Beacon Point Beach House

Alex was pouring water over tea leaves as I exited the bathroom.

"Just milk, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm sweet enough as Aunt Lou would say."

"Do you have any New Year traditions?"

"In Estonia, you eat seven, nine or twelve meals on New Year's Eve. It's meant to give you the strength of that number of men the following year. I remember Mum cooking seven courses a few times. It always ended with trifle as that was Dad's favourite. Aunt Lou always let us have a sherry glass of champagne which we all thought was very decadent as children, even if we never appreciated the taste. How about you?"

"Mum insisted on cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast on New Year's Day. It evolved into a full-on fry-up as the years progressed-- eggs and bacon for her, potato rösti for Susan, my eldest sister, grilled tomatoes for Tammy, garlic mushrooms for Pamela, chipolata sausages for Liz and baked beans for me."

"That's nice. Who decided on who got what?"

"Mum mainly. Susie's always loved potatoes. Tammy put tomato sauce on everything growing up, hence the tomatoes; I'm not sure about Pamela and Liz and the mushrooms and sausage, but for a few years I lived off baked beans."

"Too funny! I think I'd have to agree with Susan's love of potatoes though."

And just like that we were back chatting again, so freely and so easily.

"So, what seven courses are we going to have tonight then?" Alex asked as he poured my tea.

"Not trifle! Mum's trifle always had too much sherry and two layers of jelly and gluggy custard. Mum wasn't much of a cook really."

"You don't drink coffee otherwise I'd suggest a tiramisu, I mean it's an Italian trifle."

"I love coffee, but it doesn't love me. Too much caffeine adds to my anxiety."

"How about I grab some decaf then in town?"

"OK, sounds nice. It's been so warm, but I could also whip up a cooling granita?"

"Yum! I'm happy to see what the butcher has in town for meat-- perhaps even see if there's any seafood?"

"Sounds good. When I visited Estonia my Aunt taught me their family recipe for potato salad. I mean, it's not gourmet or anything."

"Gourmet shmormay! You had me at potato."

"Your ravioli the other night was amazing, but I could also whip up some roast pumpkin and goat's cheese tortellini or something?"

"You think your pasta's better than mine now do you?" Alex laughed.

"No, not at all, I shouldn't have-- "

"I was joking! I'd love to try it. Perhaps a vichyssoise to start with, something light?"

"How many courses is that?"

"I have no idea. How about we make a list and head into town. I'm sure the sisters will let us put stuff in their fridge on the way back."

"We don't need to buy too much though-- I mean, I'm leaving tomorrow after lunch."

Alex said nothing as he wrote out his list. I knew that part of me wanted him to ask me to stay longer, but the other part knew that would be a grave mistake.

We took Alex's car because it had parked my car in, but Alex offered for me to drive. I was happy to be a passenger and still our conversation flowed, mostly about food and what we planned to cook that day.

Around the same place it had cut out on my way out to the beach house, my phone picked up reception and met me with several beeps indicating messages. Hettie had left a couple, including a photo of her baby, Simeon who had managed to find the bowl of cherries and half eat them all, staining the front of his romper.

Mei had messaged me wishing me a lovely break which was nice. She had confided in me at Christmas that after many years of trying, she was finally pregnant at almost 40. Baden was over the moon, but they were waiting before they told Hettie and Baden's parents. Mei and Baden met in Japan when he was there for work, and she chose to come to Australia to be with him.

I liked Mei a lot. She had been Baden's translator in Japan and simply became a Japanese translator in Australia. Her parents had also died young, and being an only child, she didn't mind uprooting herself across the globe.

When Alex's phone beeped, he reached into his pocket for it.

"Please pull over." I could feel my hands shaking.

Alex did.

"I'm so sorry, Grace. I was only going to pass it to you and ask you to read the message. It'll only be Mum or one of my sisters. I got a new number just before Christmas and haven't given it out to anyone." Alex handed me his phone.

"No, I'm sorry. I get anxious in a car..." I tried to explain, feeling silly for losing it so easily. "It's from a number not in your phone and says, 'Hi babe! Missing you crazy. Lizzie gave me your new number. I'll be in Perth after NY, would love to'-- Um, sorry Alex, I'm not reading that out loud."

"Here," Alex gestured for his phone, a strange look on his face. "I'm going to kill her."

"It doesn't sound like she wants to kill you, well unless she kills you by-- "

"No, I mean Liz. She knew not to give Charli my number. Shit, I'm sorry."

"Do you want me to drive?"

"Would you? I need to block her number and rip Liz a new one."

I had never seen Alex so worked up, not that I had known him for long. He was typing and deleting then retyping before I suggested he just call his sister.

"Xandy! What a lovely surprise! How was Christmas? How're things?" I felt like I was eavesdropping through the bluetooth speakers.

"Cut the crap, Liz, Why did you give Charli my number?"

"I didn't, I swear I didn't. We caught up for a drink on Boxing Day, but I didn't give her your number."

"Did you leave your phone unlocked with her?"

"Shit, I'm sorry. I mean, she's changed. She's dry and she misses you."

Alex hung up and apologised that I had had to hear the conversation.

"All good. Hey, I've been thinking, would any of the native ingredients in the planters go with tomatoes for a chilled soup?"

"You're pretty amazing, Grace."

"Like I haven't heard that a thousand and one times, but at least you didn't sing it to me!"

The rest of the trip into town was in silence, but I could see Alex was unnerved by the message from someone I assumed was an ex. The way she talked about riding his thick cock made me wonder more about Alex and take my mind to places I was not prepared for it to go.

I'd picked up a guy in a bar soon after things were over with Chad and the sex was average. It was one of the things Chad had accused me of-- being vanilla and boring. He told me I lacked adventure and it was no wonder... no, I needed to again stop thinking about the past and focus on the meal Alex and I would be creating.

As far as country towns go, this one had a better than average supply of unusual products and we were able to collect almost all of what we needed for our feast. I made sure to slip in some bacon, knowing we already had eggs and more potatoes that I knew I would need for the salad. Although the smoked sausage was not authentically Eastern European, I knew it would do for my version of baked beans.

I rang Hettie from town and was glad when it went straight to voicemail. I left her a message saying I would be home the following afternoon probably and that she needn't come up to visit us that weekend as she had planned. To me, it was a no-brainer to not mention Alex as I knew Hettie would jump to conclusions.

"Thanks, Grace."

"I know what it's like to have people pry into your past and how it can dredge up things you don't want to dredge up."

Hettie called me back as we were driving up the road to the farmhouse. I sent it to voicemail and switched my phone off. I had fulfilled my part of the bargain in checking in with her and now I needed to resume my digital detox. I hadn't been tempted to check emails in town, not that I received many these days. There was no compulsion to check the news or my Instagram feed. Instagram was my main social media outlet and I loved sharing photos there.

~*~*~*~*~

"You must be Grace and Alex. Millie told me about the mix-up, and I am so sorry. She's been dealing with Harriet, and I heard Alexander, and she told me Grace Alexander was coming and-- " We had not even climbed out of the car before we were ambushed.

"It's fine. She doesn't appear to be an axe-murderer, well, she's let me sleep a couple of nights now without killing me, and we've had some lovely conversations."

"Ah, there you are. Mary, I see you've met our two guests." Millie had appeared leading a goat on a length of rope.

The goat was nibbling at Millie's shorts as she again apologised for the inconvenience, but I was trying to catch the moment through my lens.

"How long have you lived here?" Alex asked, not knowing the sisters' history as I did.

Mary explained that the farm had been in the family for generations. I didn't know that they had an older brother who had succumbed to the demons in his head, as Mary termed it, shortly after their mother had died. Mary and Millie would have been in their fifties I guessed, but they were so full of life.

We had a tour of the area surrounding the homestead and I captured many photos. The dairy was an amazing set-up with a section for milking and then a section for cheese and yoghurt making. Alex was keen to help with the cheesemaking, but I was content to capture the experience through the lens.

Over lunch, Mary opened up more about her youth. She had trained as a physiotherapist and worked in Perth. She hinted at a lost love but didn't elaborate. Millie explained she was never planning on settling down and still wanted to travel the world.

"You know, Alex and Grace, we're both wanting to travel. I know you're between gigs, Grace, but if you wanted to stay and make cheese for us it would be perfect. I mean, you'd probably need a farmhand, not that I'm saying you aren't strong enough to do it all, but I'm just giving you an excuse to keep this bit of eye candy around if you get my drift!"

"Thanks, Millie, and as easy on the eye as Alex is, I'm not sure I've ever considered leaving Perth."

Collecting our shopping from the fridge in the dairy, we made our goodbyes.

"Now you must come and see the milking before you leave. Grace, you can stay an extra day, can't you? Oh, and Millie, did you tell her that Harriet called before?"

"I clean forgot! I told her you were too busy with Alex and she needn't worry about you."

I muttered thanks under my breath. As much as the eccentricity of Millie and Mary was endearing, I had hoped to avoid telling Hettie about Alex. I mean, there was nothing to tell after all.

~*~*~*~*~

It was fun cooking with Alex. He had foraged in the garden at the farmhouse and come up with plenty of ideas. I had grabbed some mangoes in town and set out to get a mango and coconut water granita in the freezer as soon as possible so it would set in time.

It was cooler than previous days, but the oven soon heated the kitchen area. I prepared the stuffing for my pasta and had the dough resting in the fridge. Mary had given us more eggs from their chickens during our visit, but I was also keen to keep some aside for our New Year's Day breakfast.

As much as I enjoyed spending time with Alex in the kitchen, I also knew I needed some solitude.

"I was going to go for a walk along the beach for a bit. Do you want to use the hot tub?" Alex asked as we cleaned up after our meal preparation was finished.

"I thought I might grab a cool bath in the claw tub in the bathroom."

"Sounds good, can you leave me some hot water, actually no, I'll probably take a cold shower after my walk anyway. I was going to change for tonight, it feels like a special night. I mean, if that's ok with you."

"I don't have anything special to wear, but I'll pop on a dress or something. Thanks, Alex."

The soak was lovely. I exfoliated all over. As I soaped my breasts, I noticed the nipples harden and a tingle appeared between my legs. I had heard the door close and figured Alex was walking along the beach. My thoughts returned to Alex. I wondered whether his cock was as fat as Charli had described it in her unwanted message. I wondered what it would feel like to slide up and down on it as Alex fondled my breasts and stroked my neck.

My fingers had found my pleasure spot and were circling my nub. With one hand I fondled my breast, rolling it under my fingers before I focussed on twiddling a nipple. The pleasure was building. I was imagining Alex underneath me, urging me towards my release, telling me to cum for him.

The orgasm was sudden and powerful, and water splashed over the sides of the tub. As soon as the elation died down, I chastised myself for getting carried away. Alex was way out of my league. He was tall and handsome and artistic. His fingers went on forever and he moved them with purpose and poise. He was gentle and kind. But I hadn't known him long and I was sure I would find fault with him before too long.

Besides, I was happy being single. I could see myself doing a Millie or Mary and being a spinster aunt to Hettie and Baden's children. After drying myself off, I wrapped myself in a towel and headed for my room. I lay on my bed for a while and must have dozed off as the next thing I knew there was a knock at my door.

"Grace, just me, not sure if you're hungry or not, but some things are ready when you are."

"Um, thanks. I'm just getting dressed."

I hadn't packed anything dressy per se but decided my white sundress would have to do. I'd planned to paint my toenails but still hadn't gotten around to it. I contemplated putting on some makeup but realised I hadn't packed any and if I had it would melt off my face in the heat. Running a brush through my hair I decided to keep it down but slid a hair tie around my wrist should I need to tie it back.

"You look lovely." Alex greeted me with a smile. He had showered and still had damp hair. Whereas his facial hair had been scruffy and looked a little unkempt before now, he had trimmed it. The dusky blue shirt he wore brought out the grey in his eyes. I told myself I needed to be very careful as he was very attractive.

"You brush up alright too!" I smiled back.

"I, um, well I wasn't going to drink until we opened the champagne at midnight, but I can pour you a glass if you like?"

"No, thanks. That sounds perfect. I'm not used to drinking every day." We were still smiling at each other as Alex pulled out a chair for me. "What can I smell? It's something not on the menu."

"I whipped up some yoghurt flatbread to have with the soup. I hope you don't mind."

Of course, I didn't mind. I thanked Alex and reminded him he didn't need to keep trying to pander to me. He assured me he wasn't but would hate to do something that made me feel uncomfortable.

After the first three courses, we paused and did some dishes. Alex had fired up the barbecue to cook the lamb. We agreed it was cooler outside than in, so we carried out the table and set it up in the garden. The sun was beginning to set, and the purples, reds and golds were amazing as they danced across the sky as the sun said goodbye to another year.

"Goodbye to a challenging year." Alex raised his glass of water to the sunset, and I joined him.

After clearing up after our fourth course, we went back outside to see some stars had started to appear.

"There's a blanket over the back of the couch, why don't I grab it and we can lie on it, and you won't need to strain your neck looking at the sky?" Again, Alex had been caring towards me.

I brought out the cheese platter I had prepared for our next course or meal as Alex was terming them having picked up on the Estonian tradition.

"Do you make resolutions?" I asked as I gazed up at the sky.

"Not really, but I do like to plan a little. I want to stop running and start living again. I want to paint and create and not be beholden to a curriculum that has nothing to do with creativity. I want to do something different, but I don't know what."

"I like the idea of starting to live again. I've been locked away for a couple of years now. I had enough money from my parents' estate to not need to work, but I couldn't afford to travel or anything as I wanted. I want to pursue photography as a career, even though I'm not sure how to go about it."

The stars were indeed bright and brought back happy childhood memories of my father pointing out the Southern Cross and other constellations.

"Um, so, Charli's my ex if you haven't worked that out. She's a friend of my sister Liz, and we were together for a couple of years. She didn't like the idea of me being an art teacher, and she hated the idea of me being an artist even more. I don't think she has any goals in life other than finding a husband to mooch off and being a stay-at-home mum. I mean, don't get me wrong, I get that some women still find great value in that, but Charli had no other interests really."

"Does she work at all now?"

"Yeah, she works in a boutique, but I think that's mainly to get more clothes. Although who knows, I mean you read the text, she's coming to Perth."

"When did you break up?"

"Officially, eighteen months ago, unofficially a year before that. Charli's an alcoholic. She's a happy drunk, but still, she needed to drink and, despite the last couple of days, I can forgo a wine or two if I want to."

"It must have been hard."

"Yeah. I think with the addiction came some personality traits that I didn't like. She lied to me all the time, you know, the whole 'No babe, I haven't been drinking' when you can smell the alcohol on her. I also discovered she was not always faithful, getting so drunk she didn't realise she was taking another guy home with her."

"I'm sorry."

"The strange thing is, I don't think I ever loved her. I liked her fun side, and, well, the sex was pretty good, but we didn't really have anything in common."

"Did you live together?"

"Sort of. She kept her apartment in the city, but lived at mine, except when she was on a bender and wanted to find another man for the night."

"Did she do that a lot?"

"She said no, and when I found her in bed with another man that it had been a once-off, but I'm not sure."

"Is that when it ended?"

"Nope. For twelve months we stretched it out. Did the counselling thing. She went to rehab for a couple of months. Then she got out and started drinking again and pretended it was just a glass of wine with dinner."

"I wanted to believe she'd changed, but I knew she hadn't. The final straw was when she arrived home with, um, dried secretions in her hair, I think is the polite way of saying it. I kicked her out and changed my locks, but she was crazy repentant. Told me she had changed and was dry. I couldn't trust her anymore."

"So, she was just after your..." I blushed.

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry you read that."

"Why, is it not true?"

"I can't answer that." Alex was laughing and in the residual light from the house, I could see him also turning red. "Now how's that cheese?"

"I can understand the lying and cheating. I was convinced I was madly and deeply in love with Chad. He was my business partner. Well, he was my work partner first. We met at a travel conference and seemed to hit it off. He'd worked at a couple of agencies but told me how much he admired my style of consulting with clients and tailoring things to meet their needs."

"He was a charmer?"

"Oh, very! I didn't jump straight in, but there was so much tension in the air at work. Eventually, I gave in to the lust and things seemed to be going so well. We were together for three years and Chad was good with people. He proposed and I didn't hesitate to accept. We'd been living together for over two years anyway."

"It sounds like you were happy."

"Yeah, that's the thing. I thought I was. I thought I had a perfect life after all this time. I'd had a couple of bad relationships, but I thought deep inside that this was different. Chad got on well with my cousins and aunt and uncle. He convinced me to hire a junior agent, a girl just out of school with dreams of travel."