(Part 01)
Sharpington-by-Sea is a traditional seaside resort complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.
Which was the first purpose built amusement park to open in Britain, which had an assortment of rides, like the Rotor and the Wild Mouse, The Cyclone and the Morehouse Galloper, all very tame compared to a 21st century roller coaster but it was still great fun.
It was also a popular resort for retirees and boasted a number of static caravan parks.
It was at one of the static Caravan parks where a group of friends were staying for the Spring Bank Holiday Weekend.
Although in actuality it wasn’t just a group of friends, they were more than that and just to clarify the point they were a group of friends plus Waldo and they were staying at the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park close to Sharpington.
There were 8 of them altogether split between three caravans, Mark Tonks shared with Dave Maslen and Andy Pike, Marks sister Lorraine shared with Louise Spry and Charlotte Kay, while Samantha Perry shared the third caravan with her boyfriend Waldo Pienaar.
They were all in their early twenties, apart from Waldo who was pushing 30 and with the exception of Waldo they had been friends since forever.
Caravan holidays weren’t really Mark’s cup of tea at all, as he doesn’t like caravans or tents for that matter but that was probably because he was 6ft 4, so of course caravans didn’t really cater for people of his height.
The only reason he went at all was because Samantha Perry was going to be there, and the fact she was going was very important to him because he loved her, he always had, and he always would, which was sad really because she didn’t love him, because if she did she wouldn’t have kept going out with a succession of complete pillock’s like Waldo.
But he figured if he couldn’t have her to himself he could at least be around her and enjoy her company and it wasn’t the first time he’d tagged along on such outings.
So he had no misgivings about seeing her with another man, it didn’t make him miserable on such occasions, he still had fun he just didn’t have Sam to himself.
He also loved Sharpington-by-Sea, and his earliest memory was of Sharpington and he had returned time and time again and it never lost is magic for him.
Mark had his first kiss on the Pier with Katie Brown when he was nine and his first proper kiss with Pamela Owen on the Ghost Train in the Fun Park when he was 15.
He just loved everything about the place,
Sharpington Day Parades, Halloween Fright Nights, Firework displays, Candy Floss, Ice creams, chip suppers and kiss me quick hats.
The only thing that could make him love it more was if he could walk hand in hand along the promenade with Samantha.
(Part 02)
The group arrived at the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park late on Friday night in the pouring rain and they were all exhausted, in fact they only had the energy for a quick drink and then turned in early.
Saturday started grey and damp and the evidence of the previous days deluge was everywhere to be seen, but the sun burst through mid-morning and they got to spend the rest of the day on the beach.
Which was where Mark got to see the sight that drew him to the beaches of Sharpington in the first place, the most beautiful girl he had have ever known wearing her yellow bikini.
It was a lovely afternoon and they had great fun playing volleyball on the sand, only his sister Lorraine noticed that he spent more time watching Sam than he did the ball.
The evening though was a massive let down for him as Samantha and Waldo didn’t join the group, Waldo wanted them to go out on their own while the rest of them went to the pub and the evening really dragged for him.
He was up early on Sunday Morning of the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, and he was preoccupied with the thought that no one seemed to call it Whitsun anymore, his mum and dad always did, and he couldn’t understand the fad for calling it the Spring Bank Holiday instead.
The rain had returned in earnest during the night and the park was very quiet, he walked around for a while squelching between the puddles and then he approached caravan 17a.
The pretext was to speak with Waldo about a mechanics question, as that was his profession, but in truth he wasn’t looking for him at all the only reason he was going over there was to see Samantha.
He knew she was an early riser so he was sure she would be up and about and that the kettle would be hot.
He knocked on the door and got no answer, which was strange, so he knocked once more and still there was no answer.
Mark looked around and noticed Waldo’s car was gone, so he knocked again and he was beginning to think there was no one in and then he heard the faintest response of
“Come in”
Mark opened the door and stepped in to caravan 17a and found Samantha propped up in the corner on the bench seat, there was an empty glass on the table and two empty wine bottles on the floor.
“Good morning sunshine” he said
“Is it?” she replied without opening her eyes.
She was sitting with both feet on the seat with her knees drawn up in front of her and she leant forward and rested her elbows on her knees while her hands pushed her beautiful thick chestnut brown hair off her forehead away from her bleary eyes.
He sat down on the opposite end of the bench so he was looking straight at her and he was very grateful.
The reason for that was that Samantha was in a state of undress apart from matching red silk bra and pants and a pair of red lace topped stockings, matching suspender belt and a wry smile on her lovely face.
(Part 03)
He sat down on the opposite end of the bench so he was looking straight at her and he was very grateful.
The reason for that was that Samantha was in a state of undress apart from matching red silk bra and pants and a pair of red lace topped stockings, matching suspender belt and a wry smile on her lovely face.
“Where’s Waldo?” he asked
“He’s gone” she said sadly
“What this early?” he asked
“No, last night” she replied coldly “he dumped me”
“What? He shagged you and then dumped you?” he asked angrily
“No, he dumped me and didn’t shag me” she said in disbelief “I got all kitted out for him as well”
“I can see that babe” Mark said
“What?” she asked and screwed up her face in a puzzled expression as she tried to decipher his words.
Samantha then opened her eyes to their fullest extent and looked at him for clarification and he nodded in her direction in answer to her enquiry and her state of undress suddenly dawned on her
“Oh God” she exclaimed and shut her thighs like a bear trap and scrambled for her blanket
“You pig” she shouted “Why didn’t you tell me I was almost naked”
“Are you kidding me?” he said “and pass up the chance to glimpse a gorgeous girls treasures”
He realized the moment the words left his lips that he had shown his hand.
“Perhaps she’s too hung over to have noticed” he said to himself optimistically
Her treasures were now well and truly buried beneath the hastily positioned blanket and the only visible parts of her were her bright red face above, and her red stocking covered toes, peeping out from below.
“Since when did you think I was gorgeous anyway?” she asked from the safety of her hiding place.
“What do you mean?” he said cursing himself for letting his guard down, apparently she wasn’t as hung over as she appeared
“You said you wouldn’t pass up the chance to glimpse a gorgeous girls treasures” she said “so when did you start thinking I was gorgeous?”
And that was a question he was never in his wildest dreams expected to be asked.
Faced with a direct question he couldn’t back track, so he took a deep breath.
“Well let me see that would be since about the time you were seven” he replied
“Since I was 7?” she exclaimed in disbelief
“What did I do when I was seven that had such a profound effect on you?”
“You showed me your knickers in Belldon Wood”
“I did not” she protested
“Yes you did” he said adamantly, “they were white with little blue periwinkle flowers on them”
Samantha gasped and said
“I remember those knickers”
“So do I, vividly”
“Oh God I did show you my knickers didn’t I?” she said, she would have gone red at the remembrance had she not still been crimson from almost showing him everything else.
“Yes” he confirmed
(Part 04)
“So it was actually my knickers you thought were gorgeous” she said
Mark hesitated before answering, he could have just agreed with her and simply laughed the whole thing off, because if he told the truth then the genie would be out of the bottle and he wouldn’t be able to unsay it.
“That’s not true” he replied deciding to bite the bullet
“I think you’re gorgeous now and you’re not wearing them”
“Don’t remind me” She said blushing crimson again and hiding her face behind her blanket.
“So you’ve fancied me ever since I was seven?”
“Pretty much” he confessed
“You really fancied me all that time?” she asked
“It’s worse than that I’m afraid!” he admitted
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked emerging from cover.
“I never knew how” he replied
“I was just a passing fancy then” she said dismissively
“Not at all” he corrected her “I’ve always wanted you, but because you’re so special to me, and you’re such a good mate I didn’t want to risk losing that, if you didn’t feel the same about me”
“So did you ever get close?” she asked softly
“Once or twice”
“And?” she queried
“You were in between completely unsuitable boyfriends who didn’t deserve you at the time” he said
“But I dithered around for too long so I wasn’t even able to catch you on the rebound”
Once the cat was out of the bag he thought he might at least get closure, for good or bad, but as it turned out he didn’t get to hear her response.
Samantha’s mouth opened but before she could speak there was a loud bang on the door.
“Who is it?” Sam yelled crossly
“It’s Loz you grumpy bint”
How ironic that his sister of all people would turn out to be the killjoy, she had been encouraging him for years to tell Sam how he felt.
“The door is open” Sam said
Lorraine opened the door and walked in and he was the first one she saw.
“Hey Mark, I’ve been looking for you” she said and then her eyes fell on Samantha
“Oh dear me, you look really rough” Lorraine said and laughed
“Shut up and have some respect for the dead” Samantha responded
“Well I suggest the corpse gets its zombie arse into the shower and then get your glad rags on” Loz instructed
“Why what’s going on?” Sam asked
“We’re all going into Sharpington for lunch” Lorraine replied and then turned to me
“And you, we leave in an hour, come on”
She started out the door and was expecting me to follow.
But he stood in the doorway and turned to look at Sam
“I liked it when you called them my treasures” she said
“You’re the real treasure” he responded and she smiled and just before he closed the door he said
“Wear your lemon dress, you always look stunning in that”
(Part 05)
When Mark had closed the door and walked down the steps he found Lorraine was waiting for him around the corner.
“Did you know Waldo did a runner last night?” she asked
“Yes” he replied
“So?” Lorraine asked
“So what?”
“So now’s the time to get to her before she gets tangled up with some other loser” Lorraine said
“What do you think I was doing in there when you interrupted?”
Lorraine stopped and grabbed his arm
“You told her?”
“Yes” he replied and started walking again
“So how did it go?” she shouted
“How do you think it went” he snapped “I’m out here with you”
Sam and Mark travelled to Sharpington in separate cars and as he was in the car Andy was driving they arrived in town ten minutes behind Louise and the girls despite the fact they were right on their bumper when they left Whitecliff Hill Park and the reason for that was because he drives like an 80 year old woman.
They were further delayed due to the fact that he is totally incapable of parallel parking, so by the time they reached the Ancient Mariner the girls were already seated at the table and Mark ended up with Lou and Lottie between him and Sam.
It was a long and frustrating lunch, finding himself so far from the woman he loved, and the service was diabolical.
On that particular day of all days it didn’t help and although he was delighted to see that she was wearing the lemon dress as he suggested, every time he caught her eye she looked away immediately.
After lunch the weather brightened so they all walked down to the seafront, Mark walked slowly behind the pack with his hands stuffed in his pockets and cursed his stupidity for making his declaration to her.
His worst fears had been realized, he had shared the secret he had kept to himself for 17 years and as he always knew would be the case if he spoke up, and instead of winning her love he had now lost her friendship.
“Why did I do it?” he said to himself and then he felt an arm slip through his, when he glanced sideways to see who the arm belonged he fully expected it to be Lorraine but he was amazed to see it was Samantha.
“I have a confession to make” she said
“Oh yes” he replied
“I think I chose totally unsuitable boyfriends who didn’t deserve me because I couldn’t have you” she said and then they came to a stop
“And now?” he asked with bated breath and Samantha, who had turned to face him, said
“I choose you”
And then she kissed him.
They walked the length of Sharpington seafront in the warm May sunshine, hand in hand and talked like they had never talked before.
And by the time they returned to the others it was almost evening.
“Come on you two” Lorraine called “We’re going to the pub as soon as we get back, you in?”
“Count us out we’ve got plans” Sam said
“Oh where are you two going then?” Lottie asked and he turned to look at Sam because he didn’t know what plans they had either and Samantha squeezed his hand and smiled at him.
“A treasure hunt” she replied and they both giggled
Everyone looked completely bemused by her answer and his response to it but suffice is to say they were in Samantha’s caravan until midafternoon on Bank Holiday Monday treasure hunting.
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