Next morning, Barbara was the first to mooch sleepily down to the kitchen. She was sat nursing a cup of tea when her roommate appeared. Trixie was considerably more awake, and took great pleasure in teasing poor Barbara, who was clearly feeling the effects of too much alcohol the previous evening. Barbara sank her head into her hands...
"Stop it Trix, I can't have been that bad," she groaned.
Delia and Patsy wandered in together and she looked to them pleadingly.
"Was I awful? What did I do? I'm so sorry..." she gabbled looking genuinely distressed. Patsy looked perplexed, her memory somewhat hazy, and waited for Delia to respond.
"You fell asleep," Delia laughed. She gestured towards Trixie "Don't listen to her, you were entirely tame".
Trixie wasn't ready to concede defeat yet, however, and turned her attention to Patsy.
"How's YOUR headache this morning?" she asked with a pointed expression. Patsy looked alarmed, her face flushing in embarrassment.
"What?..." she started, but Delia promptly came to her rescue.
"You were fine; you wobbled a bit but that was as exciting as it got."
Trixie sniffed in disgust. "You spoil all my fun," she moaned.
Breakfast was a leisurely affair and it was gone 10 before they dragged themselves upstairs to get dressed. Patsy, again, waited until Delia had gone into the bathroom before hurriedly pulling her clothes on. She was sat on her bed flicking through a magazine when Delia returned, chatting easily as she began to get dressed. Patsy didn't mean to stare, she really didn't; she kept trying to bring her attention back to the page in front of her, but she found Delia so captivating. The way that her dark glossy hair cascaded over her shoulders, her flawless pale skin and her smooth feminine curves which were just, oh so inviting. Again and again Patsy dragged her eyes away, only to find herself drawn back to the beautiful vision before her. Preoccupied with her silent self chastisement, Patsy was unaware that Delia was now looking at her.
"Are you OK?" she asked in concern. Patsy felt the colour rise in her face.
"Yes, fine" she stammered, "Just thinking".
Delia eyed her curiously, certain that she had caught a glimpse of something more. She quickly shooed the thought from her mind and finished getting ready, the decision having been made to pay another visit to their sandy sanctuary. Patsy's heart was pounding and her mind racing.
"Get a grip" she told herself over and over. "You cannot think like this, you have to stop it..."
"Are you ready?" asked Delia brightly, interrupting Patsy's private conflict . The redhead was flustered.
"Actually I need to sort something out first. Go ahead without me, I'll catch you up".
Once she heard the happy chatter of the other three crossing the garden below, Patsy let out a shaky sigh. This was not meant to happen. After everything that had gone before, she felt entirely ill-equipped to deal with any more emotional turmoil. Within minutes she had convinced herself that this was purely a reaction to recent events, the fear and loneliness she had felt and her longing to feel safe and loved. Delia was sweet and beautiful; she oozed an infectious sense of fun. The more time that Patsy spent in her company, the more Delia awoke a happier, more liberated side of the redhead's emotions, a side that had been firmly repressed for many months, perhaps even years. Patsy was misinterpreting her feelings. That was all it was, she told herself. Nodding resolutely as if to confirm this with some degree of finality, Patsy stood up and picked up her beach bag. She then traced the route the others had taken down to the garden. However, she faltered as she approached the large coded gate at the perimeter of the garden and, retracing her steps, she followed the path that led around to the side of the building instead. Here she found a secluded shady spot.
"Perfect!" she congratulated herself.
Out of sight, Patsy felt able to strip down to her swimming costume and she settled herself on her towel, listening to the high pitched shrieking of the sea birds and the gentle lapping of the waves on the sandy shore below. She knew that the others would be wondering where she was but she needed some solitude to re-order her thoughts and reconcile her emotions. In the event, it wasn't long before she fell asleep, gratefully letting her anxious thoughts drift away.
Patsy had no idea how much time had elapsed when she next became aware of her surroundings. The one thing that she certainly did know, was that her idyllic shady spot was no more. The sun beat mercilessly down on her and she felt beads of sweat on her face as she sat up reaching for her bottle of water. She took a big gulp then promptly spat it out - yuck, it was warm - most unpleasant and certainly not the refreshment she craved.
Slipping her shorts and shirt back on, Patsy peered across the garden and, realising that she was still alone, she edged around the wall of bushes that had provided such welcome solitude and made her way back to the main path. The house was cool and quiet and Patsy quickly climbed to the first floor, where she made a beeline for the kitchen. She was prising a bottle of cold water from the fridge when she heard a voice behind her.
"Where have you been hiding?" asked Delia, reaching out for some water. Patsy spun round but, consumed by guilt, she was unable to meet Delia's eyes.
"Sorry, I fell asleep" she muttered. Delia walked towards her with a frown.
" I hope that you're not burnt". She reached up and eased Patsy's shirt across to expose more of her shoulder. If Patsy's skin hadn't already been burning, the gentle touch of Delia's fingers certainly set it on fire.
"Where are the others?" stammered Patsy, hardly daring to breathe, as Delia allowed her fingers to linger.
"They're coming now" Delia sighed casually.
The tension was broken by the arrival of Trixie and Barbara.
"Oh good, she found you. She's been fretting!" Trixie rolled her eyes "We tried to tell her that you probably just wanted a bit of peace but she wouldn't have it".
"Sorry, I fell asleep." Patsy cringed realising how pathetic her excuse sounded. She needn't have worried; both Trixie and Barbara were far more concerned with getting themselves an ice cold drink.
Just before dinner, the four were relaxing in the living room. As they chatted Trixie began to fidget.
"Whatever is the matter with you?" asked Barbara curiously.
"I think I'm sunburnt" sighed Trixie screwing up her nose. "Are my shoulders red?" She yanked her t shirt over her head; Patsy balked at her boldness, hastily averting her gaze. Delia caught her expression and frowned in concern. Barbara got up;
"I'll fetch the aloe vera".
She returned a few moments later and Trixie squealed as the ice cold gel made contact with her reddened, tender skin.
"Sit still" laughed Barbara. "Right, anyone else?" Delia glanced over her shoulder and shook her head.
"Not me this time" she said triumphantly "...but Patsy probably needs some."
Three sets of eyes turned towards the redhead, Patsy promptly assuming the look of a rabbit caught in the headlights. She laughed nervously, shaking her head.
"No, I'm fine" she said far too quickly. Barbara looked confused.
"You do look a bit red, come on, let me put some of this on you. It's amazing stuff, it'll really help to take the heat out of it." She stood up and went to walk towards Patsy who was floundering for an excuse.
"Well actually...I just...sorry, I need to use the bathroom". She scrambled to her feet and all but ran from the room, leaving Barbara staring after her, a puzzled expression on her face.
"What the heck was that about?" asked Trixie, equally perplexed. Delia shook her head and stood up, taking the bottle of gel from Barbara.
"Let me try."
Delia sat quietly on Patsy's bed waiting for her to emerge from the bathroom. When she opened the door, Patsy froze, shocked to discover that she was not alone.
"Hi" she muttered more confidently than she felt, "sorry, did you need the bathroom?" Delia shook her head and smiled. She patted the bed,
"Shirt off and lie down" she instructed. Patsy didn't move. "Really?" sighed Delia in amusement.
"I'm fine" insisted Patsy as convincingly as she could manage, pasting on her most believable smile, the desperation in her voice, however, inescapable. Delia raised her eyebrows."Just come here...or are you afraid of me?" she goaded. Patsy rolled her eyes.
"Of course not" she lied, ("no, actually I'm terrified of you, of how you make me feel, every time you so much as look at me").
"Well then!"
Patsy forced herself forwards, still attempting to maintain a facade of control. Delia smiled, a kind, empathetic smile, which only served to make Patsy's heart beat even faster. The redhead gingerly sat down, silently undid the top two buttons on her shirt and pushed it back to reveal her reddened shoulders. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as Delia gently massaged the gel in.
"It would be much easier if you slipped this off" coaxed Delia softly but Patsy shook her head.
"Sorry" she stammered hoarsely. Delia may not have understood the reason behind it, but she recognised the almost palpable fear and tried not to exacerbate her roommate's anxiety.
As they finished dinner that evening, Patsy became aware that the atmosphere had become noticeably muted. Barbara got up.
"I need to finish my assignment" she muttered miserably.
"I'd forgotten about that" sighed Delia.
"Wish Jenny had too," grumbled Barbara miserably. "Are you three OK to clear up?"
Trixie nodded, "I'll bring you a cuppa in a moment."
"What does Barbara have to do?" asked Patsy quietly. Trixie and Delia glanced uneasily at each other.
"Jenny's the psychologist," Trixie uttered, as if this constituted a reasonable explanation.
Patsy looked to Delia, hoping for a more comprehensive answer, or perhaps even some reassurance. Delia gave her a tight smile and Patsy felt her heart sink as Trixie quickly changed the subject. When Barbara did finally reappear, her face pale and her eyes red, Patsy felt the anxiety grip her like a vice. Delia lifted her arm and the timid brunette gratefully sank down alongside her.
"Finished?"
Barbara nodded and Delia pulled her close and kissed her hair.
"Well done".
For the next hour or so, Patsy pretended to watch a film, all the while sneaking surreptitious glances at Barbara, who was sat with her head on Delia's shoulder, staring vacantly across the room. Trixie, meanwhile, was painting her nails, uncharacteristically quiet. Eventually Delia sighed,
"Time to get some sleep" she announced. Trixie nodded and taking Barbara's hand, she pulled her to her feet. Patsy silently followed them up the stairs, the newly subdued atmosphere weighing on her shoulders like a blanket of dread.
Once they were alone in their bedroom, Patsy summoned the courage to broach the subject again.
"Delia, what is going to happen tomorrow?" The brunette hesitated and Patsy felt her stomach sink further. "Surely it can't be that bad?" she joked, the hitch in her voice belying her apprehension. Delia felt guilty and tried to back-pedal.
"No, of course not, it's just that weekends are so free and relaxed and we get to forget everything. I mean, nobody likes Monday mornings, do they?" she offered.
"I suppose not" said Patsy quietly, still haunted by the sight of Barbara's red eyes.