Page 46 of Happily Never After
‘Yes. It’s just a suggestion, obviously, but I was doing some online research yesterday and there’s an aquapark about half an hour’s drive away.’ He grins. ‘Although, given my woeful sense of direction, it’ll probably take us around three hours to get there.’
‘An aquapark? Isn’t that all flume slides and screaming children?’
‘No. This is a natural one. So there’s a lake you can swim in if you like, but there are also rowing boats, pedaloes and picnic tables set up around the shore. I talked to Cara yesterday and she’s quite happy to put a hamper together for our lunch if we want her to.’
This is enough to seal the deal. Cara’s food has definitely been one of the high points of the retreat, so I’m sure whatever she would put together would be rather more spectacular than the slightly sweaty ham and cheese sandwiches we used to have on picnics as children.
‘Sure,’ I tell him as we start to make our way down the drive. ‘Why not? I might even bring my swimming costume. There’s just one thing though.’
‘What?’
‘Would it be better if I drove?’
He laughs. ‘Knock yourself out.’
‘This was a superb idea,’ I say to Finn as we set up a kind of base camp at one of the picnic tables in the park the next morning. Although I say so myself, the drive over was considerably less alarming than the brief journey I endured with Finn behind the wheel on the day he arrived. Something seems to have clicked in my brain so, not only did I stay on the right side of the road all the way, but there were no attempts to change gearwith the wrong hand either. The only downside was that I was concentrating so hard that I didn’t get to enjoy the view, which Finn kept telling me was spectacular.
The park itself is just as he described. I don’t know whether the lake is natural or man-made, but it blends perfectly into its surroundings. The area around it is mainly neatly mown grass, with mature trees providing shade for the picnic tables. We’re early enough that it’s not particularly busy yet, but there are already a few people in the water and a couple of boats out in the middle of the lake.
‘Do you think our stuff will be all right here?’ Finn asks as he carefully places the cool box that Cara has packed for us out of the sun. She’s also given us swimming towels and special aqua shoes to stop us hurting our feet in case the bottom of the lake turns out to be rocky.
‘Yeah,’ I tell him as I slip off my shoes, enjoying the sensation of the cool grass underfoot. ‘Lots of the other tables have stuff by them, see?’
He glances around and seems reassured. ‘OK,’ he says. ‘So what I thought was maybe we should take a boat out before it gets too hot, and then we can swim to cool down later if we need to.’
‘You’ve really put a lot of planning into this, haven’t you?’
‘A little,’ he admits. ‘It’s been nice, actually. Something other than my non-existent show to think about, for a change. I had this image in my mind of you relaxing in the back of the boat with a glass of champagne while I rowed you.’
‘VeryBrideshead Revisited,’ I say with a laugh. ‘Although I probably should have brought a parasol rather than a sun hat to complete the look. A slim volume of poetry would help as well.’
‘Good point. Do you like poetry then?’
‘No. On second thoughts, it would look like a poetry book but actually be a thriller inside.’
‘What about me?’
‘Oh, you’d be dressed in linen trousers rather than those shorts, and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up.’ To my surprise, an image of Finn dressed exactly like that forms in my mind, and it’s far from unpleasant.
‘Damn. See, this is what happens when you try to arrange things for authors,’ he quips.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘You’ve taken my vague idea, instantly coloured in all the detail and the final picture is completely different from the original. Now I feel like a total failure. I mean, what kind of man forgets a parasol and his linen trousers on a trip like this?’ He slaps his forehead. ‘Shit. I’ve just realised I’ve forgotten my full-body woollen bathing costume as well. We’re doomed.’
‘Are you having a nice time?’ I ask him.
He grins. ‘I am, actually. Now, despite my abject failures, shall we go and see a man about a boat?’
There’s a short queue at the boat hire kiosk, and I’m intrigued by the different ability levels of the other customers as they set off. Some are obviously experienced rowers, pulling away confidently from the jetty and gliding smoothly out towards the middle of the lake, but others are finding it more of a struggle, and one unfortunate guy has veered straight into the bank and appears to be stuck. One of the kiosk staff is shouting instructions to him, but he’s either unable to hear or doesn’t speak French, as not much seems to be happening.
I turn to Finn. ‘Can I ask you a question?’
‘Of course.’
‘Is your rowing better than that?’
He blushes slightly. ‘Umm. It’s not something I have much experience in,’ he admits. ‘But I’m sure I can work it out.’
