Page 17 of Whimsical Ink
The eggs are poached how I prefer, and I frown when I see everyone else has scrambled eggs.
I stare at Daniel and mutter under my breath, “Why are mine different? I hope no one went out of their way.”
“You like them poached, so I poached them,” he says and shovels food in his mouth.
I blink at him. How does he know how I like my eggs? We’ve known each other for a long time, but why would he remember something so trivial?
“It’ll go cold if you don’t eat it. And you need your strength because I’m going to wipe the sand with you.”
“You aren’t going to win,” Emma says, exasperated.
“I might.”
“Not if I win first.” May as well join the competitiveness. As soon as the game starts, I won’t be able to control it.
Emma smirks. “You wish, birthday girl.”
“Eat your food and save it for the beach,” Adam says.
I lock eyes with Emma and we suppress laughter.
We finish eating and clean the kitchen while Cathy packs a bag full of towels, sunscreen, and hands us hats.
The walk to the beach doesn’t take long, and Daniel sets the yellow plastic cricket set on the sand.
Waves crash, and children giggle in the distance. The beach is long and we’re in a quiet area, away from the other families and small children.
Our little patch of paradise.
“A bit different from the beach you work at?” Daniel brushes my arm.
“I don’t work at the beach.” He shakes me gently and forces me to look at him. I roll my eyes. “Fine. It’s a little different knowing my studio isn’t down the road waiting for me.”
“Told you,” he sings in an annoying, mocking voice.
He grunts when a sunscreen bottle hits his shin, and I wince in sympathy as he clutches his leg.
“Emma, what the fuck?”
“Put sunscreen on so we can get started,” she says and saunters to the flat, wet sand to set up the game.
I can’t believe I’m about to play beach cricket with Daniel and his family.
I shake myself. “You better slather sunscreen on your sleeve. Don’t want the ink to fade.”
“Of course.”
He removes his T-shirt, and my eyes lock on the bare skin and flick over him rapidly. They dart down his chest, his stomach, glance over his board shorts, and land on his smirking face. I roll my eyes at him to disguise my embarrassment from getting caught and yank my T-shirt off.
That stops his smirking.
His eyes scan the front, following the V down. His throat bobs, and I revel in his reaction. We’re even now.
“Ella?” he asks, eyes locked on my bared skin.
“Yeah, but I quite like it.” I grab the sunscreen. “I think I’ll keep it.”
I squirt thick cream on my hands, pass the bottle to Daniel, and rub it on my arms. We pass the bottle back and forth, cover our arms and legs, our chests and faces, and then we stare at each other, protected in sunscreen. Except for our backs.