SUMMER'S END

2

Another one who's trying to find herself. In the five years since Nicki had opened the Lodge to the public, she'd seen too many of them pass. She walked up the stairs to her own room on the top floor. The third step creaked, as it had been doing for the past three weeks. Robyn reminded her of a previous life-the life she had led before her self-chosen exile to Thailand. Nicki had no idea how long the girl had been travelling, but even the dark complexion of her skin and the natural highlights in her hair-both the result of hours of exposure to the hot South-East Asian sun, no doubt-couldn't hide her airs and graces. If she's lucky, she'll learn. Nicki drew her t-shirt over her head and scanned the room for her bikini. Robyn was the only guest today and a swim in the sea was long overdue. Before swapping her
undies for swimwear, Nicki dropped to the floor in front of the mirror and performed twenty-five pushups. She'd only recently started working out again and they left her puffing on the carpet for a few minutes. Despite the sudden fatigue, which she knew would pass, she felt stronger. A word she hadn't associated with herself in a long time.
After slipping into a black bikini and covering the rest of her skin with a t-shirt and pair of shorts, she descended the stairs. The house was too empty today. Even at full capacity, it was never loud or exceptionally cheerful, but at least there was some noise. Some signs of life. A pipe gurgling to life or water spattering in the pool outside. A reminder that she wasn't alone. She trudged through the garden, along the stone path by the pool, until she reached the beach. Outside, the sun beat down mercilessly, but the sky was a blue you couldn't imagine if it wasn't staring you in the face. So deep and pristine, it should grace many a touristic pamphlet, but a picture could never fully capture its essence. The sense of freedom and joy it provoked. The healing quality of a blue sky you could always count on during certain times of year was invaluable.
The sand was hot beneath her feet, but Nicki was used to that by now. She walked a bit quicker until she reached the moist part of the beach and stood overlooking the sea, as she did every day. The waves in August were usually lazier than this.
This was a quiet beach, with only two medium-sized resorts spread out across the strip. Nicki would never have chosen it otherwise. Not a lot of swimmers ventured into the sea at this time
of the day, preferring the shadow provided by their hotel pool gazebos over the unflinching heat of the Thai afternoon sun.
"Is the water too cold for you?"
The voice that came from behind Nicki startled her. She spun around and looked into Robyn's grinning face.
"That was quick." She returned Robyn's smile. "Room too small and stuffy for you?"
"Not in the least." Robyn winked and ran past her with the enthusiasm of a child who's never seen the sea in her life. She wore a skimpy bikini with a flower pattern. Nicki followed her with her
eyes as Robyn waded into the water. Her skin was nut brown and contrasted heavily with the lightness of her hair that had grown unruly. Nicki checked herself for any signs of sudden arousal-for any inkling that some day this would pass-but as usual, she felt nothing. Hadn't done so in five years.
She wondered what Robyn's story was-because they all had one. The ones who turned up alone despite the fact that they looked as if they'd never been anywhere on their own in their life. She looked a bit too old to be on a post-university gap year, but these days, you just never knew.
Nicki let her shorts drop onto the sand, stripped off her tshirt and walked into the waves. It struck her again how different it was to cross from land to sea in different parts of the world. Brighton had its charms-and she'd owned a holiday house there for ten years for a reason-but, when put in perspective, the English Channel really had nothing on the Gulf of Thailand. Having it at her disposal whenever she wanted was a big plus, but it wasn't the main reason she had fled Britain. If only.
With strong strokes-at least she swam every day and swimming in waves does so much more for the upper body than counting laps in the pool-she quickly made up the distance between Robyn and
her. If she'd had a romantic bone left in her body, Nicki could have almost considered it a romantic moment-swimming towards another woman in the shimmering sea. She shook off the thought and engaged in what had become her specialty since opening the Lodge. Small talk. Fleeting moments, people passing through, enough superficial connections to get through the day and feel human but not enough to ever feel deserted again. This was her life now, and it was exactly how she wanted it.
Facing Robyn, Nicki treaded water. Her feet could reach the sea floor, but she really did want to get stronger.
"How long have you been travelling?" Nicki always found it interesting to discover how people ended up here. All these people passing by, occupying a room in her house-all momentarily in the same situation, but always a different tale to tell.