Friday, November 12, 2004

Urban Space Chapter 11

Kat and Robin arrived at the surf club not long before lunch. As they pulled into the carpark Robin checked to see her boyfriend's car was there. Kat parked and put the top up before looking the car. Shouldering their beach bags the two girls sauntered out of the heat and sunlight into the cool dark surf club.
Greg worked behind the bar most days and today was no exception.
"Hiya sexy" he called out to Robin as he saw the girls. Robin waved and the two girls walked down to where he was working and sat on bar stools in front of him.
"Hey gorgeous" Robin replied.
It was their standard form of greeting and Kat had never observed them break it. The two had been going out for over 3 years now having met while in school. Greg was a year older and had been around the beach all his life. The job at the surf club was a means of bankrolling his passion to be an iron man. He trained everyday at the beach, and then worked behind the bar for around 6 hours or so. He had already won a number of junior titles and last year had hit the big time. Here he was a small minnow in a big pond, but already he had gained a rising star award in his local club as well as getting increasingly improved results in the national events. Robin didn't share his athletic skills but was his most passionate supporter. Kat had come along several times to the local races, though had not attended any away events.
Greg poured the two girls a drink and took a pause from his labour of stacking glasses and refilling fridges. He leaned on the bar in front of them and Robin leaned over for a kiss.
Kat felt an instant pang of jealousy, not over Greg, but the fact that she was boyfriend less. She grudgingly admitted to herself that having had Mario as a boyfriend would have been something she would have enjoyed, but not now. Boys confused her. They either were coarse vile creatures who repulsed her or they were absolute spunks who made her weak kneed and blushing like Mario had. She envied the easy familiarity that Greg and Robin shared. Their camaraderie she mused was the attribute of the relationship that she desired the most. She had never experienced that with a boy. Robin told her frequently she was too intense and to loosen up.
"Kat" she heard.
She snapped out of her internal reverie to look up and find Greg and Robin watching her amusedly.
"She’s pining for Mario" Robin laughed good naturedly digging her friend in the ribs.
"I am so NOT pining" Kat responded indignantly.
Greg laughed out loud, his melodious voice echoing through the empty taproom.
"Robin told me," he said. "You looked a million miles away."
"I was," she admitted. "Hey lets get some lunch from the bistro Robin. We can leave this hunk to attract the ladies in here."
"Humph!" Greg snorted. "Lady cockroaches and blue rinses oldies are all we get in here this time of day. Not til the nippers arrive after school and all the mums come in here will it get busy. What are your plans for the day?"
Robin ticked off on her fingers, "Lets see, lunch, sunbathe, spy on gorgeous hunks on the beach, chat up sexy barmen and get them to take me home after they finish work, and the rest can't be mentioned in front of young ladies." She giggled as she reeled this off with a pointed finger at Kat as she said the last bit.
It was Kat’s turn to snort now. She followed on with her own list, "Lunch I agree, sunbathe yes, hunks on beach yes but not any old lowlife barmen for me. Diamond rings, Gucci dresses and fast sports cars are a must and they must have a penthouse overlooking the beach."
"You don't want much do you Princess Katarina," he mocked.
"Grrr," she responded and playfully swatted his cheek.
He caught her wrist and then held her hand up to his face pressing his lips to the back of her hand in a mocking imitation of chivalry.
He turned serious as he released her hand.
"It's not what’s in the bank account that you should be chasing Kat but what's in their heart. Don’t worry you will find the man of your dreams one day. Now get out of here you two, you are keeping me from other customers." He waved an expansive hand toward the rest of the empty room. The girls laughed and got up to go.
Robin asked "See you at four?"
"Count on it" replied Greg.
The two lasses grabbed a sandwich each from the bistro then headed down to the beach where they chose a spot to spread out their towels. Slipping off their mini skirts they sat down cross-legged on the towels next to each other to start spreading suntan lotion. As they massaged it in Kat looked over at Robin and asked suddenly, "You're going to marry him aren't you?"
Robin looked surprised by the question but answered immediately, "The second he asks me!"
Kat stopped rubbing lotion and looked down at her blanket glumly. "What am I doing wrong?" she asked. "Why can't I find a nice man?"
Robin looked concerned not hearing this sort of emotion from the normally sunny natured Kat.
"Your man will come Kat" she responded, gently laying a hand on her friend's arm. "Just hang in there and don't fall for any more smooth talking snakes."
Kat agreed and the two girls lay down, tipped their hats over their faces and basked in the sun.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:24 AM |