Tammy, Lola and some yoga friends were watching the waves roll up the sand towards her design; Ruan and a couple of his mates were nearby, cans of beer in their hands. Above, on the cliffs, hundreds of festival goers were admiring the dolphin from above while the drone captured it all from the sky. It was by far the biggest audience she’d ever had and she was almost starting to enjoy the exposure.
‘I wish I could do something like that,’ her friend Shefali said with an awe that made Tammy’s cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.
‘Why not?’ she said. ‘I’ve been thinking of running some workshops after this. So many people have asked me if I do. I need to upgrade my website and sort out my socials first, but only after the final design tomorrow night.’
She glanced across at Ruan and he caught her eye and smiled with such pride in his eyes that Tammy felt a lump settle in her throat.
He was one of the good ones. He had to be.
‘Watch out, here comes a wave,’ her yoga instructor Hattie warned to ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the clifftop as the first foamy crest spilled up the sand, erasing the edge of the dolphin design. When it retreated, the snout of the top dolphin was no more.
‘Oh, I hate this part.’ Shefali winced. ‘How can you stand it?’
‘It’s nature doing its thing,’ Tammy said cheerfully, ‘and that’s exactly what my work is meant to be: in harmony with the elements. The beach goes back to its natural beauty after the waves have washed it, leaving a fresh canvas for another day. Come on, let’s move further up the beach and see it vanish before we go to the festival.’
Tammy and the group of friends strolled off the sand together. Thank goodness today had been drama-free, leaving her to concentrate on the artistic drama of her work. She’d had a reaction far beyond her wildest dreams, with people trying to talk to her before she began and while she was working. The stewards had had to usher everyone away so she could get on with finishing the design.
As for Ruan, he’d been a calm presence throughout the day. Apart from giving her a lift – which she was very grateful for – he’d left her to do her own thing this time. She hadn’t needed him to help like the day before, but she also guessed he was holding back out of respect. He struck her asthe solid rock who was happy to let her get on with her own life but be there in a crisis.
Now, she was looking forward to a relaxing evening where she could let her hair down and party – and later, hopefully, they’d go back to the Harbour Studio together and he wouldn’t leave.
Later that evening, feeling mellow after drinks with friends and high on the success of the day, they arrived back in Porthmellow. Hand in hand, they walked from the rear parking area and around the harbour front towards the studio. Hearing snatches of voices from the yard, Tammy paused in the entrance to the alley.
‘I don’t think we’ll be alone,’ she murmured.
‘Does that bother you?’ he asked in a low voice.
‘Not a bit, but I thought I’d warn you.’
‘It’s fine by me,’ he said and gestured for her to go ahead of him.
Davey and Breda were sharing a close moment over a glass of wine on the terrace area. The moment they spotted her, Breda hastily withdrew her hand from Davey’s.
‘Oh, hello, you two,’ Breda said, breaking into a smile. ‘How was it?’
‘Not too bad from the message I had,’ Davey said, adding, ‘Hello, Ruan.’
‘Hi there,’ Ruan said in a friendly yet confident way.
Despite her bravado, Tammy was nervous but determined to make it clear in no uncertain terms that Ruan was now a fixture in her life.
Breda got up and hugged Tammy. ‘The photos and dronefootage looked amazing, my darling. The festival loaded it on their socials as one of the highlights of the day. Davey hasn’t been able to shut up about how talented you are. He’s bursting with pride.’
Tammy doubted Davey had ever been that gushing, yet was secretly delighted all the same. ‘It went very well, I’ll admit.’
‘It did look impressive, and I’ll be able to see for myself tomorrow evening,’ he said.
‘We can’t wait,’ Breda added.
Ruan joined in. ‘You’re in for a treat. Tammy smashed it. She’s brilliant.’
‘Oh, stop it, you lot!’ she cried, her cheeks warming at the praise.
Breda tapped the almost empty wine bottle. ‘Would you like a glass? There’s another bottle chilling in the fridge if you two want it.’
‘Um. Thanks, but no. I had a couple of cocktails at the festival.’
‘I’m fine too,’ Ruan said.
