Storymania - Purple Passion by M F J Baker

Purple Passion
M F J Baker

The sun beamed down and heated the sand. People ran from their towels to the water in an effort to avoid sand blisters on their feet. Amy had spent an hour in the sun and her freckles were beginning to show, it was time for her to grab her hat and head to the nearest café for a cool drink. Her dripping hair and salt kissed lips were indication enough she had spent the day at the beach as she strolled in to the Opal Bay Bistro. Her blue eyes sparkled and her auburn hair glistened as she ran her fingers through it in a vain attempt to detangle it from salt and sand. Jeremy was fascinated by the way her body painted a slender silhouette on the wall as she walked over to his counter. “A cool glass of water filled with ice please, and a wedge of lemon” Amy asked. Jeremy had to ask her to repeat herself because although he heard her he didn’t listen to a word she said – preferring to concentrate on the way her nose tweaked as her lips moved to talk. Amy was totally oblivious to Jeremy’s infatuation as she stepped up and raised her voice a little to repeat her order. All she could think about was her dry palate and the need to quench it with something cool and refreshing. Amy took her drink and chose a quiet seat by the window overlooking the beach and watched the surf and the way it ripped against the rocks.

Jeremy raced into the kitchen and asked Mick, the chef, to create a chicken Caesar salad like he had never created before, on a plate big enough for two and with no anchovies. Mick loved a challenge and knew it came for a reason. “Who is she?” Mick asked, “a chicken Caesar…..she must be something special!” Jeremy smirked in the usual cheeky way and as he rested his hand on Mick’s shoulder whispered… “like you wouldn’t believe Mick, like you would not believe!”

It was 12.15pm and Jeremy peaked through the glass of the swing doors connecting the front bar to the kitchen to reassure Amy was still seated at table 11. She did not disappoint, with half a glass of water and a lemon wedge to go Jeremy was certain the salad would be served before she was ready to leave.

Mick rushed round the kitchen with a mission, he had known Jeremy for 11 years, and not once had he offered to share his favourite meal with a woman, let alone ask the best chef in town to prepare it especially!

“Here you go tiger, good luck she is sure to like it! I have added extra bacon for good measure” Jeremy took the plate, whacked a napkin over his arm grabbed two forks and proceeded to table 11. As he approached the table his voice box tightened and butterflies started to do a merry dance in his stomach. She glanced up and as their eyes met he stumbled on his words and put the plate on the table, leaving Amy to start the conversation. “I didn’t order a salad” Amy smiled. She knew Jeremy’s intentions but was not going to make this easy for him. “It’s my lunch break and thought you might like to share this with me, it’s a Caesar salad, no anchovies” Amy’s grin failed to hide the obvious fact that she was delighted at the prospect of sharing a meal with this handsome stranger.

“My favourite, how did you guess?” Amy asked. “Well, it’s the food for beautiful people, so it was obvious.” It was a corny line, but Amy humoured him. “I guess that’s why you enjoy it so much!” They both laughed with relief that their lines were as bad as each others, but at least it broke the ice.

“So you work here? It’s a nice place, I’ve never been here before.” Jeremy enjoyed compliments at the best of times but to hear Amy say she loved his place was something else. “ I own the place” he replied, “so I am bias when I say it’s the best place on the beach.” Amy couldn’t believe her ears, not only was she sitting with a man with deep and dreamy eyes, but he owned his very own bar come café come restaurant. “Really? Got any vacancies?” Amy couldn’t believe she had asked such a question, “sorry I don’t know what I am thinking, you hardly even know me and already I want you to give me a job” She dug her fork deep into the salad bowl intent on trapping a piece of chicken amongst all the lettuce and cheese, as the dressing slid down her fork and on to hand she paused for a moment to think whether licking it off would disgust Jeremy, but within a split second of her thought he leaned across and wiped it with his finger and licked it clean. “Can’t waste good dressing!” A man after my own heart she thought. Jeremy thought for a second then just blurted it out…. “ You’re right, I don’t know you, but I didn’t know any of my employees before I hired them, so if you’re keen I do have a vacancy, Thursday to Saturday night in the bar and Monday through to Wednesday in the restaurant. The pay is average, the location is good and the perks are fantastic. So what do you say?” Amy couldn’t believe her ears….. “You have a deal! When do I start?”

“Well today is Thursday so you can start tonight in the bar if you like, all you need is a black skirt and purple top!” “Purple?” Amy grimaced. “Why purple?” Jeremy laughed, and pointed to the ceiling. Amy looked up and all she could see was letters scrawled all over the place. “I don’t get it!” Amy whined. Jeremy leant close and whispered in her ear, “no one does, it has been a twelve month mystery that no one has solved yet, only I know and the first person to be the second to know wins a meal a day for a year!”. “well, that will give me something to do during my breaks!” Amy remarked.

“Well I will go and buy myself a new shirt, I love buying clothes and now I have an excuse, I will see you back here at 6.00pm.” Jeremy stood up and reached for the salad bowl, as he did he brushed arms with Amy and she noticed a slight blush in his cheeks. “How much do I owe you for lunch?” Amy asked. “Lunch is on me. I will see you tonight, maybe we can have a drink when we close” Jeremy replied. “Maybe.” Amy left it that. As she walked out the restaurant she slapped her hat back on and strolled in a skipping fashion to her car.

Jeremy took her glass and bowl into the kitchen and announced his new staff member to Mick. “But she hasn’t even given you a resume!” Mick scoffed. “She didn’t need to, I can tell she will fit in with the team here, she’s wonderful Mick, absolutely bloody wonderful!”.

“I fear it’s love at first sight my friend, and you have fallen badly!” Mick informed his mate. “well, if this is love then I am happy to experience it. I have only just met the girl and already I can’t wait to see her again.” “What is her name?” Mick queried. “Shit! I didn’t even bloody ask.” “Could it be Amy by any chance?” Mick laughed as he looked down at the napkin. Jeremy glanced down to see what was so funny. On the napkin a note was scrawled in red ink – ‘My name is Amy, thanks for asking!’ Jeremy’s heart sank, “I have blown it! I didn’t even ask her name, and she doesn’t even know mine. What an idiot she must think I am!”

“Calm down Jeremy, I am sure she is only having a lend of you, she will be back tonight and you can patch things up then, start over!” “you’re right” Jeremy admitted, things could be worse.

Amy was prone to being careful when it came to meeting men, but there was something about Jeremy which made her smile and she was able to sing for the first time in a long while without crying. Her heart had been lifted and she was ready to start a new life. She did stop to think she was taking it all too seriously but something was pulling her towards Jeremy with a force she hadn’t experienced before.

“What size are you dear?” the lady behind the counter asked for the third time. Amy was still in a daze. “sorry, I am size 10, do you have it in purple?”

“Yes, I think we do, but not in your size – will a 12 be too big?” “12 should be fine, thank you.” Amy grabbed the shirt and took it into a changing room, still content with humming her favourite tune – regardless of the fact that everyone else was hearing a different tune playing on the radio.

She slipped her dress off and looked at her image reflecting back to her in the mirror, she wondered if it was good enough to reveal to men again, well one man in particular. She blushed at the thought and quickly slipped the purple shirt on, had a brief look from both sides, front and back and took it off again. As she was slipping her dress back on she imagined a man standing behind her adjusting the straps as she put them on her shoulders. She brushed her skin and closed her eyes, in an attempt to remember intimacy again. She grabbed the shirt, opened the dressing room door and headed for the counter. As she was opening her purse to pay for it she spotted a black skirt on a reduced rack. It was long enough for work yet short enough to capture the imagination of one certain employer. She couldn’t resist temptation and took it off the rack. “I’ll have this too!” the lady behind the counter smiled… “special occasion?” Amy was happy to reply “Yes. I got a new job today!” “Congratulations, you certainly look like you have something to celebrate!” Amy handed over forty dollars and after putting her change in her purse and her receipt in the bag she strolled out of the shop and headed straight for home.

“Hello. Jasper? Where are you Jasper” Amy called as she burst through the front door! Jasper came bolting down the hallway skidding to a stop to jump and scratch at Amy’s ankles. Amy bent down and picked him up, letting him lick all over her face. “stop it Jasper….want a treat?” Jasper jumped out of her arms and ran to the kitchen…..sniffing at the cupboard where the treats were kept. Jasper was an intelligent dog and Amy had him since he was a puppy. He was her best friend and was there for her through some of the toughest times in her life. She opened the cupboard and knelt down to reach Jasper a chocolate treat. As he licked it straight out of her palm she laughed and ran into the lounge room and zapped the television on with the remote. She flopped onto the couch and tapped her knee as a signal for Jasper to join her. He jumped up and snuggled into her lap, content that she was now home with him.

Jeremy looked at the clock, it was 5.45pm – only fifteen minutes until Amy walked through the doors,, not that he was counting but he couldn’t wait, he wanted to see her face again feel her eyes looking into his and to have the smell of her hair drift past him. Amy decided to wear her hair down, it fell in wringlets and the colour emphasised her beautiful eyes. She wore little makeup, just enough to cover her freckly complexion and highlight her lips and cheekbones. She was out to make an impression. Before dressing she sprayed her body with her favourite perfume and had a second glance in the mirror to gain her approval at what she saw. As she slipped her knickers and bra on she placed her hands on her hips and admired her matching purple lace set, she was pleased at how her body filled it perfectly. She pulled her skirt on and buttoned her shirt, being careful to leave the top one open. She gave her self another spray of perfume and a light touch of moisture cream on her hands. She grabbed her keys, gave Jasper a pat and a kiss goodbye and headed out the door. As she slipped her seatbelt on she felt her heart race a million miles an hour as her stomach filled with butterflies.

When she reached the harbour she parked in a nearby car park, grabbed her purse slammed the car door in an eager attempt to get started and walked with a quickened pace to her new place of employment.

“Hi, you made it!” Jeremy joked as she stepped through the door. “Come through I will introduce you to everyone.” Amy followed him through to the kitchen, paying particular attention to his cute behind. It wasn’t like Amy to be so observant of a man’s body, but she was infatuated and couldn’t help herself. “This is Mick, the chef – he was responsible for that beautiful salad we shared today.” Mick reached out his hand, then quickly retracted to wipe it on a nearby cloth before stretching it out again, “please to meet you, Amy isn’t it?” Amy shook his hand, and smiled. “Yes, Amy. Thank you for the tasty salad earlier.” “No problem, it’s my job.” Jeremy put his hand in the small of Amy’s back to lead her through to the bar, where she would be starting tonight. “This is Troy and Alex” “Guys, this is Amy, she will be starting behind the bar with you tonight, and will be working Fridays too. “Pleased to meet you.” Amy stretched her hand out to the two men and shook, “please to meet you too.” Replied Troy. “finally, a good looking employee” Alex jested. “Have you worked in a bar before?” “Only in Ireland on my back packing trek. Trust me, I can pull a beer as good as the rest of them!” Troy reached down and pulled out a pint glass. “Here you go, show us what you’re made of.” Amy grabbed the glass tilted it under the neck of the tap and pulled, filling the glass with a perfect head. “there you go, now it’s your turn!” Jeremy grabbed the glass, drank the beer in one foul sweep and looked at the three bar staff. “No more wasting good beer, the punters will be here soon so look sharp!”

Amy looked at Jeremy, who gave her a quick wink and a smile, she couldn’t help but wink back. The flirting had officially begun. Amy strolled over to a customer who slouched on the bar and threw his keys down. “What’s your poison?” she quirked. “