The sun was warm against Luca's back as he stretched his arm and lifted himself up to reach the top of the cliff. Sweat was trickling down his forehead and he took a swipe at them before getting to his feet. Looking at the path he had just traversed, Luca crouched down and extended both hands out.
It was clear from Claire's red face that strenuous activities were not part of her active lifestyle. She huffed in mock indignation before placing her hands in his and walked up the cliff face as he pulled her up. Leaning against him, she let out a cheer and soon stepped away when she felt comfortable to stand on her own. Together, they stood side by side at the ledge of the cliff and took in the view.
The cove was located along the coastline and rarely ventured upon in mid spring. The cliff they had just scaled was situated at the mouth of the inlet. Behind him, the lush forest and sandy shores surrounded the cove and their marooned sea kayak. Luca checked the condition of the sea in front of him. Gentle waves swept past the entrance from the calm sea and he could just about see the strip of beach to his right. Looking at the position of the sun, he estimated they had two hours before sunset.
Dropping the backpack on the ground, he took off his clothes and footwear, leaving him in his swimming trunks. Claire was pulling off her sweat-soaked shirt. The scars on her limbs had disappeared over time, but as she bent down to remove her denim shorts and shoes, he saw the white jagged line along her spine, intersected by the knots of her red bikini top.
Luca turned to stare at the sea below.
"Okay. Are you ready to do this?"
He took a sip of the energy drink he had brought along and passed it to her. She had performed some platform diving a few weeks ago prior to this trip. When she did not respond, he reassured her.
"It's fine. Think of it as a leap of faith. Except I've done this before so, rest assured, you won't hit anything down there."
She nodded weakly.
"Right."
Luca went first. Taking a few steps back, he relished the adrenaline rush as he ran and leaped off the edge in a flying position.
Planting his hands to his side, it was a straight fifteen metre drop and he landed feet first. The initial impact nearly knocked the breath out of him as the water sucked him in greedily and he let it take him deeper. The coldness was soothing and rejuvenating and the blue water refracted the glistening sunlight from above. He closed his eyes, allowing the feeling to envelope him for a while before kicking to reach the surface.
Panting slightly, he looked up and saw that she was crouched at the edge, peering down in worry. He waved at her and beckoned her to join him, swimming out of the way.
She disappeared from view for a while, then she was airborne, her hands wrapped around her shins. He watched her plummet and gauged her landing spot a few metres away. When she did not surface after a minute lapsed, he felt something akin to panic. He was going to dive under when something grabbed at his leg.
"What the—"" his curse cut off as he was pulled underwater in a forceful jerk. Blinking to see in the water, he could make out her slim hips as she kicked past him to reach the surface. He pulled at her legs in retaliation, dragging her down to his eye level. She struggled wildly against his embrace and beat at him unsuccessfully, the water pressure lessening the blows.
He was enjoying himself when she stopped struggling and cupped his chin with both her hands. The puzzlement turned into shock as she slanted her mouth over his. He was aware of her taking oxygen from him but his mind only registered the heady feeling that came with their interlocked lips. Suddenly aware he was dizzy from the lack of oxygen, he dragged her up and they both broke free at the surface, gasping for air.
He took in deep breaths and looked over in concern at Claire who was choking while trying to stay afloat. He swam over and let her hold onto him for support before he manoeuvred them to the shoreline. Once on the beach, they were silent for a long time as they tried to regulate their breathing.
Luca recalled the conversation he had with Rafael a few days ago. They were overseeing the placement of his artwork at the Paris Art Gallery and Rafael was telling him about the new guy he was seeing when Luca decided to ask.
"How do you know when's the right time, that we are both ready for a serious relationship?"
"Are you telling me, for the last six months, that the both of you are just friends?"
Luca answered rather pointedly, "There was a lot to deal with. We agree to put things on hold until we are sure this is what we want."
Despite being the one who ended their relationship, the blonde man had refused to talk to either of them for a month when he found out. Until Kristine knocked some senses into all three of them.
"Why does she always go for the emotionally challenged ones?"
The flabbergasted look on Rafael's face annoyed him, but Luca chose not to bring up their past.
It was at that point he actually reflected on his relationship with Claire. They did not put a title on their relationship; if he had to, it would border somewhere near "very exclusive friends".
She would drop by his place when she was free and they would sip brandy as he listened to her rant about her day. Over the weekend, he would invite her to join him for some random activities and she would say yes. They would recoup at her place for dinner and drink some random wine she had fancied from the local liquor store just around the corner. The alcohol loosened the tongue and he found himself spilling parts of his life out, to which she would listen attentively and comment where appropriate.
He knew he was satisfying his need with her presence and the sweet perfume she always wore.
It was the last time they met at her place that the thought crossed his mind that perhaps she was doing the same. It was supposed to be a simple crepe making session, but it escalated into a food fight. They grappled for the bag of baking powder and he had managed to corner her against the kitchen island. When they realised what they were doing, they broke away mid fight and she kept averting her eyes later that evening.
Rafael had chuckled at this point, bringing him out of reverie.
"I think you know you're ready when you're asking that question. As for Claire, shouldn't you know her better than me by now?"
A hand suddenly came into his view and he turned his gaze to the side. Claire had stretched her hands in front of her to partially block the sun rays from her face
"That's so fun. Thank you for bringing me here."
She turned to grin at him.
Luca reached over to grab her hand and moved to half lean over her. She tilted her head to one side in a quizzical manner, the relaxed smile on her face briefly switching into a nervous disposition. She relaxed after a while and traced the side of his face with light brushes of her fingertips, not looking at him. He leaned into the touch and kissed the knuckles on her hand. It caught her attention and he brushed her bangs out of the way so he could look clearly into her eyes.
Then, slowly, he moved closer and her eyes fluttered close as he pressed his lips on hers in a cautious but firm manner. When she did not push him away, he took the plunge and deepened the kiss. She let out a soft sigh when he pulled away.
"Whatever was that for?"
Her voice was soft and husky with emotion.
"For stealing my breath."
A girlish chuckle escaped her lips and Claire clapped her hand over her mouth, looking embarrassed and apologetic at the sudden outburst. The moment was ruined, but Luca smiled and let go of her hand. He rolled away to the side and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. Moving into a standing position, he looked down at her and extended his hand in invitation.
"Let's do a couple more dives and head back."
If she was disappointed, she did not show it as she let him pull her to her feet.
"Okay."
