Joshua's Grace

Chapter 12 (2)

Grace had folded her arms around her midriff and was glaring at him. "For your information, this is not sulking, this is anger. I'm glaring."

"Looks like sulking to me. Pouting too." Her eyes flashed at him. "Ok, now that's anger." He conceded and hid the smile that was threatening to escape. "Anyone ever tell you that you look pretty good when you are mad?"

"And you accuse me of derailing conversations." That deflated Grace instantly. "You are futilely mercurial."

"Futile? Shall I speak to your folks, or are you going to see me off like any agreeable conventional engaged woman does?" The moment lengthened as both of them watched each other and waited.

"I'm not agreeable, conventional or engaged." She struggled to find her voice.

"So you've settled on the first option." He set off again, heading toward the front door.

"You are the mostexasperating, frustrating, arrogant..." She hissed as she trotted alongsidehim.

Sasha stepped past the front door, "You still here?" Grace made a scornful sound.

Joshua stopped, quirked an eyebrow at Grace and waited for her to respond. She snatched his arm.

"I was just telling Joshua that he should be going." She mocked as she towed him toward the car, "And I was about to see him off as any agreeable, conventional engaged woman does." She muttered for Joshua's benefit, "I'll decapitate you if you say one word."

Sasha seemed unconvinced, but she left them to it as she headed back inside.Grace and Sasha had a wonderful time. On their last holiday Briar had been with them. This time they talked about her. As they lay side by side on their beach towels on the sand, Sasha glanced at her sister, "He's special isn't he?" It was their first day in Bali and the lure of the golden sands wasn't enough to tempt Sasha away from quizzing her sister.

"He's ok." Grace feigned nonchalance, cushioned her forehead on her forearms and lay flat on her stomach.

That brought Sasha to her knees, giggling, "Get real. He's a hunk. A bit too serious for my taste, a touch too grey, but then you are pretty ancient yourself." Sasha dusted some sand off her hips and began to apply some barrier cream. She smoothed the lotion onto every visible bit of skin, and given the miniscule bikini she barely wore, that left a lot of skin to cover. Without being aware she was drawing attention to them she continued to smooth the cream into her skin. 

"If you think I'm going to bite, forget it." Grace threw her sister a withering look and waited for the rejoinder, which she knew was coming. Sasha didn't disappoint her.

"What is it that you like? His body or his mind?" Sasha rubbed the cream into her arms.

"His money." Grace retorted flippantly as she rolled on to her front, and buried her head in her pillowed arms.

"Yeah, right." Sasha kicked her feet out again, then sat cross-legged. Just before she closed the plastic bottle she slapped a huge dollop of cold cream onto golden brown skin. Skin that was on her sister's back. Grace squealed in surprise and protest, then she rolled onto her side and glared at Sasha who had almost got to her feet.

"Just being helpful." Her sister quipped as she backed away. "Thought your back needed doing." She tried to bluff.

"Then you'd better do a good job." Grace indicated the bottle, "And make sure it's warmed."

Sasha made a face and began to rub the lotion into the skin.

Over the remaining days they shopped, ate and lay around reading. Both were in the mood to do nothing but laze, both had been through hectic timetables and teaching loads. So lying around on golden beaches was idyllic.