The Great Ex-Scape

by Jo Watson

  We walked further into the garden and the chalets came into view. Scattered in the garden, small free-standing cottages all in bright Creole colors. The sound of trickling water made me look down—a stream cut through the garden and we walked over a wooden bridge.

  “This is so beautiful,” I said, as we followed the woman up the path. We passed the first few cottages and then she finally stopped outside one and passed me the key.

  “Thanks,” I said, looking over at Alex. Suddenly the idea that we were being separated felt wrong. We’d spent so much time together.

  “Where’s yours?” I asked, because for some reason I needed to know.

  The woman pointed and spoke in French. I looked over at Alex for a translation.

  “Number eight,” he said, “up the path and to the left.”

  “Okay.” I nodded at him. “Well, goodbye then.” I started turning the key in my lock.

  “Not goodbye,” he said.

  I raised a brow at him.

  “I have something else planned for us, remember?” He gave a tiny smile. “Meet in the reception in ten minutes?”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because we are about to cross another thing off our list.”

  “Haven’t we crossed enough off the list today already?”

  “Trust me. You’ll want to do this one.” He winked and continued to walk up the path and finally disappeared.

  Ten minutes later, after off-loading my bags and changing into a comfortable skirt and T-shirt, I walked back down to the reception and found Alex waiting for me. It was late afternoon and the air was thick and hazy.

  “So where are we going?” I asked when I saw him and we started walking out of the hotel and onto the street.

  “ ‘Number Eight. Have A Spa Day With The Girls,’ ” Alex said, handing me a brochure. “I know I’m not one of the girls, but I should do, right?”

  I smiled across at him. “You’ll do,” I said, looking down at the brochure in my hands. I started reading out loud. “This town is known as a spa town. Water from thermal springs is heated by volcanic chambers far below the surface. The water is packed with minerals and is said to hold great healing powers for many ailments, from arthritis to relieving stress, and is a natural painkiller.” I looked back up at him. “Did you book?”

  He nodded.

  “You are a busy bee, when did you get all of this done?”

  “This morning, when you were sleeping in.”

  “Are you always this prepared for everything?” I asked, opening the brochure.

  “Unfortunately,” he said.

  “Unfortunately?”

  He shrugged and we started walking out the hotel together. “Don’t you know by now, Val? I’m Mr. Stable and Reliable.”

  I laughed. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

  “Isn’t it?” he asked. He sounded serious.

  “Mmmm,” I muttered, “not all woman are looking for tattooed, rock-star rebels. In fact, I must say, predictable sounds really good at this stage of my life.”

  He smiled playfully. “Well that’s good to know. Since we’ll probably be getting married and having kids in three years’ time.”

  I laughed. “And who said you’re predictable and boring?” I looped my arm through his before I realized I’d actually done it. I almost pulled away but Alex moved closer and tightened the loop.

  “You’re probably the only person I’ve ever met that thinks that about me,” he said.

  “Oh, please. I doubt that. We went skydiving today. You made us throw ourselves out of an aircraft!”

  “I’ve never done anything like that before, not until I met you anyway. These last few days something has changed for me. I feel . . . different,” he said, his voice soft and slow. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me as if he was thinking something important. “I think this list is really working.”

  “You know what I feel?” I suddenly said without thinking. I stopped walking and turned to look at him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Over the last three years, I spent so much time and energy pouring water into that leaky bloody bucket, that I’ve done nothing for myself. These last few days have been the first time in years I’ve actually done anything just for myself. The magazine was right, I need to focus on myself.”

  “Me too,” Alex admitted. “Stay away from relationships and focus on ourselves.” He said that last part with a strange tone in his voice and I looked over at him. Suddenly, he looked very thoughtful.

  We walked quietly through the quaint streets together until we arrived at our destination. A spa on the edge of the town. We walked inside and then I saw the sign. My French wasn’t so bad that I didn’t understand that it was saying something to the effect of No clothes beyond this point. I could see Alex was also looking up at the sign too.

  “Did you bring us to a spa, or a nudist colony?” I whispered.

  “Shit,” he whispered back, “I totally forgot we would need bathing suits.”

  “You think?” I looked around at all the people walking past us in their big white fluffy gowns.

  Alex turned to me and shrugged again. “C’est la vie,” he said with a smile. “When in Rome.” He let go of my arm and walked right in.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  We received our spa menu and I read through it. We were set to soak in a mineral bath, then have an aqua massage—I didn’t really know what that was, but it sounded good. After that we were scheduled for a manicure. I looked down at my nails, which were in desperate need of help. All this stress lately had been making me pick.

  I was in the ladies’ changing room and opened the locker that had been assigned to me. In it hung a big white gown and a pair of slippers. I slipped my clothes off, wishing that one of us had thought to bring a bathing suit, and put the gown over myself. My bra and panties would have to suffice for now.

  I followed the signs out of the bathroom and found Alex waiting for me once more. He too was dressed in his gown. I looked down at his feet, which were too large for the standard slippers provided and so his heels hung off the back of them. He wiggled his feet at me and smiled. The phrase about men with big feet suddenly ran through my mind, not that I didn’t already know he was rather well endowed in that area. My cheeks tingled and flushed. Why was I thinking about Alex’s . . . Shit! I stopped myself.

  “After you.” Alex gestured for me to walk in front of him. We followed the therapist in her white coat. She led us into a room where a natural Jacuzzi made of rock sat. Huge windows on the other side of it ensured we had a view over the mountains and valleys below. It was simply breathtaking.

  The therapist smiled at us. “I’ll fetch you in thirty minutes for your treatments.” She exited, closing the door behind us. Alex wasted no time getting in. Why wouldn’t he, he was wearing big boxer shorts that could have easily been mistaken for swimming trunks. Mine weren’t so simple though . . .

  “The water is amazing, and this view,” Alex said as he slid into the Jacuzzi. “Join me.”

  “Seriously?” I clutched my white gown tightly to my body.

  “Just get in. I won’t look, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “I’m not worried.” I shrugged, not wanting to come across as shy or self-conscious. “I’m fine. I mean . . . I don’t care if you see me in my . . .” I opened my gown and dropped it to the floor as quickly as possible, lest I lose my nerve.

  “Wow. Nice underwear,” Alex suddenly said.

  “What?” For a second I was taken aback, and instinctively covered myself, but then something dawned on me.

  “Oh my God, thank you!” I exclaimed throwing my hands in the air. “Finally! I cannot tell you how much sexy lingerie I’ve bought over the last three years, in case Matt and I ever had impromptu sex somewhere. And no one, and I mean NO one, has ever seen it, let alone complimented it!”

  “It’s a pleasure.” Alex smiled and his eyes swept over my body. I was
wearing particularly sexy undies that day. A black lace push-up bra that did some rather special things to the ladies in a “lift and separate” sense. The bra had a deep purple ribbon that was tied in a cute bow that sat between the cups. The panties were black lace too, tanga style, and tied on the sides with the same matching purple ribbon. I looked down at my exposed body and then back up at Alex as something dawned on me. It had been so long since anyone of the opposite sex had seen me like this and I wondered if I shouldn’t take advantage of the situation.

  “So, you’re a guy,” I suddenly said to Alex, keeping my arms tightly at my sides, covering at least something of myself. I was feeling rather awkward, naked and exposed.

  He looked at me curiously. “Last time I checked.”

  “What I mean is,” I continued, “you’re a male and I’m a female.”

  “Mmmm?” Alex muttered with an amused smile on his face.

  “So imagine that you and I weren’t friends, and you saw me like this, as a guy, if I was a girl.” The idea was so crystal clear in my head, I was just having trouble articulating it; I tapped my fingers anxiously against the sides of my thighs.

  “Okay?” He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest, watching me with what I could see was amusement.

  “What I’m trying to say is that imagine we were not road trip buddies right now. Imagine that you were just a guy and I was just a girl and we’d just met and you were looking at me in a purely sexual manner. I know it’s hard to imagine but—”

  “It’s not hard to imagine, Val,” he cut me off and I swear my heart skipped a beat.

  “Oh?” The word slipped out of my mouth.

  “It’s not hard to imagine. Trust me.” He uncrossed his arms and moved closer to me. Be still my fast-beating heart! No seriously, be still.

  “Uh . . .” I stuttered stupidly as I looked down at him.

  “You look good, Val.” He looked up at me and smiled. “Really good.”

  I nodded slowly. “So if you were a guy and I was just a girl that looked like this and—”

  “Yes.” He cut me off again.

  “Yes?” My heart pounded as his eyes swept over my body again, slowly.

  “If you were a girl that looked like that and I was just a guy I would definitely walk across the room and talk to you.”

  “You would?” I slowly pulled my hands away from my sides, exposing all of myself. Alex seemed to notice this gesture and his eyes moved down to where my hands had been. I was suddenly filled with a giddy sense of happiness at the thought that someone actually found me attractive. Not just someone though, him.

  “Th-thanks,” I stuttered. “So I’ve still got it?” I asked again, just to be sure.

  He chuckled. “You got it.”

  I nodded my head at him and smiled. “I’ve got it.” I clicked my fingers and wiggled from side to side happily. “I’ve soooo still got it!”

  Alex laughed. “I can’t believe you ever thought you didn’t.”

  “Well, it’s been so damn long since someone actually looked at me like that, a girl needs some reassurance sometime.”

  “Are you reassured?” he asked, his voice was low and slightly husky-sounding.

  I nodded. “Well, when someone that looks like you tells me I’ve got it . . .” My voice tapered off and I looked at him.

  “Mmmm, so you think I’m good-looking, do you?” Alex asked playfully.

  “Oh, please, you know you’re good-looking.”

  He smiled at me as if he did know it, but was shy to admit it. “I try and stay as healthy as possible.” He ran his hand through his hair and a flash of green ribbon caught my attention.

  “Healthy?” I tutted. “I’d say having an eight pack makes you a little more than just ‘healthy.’ ” I grinned at him and started playing with my own green ribbon that I’d suddenly become very aware of.

  “Have you been counting?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Maybe,” I admitted, and took a step closer to the Jacuzzi.

  “The water’s really good,” he said, moving over to let me in.

  I stepped in. And he was right. The water was warm and felt amazing. It also felt different, thick, and softer; I guess it must have been the high concentration of the vitamins and minerals. “Can I tell you something? I’ve never told anything this before. It’s really, really embarrassing.”

  “Yes,” he said. “I won’t judge you. I promise.”

  I shook my head. “No. I think you might if you knew what I was going to say.”

  “Val,” he moved closer and looked me straight in the eyes. “I would never judge you.”

  “Okay.” I nodded and took a deep breath. “So . . .” I hesitated, “I once took a sexy photo of myself in my underwear and . . . I sent it to Matt by ‘accident.’ ” I gestured air commas. “Obviously it had been on purpose, but I pretended I’d meant to send it to someone else.”

  Alex nodded. Showing no visible signs of judgement on his face at all. So I continued.

  “I thought that maybe if he saw me differently, if he saw me as a woman looking sexy or, whatever . . . it was stupid. I feel like such an idiot when I think about that.”

  “Don’t feel stupid,” he said.

  “I do, though. I can’t tell you how many times I’d wished so hard that Matt would finally see what was in front of him. That he would realize that he loved me and confess it and leave Sam and chase after me, or something. It’s been my dream for so many years.”

  “Matt’s just mad and blind,” Alex said.

  “Is that your professional doctor opinion?” I asked.

  “No. It’s just common sense.” He said this part with such sincerity in his voice, and with such a smile in his eyes, that I couldn’t help but feel a lot better.

  “Thank you.” I looked at him, his gray eyes were a different color once more. They were pale and pearly, with a dark black ring around them.

  “Your eyes change color, a lot,” I said.

  “Funny. I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  “Really?” I felt a little warm rush in my cheeks.

  He nodded. “They’re startling.”

  “Startling?” I repeated the word. I couldn’t remember the last time someone told me I had startling eyes.

  I smiled over at Alex. “Yours too. Startling.”

  He smiled at me coyly this time, it showed off the dimple in his cheek. “You are aware that this is the perfect selfie moment, right?” he said.

  “You’re right,” I agreed.

  “Luckily I come prepared.” Alex reached out the Jacuzzi and grabbed his phone from inside his gown. He held it up and I moved closer to him. He started a countdown and for some reason, as the countdown reached one, I tilted my head to the side so that my cheek pressed up against his . . . smooth. So smooth.

  He took a picture and held it up for us to inspect. “I’m going to send it to you and we can post it. Hashtag rock-star life,” he said with delight in his voice.

  “Sounds cool,” I said, looking at the photo as he chose the different filters. “That one.” I reached down and stopped his hand.

  “I was just thinking the same thing. Makes us look gorgeous as hell,” he chuckled and posted it. We both looked at the picture for a while before he put his phone down.

  I knew we were just posting to make our exes jealous, and because the magazine had told us to. But this time, it didn’t really matter as much to me as it had before.

  It was more important that Alex and I capture this moment we were having together and post it so we could keep it permanently.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  We took a taxi back to the hotel when all our treatments were over. It was dark and cold and the fact I had wet underwear on didn’t much help. But I was feeling relaxed. More relaxed than I’d felt in forever. So relaxed that as we drove in the taxi, I was melting and sliding off the seat.

  The aqua massage had been heavenly. Lying on my stomach, jets of warm spring water
being sprayed over my body. My skin felt creamy and soft, as if the spring water really did have an effect on it. The manicure had done me the world of good too, not to mention also being a source of great entertainment, as I watched Alex getting his first one. He’d hated the way the nail file had felt and had cringed the whole way through it.

  By the time we got back to the hotel we were both starving. So after a quick change, we met at the restaurant inside the main hotel. But before our menus came, the waitress asked if we wanted to choose our own wine.

  I gazed over at Alex. “Fancy, but I know nothing about wine,” I said.

  “Lucky for you then that I do,” he replied, standing and following the waitress. The fact that Alex knew about wine added to that air of sophistication that he had, I think without even knowing he had it. People with those kinds of airs are usually only too aware of them, changing that sophistication into something resembling snobbishness. But Alex didn’t have that. Instead, his was subtle and very attractive. We followed the waitress into the old cellar, which looked more like a creepy, underground crypt, the kind you might find skeletons lurking in.

  “We make and bottle our own wine here,” the waitress said, pulling out several different bottles of red wine. “This area is renowned for its vineyards and wineries.”

  A big, old wooden table stood in the center of the room, Alex and I pulled up two stools and sat down. The waitress took out some glasses and laid them in front of us. The air in this room was old, dusty and woody, much like the museum had been.

  She uncorked one of the wines and poured us two small glasses. “I’ve never really liked red wine,” I whispered over to Alex, hoping the waitress wouldn’t hear me.

  “Then you’ve never drunk the right kind in the right way,” he whispered back to me.

  “And how is it meant to be drunk?” I asked.

  Alex turned. His eyes sought out mine, and once he’d found them, he locked onto them. “Just like this. In a dusty cellar, surrounded by old bottles and barrels and, the most important part, it needs to be drunk with good company.” He smiled at me.