Free The Perils of Skinny-Dipping by J A Sandilands Page A

and, apart from one disastrous date with a fellow teacher from the English department, his love life was non-existent. He and women just didn’t get on. They were a funny breed and Richard had resigned himself to the fact that romance would never be an option in his life. However, being a virgin in his forties was not something Richard would ever share with anyone, although his mother probably knew as he had moved back in with her immediately after leaving Glasgow.
    Two weeks later, after an interview in Manchester at the charity’s head office, he had been given the news that his application was successful and he should be ready to leave the United Kingdom within three months. Kasane had turned out to be the best thing that had happened to Richard in a long time. He had met like-minded people like Mr Permelo, who had introduced possibilities into Richard’s life that, in the past, he had only ever been able to dream about. That part of his life was a long way away now and, if Mr Permelo kept to his part of the bargain, it would never be a problem again.
    A knock at the front door broke his train of thought. He looked at the clock. It was four o’clock on the dot. Ah good , he thought to himself, another interview . He quickly went into the bedroom and sprayed on the aftershave his mother had bought him as a leaving present, before opening the door.

Chapter Ten
     
     
     
     
    The beginning of the working week arrived all too quickly for Abbey. Richard did not mention the team-building day, but instead bustled about the office as if nothing untoward had happened at all. Abbey looked at Phil quizzically who shook his head and smiled.
    ‘ Oh Richard, before I forget. I need to see the holiday booking forms,’ shouted Abbey as Richard made his way out of the door.
    Phil immediately looked up at Abbey, ‘Where are we off to, then?’
    ‘ Darren’s got to go to Cape Town for a meeting with some surveyors. He’s asked me to go with him.’
    ‘ Fab.’
    ‘ Yeah, I’ve never been and I’m really looking forward to it. We’re going to fly down tomorrow.’
    Without any comment at all, Richard put the form on her desk. Abbey filled it out to request two weeks’ holiday, to start from the next day.
    ‘ Going to manage without me, Phil?’ she teased.
    ‘ Oh yeah, it’s going be a laugh a minute with Captain Pugwash over there,’ sighed Phil, motioning his hand at Richard, who was checking the compost bags outside.
    ‘ You’re in a good mood this morning,’ commented Abbey a little later, as Phil sang quietly to himself.
    ‘ Yep, that’s because I have a hot date tonight.’
    Abbey raised her eyebrows. ‘Do I know the lucky girl?’
    ‘ Doubt it; she works in the office at one of the hotels. I hardly know her myself. She came around the house at the weekend, bold as brass, and asked me out.’
    ‘ Must be your football skills,’ laughed Abbey.
    ‘ Or the fact that I am completely irresistible to all women!’
    Very early the next morning, Abbey and Darren flew down to Gaborone Airport and then boarded a South African Airlines plane to Cape Town. They hired a car and Darren drove towards the town, Abbey instantly noticing and appreciating the cooler temperature.
    ‘ Where are we staying?’ she asked, admiring the views around her, looking up in the direction of Table Mountain.
    ‘ I’ve booked us into a small hotel at Hout Bay,’ replied Darren. ‘It’s not far out of town and the beach is great.’
    ‘ Wow!’ gasped Abbey when they turned into the bay and onto the main promenade, which was lined with street cafés and restaurants. ‘What are those trees called?’ she asked, pointing to a line of tall trees, abundant with purple flowers.
    ‘ Those are Jacaranda trees. You can see them all over South Africa. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?’
    The beach seemed to stretch for miles, and the views all around them were stunning with the most amazing houses positioned on the cliff, overlooking the