You don't even know that much about her. She could be a psychopathic murderer who's escaped death row for all you know!" Janice walked into the living room attaching a large pair of hooped earrings to her ears.
"Don't be s'daft! Yer just jealous I've found a friend and don't need you to 'ave a good time." It had also been nice to have a reason to get dressed up for a change. She dressed nicely enough when they went on a night out to Neptunes but Mick had seen her in most of those clothes. Caroline had only seen her in her beachwear and for some strange reason she wanted to make an impression. The American clearly had a few bob and could afford several smart trouser suits, like the one she had worn earlier in the day. Janice grabbed her bag, gave Michael a kiss on the head and Mick a kiss to his cheek.
"Don't wait up!" Janice giggled as she left the apartment.
Between them Janice and Caroline had managed to find a slightly more upmarket entertainment area only a couple of miles away from the Solana resort. Janice fleetingly worried about her budget but decided to give herself one evening worry free.
"...Oh, so yer live in London then? Sorry, I assumed you'd flown owt 'ere from America," Janice said as she tucked into her meal. It was a relief to sit down to a proper three course dinner as opposed to an over-sized, lukewarm and greasy buffet.
"That's okay, I stupidly followed a boyfriend over there. We split up and I had no money so I got a job and here I am twenty years later." Caroline played with her meal and by the looks of her she didn't appear to be someone who was overly fussed by food anyway.
"Sounds like you've done well fer yourself since though?" It was more than Janice thought she'd achieved at any rate.
"Yes, I suppose so." Caroline didn't sound overly convinced that Janice's admiration was well placed.
"If yer don't mind me saying, you don't seem too 'appy."
"I've got a nice flat, a few gadgets...my mortgage repayments are affordable and I've got a decent job, but that's not worth jack if you've got no one to share it all with. I'm not so good at relationships, in fact I'm a bloody disaster!" Again, it was said with some humour but Janice could see that Caroline was actually quite upset by her situation.
"A gorgeous bird like you? I don't believe it!" And she didn't, Caroline was everything that Janice felt she could never be and more. It was women like her new American friend that got all the breaks in life and no end of male attention, not that that was something Janice particularly wanted. Caroline was obviously confident and aware that she was attractive; she was in a steady job, had no money worries and her nationality must have proved to be an additional allure for some people.
"It's kind of you to say that but I'm afraid it's true."
"So is that why you're 'ere on yer tod then?" Janice chewed a mouthful of her dinner unselfconsciously.
"I split up from my girlfriend a year ago. It's taken this long to sort out our financial affairs. Between that and work I haven't had a break in so long that I took the first cheap holiday going and here I am."
"Oh...hang on a mo...girlfriend? Didn't yer just say you 'ad a boyfriend twenty year ago?"
"Yes, I'm bisexual...is that a problem?" For all Caroline's earlier confidence she sounded incredibly vulnerable at that moment. Janice wasn't quite sure what to think. Of course she weren't homophobic or owt but gays she could understand, gay men at least. She'd never known any lesbians and certainly no one bisexual, not that it mattered in the slightest, it's just she hadn't thought about it much before. Caroline was bloody gorgeous, not like the stereotypical lesbians she'd seen on the telly. She looked as straight as she was and it confused her a little.
"Of course not love, it's just I've never...well..an' yer don't look...y'know..." Caroline chuckled, she could tell Janice meant no malice in her confusion.
"I haven't got a shaved head, wear a man's shirt or act butch you mean?" Put like that Janice began to feel a little silly and she blushed from the embarrassment.
"I'm kidding, relax! I know what you meant. I'm just me, take it or leave it. Believe me, I've had worse because I'm American." Some of the awkwardness had been broken and they continued to discuss nationality and life as an American in England. The rest of the evening seemed to fly past and before they knew it was nearly two am.
Caroline and Janice took a long walk back to the resort instead of getting a taxi. They'd linked arms and were enjoying the warmth and companionship that had grown between them.
"I feel like I've known yer fer ages. I don't have any friends owt 'ere. I've never really 'ad that many friends t'be truthful."
"I feel the same. You're so unlike anyone I've ever met. You're down to earth, you tell it like it is, there's no pretence or airs and graces with you."
"I think that's a compliment?"
"Oh, it is, trust me. You're bloody gorgeous too!"
"Now I know you've had too much too drink." Caroline stopped walking and took Janice's hands in her own. She looked at the younger woman earnestly.
"No, I mean it, you're exactly the sort of woman I could fall for." There was a pregnant pause as Janice looked right at Caroline and took in the implication of her meaning.
"I didn't mean...I know you're married." The awkwardness returned and Caroline dropped Janice's hands. They carried on walking apart for a minute or so before the resort came into sight. Janice couldn't help but feel relieved that the night was almost over. This tension wasn't just from finding out Caroline was attracted to both men and women, it was more to do with what that information might mean for her on a deeper level; but Janice didn't want to think anymore about it..at all.
"I'd better get back, Mick'll be wonderin' where I've got to." Both women knew that he wouldn't be wondering at all and that he would have texted or called if he'd been that bothered.
"Thank you for keeping me company tonight, I've had a lovely time." Caroline couldn't help but feel like she was losing something precious before she'd even had the chance to explore it and the disappointment was evident in her voice.
"Yeah, it's been...nice." Janice's tone clearly indicated that she felt uncomfortable but before she could even think about what she was doing, Caroline leaned in and kissed her new friend on the cheek. The kiss lingered and Janice didn't pull away but she couldn't quite meet Caroline's eyes afterwards. She mumbled a goodnight and hurriedly made her way back to her apartment.