Page 70 of One Night in Edinburgh

‘Ahh. This is what I’m talking about.’ Jamie seems completely invigorated by the experience. ‘The fresh, salty air and the smell of the beach. It’s great for the soul.’

‘It sure is.’ I agree. ‘I try to get out here every now and again to get a break from the city. I may live right by the water, but it’s not the same. Newhaven and The Shore are great for the practicalities of life – they have everything you need and great bus routes into the city centre, but they don’t have enough greenery. Sometimes I feel like I’m living on a huge concrete block.’

‘I get that.’ Jamie nods his understanding. ‘Growing up in a small town, I had easy access to woods and country walks, that kind of thing. Not that I appreciated them back then. Was desperate to move into Glasgow to be part of the big smoke and the nightlife. It’s funny to think that it only takes ten years to start craving the reverse.’

‘Ha, yeah, that’s so true.’ I steer Jamie in the direction of the water with a gentle tug of his hand. ‘I might have grown up in the city, but Colinton is a lot greener. Sometimes I worry that I’m going to end up back there and turn into my parents.’

‘I don’t think there’s any danger of that. You’re quite different to them from what I can see.’

I look at him questioningly, and even though I can guess what he’s getting at, I want to hear him say it.

‘I mean you just seem less preoccupied with social status and whether you’re keeping up with others,’ he clarifies.

‘What gave them away?’

‘You mean apart from the fact that the first question your dad asked me was what I do for a living?’

‘I guess, yes.’ I feel myself redden at this. ‘What else?’

‘Let’s see… maybe the expensive whisky, the mention of the golf membership and the way your mum would glance around nervously whenever your brother came out with some inappropriate remark. He’s amusing. I’m guessing you get on best with him.’

‘Very perceptive. Mikey’s less about the meaningless BS than the rest of them. He sees the world a bit differently, thankfully, and he says it as it is. To my parents and sister, success is about how much money you make, how grand your job title is and who you know. They think I’m wasting my life in the career I’m in, and the annoying thing is that sometimes I let them get in my head about it. But the cause is important to me, you know?’

‘I do,’ says Jamie. ‘You’ve got to live your life for you.’

‘Exactly. But I’d definitely have an easier time if I packed my charity job in and worked my way up in some big corporation. Sacrifice my happiness for some peace and quiet from my family.’ I gaze across the water to Fife, feeling the weight of that never-ending conflict in my life. ‘You don’t have to play golf with my dad, by the way. We can subtly put him off. I’m surprised he hasn’t put a date in with you yet, but Mikey and him have been clearing out the garage the last few weekends, so he’s probably trying to get that done first. He stills mentions your pending golf date at every opportunity on our family WhatsApp group.’

‘No way.’ Jamie shakes his head. ‘I’m up for playing, provided he can supply the golf clubs and I’m not expected to be kitted out in designer golfing gear.’

‘He definitely won’t expect you to have any. He’ll make you wear his.’

Jamie laughs and groans. ‘Well, if that’s what I have to do for love, then it’s worth the sacrifice.’

I jolt with shock as he says this. Glancing up at him, I’m expecting him to have registered his own comment and either be looking at me meaningfully, or blushing for having let it slip out of his mouth. Instead, he’s just gazing out across the water contentedly, as if nothing happened.

‘Thank you for bringing me here.’ He turns to me with an appreciative expression. ‘I’ve been needing this.’

‘You’re so welcome.’ I beam at him, and all of a sudden, the look I was anticipating just seconds before is there.

He steps forward, tucking a flyaway section of my hair behind my ear, his face only centimetres from mine. I feel my breath leave me in anticipation.

‘I mean it, Steph. You’ve no idea how much this means to me, being here with you, as well as you sharing an important part of your life with me like this. I hope we’ll be able to create memories of our own – and our own special places.’

‘I think we’re already starting that, right now,’ I murmur, eyes locked on his. ‘This place can have two different meanings for me.’

‘Agreed.’

Jamie cups my face with his hands and reaches in to kiss me. It starts tenderly, expressing the feelings he communicated moments before, but then quickly changes to a hungry kiss, where he’s pulling me into him and I’m mirroring him in response. It’s clear that we want each other badly and the isolation of the beach fuels that longing. Just as things are getting a bit steamy, we hear a dog barking and we’re reminded that we’re still in a public place. Pulling apart somewhat breathlessly, we maintain eye contact, the warm spring breeze whipping around our faces.

‘Picnic?’ I suggest.

‘Definitely.’ Jamie grins at me cheekily, well aware that we both need something else to focus on before we get ourselves arrested for indecent public behaviour.

Chapter 22

We retrace our steps and find a partially sheltered spot on the sand by some low-lying dunes, giving enough protection from the wind for us not to have to chase our lunch around as we try to eat it. Jamie spreads out the tartan blanket we’ve brought with us, while I unpack the food and arrange it on the blanket. Once it’s all sorted, I stand back and admire our feast.

‘There’s just one thing missing.’ I look at him expectantly.

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