The weather was flat calm and damn hot, the scenery, rolling, wild and as ruggedly beautiful as only the North West of Scotland can be in late summer. It was my first proper holiday in years.
I had not long returned home from a taxing six month work assignment that had turned into nearly seven long ones and while it had certainly been hot, there wasn't much relaxing or unwinding to be had. Now, I was only a day into my first break in years and already I wasn't having fun.
Sitting on a large, flat rock as the sun descended in a clear, dark blue evening sky, sinking rapidly behind the mountains, I took a sip from the bottle of tequila in my hand and looked down the hillside to where I could see the little coloured specks of windsurfers, jet skiers and assorted other visitors to the area enjoying themselves on the loch below. The peace, solitude and the sounds of nature were beginning to ease my irritation, but only slightly.
I guess it had been a little over a fortnight since I arrived back and went on leave. The usual sense of maladjustment that follows a period away quickly got its fingers around my throat as I stood gazing at the skyline of Edinburgh from the window of a flat that I’d barely stayed in since I bought it.
I walked like a zombie through a dreary day shopping for provisions and essentials for my home, another rebuilding up and updating my wardrobe and then a third getting drunk by myself on the Royal Mile.
It was on the fourth day of isolation, around noon; an email pinged into my inbox. I read the name at the top of the screen and it was like a kiss on the cheek from God.
Hey stranger! It chirped.
It seemed that someone had told a welcome face from my past that I had crash landed back in the Scotland.
Fiona was a very old acquaintance by my transient and solitary standards. We had met at University in Aberdeen in the nineties. She was doing some random arts degree that I secretly suspected would never take her anywhere besides teacher training college.
As it turned out, it was not to be. She met some bloke, dropped out, moved south and ended up training and working as a hair dresser in small salon down on the east coast.
That relationship didn't last, but her career did and so did our friendship. Though we only saw each other very occasionally there was a great deal of affection and a deep bond between us. I had been in some very bad spots in recent years, only to receive a text message from Fiona that had given me the strength to keep my head straight and get the job done. It was love alright; albeit platonic - a kind of brother and sisterly thing. Strong none the less and I felt lucky to have it.
In looking upon Fiona as a sister, it wasn't that I didn't find her attractive. On the contrary she was a pretty thing, with doe brown eyes and a kindly, mischievous smile, always immaculately turned out and well made up. She had a tendency to be slightly overweight, but that didn't diminish her appeal.
I had typed an email back in quick order, perhaps a little more needy than I’d act around most people. I bemoaned how I was having trouble adjusting to life back in Edinburgh, fishing for a bit of company.
Like the good sister she was, an email bounced right back.
Got a holiday cottage booked up north for a week, it said, plenty of space, will be upset if you don’t come. You have been in my thoughts more than usual lately, she added. I’ve been worried, and it's been too long.
The idea of a week in the sticks with my sister sounded great; just what I needed to ease myself back into ordinary life.
Count me in; I fired back, already casting an eye round the room for my second biggest holdall.
Another lightening fast reply: Can't wait! It's me, my bf, and another couple of friends. Hope that's cool?
It's cool. Hope your taste in men has improved? I replied.
It was set. I was going on holiday.
On my rock, watching the birds of prey combing the scrubland beneath me, smelling the lime and salt in the air, feeling the sun on my weather beaten face and slightly buzzing from the raw spirit, I started to regain some inner peace.
'There you are,' a little voice said behind me, almost apologetically.
'Here I am,' I smiled sympathetically at Fiona as she picked her way over the rough ground towards me, her girlie black sandals hampering progress.
As always, on this trip she had made a big effort with the way she looked. Tonight she more a pretty light blue summer dress over black leggings, a cute pair of brown-rimmed glasses (as she always did), her hair nicely styled and highlighted with reds, coppers and blondes and pinned away from her face with a little clasp. She was still a big girl, lots of boobs and bum, even a hint of a belly, but with a fantastic figure, shapely legs and whimsical, feminine tattoos adorning the base of her neck, her wrist and her ankle.
Suddenly, I was conscious that I was perhaps staring a little too hard at her. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen her, that’s all, I told myself.
'Sorry about all that,' she sat down on the neighbouring rock.
The day, particularly the last few hours hadn't been the best.
I had met Fiona and her partner of almost three years at Waverly railway station bright and early that morning. I’d never met this guy before. My overriding desire was to see Fiona happy, so I stole myself to like him regardless.
I failed.
Graham was a thirty-something stiff who walked like he had a corn cob up his arse and looked like he was suffering from a serious vitamin D deficiency. Most likely he'd spent too much time in some random office pushing pens about his desk. We shared a limp handshake followed by a revitalising hug from Fiona that made me feel ten years younger, transporting me back to the very first one she gave me in some sweaty Aberdeen rock club years earlier.
She smelled as wonderful as always.
Then we were on our way.
There was the tangible feeling that Graham and I were making an effort to get to know each other on the train. We shared boring small talk about bands, places we'd lived, films we'd seen, but he was very much a man who defined himself by his job and I think it irked him that I politely avoided all attempts to bring the conversation onto mine.
That is not my thing.
Presently, with the sun blazing through the windows as we clattered up through Fife, he fell asleep. His unconsciousness was followed by a sudden sensation of relaxation. Fiona and I sat and beamed at each other like a couple of kids, rarely breaking eye contact, often saying nothing at all, just happy to be together again.
For a time she cupped my rough, dry hands in hers, stroking my chapped knuckles and running her fingers tenderly along the lattice of scars on my fingertips and palms, the burn on the back of my right hand. I could virtually feel her telepathically chiding me for not looking after myself well enough.
Her concern felt, warm and nourishing. I began to feel stronger.
Graham stirred suddenly and she dropped my hand quickly.
I feigned a hurt look and shook my head at her. She playfully stuck her tongue out at me.
Something in the pit of my stomach quivered a little. Perturbed, I ignored it.
It must be said that if Fiona's only problem was that she was shackled to a slightly boring guy, then this story would have ended right here. But, there is a little more to tell.
We coasted into Inverness, picked up the smart but underpowered hire car and started driving west towards Ullapool, Graham by this time dehydrated and suffering from a bad headache, was already beginning to vent his irritation at Fiona's general existence.
As we pushed out through the Black Isle, I hoped for his sake that he was just feeling rough and a bit out of sorts. Aware of the depth of our friendship, he kept his mouth in check as best he could manage.
I drove, as I knew the area fairly well from a job I had done in a previous life. I spoke little, trying to ignore their domestic arrangements and Graham’s escalating whinging. I was already convinced that this individual was not remotely good enough for Fiona.
We penetrated further into the west, being swallowed up by the amazing mountain-scape, forgotten lochs and mysterious winding roads. The boy dozed in the back, missing most of it.
Heathen.
In the late afternoon, we arrived at the rented accommodation. It was a small Scandinavian style chalet in a row of three, nestled into the rough, heathery foothills of one of the, vast, ageless peaks. Beneath the decked area out front the ground dropped off steeply through wooded slopes all the way down to a tiny village which was no more than a row of houses and a pub, on the banks of a glistening, emerald loch below. It was a genuine slice of paradise.
We debussed and I was introduced to another serious looking couple: Tim and Anna. I shook hands with a tall bespectacled freak that looked like a mad scientist with his white afro, round specs and his skinny, hippy-looking wife.
'Really nice to meet you,' I lied, smiling.
'Yah, yah. Likewise,' mused Tim.
Anna just looked slightly worriedly at my high mileage body, sun burnt visage and tattooed upper arms.
We settled in and I helped Anna and Fiona make a dinner of grilled chicken, salad and potatoes in the pleasant open plan kitchen while Graham massaged his temples, watching TV and Tim pecked at something statistical on his laptop.
Once the ice had thawed a little, it was actually okay. It turned out Tim really was a mad scientist and Anna really was a skinny hippy. They were pretty sound though and, of a scientific background myself, we got along nicely.
What didn't click so well was Graham's relationship with Fiona.
In fact, it continued to eat away at me more and more.
Now, all couples go through ups and downs and I wouldn't dream of judging, but he snapped at her too frequently, talked down to her progressively more and more as the evening wore on. By the time we'd eaten dinner and had a few drinks, I’d go so far as to say he was belittling her.
Were these his true colours, or was he just having a bad day? I didn’t much care which.
Anger was rising, slowly but surely.
Aggressive action should never ever be emotional. Anger is a tool that can only be used effectively if it can be switched on and off at will.
'I'm gonna take the air,' I growled, when Graham had made his latest jibe about Fiona getting fat, smugly looking to his captive audience for approval.
Tim and Anna smiled embarrassedly. They were good folks and I could tell they didn’t think much of Graham’s behaviour either.
Now, sitting together on our rocks, looking down at the world, I placed a hand on top of Fiona's, 'you've nothing to be sorry for except your choice of men. That one's an ugly girl in a pair of trousers, if you ask me.'
She smiled sadly, 'well I don't think you'll have to worry about that any more. We just broke up.
'
I studied her. It didn't look like she was seeing a silver lining.
'You've done the right thing,' I said, reaching for one.
'No, you don't understand. He dumped me.'
I laughed, stunned by the revelation: ‘No way!’
'Yeah, not long after you walked out. Apparently living with a fat hairdresser is holding him back.'
‘You want me to beat the shit out of him?’ I suggested genuinely offering.
‘I don’t think that’ll help.’
‘Well,' I said, 'he's probably just burned up because you have a more exciting job than him.'
She liked that, looked sideways at me; smiled prettily.
‘And you definitely aren’t fat’ I added, ‘come on,' I said 'let’s walk and talk.
We linked arms and sauntered towards the road that led down towards the village, and the loch.
'I don't know what it is about me,' she said later, down on the banks of the loch as we picked our way through pine trees that scattered the rocky inner shore. It was getting dark but it was still warm and humid. Music and laughter emanated distantly from the pleasant, white walled pub next to the road and scattered along the shoreline there was still plenty of activity, giving the place a friendly, bustling vibe.
'What do you mean?'
'I mean these guys I’ve lived with. They all seemed right, said they loved me, it all seemed solid, but things always fall apart eventually. They always end up unsatisfied in some way.'
'You know what I think your problem is?' I said, stopping her, turning so we were facing each other.
'Oh, and what's that, mister big relationship expert,' she mimicked affectionately.
'Your always looking for a relationship to define you, relying on another person, rather than just looking for ways to survive... to thrive.'
She laughed at me, 'survival - your answer to everything!'
'Okay, not survival. How about happiness? How about the pursuit of happiness and following that to wherever it leads rather than just giving your happiness the form of yet another unfulfilling long term relationship? You can't find yourself in other people, you know.'
She looked into my eyes for a long time as I held both her hands in mine. I looked at her immaculate aubergine-painted fingernails.
For a moment I thought about kissing her. The sensation felt bizarre; out of place. I put it down to hard work and no female company. I was losing the plot, surely.
'Maybe you're right, bro' she conceded.
We walked on some more. The stony beach up ahead was flecked with an attractive, cosmopolitan bunch of guys and girls in lightweight wetsuits, shorts and t shirts, tending to windsurfers, little boats and BBQs. A VW camper van and a Toyota Hilux were parked on the shore.
A song that Fiona and I both liked by the Deftones was blaring out of the latter.
‘Remember that gig?’ she said.
‘I remember everything we’ve done together,’ I replied.
'You know what?' she announced finally as if she had had some inner revelation.
'What?'
'I'd love to play the field.'
'First I’ve heard of it,' I said.
'But it’s not the first time I’ve thought it. Between you and me, right here - yes, I’d love to juggle men, be a slut, you know?' she looked embarrassed for a second.
‘Does it change the way you see me, to hear me say things like that?’ she asked.
‘What, like aspiring to act the slut?’
She nodded.
‘Never. Go on,' I encouraged, 'you can tell me anything, say anything. Our relationship is permanent.'
'You know, I’ve never done that - played around, I mean. The time has never seemed right to be the girl who fucks anything with a pulse. But I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be her.'
'Well, what better time than now,' I suggested, 'now that shithead is out of the picture.'
She thought this over and I couldn't help but notice her eyes darted to one particular clutch of athletic, toned guys clad in black neoprene and talking in loud, brash tones but a half dozen meters away.
She sighed, 'I’m not getting any younger. The time to do that would have been years ago when we were, like, twenty-something, when everyone else was doing it. I mean, is anyone going to really want that? With... me, I mean.'
I laughed out loud.
'You have to be joking! Have you seen you? Besides, you’re only thirty two. You’re a spring chicken!'
She tilted her head demurely, not handling the focus of attention being directly on her.
'Fiona, seriously; you are smoking hot.'
Her eyelashes fluttered momentarily, making the pit of my stomach do the same.
I looked around, suddenly gripped by a potentially idiotic idea.
She saw where my mind was going and grabbed my arm, tried to slap a hand over my big mouth.
'No, S!'
Too late.
'Oi, mate!' I yelled.
The tall, slim windsurfer who was walking past us carrying a case of beer, dressed for BBQ and party in Stussy and Bong turned towards us with the open, warm smile of a bloke who's been doing what he wants to do for days on end.
I both liked him an envied him right off.
As he cautiously greeted us, I narrowed his origin down to Australasia somewhere.
'Wondering if you can help us with something,' I began 'my good friend here is just newly single and is having a crisis of confidence about hitting the scene. The biggest of these problems is that she doesn't seem to believe how eminently gorgeous she is.'
The guy drank all this in for a moment, wondering nervously whether he might be potentially facing some kind of trap. He looked momentarily embarrassed, surveyed Fiona, slightly hungrily, from head to toe and then brushed his salt-matted dirty blonde mop of hair out of his face, composing his response.
'Well mate, you can tell your lovely friend that a couple of us have just watched her walk the length of this shore, admiring the view the whole way and commenting on what a lucky bastard you are!'
Fiona blushed, a deep red, but looked delighted none the less.
I held my hands up, 'Hey, I'm just a friend.