‘Clubbing was one of them...skydiving, surfing, dance lessons. Pottery classes. A job—but that’s sorted.’ Lu smiled her thanks at the waiter, who placed their drinks on the table. Irish coffee for her, plain coffee for Will. ‘I promised I would. And I have been doing some stuff. But it would be so much more fun if I had someone to do it with.’
Judging by the confusion Will saw in her eyes, he suspected that Lu was dealing with a lot more than she was saying. But her expression begged him not to pursue it.
You have been alone and dealing with far too much for far too long, Mermaid, he told her silently. He knew what that felt like.
Pull it back to the surface, Scott. To less dangerous waters.
He groaned theatrically. ‘Dance lessons? Pottery? Good Lord.’ Will tapped his finger against the table, his expression thoughtful. ‘We could listen to live bands and definitely go skydiving—’
‘Uh, no!’
‘I could teach you to surf.’
‘I’d consider that. Ice skating?’
‘Blergh. Wet and cold. I’d consider pottery lessons if you’d consider dirt bike riding, getting out into the country. I know it’s not a girl thing, but you might find it fun.’
Under the table Will’s knee brushed Lu’s and a bolt of awareness barrelled straight to his groin. Could he do this? Could he ignore this buzz of sexual attraction and be her friend?
Could he stop thinking about the kiss that never was? Stop replaying the way her eyes had half lowered and glinted green, the way her hands had held his hips, the brief taste of that perfect mouth?
He had to...there was no other choice. He was leaving soon and she was too dangerous to be around long-term because he suspected that she could—maybe—make him think about whether sparks could last and keep burning...
‘Will? What do you think? Should we do this? Can we do this?’
He knew what she was asking... Could they do this without it getting complicated, messy? It was hard to meet her eyes, to see but ignore the corresponding flash of heat he recognised in them. He had to dismiss it, he realized. Just as she did. Because she wasn’t ready to get involved he wouldn’t get involved, so companionship was the only prize that was up for grabs.
‘It’ll be fine, Lu.’
If we can keep our hands off each other. Because if we can’t then all bets are off.
Will sighed. He could really do with a stiff drink.
As they followed the signs past the main house to The Pottery Shed Lu flicked her finger against Will’s shoulder. ‘I thought I said that you should wear old clothes—not a nifty Zoo York T-shirt and cargo shorts.’
She was wearing an ancient shirt, cut-off jeans and flip-flops. Will looked down at his chest and sent her the evil eye. ‘When I was packing my clothes in Auckland I didn’t think I’d be going to pottery lessons! This is the oldest shirt I have here.’
‘I could have lent you one of the twins’ old T-shirts.’ Lu said as they approached a barn at the back of the property. ‘And stop moaning. I’ve agreed to go dirt bike riding next week.’
‘I want to take you skydiving.’
‘Not on your life.’ Lu shuddered. ‘And what do you mean...take me?’
‘I’m certified to do tandem jumps...we could do one together.’
‘Uh, let me think about that.’ Lu pretended to peer up at the sky. Two seconds later she spoke again. ‘Thought about it...no. Nope. No way. Never.’
‘Wuss,’ Will said as a long, tall, elderly woman dressed in tie-dyed pants and a glowing caftan drifted from the barn.
Lu stepped forward and held out her hand. ‘Hi, I’m Lu. Are you...?’
The woman’s eyes drifted across their faces and she sent them a vague look. ‘Kate. And I’m stoned.’
Lu looked at Will and lifted her eyebrows. ‘You’re stoned?’
‘New supplier. His stuff is wicked good.’
‘But our lesson...’ Lu wailed, ignoring Will’s smile of satisfaction.
Kate’s hand wafted somewhere behind her head. ‘Go on in—clay’s in the bucket next to the wheel. Slap some on the wheel, hit the pedal, move your hands up and down. Make something. Lock up when you leave.’
‘But... But...’ Lu stuttered.
‘Namaste,’ Kate murmured, and weaved away in the general direction of the house.
Will folded his arms and watched her leave. ‘Did you pay her?’
Lu pouted. ‘No. I was going to pay her when we were finished.’
‘Good. Then let’s get out of here,’ Will said, his expression a combination of smirky and relieved.
Lu narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Uh-uh. You’re not getting off that easily. Everything is set up...how hard can it be?’
Will groaned. ‘Aw, Lu, come on! Let’s go for a walk on the beach, have a beer, watch the sun go down.’
‘Nope.’ Lu said stubbornly. ‘If I have to do dirt bikes then you have to try this.’
* * *
Will stepped through the open door to the studio, put his hands on his hips and looked around. Shelves packed with vases, bowls and vessels of every shape and form lined the room, and long tables covered with tools and boxes covered the back half of the shed. In the centre were three triangular-shaped desks with a potter’s wheel on each and a bucket with what he presumed was clay next to each wheel.
Will pulled out a stool and sat down in front of one wheel, then looked from the desk to Lu. ‘Um...what now?’
Lu’s mouth twitched. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t done this either...wait!’ She reached across the table and picked up a plastic envelope. ‘Instructions!’
Will leaned across and looked at the plastic enclosed paper. He shook his head and pointed to the heading. ‘It’s printed off the internet, Lu!’
‘So?’ Lu grinned. ‘Let’s try it.’
It seemed that he was about to try this thing. He knew that everything that could go wrong would. He didn’t have an artistic bone in his body and he suspected that they were about to get dirty.
Really dirty. He looked around. ‘Can you see any aprons?’
‘Now who’s being a wuss? We won’t need any,’ Lu told him. ‘We’ll be fine. So, first step... “Gather a small amount of clay—the size of two fists put together is plenty for someone just starting—and form it into a rough ball shape.”’
Will dunked his hand in the bucket in front of him and lifted his eyebrows. Kind of the same texture as the mud he’d used to throw at his sisters.
‘We need to knead it—get rid of the bubbles.’
‘When do we get to play with the wheel thingy?’ Will asked, trying to copy Lu’s rather expert kneading technique. Which made him think of bread, which made him think of cake, and that reminded him...
‘When am I getting my Austrian cake, by the way?’
‘When I have time.’ Lu peered down at the instructions. ‘Maybe. So... “If you think all the air bubbles are out, shape it back into a rough ball.”’
Will slapped the clay between his fingers.
‘“Put the clay on the centre