Smile Please

Promises

It was almost as if it had never happened.  A few days in and Tom and Lizzie were as much in love as ever.  Tom spent days filming and Lizzie explored the local area.  The initial issue with the photographers seemed to have gone away for now at least, and she felt more relaxed than she had in a long time.

When Tom had days off, they travelled round the island in their little hire car and found quiet beaches and hidden cafes to while away the time.  On one such afternoon, they came across an abandoned farmhouse in the north of the island - a Finca - that overlooked a little sandy cove. Tom parked the car and jumped out.

"Come on! Let's take a look!" he grabbed her hand as he opened her car door and almost dragged her out.

"Hold on Hiddles!" she laughed, grabbing her hat and phone to take some photos.  Every move they made was documented, she wanted to make a memory book when she got home.  As they wandered down the track to the building, it became obvious it had been abandoned for some time.  Wild flowers and vines snaked over the peeling whitewashed stonework, what glass was left in the windows grimy with age, others simply gaping holes with rotten shutters.  The front door, a verdant shade of green hung on one hinge and they could see the interior, just, in the bright sunlight. A single story building, it extended round the back to a large plot of land, hemmed in by hibiscus bushes that bloomed with scarlet flowers. There was a dried up pond with a little birdbath in it and to Lizzie it all just looked like an abandoned Eden.

They picked their way carefully through the garden and up to the edge of the plot, facing the sea.  Pulling the bushes back, the view made Lizzie gasp and Tom instinctively grasped her hand, eyes shining.  He pulled her to him and they stood arms around each other, just looking and smiling.  The water danced with highlights from the sunshine and the waves broke softly, white foam slithering up the sand in fat fingers. 

"Oh Tom, it's beautiful!" she sighed as they looked at the azure water and the soft creamy sand. "It's like a little slice of heaven." she turned to him and smiled "just the kind of place to hide in"

"Yes, you're right.  It's almost like we were meant to find it.  Come on love, let's go to the beach!" he pulled her gently along, he'd spotted a track down the hill to the cove.  Much as he disliked the ocean, this was too much for even him to resist. Laughing wildly now, they ran down the little track and across the beach, the only two people for miles.  Suddenly Lizzie was overcome with the urge to swim in the ocean.  Pulling off her clothes and throwing them in a heap, she bolted past a stunned Tom and into the water, the coolness making her shriek and laugh.

Turning round, she saw him standing hands on hips shaking his head and laughing.

"Come on in, the water's lovely!" she called relaxing back and floating in the gentle surf. He held his hands up in defence 

"No, you have fun, I'm quite happy here!" he shook his head but euphoria got the better of her and she didn't take no for an answer.  Striding back to the beach, she grabbed him and as he protested loudly, he dragged him up to his thighs in the water.  Just as well he was wearing shorts!

"No Lizzie, I mean it " he laughed sounding as far from meaning it as humanly possible "I'm not ... SHIIIIIIIIIT!" she tugged on his hands and managed to overbalance him.  He disappeared under the water with an almighty curse and she stood back, hands on face horrified and hysterical all at the same time.

There was no movement, and for a second she stopped laughing and became concerned.  

"Tom?" she shouted "Tom , are you ok, where are you?" she spun round in the water but there was no sign of him.  "TOOOMMM" she called and just as she was about to duck down and try to search, her feet went from under her as a strong hand grabbed her ankle.  She plunged below the surface to come face to face with a large bearded sea monster, his tentacles grabbing at her.  She lunged away to the side and stood up, closely followed by the monster.

"You little HORROR!" it gasped as they clung onto each other gasping, Lizzie now almost crying with laughter.

"Remind you of being Hulk smashed?" she asked between giggles.

"Hulk? I'll give you Hulk lady!" he reached for her and picked her up squealing and carried her back to the beach over his shoulder.  He grabbed her cotton wrap she used as a scarf come sunshade and flicked it out on the sand while Lizzie wriggled like a stranded fish.  He slapped her bottom not-quite-gently "Be still my little mermaid" and she obliged with a snigger.

Throwing her down on the soft cotton covered sand, he flopped beside her and the lay facing each other, smiling and quiet now.  The only sound the gently breaking waves.

"Watch you don't burn little one" Tom said softly, tracing a hand from her shoulder, down her arm to her waist. Wouldn't want that beautiful skin of yours to get all red and sore.  Not from the sun anyway " he winked and her eyes widened, her mouth forming an "OH".   "Tell me you didn't like that spank just a tiny bit?" he narrowed his eyes and smirked at her lewdly.

"Mmmm maybe I did" she said cheekily, "guess we'll just have to find out some other time!" she sat up and so did he, "I'm not getting sand in places sand shouldn't go just to see!" she winked and he groaned,

"You're no fun!" he complained jokingly. 

"Oh, there are many, many ways to have fun" she said softly, running a finger down his chest, then quickly pulling his soaked T-shirt off.  "You'll need to take this off so it can dry.  And these." She indicated his shorts, looking at him through her lashes.

"Do I now?" he raised an eyebrow,  "if you want them off, you'll have to do it yourself. I'm on a day off so I'm on strike" he crossed his arms and curled his lip into a half smile. Pulling him to a standing position, that's exactly what she did.  She sank onto her knees in front of him, pulling them down carefully. Tom was initially grateful for the seclusion, but as she continued to stay on her knees, showing him exactly how much fun she could be, his mind spiralling, he didn't give a damn who saw them.

It was late afternoon by the time they were dry and dressed and wandering back up to the car. They were reluctant to leave, only the thought of a delicious dinner at a little restaurant they'd spotted just up from their villa tempting them back. 

"Oh Lizzie, I wish we could stay here forever" Tom said, suddenly feeling very emotional. 

"Me too love, it's like a little oasis.  We can just be Tommy and Lizzie and no-one and nothing can touch us." she held his hand and looked up at him as they stood taking a last look down from the garden. "I tell you what" she grasped both his hands "Let's make a promise. A year today, we'll come back.  No matter where we are, what we're doing.  We make this our place.  We make this our time. " Her eyes shone and her face reflected the love swelling in her heart.

"Yes, yes let's do that" he said softly, thinking she was the most wonderful woman he had ever known.  The world was at her feet, and he would have given it to her but all she wanted was a beach and some alone time with him.  It cost nothing but was, like her, priceless. For a moment he stood and knew, when they came back, he would make it the most special night of her life if he could.

"I love you Lizzie" he said softly, "I always will."

"I love you Tom," she looked up him, suddenly feeling the urge to cry "I always have"

He bent towards her and they kissed tenderly, his hands cupping her face. Pulling back, they smiled for a moment then walked hand in hand back to the car. She felt it was the perfect end to the perfect afternoon.

If only, she would come to realise later, if only she could have bottled that feeling.  

It wouldn't last.