Out of The Blue

by Charlotte Mills

  “You have?” I said cautiously.

  He only smiled in reply. “I have something for you,” he continued.

  “You do?” I said as my confusion grew.

  He reached behind him and plucked out a rather inebriated and giggly Jamie.

  “Good evening,” she managed before bursting into laughter.

  “Hello there! Rough day?” I asked.

  The tall figure quickly disappeared down the corridor towards the lift and I called after him, thanking him for his gift. His only reply was to lift his hand, giving us the thumbs-up as he walked away.

  Taking Jamie’s arm to steady her, I led her into my room, closing the door. Normally I’d feel pretty uneasy inviting someone into my nest of the last two weeks. Even work colleagues knew better than to try and muscle their way in. I even went to the extent of staying at different hotels to the rest of them. On this occasion, however, I was so pleased to see Jamie it surpassed any uneasiness I may have had. Undoing my jeans, I slipped them off.

  “Ooh! Stripping off are we? Should I be joining in?”

  I turned to see her laughing as she leant against the wall while I roughly folded my jeans before placing them on the teetering pile on the chest of drawers.

  “Be my guest. First one to get naked wins.”

  Her reply was raucous laughter. “But what do they win? That’s the big question.”

  I watched as Jamie tried to right herself, standing on her wobbly legs. There is nothing quite as awkward as watching someone who is pretty drunk trying to pretend they aren’t.

  “So, I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight,” I said, resisting the urge to steady her again.

  “Well, we decided we needed to celebrate after the last couple of days so we went to the pub. It’s only a few streets away so I thought I’d pop in to see you, but Steve didn’t trust me to find your room on my own so he said he’d escort me. I think he just wanted to get a look at you.”

  I mentally added up the time she had been drinking; almost three hours. She had developed the drunken, machine-gun speech, spouting out words at ten to the dozen.

  “I see. Well, it’s a nice surprise,” I said, stepping closer.

  “Is it?” she asked. “I wanted to see you.”

  I pulled her into my arms, kissing her softly. “Of course it is. I wanted to see you, too.” I felt her hands on my hips, pulling us together. Her eyes had a bleary edge to them as she leant back. I led her further into my room, depositing her at the bottom of the bed while I went over to close my laptop and tidy away my array of paperwork and maps.

  “Sorry, were you working?”

  “No, I’ve just finished. I was just about to order some food. Have you eaten?”

  “No. I’m starving. I haven’t really eaten since breakfast, hence my slightly wobbly state. What are you having?”

  I picked up the room service book. Flipping to the menu pages, I scanned them for something decidedly unhealthy. “Umm, I think I’ll have the cheese burger and fries.”

  “Me too,” she replied as she flopped back on the bed.

  “Would you like anything to drink?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  I couldn’t contain my laughter. “What about a nice cup of tea?”

  “Umm, maybe.”

  I used the direct line to place the order, adding a couple of diet cokes. I looked across the room as Jamie fumbled with her shoes before inching up the bed a little further.

  “You got your report done okay?” I asked, putting the menu down.

  “Yes. We worked on it most of last night and today after we found the information.”

  That explained the blow out.

  “Good. It’s no fun being under that kind of pressure.”

  She responded with a groan.

  “So, what have you been drinking?” I asked as I crawled on the bed, lying on my stomach next to her. Reaching up, I slowly stroked her forehead as she lay there.

  “Urgh! Tequila slammers! It was all Steve’s big idea then some wine on top of that.” She turned her body sideways to look at me. “This is not how I expected it to be when we met up again.” She closed her eyes for a moment then seemed to regret that decision as she quickly opened them. I smiled at the slight pout that reappeared on her face.

  “Why don’t you take a shower before our food arrives? I think you’ll feel a bit better when you’ve eaten.”

  “You want me to stay … over?”

  “Yes. I want you to stay …. over,” I said, copying her delay.

  Her smile was wide as she took in a long breath. “Umm … I do stink like a brewery.” She got up, heading for the bathroom.

  “I’ll get you something to put on after.”

  Rummaging through my pile of clothes, I pulled out a t-shirt and spare pair of pyjama shorts. Following Jamie into the bathroom, I put them on the side. I turned to her as she began unbuttoning her shirt and said, “Don’t lock the door in case you fall or need some help.” Returning to the bed, I flicked through the TV channels, looking for something we could watch. I landed on a black and white gangster movie.

  Our food arrived while Jamie was still in the bathroom and I arranged the food and furniture so we could both watch the film while we ate. Jamie reappeared a few minutes later. She looked a lot steadier.

  “You look better,” I said with a smile.

  “Thanks, I feel it. I like your shampoo.”

  I could smell the fresh scent of coconut from across the room.

  “This looks good,” she said as she took a seat at the table. “I am ravenous.”

  “Tuck in,” I said, taking the seat next to her.

  “What’s this?” Jamie asked, pointing a chip at the TV. Before I could even reply she blurted out. “Ooh, it’s White Heat! Great choice!”

  I could only smile in reply as I looked at her profile, her eyes wide and bright as she multitasked devouring her food and watching the TV.

  Bellies full, I deposited the tray of empty plates in the corridor. Cuddled up in bed, I felt Jamie’s breathing slowly becoming deeper and more rhythmical as she fell deeper into sleep.

  ***

  I woke with a start as the bathroom door closed. It took me a few moments to remember I had a visitor instead of an intruder. I checked the time on my phone. It was just after 7.00 a.m., too early for breakfast. The bathroom door opened a few minutes later and I felt movement behind me as cool arms wrapped around me. Rubbing my hand along her arms, I wallowed in her warm embrace.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked softly.

  “Alright, I think.”

  I could feel my bladder nagging at me. Why is it if someone else goes to the toilet you immediately need to go, too?

  “That’s good,” I said as slipped out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. On my way back I stopped by the small fridge. “Would you like some water?”

  “Yes, please.”

  I could feel Jamie’s eyes on me as I pulled out two bottles. Walking to the side of the bed, I handed her one.

  “Thanks. Do you always sleep naked?”

  I couldn’t quite read her expression in the dim light of the room. “Uh, yeah. I can’t sleep in clothes. I get too hot. It’s too … restrictive,” I said, a little embarrassed as I got back in bed. I hunkered down, lying on my side, watching her take a long drink. Placing her bottle on the nightstand, she lay down on her side, facing me. Her cold hand found my arm, making me flinch a little as it ran up to my shoulder before slipping down my side and resting on my waist.

  “Thank you for looking after me last night.”

  “No problem-o,” I said, casually.

  The smile on her face reached her eyes at my reply.

  “You have a lovely body.” Her eyes fixed on mine.

  “I do?” I said innocently as her thumb caressed the flare of my hip.

  “Yes, you do.” Her voice was deeper, raspier, as her hand tightened on my hip, pulling us together. Warm lips quickly found mine as I wrappe
d my arm around her waist. Our tongues battled as I slowly moved onto my back, edging her on top of me at the same time. Jamie growled her approval as she slipped her thigh between mine. Pulling at her t-shirt, I edged it up over her body, exposing her perfect breasts. Jamie arched her back, pressing her hips tighter to me, seeking more pressure as I caressed her breast, circling her hardened nipple with my thumb. Flipping Jamie over, I knelt between her thighs to remove her shorts. I could smell our mutual excitement as I crawled up her body, caressing her soft skin with my hand and mouth until I reached her lips. Pressing myself against her, we began rocking our hips in time. Jamie quickly topped me. Slipping a hand between us, she found my clit and began circling it before pressing against me again. The tension in my body grew with the weight of her thigh as it pressed and rubbed against me. I wanted Jamie to come with me. Pushing my hand under her hips, she slowed her movements as I found her wet, hardening nub. Resuming her position, my fingers slipped easily over her clit with every thrust.

  I came with a quake as my orgasm tore through my body. Jamie trembled above me seconds later. I felt her whole centre throbbing along my fingers and up my arm as I kept my hand in place. She rested her forehead on my shoulder as we both struggled to catch our breath. She lifted her hips, releasing my hand as she settled alongside me, draping her leg across my thighs.

  Fully recovered, I reluctantly checked the time on my phone, releasing a groan as I realised it was time to make a move.

  “I need to get showered,” I whispered as I deposited a kiss on the bare shoulder next to me and slipped out of bed.

  Jamie returned from the bathroom wrapped in a towel as I finished dressing in my usual site gear of black cargo trousers and Eco-Scape polo top. Tying my laces on my work boots, I saw her turn her nose up at the clothes she had deposited on the floor last night.

  “Would you like to borrow something to wear home?”

  “Yes, please … if that’s okay?”

  “Of course. I’ll give you a lift home, save you doing the walk of shame.”

  I felt the almost-empty water bottle bounce off my back in reply.

  Pulling up in front of Jamie’s house, she slowly released her belt as a group of smartly dressed school boys passed by.

  “Do you have time to pop in for a minute?”

  I checked the time on the dash. “Sure.” Releasing my own belt, I followed her inside.

  Dropping her bag of clothes on the floor, she reached for my hand before closing the door. She held it for a few seconds before intertwining our fingers.

  “I just wanted to say goodbye properly and thank you for taking me in and looking after me.”

  “No problem. I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”

  I saw only kindness in her eyes as she spoke. “I wondered if you were free for dinner tomorrow night.” She stepped a little closer. “You could stay over?”

  “Umm, I’d love to,” I said, remembering our earlier antics.

  “Great.”

  She edged closer, kissing me firmly. I slumped against the wall to keep my balance as she pushed herself against me. I pulled back to catch my breath.

  “How are you getting to work?” I asked.

  “Walking. It’s not far.”

  “I’ll drop you off if you like?”

  “Don’t you need to get to work?”

  I couldn’t hide my grin. “What’s the point in being the boss if you can’t turn up late once in a while?”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded my head in reply.

  “I’ll be really quick,” she said as she made her way up the stairs. “I just need to change.”

  My eyes fixed on her ass as she ran up the stairs. She looked better in my jeans than I did. Smiling to myself, I took a seat on the stairs as I pulled out my phone to text Mike, letting him know I was running a little late this morning.

  Chapter 10

  I checked the time as I pulled up in front of Jamie’s house. I was early by almost half an hour. I didn’t care; I had to see her. I recalled making this journey a couple of nights ago to have dinner with Jamie. The electricity that flowed between us was evident from the moment I arrived. We had made love until the early hours of the morning. It was perhaps one of the best nights and mornings of my life. Pulling my tools from the foot well, I headed for her front door and the chill of the early June morning made me shiver. I had to knock twice before I heard any movement and I smiled as Jamie opened the door. She had that ‘just got out of bed’ look down to a fine art.

  “Hi.”

  “Hey, is it nine already? I must have slept in.”

  “No, no, I’m early. I thought I’d get a head start on that shelf.” I didn’t want to seem too needy or pushy at this early stage. I’d seen it all before. Habitually, it just made them run or perhaps that was just me. I should know; I was usually the one doing the running. I was definitely getting my just desserts now.

  “Is that all?” Jamie asked.

  “Well.” I put my tool bag down before stepping closer. Clutching the hem of her t-shirt, I pulled her the short distance to me. “That and I wanted to see you.” What the hell am I saying? I couldn’t stop myself around her. She reached up, cupping the side of my face. Her eyes locked on mine and I felt like she knew all my secrets. She moved closer, kissing me softly on the lips. My hands rested on her hips, holding her against me. The touch of her lips made me react, reciprocating her kiss more firmly. I heard and felt her body groan as our tongues collided. To my disappointment, she pulled away much too soon.

  “Much better. Tea?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Love one.”

  I watched her saunter down the hallway to the kitchen, unable to wipe the smile off my face and then reluctantly turned my attention to the broken shelf. I crouched down to see the horribly worn screws on the side supports for the shelf. I imagined Jamie trying to tighten them up with a butter knife, mashing up the ends of both items in the process. A soft voice behind me made me jump a little as warm fingers caressed my lower back.

  “Is that the slot where you keep your screwdriver?”

  I turned my body a little, realising she was referring to my slight builder’s bum on show, as fingers continued to move softly across my lower back.

  “Rude! Is this what they call sexual harassment in the workplace?”

  “It’s a good job this isn’t your workplace then. Do you know what’s wrong with it?” Jamie asked, nodding towards the shelf.

  “The wood has probably shrunk and come loose over the years from the heat off the radiator.”

  I saw the blank expression on Jamie’s face and continued to explain. “Wood that’s used internally is dried to a certain moisture content to prevent shrinkage, but when it’s close to a heat source it should have an even lower moisture content to prevent it shrinking from the extreme heat.”

  “Okaaay,” she replied slowly. “Are you a bit of a geek about this stuff?”

  Said the film buff! I moved my body position to mark the location for the new fixings to secure the shelf, preventing any more touching, resulting in a slight groan from Jamie. I watched as she stomped off towards the stairs to take a seat and drink her tea. I smiled as I caught her eye. “I think you mean educated.”

  I could feel her eyes watching me with interest as I unpacked the power tools, plugged in and began to drill into the wall. I then inserted the plugs and tapped them home with a hammer.

  “I see, and how do you know about all this DIY stuff?”

  “My best friend’s dad when I was at school; he was a carpenter. I used to spend a lot of time around there. During the summers we used to make tree houses and rope him into helping us when we could. He was a really nice guy, very funny. I probably spent more time with him than my own dad. He did some work on my flat when I bought it a few years ago.”

  I moved to the other side of the shelf, securing the end. Looking back at Jamie, I saw a sad expression on her face. I realised I had ma
de my childhood sound pretty bleak when it was anything but that.

  “We just never got on really … and he was always away with work, so even if I was there he wouldn’t have been, but I had some amazing summers.”

  “The summers seemed to last forever when we were kids. Me and my sister were joined at the hip roaming around on our bikes.”

  “You have a sister?” I asked, a little surprised. Although, I should have known. In my experience siblings are often a little more rounded as individuals.

  “Joanna; she’s two years younger. She’s a primary school teacher in Cambridge.”

  “I’d liked to have had a sibling, a comrade. I think it makes a difference growing up.”

  “I certainly learnt how to argue with the best of them, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

  Her words just made me more envious. I wondered if her sister looked like her, which one of her parents she took after. Jesus! Was I ever going to be able to just walk away from Jamie?

  “And now? You still don’t get on? Your parents I mean,” she asked, getting back to the original subject.

  “Well, we do get on-ish. We just don’t talk very much in case one of us says too much and we fall out, I guess. I think they’re still holding onto the hope that I’ll see the error of my ways and find a nice man, settle down and give them some grandchildren.”

  “You can still give them grandchildren.”

  “You know that and I know that but they don’t really get it, I’m afraid.”

  I felt a little guilty, talking about my dysfunctional relationship with my parents, considering she was obviously close to her family. Even though she had only talked about them a few times, it was clear to me they were very much part of her life, unlike mine.

  With the shelf now firmly in place, I gave it a quick shove to make sure before downing tools. I took several confident strides, straddling Jamie as she sat on the stairs watching me. I had really missed her over the last few days. It had already started to worry me how we would fare after this particular project came to an end. Would it become a long-distance relationship? I knew even now I wouldn’t be satisfied with that.