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Post by dobbythefreeelf on Jul 21, 2011 19:08:40 GMT -5
Antoinette woke up to the beeping sound coming from where she concluded was the kitchen. The wall clock to her right had said it was around seven in the morning. The light streaming from the window curtains showed that the storm was long gone by now.
She slowly got up from her position, careful not to wake up her brother. Her eyes drifted to the opening leading to the kitchen. Then she heard a loud clatter, and a few swear words muttered after. She walked to the kitchen entrance and saw Keith Harkin pouring milk into a bowl of cereal.
"Having trouble there?" She asked.
He looked up and smiled while dripping a couple drops of milk onto the counter top. "Did I wake you up?"
Antoinette shook her head. "No, it's fine. What's going on here? Did you enter a cooking show?" She looked around as she saw the microwave half-open, a half-eaten bagel on a plate, a carton of frozen pancakes, and a cup of sweet-smelling coffee.
"Just wanted a decent breakfast." He muttered.
"Cereal?" She lifted an eyebrow.
He grabbed a spoon from the drawer. "I gave up. I got hungry."
"Honestly, pancakes are much more filling then cereal. You are still planning on taking Tom out, right?"
She watched him warily as he nodded. That was all it took, before she walked forward and grabbed the carton of pancakes. "Keith, these are microwavable."
He shrugged. "They didn't even look good, anyway."
Antoinette sighed and proceeded to look through the cabinets for a bowl and a whisk. "You have flour, right?"
Keith look at her as if seeing her in a new light. "I'm...not sure." He let out.
"Do you live by yourself, Keith?" She asked.
"Aye. I usually come round here for a nice, decent meal." He had a pained expression on his face.
All Antoinette did was nod and began to rummage through the pantry. "You DO have flour."
Keith muttered something like, "...thought it was sugar or something."
Antoinette hid her smirk. It was a good thing she had taught herself to make the pancakes. He was in for a treat, for even Thomas himself couldn't get enough of her special pancakes.
----
He'd have asked his Granny to teach him how to cook, but it would just be embarrassing to him, especially since he had assured her he was capable of living alone.
And now, having Antoinette cook him pancakes from scratch made him feel entirely happy. He usually got around with microwaveable meals at home. He rarely ate there, too. He was always at a mate's house, his parents' or Granny's house, or at a local pub. All he really needed was Guinness, but he had to function properly.
"They smell good." He mused as he watched Antoinette cook. "You done this before?"
She laughed. "Cooking isn't a foreign concept, Keith. How do you get around?" She turned to face him.
"Very carefully." He answered. Keith watched Antoinette in silence. He had faith that the pancakes would be delicious, if it were anything like the scent that came from them.
"Thank you for this. I need all the energy to teach." He added dramatically. "Is he still asleep?"
Antoinette nodded. "I'm surprised. He's really excited. You know, he was smiling in his sleep and all that." She transferred the pancakes to a plate before setting it in front of him.
Keith's mouth watered as he took in the scent. "You still don't want to come with us? It'll be fun."
"I'll think about it, if you're still insisting." She said.
He restrained from sighing happily due to the delicious texture of the pancake in his mouth. "Of course." He said in between bites. "Do you want to marry me someday?"
Antoinette chuckled. "Just to cook you pancakes every day?"
"Aye. I'd marry you just for that." He winked at her.
She gave him a warm smile. "I'll think about it, Harkin." She left the kitchen.
Goodness, the pancakes were delicious. They were a golden brown, definitely incomparable to the microwaveable pancakes he had eaten before.
----
He definitely needed it. It wasn't that he looked malnourished or anything, it was just that the poor lad could have used a home cook meal. After seeing what the effects of the pancakes had done to him, she politely excused herself so he could finish in peace.
She walked back to the living room, unsurprised to find Thomas still asleep, although there was a giant dog that had took her place beside him.
The dog looked up at her and barked softly, as if to acknowledge her presence in the room. She watched as Thomas unconsciously draped his arm over the big dog, before resuming to sleep.
Antoinette had no problems with dogs. She was definitely more of a dog person than a cat person. That animal beside her brother was not a dog; it was more like a bear.
She softly sighed. Before they had moved to Ireland, they had a dog back in Paris, before her mother had given it away to a local shelter. She didn't have the heart to tell her brother that they hadn't discovered if it was a no-kill shelter or not. Anyways, she had loathed the dog. It had always kept on chewing her books or shedding it's fur on her duvet. The dog had made her brother smile though, so she learned to live with it.
The faint sound of the kitchen sink knocked her out of her thoughts. Keith was done.
His invitation was still clear in her mind. She didn't want her morning to be wasted on the beach. The book she had been reading the night before still lay on her bedside table. On top of that, she had to clean the house for her mother's arrival the next day. Still, she could see herself having fun with the two boys.
"Don't mind me, just on my way to freshen up." Keith's voice said as he walked into the living room and into the hallway.
Cleaning the house didn't take that long to do. And she was almost finished with her novel anyway.
"Keith, I'll go." She called out suddenly, knowing that he could hear her.
His faint chuckle from the hall gave away the fact that he did.
----
Thank you for reading.
Next : the Beach!
Don't hesitate to R&R!
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Post by celticbear on Jul 21, 2011 19:56:03 GMT -5
Well I've always said that the woman who ends up with Keith better be a good cook! Yes Keith knows how to cook himself but every once in awhile a guy likes to have a woman cook for him. And I hope the same is for Keith! Love his cute little proposal to Toni! Am glad she is going to join them on the beach! So Looking Forward To That Chapter!
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Post by HburgEagle44 on Jul 21, 2011 20:05:55 GMT -5
LOL Keith.........wowwwwwwwww that 'proposal' was hilarious and I'm glad Antoinette is going to the beach too update soon, please!
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Post by celticthunder1510 on Jul 21, 2011 22:05:16 GMT -5
Keith and the pancakes....
UPDATE!!!
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Post by GalwayGirl on Jul 21, 2011 22:13:59 GMT -5
I loved the update!!! Hehe the 'proposal' was hilarious!! Can't wait to see what happens next!! Update soon please!!
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Post by dobbythefreeelf on Jul 23, 2011 4:28:03 GMT -5
Thomas was undeniably a good student, Keith had to admit. He would do everything Keith would tell him, without one single protest. The most important thing was that he wasn't annoying Keith. Yes, the sea looked inviting, but all he had to do was just turn away from the ocean and talk a little louder in an effort to quiet down the sounds of the crashing waves.
"Keith, am I doing this right?" Thomas asked.
They were on the shore, just a few feet away from the water itself. Keith was still unsure if Thomas really did know how to swim, or if his sister was only joking. Now, the boy had his feet firmly planted on the board, like Keith had showed him.
"Aye, you're a natural, little man." Keith mussed Thomas' hair. "I reckon you want to take a break? Then we'll set out for the real surf."
Thomas' face had lit up incredibly. He nodded. "Aye." He mimicked. "Toni's packed some sandwiches."
Keith's gaze drifted off to the far end of the beach, where Antoinette was currently seated on a blanket. She had her face buried in a book while a picnic basket lay by her side. It still amazed him on how she had managed to pack all that at his parents' house. He didn't even know they had a picnic basket!
"Alright Tommy, let's go." Keith said. He wasn't very hungry, but decided so for the sake of the boy. He also had wanted to talk to his sister a bit, for she did agree to accompany them.
Once they had reached Antoinette, Thomas quickly plopped down beside her.
"May we have those sandwiches now?" He asked as she looked away from her book.
Antoinette looked momentarily confused, as if she had trouble adjusting to her current setting, rather than the one from the book. "They're in there." She mumbled.
"You fancyin' the book?" Keith asked.
Her eyes landed on his. "Yes. Your grandma had personally suggested it."
Keith sat down in front of her. He remained quiet and began to stare at her uncomfortably, silently teasing her heedless state to the real world.
He smiled as he saw her lift the book up in front of her face to block him.
----
Antoinette had watched the little lesson take place for a while, but even the most attentive person would become tired after watching someone mount a surfboard, talk, unmount, talk, and mount again.
It was a nice day after all, perhaps maybe a little too humid for her tastes, but definitely not all too bad. It was a good thing she had decided to borrow one of the Harkins' books, for it looked like they were going to be at the beach for a while.
The book she was currently reading was a love story. Antoinette disliked them greatly for they are widely known for their high expectations. Grandma Harkin had personally suggested the book for her and she didn't have the will to say no. Once she had read it she became immensely intrigued. The plot was about unrequited love, something she had never actually thought she'd be interested in reading.
Now, however, she was prepared to lash out on anything that would disrupt her attention. Well, that was until Thomas had come along.
She couldn't continue reading now. Thomas' teacher was distracting her. He was only looking at her, but nonetheless.
"Keith, what are you doing?" She gingerly put her book down to look at him.
He gave a toothy grin and reached for two sandwiches. "You need a break, too. Your eyes are red." He gave her a sandwich.
Antoinette averted her eyes from his figure. She was mature for eighteen years, but seeing him without a shirt made her breath hitch. "It's not possible."
"What's not?"
"My eyes being red." She began to become particularly interested in a shell.
"How are you holding up? Are you bored yet?" He asked.
She mentally composed herself before forcing her eyes to look at him. "No." Her eyes held his for a moment, noting that they were a very nice green.
Keith looked away and picked up her book. "Hmm, a love story? Didn't peg you for the type."
She snatched the book away. "I'm not... until I read it." She added quietly.
Thomas was watching the two exchange conversation. "Does this mean I have to wait an hour?" He said as he began to eat his third sandwich.
Antoinette was surprised Keith had answered. "Aye, little man. I'm afraid so. We're going to take on surfing next and it'll make your stomach hurt a lot if you don't. Trust me, I know."
"What am I going to do then?" Thomas looked at Antoinette with pleading eyes.
She sighed. "Rest, Tom. Just for thirty minutes. Besides, it's a beautiful day."
"No, it has to be an hour." Keith said as Thomas began to frown. "Sorry lad, I need a bit more time to teach your sister how to surf."
----
He didn't know what had caused him to say it. It wasn't as if Antoinette would be as well as her brother.
"What?" Antoinette asked while Thomas began to laugh.
Keith nodded wisely. "I'm gonna teach you. It'll be fun. It's once in a lifetime, though."
She shook her head causing Keith to wonder how on earth she was capable of having hair that shiny.
"You should, Toni! He's a great teacher!" Thomas exclaimed.
Oh, she was definitely going to surf if Thomas had anything to do with it. Keith knew she would do anything for her brother.
"I'll be back, then. I've got myself a smaller board in the Jeep... and a wetsuit." He stood up without one look back.
----
She cursed him silently. No, she was by no means going to surf. It was a dangerous activity. One unexpected wave and then it becomes life threatening. Antoinette had known Thomas was capable of doing it, under Keith's watch of course. Not her.
"Tom, I can't do this. I don't want to do this. I'm not going to do this." She said erratically.
"He's a good teacher.", was all that came out of her brother's mouth.
Keith came back. He was carrying a blue surfboard while a wetsuit was slung on his shoulders. He grinned once he saw her stoic expression.
"No." She said. "I'm not surfing."
He ignored her as he set the surfboard down. He frowned ever so slightly. "I think this wet suit might be too big. Fancy staying in the clothes you have now?"
"No."
"Don't worry, it'll dry off."
"No."
He raised his eyebrows. "Do you prefer not surfing in them, then?"
"No."
Keith looked at Thomas. "Help me out here Tommy."
He nodded. "Toni, it's really fun. Keith is there if you fall. You'll have fun. Please?"
She didn't dare look at her brother. It was win - lose situation. "I don't have a swim suit." She glared at Keith.
"Just wear what you have on. I have towels in the Jeep. I always come prepared." He winked at her.
She was unfazed. "No."
He rolled his eyes and helped her up. "You'll have fun."
----
Thank you for the reviews:)
R&R, please.
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Post by meg_cahill21 on Jul 23, 2011 7:59:21 GMT -5
okay, so i just finished reading this and i LOVE it!!!! u HAVE TO UPDATE SOON!!!!!!!
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Post by GalwayGirl on Jul 23, 2011 9:43:45 GMT -5
I loved the update!!! Toni reading a book that she didn't expect she would like and getting really into it!! lol Keith offering to teach her to surf! I bet that she will say yes or have to deal with Keith and Tommy bothering her for the rest of the time.... lol Update soon please!!!
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Post by maybemaeve on Jul 23, 2011 18:54:42 GMT -5
i really love this story! you are a good author:) i signed up just to comment. can't wait for more!
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Post by celticbear on Jul 23, 2011 20:55:35 GMT -5
Toni with her nose buried in a romance novel is priceless and her fighting with Keith about the surf lessons is the Cherry on the Sundae! Is she mental! I would never give up a chance to be taught how to surf by Keith! Can't wait to see what happens next!
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Post by dobbythefreeelf on Jul 24, 2011 16:49:46 GMT -5
He always knew that she was going to end up in the water...somehow. What Keith didn't expect was how stubborn Antoinette was. If Thomas hadn't been watching them proudly, Keith would run for the waves.
"Can you make up your mind?" Antoinette said, exasperated. "You tell me to mount one way and do the complete opposite."
He learned to tune her out pretty quickly. This was the longest time he had ever been on a beach without surfing. Even if there weren't any waves, he'd still be in the ocean.
Keith sighed. "Listen. Just throw your leg over." He mimicked the action on his surfboard.
"This would've been bloody easier if I hadn't been wearing jeans." She muttered. Nonetheless, she did as he had showed her, with a bit of difficulty.
"Congratulations Antoinette! You have successfully mastered the art of sitting on a surfboard!" He said sarcastically.
Oh, if looks could kill.
Keith sighed and leaned forward so that he was lying face-down. "Copy." He said simply.
He heard her mutter some words before doing the same.
Keith showed her how to get on top of the board before getting off himself. He had let her borrow his most prized surfboard. Every single time she did something wrong, he inwardly shivered for no such surfboard should ever be treated that way.
"Are you ready to go on the water?" He asked as excitement began to stir in him; the waves today were beautiful.
"I'm pretty sure Thomas is itching to go first. What kind of sister would I -" She didn't get to finish as Keith grabbed her wrist and walked over to the shore.
"Now remember, you paddle, and then stand." He instructed. "Then just balance yourself."
He couldn't take it anymore. He ran toward the water and paddled.
One. Two. Three.
He stood up as soon as he felt the wave coming. He stirred his surfboard to the right, left, and then right again. Keith had stayed on for a good seven seconds before falling in the water.
"Is there any other way for me to get off the surfboard instead of falling in the water?" He heard a shout as he resurfaced.
Maybe some people weren't meant to surf.
----
Okay, she had to admit, Keith had looked mighty fit when he began to surf. It probably would've been more fun if she were more motivated to learn. As she watched him fall from his surfboard she quickly took back the thought.
She waited for his head to resurface before she shouted. "Is there any other way for me to get off the surfboard instead of falling in the water?"
She swore she heard him groan. "Let's try this some other time, when maybe you have the right clothing."
"Who said there will be another time?" She yelled back. She was in a much happier mood though.
Antoinette planted the surfboard like she had seen Keith do, but only to have it waver slightly before hitting the sand. "I give up." She turned around to find Thomas beaming at her. "Your turn Tom."
It amused her to see how quickly the little boy managed to stand. It was like he had a set of springs in him. "Did you have fun, Toni? I told you he was a good teacher!" Thomas said when he approached her.
"I had... a different kind of fun. Do you mind if I leave early? I need to clean the house for Ma." She figured she'd just call one of her mates, not Fergus, to pick her up and take her home. It was getting close to noon already.
Thomas' smile faltered. "Who's going to take me home, then?"
"Is Keith not your friend or something?" She smiled as she saw Keith looking at them. "I'm sure he'll be able to take you home."
Thomas shook his head indignantly. "It won't be the same. I can't show you what I learned."
"How about this - why don't you practice and then we'll find some other day so you can show me what you really learned? Besides, I think Keith's getting a little bit frustrated with me."
"No." Thomas said immediately. "He likes you, I can tell."
An idea popped into her head. "I'll buy us some pizza later. Do you want that?"
He seemed to know what she was up to. "Um. Cheese and mushrooms?"
"Is there any other pizza you'd rather eat?" She teased. "Tell Keith I'd be off. Make sure to wear your sunscreen. I'll leave the basket here."
She walked over to the picnic basket and searched around for her phone. Who would be free to pick her up on a Saturday? Fergus definitely was but she had decided to limit contact with him.
She looked through her contacts and decided to call Diarmuid. Diarmuid was her second closest friend, unfortunately next to Fergus. She had remembered that Diarmuid always went to the market on Saturdays. Hopefully she'd catch her right on time.
Antoinette pressed the call button and waited for her to pick up.
"Hello?" Diarmuid's thick accent was heard.
"Hi, Dee." Antoinette started. "Are you at the market?"
"Oh, hi Antoinette. No, I'm actually on my way back home. What is it?"
"Can you come take me home? I'm at the beach by the market. Thomas and I are with a friend, but I decided to come home early. Get the house clean and all that."
She breathed a sigh of relief as Diarmuid said, "The market? Yeah, I'm on my way past there. Wait thirty seconds."
Antoinette said goodbye and hung up. She turned around and found Keith watching her curiously, only to have his head turn abruptly back to Thomas.
----
"Keith, Toni's going to leave. May you take me home later?" Thomas had asked him.
Keith was a little disappointed. No matter how stubborn the girl was, she did end up growing on him.
"Sure, Tommy. But let's get you out to the surf before we get you home." He managed to let out.
His eyes drifted off to where Antoinette was. She looked like she was talking on the phone, probably calling for a ride no less. Her head turned to his direction and he quickly looked away.
"Don't get distracted, boy." He muttered quietly to himself.
HONK. HONK.
Keith's head looked back up again and saw that her ride was evidently there. That was fast. He caught Antoinette's eye, waved, and turned back his attention to her little brother.
"Okay, Tommy. Now remember, paddle slowly." He warned. He had asked Thomas to recite everything he had told him so that Keith wouldn't have to worry, but the boy looked so small on the surfboard.
"Pace yourself, fella. Don't rush." Keith instructed.
He was bemused as he watched Thomas take on a little wave and had managed to stay on for a good three seconds. Well, it was a start, especially for such a young boy.
"Good job." Keith praised as Thomas resurfaced. "You'll be surfing the big'uns in no time."
----
"Who was Thomas with?" Diarmuid asked as she started the car.
Antoinette settled on the seat, careful not to spread the sand that she had acquired on her bottom. "Rebecca Harkin's brother. He offered to teach Thomas how to surf."
"He's fit, aye?" Diarmuid pulled onto the road. "I reckon you got some digits on you?"
Antoinette shook her head. "No, Dee." She forced down a smile as Diarmuid genuinely frowned. "How was the market? Sell anything?"
"A few." Diarmuid's family sold fresh fruit every Saturday. They had many buyers, for fresh fruit was sometimes hard to come by due to the never-changing weather. Antoinette had always wondered how on earth they managed to grow fruit. "You look tired...and sandy."
"Yes. He taught me how to surf .. unsuccessfully." She silently cursed herself as she remembered that her book was still in the picnic basket. Hopefully Keith would be thoughtful enough to bring it to her later.
Diarmuid chuckled. "Well, nothing is ever successful when you put yourself and a physical activity to good use."
"I beg to differ." Antoinette said almost immediately. Okay, maybe she wasn't the most active, but she didn't resent it, either.
They drove in silence until Diarmuid finally pulled up next to the tiny cottage. "I always did wonder on how you managed to keep that intact." She referred to the tiny garden by the door.
"Me too, for that matter." She hopped down the car. "Thanks Dee." She then proceeded to wipe away the excess sand she left on the seat.
"Leave it." Diarmuid shook her head. "You're hopeless."
Antoinette grinned and waved before running to the front porch. She waited for Diarmuid to drive away before getting the spare key in a little crease by the window and opening the door.
The house was surprisingly much cleaner than she remembered it to be. It also smelled nice. She heard faint footsteps in the hall before concluding to a fact.
"Ma?"
----
Thank you for your time:)
Don't hesitate to leave a review.
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Post by GalwayGirl on Jul 24, 2011 16:58:34 GMT -5
I loved the update!! Keith's poor surfboard.... lol I am sure that both Keith and Toni enjoyed themselves a little, even with all of the teasing!! I am glad that Keith and Thomas get along so well!! I am sure that Toni will be glad to have her mother home! Update soon please!!!
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Post by celticbear on Jul 24, 2011 20:34:01 GMT -5
This was a cute update! I felt sorry for Keith's favorite surfboard! Toni needs to learn to loosen up! Glad Tom had fun! And I hope it is her mother who arrived home early and cleaned the house!
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Post by maybemaeve on Jul 24, 2011 21:03:37 GMT -5
very funny:-) update soon please!!!!!!!
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Post by angelmcfay on Jul 25, 2011 2:03:05 GMT -5
i love this cant wait 4 the next update
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