Free Someone Like You by Victoria Purman

around the business and rewarded her for it. She was proud of the promotion and had stayed awake at night wondering if all her crazy ideas for the place were good ones. There was so much potential there and, for the first time in forever, she let herself think there might be potential in her.
    A small black dog appeared at her side, panting, eager for a pat. Lizzie reached over to give it a scratch behind the ears. After a whistle from its owner, it scampered off down the beach, stopping to sniff the clumps and knots of dried sea grasses on the sand.
    Lizzie rose to her feet and gazed out to the water. She made a resolution right there and then. She had to get that mysterious confidence back.
    A part of her knew that there was something between her and Dan, something puzzling and powerful, something that had been hinted at right from the beginning. But that didn’t mean the time was right. For her or for him. And if the timing wasn’t right, did that mean it wasn’t supposed to happen for them?
    That’s life.
    Lizzie decided it was time she got on with hers.
    Ry placed his knife and fork neatly across his plate and took a sip of water, a huge grin creasing his face. He leaned back in his chair, stretched his arms up and linked them behind his neck. He took a satisfied look around the pub’s front bar.
    ‘Lizzie, you know what I love about my life?’
    From across the table, Lizzie raised her eyebrows. ‘Other than Jools, you mean?’
    ‘Yeah, other than JJ. I love that I get to have business meetings in the front bar of my pub. Wearing shorts and thongs. On a near perfect day, like today, looking out at that spectacular view. It’s bloody brilliant.’
    Lizzie smiled back at him. She knew what he meant. ‘You’re like a reformed smoker, you know that? You’ve only been here for –what is it now – six months, and you’re Middle Point’s biggest fan. Those of us who are born and bred have known its attractions for a whole lot longer.’
    ‘Yeah, yeah, and I suppose I won’t be considered a local for at least another three decades, right?’
    ‘Something like that.’ Lizzie crossed her arms and leaned on the table. ‘So, can we talk business now?’
    ‘Talk about a buzz kill. So, what’s this big thing you had to ask me about?’
    Lizzie took a deep breath to steady herself. The idea had come to her in the middle of the night. Just like that. She’d blinked her eyes open in the darkness and there it was, an idea so simple she couldn’t believe she’d hadn’t thought of it before. Over breakfast, she’d gone over and over it in her head and then called Ry, telling him she needed to talk.
    ‘I’ve got a plan for the pub. And all it needs is your okay. Oh, and your money.’ Lizzie didn’t doubt her idea was brilliant but she wasn’t used to being so upfront about what she thought. She gave Ry one of her best and most confident smiles, hoping it would work its magic on him. She searched his face. Nope, there was no sign that it had any effect whatsoever.
    Ry grew serious and leaned in. ‘A plan for the pub. To do what?’
    ‘I want to landscape the barren wasteland out the back and turn it into a dining area during the summer.’ Lizzie tried to gauge Ry’s initial reaction. He wasn’t laughing or shaking his head in disbelief. Good. That was good. So she segued to Part B.
    ‘But wait, there’s more. I want to organise a market out there on Sunday mornings. There could be stalls selling plants, old books, vintage clothes and local foods, that kind of thing, and we could do breakfasts as well.’
    ‘A market?’
    ‘It would be fantastic, Ry. The local primary school and our sports clubs – even the local environment group – are always looking for things to do to raise money. We could donate them a stall, people would come along to support them and everyone wins. You know how many extra people we get coming through the Point in summer, staying for weekends or even weeks on end. They can walk