Beaches and Cream Read Free

sprinting across the veranda. Her bare legs were a blur as she trilled down the crescent of stairs, pulling her t-shirt over her head as she ran. At the bottom of the stairs, she wriggled out of her shorts and underwear like a woman shaking off chains. With a flick of her fingers, her bra was off as well. Then, completely nude, and totally indifferent to her audience, Tia bounded joyfully with long, limber strides and dove headlong into the pool, disappearing beneath the water in a dazzling cascade of crystal droplets.
    Veronica and I leant on the wrought iron fence at the end of the veranda and watched from above.
    â€œShe always does that,” Veronica laughed musically. “It’s always the first thing she does.”
    I smiled too. But Veronica must have seen something behind my eyes that suggested such brazen nudity was something altogether unfamiliar to me.
    Veronica laughed again. “Don’t worry! We do often go naked here when it’s just the girls. But it’s by no means the law!”
    She squeezed the back of my hand affectionately and looked directly into my eyes.
    â€œWear exactly what you want, or don’t want, Mand. It’s your first holiday here. And I want it to be your best one.”
    I liked the way she called me Mand. Like Tia did. Rather than the oddly formal “Amanda” that my own mother used. Veronica beamed a warm, genuine smile that immediately transformed my smile from worried to contented.
    We turned again to watch Tia splashing about in the water, just in time to see her bare, gleaming bottom break the surface of the water, like a wet peach bobbing to the surface, before she dove deep to glide in a languid breaststroke along the bottom of the pool.
    The next morning, after a delightfully leisurely start, we enjoyed a late breakfast of warm croissants, homemade jam, and sweet, fresh fruit on the veranda. The place was even more beautiful than it was the day before. The warm wooden floor of the house flowed seamlessly through the open doors and out to the warm terracotta beneath my bare feet. The birds sang in the trees, and clouds of exotic floral fragrances enveloped me everywhere I went. I adored the lack of distinction between indoors and out and, although I was quite comfortable in my summer clothes, I could easily see how someone could go naked here.
    Tia stretched like a satisfied cat, and announced that she was going to go for a run.
    â€œAre you?” Veronica sounded almost disappointed. “I was going to go down to the beach. Should I wait for you?”
    â€œNo, don’t worry,” Tia replied. “I don’t know how
long I’ll be. And I was only going to hang out by the pool today, anyway.”
    â€œWould you like to come to the beach, Mand?” Veronica brightened. “Or would you like to stay here? It’s totally up to you.”
    It had been an age since I’d been to any beach, and longer still since I’d been in the sea. So for me, my choice was clear.
    â€œI’d love to go to the beach with you.”
    So, while Veronica and I finished our second cups of coffee, Tia changed into what had become the ubiquitous outfit of the stylish athletic—skintight leggings and a crop-top cami that exposed her midriff. Tia certainly had no problem with her body image. I couldn’t tell if she never thought about what she looked like, or if she didn’t have to think about it because she already knew she was beautiful.
    Tia paused and leant against the doorframe. She crossed her ankles casually as she stood. The tight fabric of the leggings clung smoothly to her pelvis, and the creases immodestly followed the shape of her body, clearly outlining the mound of her sex. If ever I took up sport, my wardrobe would have to be a bit more demure.
    â€œWhat will you do?” she asked.
    â€œWe’re heading down to the beach,” I replied.
    â€œOh, nice! Have fun!” Tia exclaimed as she bounded off