the trees stood the man and he was gripping the back of the dog’s neck, its jaws showing off frighteningly large teeth with every bark, while every fiber of its being strained at the hold, wanting to be set free. Neil could not see the man’s eyes clearly from that distance but he felt them boring into him and the message was clear. He scrambled up and ran on, following his sister’s fleeing figure across the heather.
Chapter Nine
Nicola showered, washing away the salt of the sea and the chill of the rain. She washed automatically, her mind still in a state of dreamlike haziness after her meeting with Paul. She tried to guess his age. He had looked late teens and had an unkempt wildness that appealed to her. She could not help but feel an attraction to him, and she smiled to herself in mock shock for she was probably four years older than him and would never consider going out with someone that age back home. Then her smile faded. What was she thinking? She had only just lost her boyfriend, was stuck on her own in a hotel in Cornwall, and had to go home in a few days to sort out her life. But then she also felt a new freedom she had not felt before. A desire to take action and live for the moment, to throw away forever the paralyzing inaction that had so far inhibited her life, to grab the life force with both hands and never let go again.
She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower to dry herself. She dressed quickly in a short sleeved t-shirt and jeans, and went out of her room and back downstairs to the hotel lobby. She looked around half expecting, no, wanting, to see him standing there waiting for her, but he was not.
She walked through to the dining room where the staff was clearing away the breakfast service. They looked up as she walked in and then stopped. She looked around quickly before turning and going back down the hall to the bar which was empty of anyone. She walked back out and over to the reception desk. There was no one there so she rang a bell on the desk. A few moments later a young woman came out from a room off to the side.
“Good morning. Can I help you?” asked the woman.
“One of the guests. His name is Paul. Ermm, I have something for him. Can you tell me his room number?” stammered Nicola.
The receptionist looked at her for a moment and then said, “I am not familiar with this guest. Can you describe him, or give me his surname?”
Nicola blushed as she described him.
“I don’t know his surname but he is late teens, about six feet tall, with short black hair and blue eyes.”
The receptionist looked at her even more intently before speaking.
“One moment, I will go and check the guest register.” She disappeared back into the office for what seemed an eternity. Nicola waited impatiently, her resolve lessening with every passing minute. An older couple walked in and stood behind her. Just as they did the receptionist came back. Nicola began to fidget, just wanting now to get away.
“I’m sorry but I could not find the name and, to be honest, I do not recall seeing a guest with that description. What is it you have to give to him?”
“I’m sorry?” asked Nicola.
“You said you have something to give him, perhaps you can leave it here and I will look out for him,” the woman said, perhaps smiling a little too sweetly.
“Err, no, it’s ok,” mumbled Nicola, blushing furiously. She turned away and walked quickly outside into the greyness of the morning. She walked across the car park and followed the path to the beach, her mind turning over the events of the last few minutes. She thought of their meeting earlier that morning and tried to remember what he had said. Perhaps it was her assumption he was a guest, but if he wasn’t what had he been doing there?
Feeling suddenly stupid she carried on walking, and before she knew it she was on the beach. She stopped and looked around not knowing what she really expected to see. There was no one in sight. Nicola walked slowly to the tide line and sat down on the sand, hugging her knees. She watched the waves spreading across the sand before, spent, they retreated again to