We unlock the door together and I giggle at the old style key with the big handle and the prongs rather than the small Yale keys you get with most houses nowadays.
The house itself is on the outskirts of town. It’s not in the most desirable location, but it is in a beautiful one.
“I should carry you over the threshold but I kind of need to hold my nose.” Isaac looks more nervous than he did before as I step inside and instantly realise what he was talking about.
“It’s just damp,” I comment, looking around the hallway. The interior is nice. The old-fashioned carpet is ruined and the wallpaper is peeling from the walls. I notice the yellowing tones to the cream. “The old owners were smokers, heavy smokers.”
“Your mum said you’d spot that.”
I shrug. “I don’t like smoking. It’s bad for your health, does nothing for you and only paints the walls with crap.”
He cringes and looks away. “I used to smoke.”
I turn to face him. “Seriously?”
“Yep. I used to smoke at… umm… night.” His short pause makes me wonder if there’s something hidden behind his words. “It was just something I did.”
“But you quit?” He’d better have quit. If I’ve gone all of this time without noticing that he smokes I’ll be sorely disappointed with myself.
“I don’t really get addicted to stuff. I tend to go through stages. I’ll enjoy something for a while, get a little obsessed with it and then one day I’ll wake up and stop.”
“Make sure that’s not a habit you pick up again,” I chastise, patting his cheek as I reach for the light switch. He grabs my hand and shakes his head. “Doesn’t work?” I ask and he shakes his head again.
“It does, but you really don’t want to see this place in the light.”
I ignore him and switch it on anyway.
There’s a staircase to the left, leading to the first floor. The same carpet in the hall covers the stairs; it’s such an ugly red colour. “Wood flooring, definitely. We’ll gloss the stairs and put a runner down the centre.”
“If you say so.”
“Has it been inspected?”
“Yep. The only problems are the lack of sockets and the damp. The chimney is blocked but we’ll get that sorted.”
Oh my god. “There’s an open fire?” I squeal and race into the living room. Before I get to admire the open fireplace, I immediately notice the gaping hole in the wall that looks to have been smashed in with a mallet. “I can see the dining room.”
“Yeah, we’ll have to rebuild this entire wall. Apparently the old owners were going to join the dining room and the living room together.”
I frown. “Idiots. That’s a load-bearing wall; they would have brought the ceiling down.”
A squeal escapes me as I’m scooped up into his arms. “Can we explore tomorrow? I’d really like to get you naked.”
“The bed’s here?”
“Yep.”
“Then let’s go.” I grin. Normally I wouldn’t mind dropping my trousers and screwing where we stand, but this place is just too unsanitary.
It’s not until I wake up in the morning and the house is bathed in natural light that I realise just how unsanitary it is.
I start in the bathroom.
Isaac
I wake to the sound of banging coming from across the hall. My arm automatically reaches out, seeking the warmth of my perfect little redheaded wife.
Where the hell is she?
I sit up, looking around our bedroom.
Our bedroom. It puts a smile on my face.
I smell bleach.
Why do I smell bleach and what the hell is that banging?
I slip on my shoes and wrap Elle’s robe around myself, not daring to walk on the floor barefoot.
I’m shocked by what I see when I open the bathroom door and lean against the frame.
Eloise is crouched on the ground, wearing nothing but her bra, thong, shoes and an apron. There are headphones coming from her ears, a mask over her face, goggles over her eyes, rubber gloves on her hands and she’s pulling up the vinyl that used to cover the bathroom floor but now only covers half of it.
The banging is because she’s using a hammer and a scraper type thing. I have no idea where she got those from, but I definitely didn’t bring them in.
I should really be doing what she’s doing, that’s my job, but she seems to be enjoying herself. I decide the best way to notify her of my arrival is to crouch behind her on the marked wood floor and grind against her behind as it points directly at me.
She doesn’t think so; it startles her so badly she face plants on the ground and spins to glare in my direction, her now tussled hair partly covering her eyes and cheeks.
“Morning wench!” I grin, keeping a firm hold of her hips as she tugs the headphones from her ears and pushes her hair back.
“Morning.” Her face softens as she twists her body to kiss me. “Could you make me a drink?”
I nod. “What’s with the bathroom renovations?”
“Well I figured we’d prioritise. For now we have a nice bed, so we can sit on that when we need to rest. Food isn’t a big deal; we can just go to your dad’s if we need to cook. So I decided the bathroom is the most important job to get done because I don’t feel comfortable showering in someone else’s home. Speaking of which, we need to call a plumber.”
We do? But I checked the taps. “Why?”
“The pipes are old and have probably corroded; they don’t function properly and the water has an unpleasant taste to it.”
Yay, more expenses. “I’ll get on that.”
“No worries; I called my uncle. He’s coming to check it out this afternoon.”
This annoys me. “I really wish you’d spoken to me about that first.”
“Why?”
“Because of your dad.”
“Please, my uncle hates my dad most days. He’s cool and it won’t cost us anything but the materials if he doesn’t have them lying around, which he probably will do. It’ll take a few days if they are corroded, though, because he’ll need to replace all of the pipes with copper pipes if they aren’t already, which I suspect they aren’t…” I place my hand over her mouth to stop the lesson on plumbing and kiss her nose. “I’ll go and fetch you a drink. Anything in particular?”
“Tea, please, and a coke or something.”
“Greedy.” I kiss her long and slow, wishing she’d stayed in bed so I could enjoy her again, but I understand the necessity that is doing the house up quickly. “What can I do while you’re doing that?”
“Strip the walls or something.”
“With what?”
“I’ll ask my uncle to bring a steamer with him.”
“It’s fine, my dad has one. I’ll go and pick it up while I pick up a kettle and a bottle of coke.”
“That carpet needs ripping up too and we should probably hire a skip, unless you don’t mind taking stuff to the tip?”
I hold my hands up and back out of the room. “You decide. I’ll stick to tea and coke and follow your orders.” Fuck me, I feel like I’ve married a forty year old builder. She sure knows her stuff in comparison to what little I know. I can only just screw in a lightbulb. I wouldn’t mind her having a builders bum though, that’s for sure.
“I love you,” she calls after me.
And I definitely love her too. “If you loved me, you’d have stayed in bed this morning and woken me up with your mouth on my…” The banging starts before I can finish. I chuckle and quickly get dressed before grabbing my keys and leaving our house.
Our house. It makes me smile all over again.
Chapter Two
Isaac
“I’ve met you before,” I say to the dark haired man, who grins as he walks in with a massive case full of tools under his arm. He drops it on the floor and shakes my hand. “You’re the guy who was with Elle when I saved her from getting hit by that car.”
His mouth opens and his brow furrows. “Shit, ye
ah, I remember that. That freaked me out. Good thing you were there! I’m going to be honest; I’m not liking the fact you and my niece decided to get down with each other, but I’m liking the fact you love her and it turns out you aren’t just some arsehole teacher creeping on his students.”
“Right.” I’m not really sure what to say.
“You know, the proof is in the fact you left your job to marry her and she’s not knocked up or anything.” I nod in response, because again I’m not really sure what to say, and release his hand as he looks around the place. He whistles. “Decent house. If I’d known it existed for the price you bought it at, I’d have invested in it myself.”
“Uncle Stan!” Eloise bounds down the stairs and throws her arms around the man. “How are you?”
“I’m good. Make me a drink and I’ll get started.”
Eloise smiles and heads towards the kitchen as her uncle passes us both and heads up the stairs, taking his tool box with him.
“Why does your uncle sound like he’s off EastEnders?” I ask quietly and she bursts out laughing.
“My uncle originally comes from London; so does my dad, but he went to university and chose a new accent. My uncle didn’t give a shit; he thinks it makes him sound hard, but I just hear Peggy Mitchell with a man voice.”
I laugh with her and wrap my arms around her from behind as she pours drinks into three cups. It’s when she opens the overhead cupboard to grab the sugar that we stop laughing. The door comes off its hinges and if it weren’t for both of us having decent reflexes, it would have hit us on our heads.
“Well shit,” she curses and places it on the floor. “Easily fixed.”
“When we can afford it we’ll install a new kitchen,” I say softly into her ear and kiss her neck.
She hums and nods her agreement. “Dark counter tops and light cupboards. The floor will be dark wood and the walls a deep orange, apart from that wall; that’ll match the cupboards and we’ll put a clock on it and a mini radio on a shelf.”
She’s already designed our entire house and she hasn’t even been awake in it for more than seven hours.
“Tea done?” Her uncle Stan asks as he comes into the kitchen with his tools. We quickly separate and Elle finishes making his drink before handing it to him. “You haven’t got a fridge?”
“We do,” I explain, feeling a little irritated. “It’s in storage. We didn’t want to fill the place with stuff seeing as we’re redecorating every room.”
“Smart.” His eyes go to the broken cupboard. “Definitely smart.” He looks at Elle. “All it’ll take is one call to your old man and he’ll have this place done how you like it in no time. You know that, right?”
She nods, not looking at me. “I don’t want or need his help.”
“Your choice.” Her uncle shrugs, not seeming bothered either way. He looks at me. “So, now you’re not teaching, what’re you doing?”
I shrug, much like he did moments ago. “Looking for work.”
“Well this is going to take a while. I’ll need to call a couple of friends in if you want it done by the end of the week.”
“How much?” I ask the question I’ve been dreading.
“We don’t charge family.” Hhe grins and drains his tea. “Just keep the tea coming and keep the neighbours off my back.”
Eloise
After seeing my uncle off for the night, we get changed and lock up before going to Isaac’s parent’s house. Of course I’m nervous; I imagine his dad will be mad at me but I can’t avoid him forever. It’s better to get this out of the way now.
Isaac proudly holds my hand after we exit his car. Tilting his face to the sky, he inhales a deep breath and then turns to me as we head to the door. “This is so weird, right?”
I can’t stop the laugh that escapes me. “Yeah, just a bit. I never thought this day would come.”
He kisses me softly, sending tingles through my body and straight to my groin. I kind of wish I’d stayed in bed this morning and woken him with my mouth on his…
The door to his dad’s house opens, casting light onto us from the hallway.
Isaac doesn’t separate, though; he only smiles softly at me and walks inside with me tucked to his side.
“I made chicken parmesan. Your mother thinks we should celebrate.” Mr Price doesn’t look at all like he wants to celebrate; he actually looks exhausted.
“Thank you, Mr Price. I love chicken parmesan,” I say, even though I know he knows that.
“I think it’s safe for you to call me John now, Elle. You are family after all.”
He says this kindly and relief fills me. I guess things aren’t going to be as bad as I thought they would.
“So, how are you liking your new house?”
And just like that all feels good on this side of the world. Now I just have to speak to Mum and Dad. Well, not Dad but definitely Mum.
My uncle shows up the next morning with two of his work buddies, who not only pitch in helping my uncle but also fix my cupboard doors while Isaac looks for a job around town. There’s just nothing going right now that pays a decent wage.
Luckily, because the house wasn’t too expensive and he paid off more than half of the mortgage in one go, our mortgage payments are a lot lower than if we were renting. It’s the house that’s the issue. We’re going to have to pay for a lot of things and, with Isaac out of work and me going to university in just eight days, we’re both starting to panic a little, though he hides it from me.
I’m wondering if he’s regretting his decision to marry me. If he’d stayed away he wouldn’t have these stresses.
While my uncle works, I draw out a few plans for each of the rooms and list who and what we’ll need to make it happen. It’s going to cost a fortune, but at least now there are lists and instructions that Isaac can follow while I’m away.
When he comes home, later than expected and clearly in a mood, I wince and fall into his arms. He looks at the mess in the yard, kitchen and bathroom but doesn’t complain. At least it’s getting fixed and we’re getting new pipes.
“There’s nothing in town,” he bites out, kissing my head and pulling himself up onto the counter. “There’s nothing out of town that’s close enough for me to drive to and from every day.” He can’t go too far in case he has to come back for his mum in an emergency. “Fuck.”
“We’ll just have to keep trying,” I say softly and stand between his knees. “What about my job? The taxi rank. I finish on Friday and they’re looking for somebody to fill the spot.”
He cringes and I know he wants to avoid places where he’ll be seen often. It’s not that he’s shallow; I guess it’s just embarrassing going from respected teacher to answering a phone.
“It could just be temporary,” I whisper, kissing his jaw. “Just until you find something better.”
“Yeah, I know.” He smiles down at me. “I brought food.” He nods to the bag I forgot he’d brought inside and quickly open it. “Last take out for a while, so I got your favourite.”
“You’re bringing tears to my eyes, baby.” I sniff dramatically as I peel the lid back off the lemon chicken and rice. “Tears. In. My. Eyes.”
“Has your mum called you yet?”
I nod and tip the contents of the case onto two plates. “Yep, she sends her love.”
He looks sceptical. “Seriously?”
“Yep. She’s coming tomorrow to help me strip the hallway. She’s bringing lunch and Hayley is bringing my stuff.”
He sighs and shakes his head. “Will I ever get you alone before you leave me for the good life?”
Eye roll. “We’re alone right now.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do and you’re right. It sucks, but we’ll get together sometime soon. Don’t forget you’re driving me to Cambridge in eight days. Are you going to spend the night with me?”
“Probably not. I’ll leave you to get acquainted with your roommate, but I’ll come the weekend after.�
� This makes me sad. “I’ll show you around the city and tour the University with you.” This makes me a bit happier. “When do classes start again?”
“September eleventh I think, but I’m coming back for your birthday on the nineteenth.”
He grins and touches his lips to mine. They’re tangy from the lemon sauce but I don’t care; he still tastes delicious. “We’ll figure it out. Soon we’ll have a schedule that we can follow.”
“How exciting,” I joke, my tone sarcastic.
“Eat your food.”
“Yes, Sir.” His eyes narrow at my words and I giggle. “You don’t like that? Does it make you want to spank me with a ruler over your desk?” His eyes darken, his pupils dilating. “I could be really naughty. I still have my old uniform at Hayley’s. Tomorrow I could be really naughty.”
“You, my dear wife, have been reading too many erotic novels.”
I waggle my eyebrows. “It’s not even a little bit tempting? The whole stockings and school skirt thing?”
“You’re not funny.”
“Your bulge seems to think so.” I walk two fingers over the large swell in his pants. He quickly slaps my hand away and hops down off the counter. “I could take care of that for you.”
“With your mouth?” He looks far too excited about that prospect. I quickly shake my head, no. “If you’re worried about doing it wrong, I could teach you.”
“With a ruler?”
“You’re going to give me a blowjob one day.”
“We’ll see.” I know it’s unfair of me to receive and not give him the same that he so generously gives me, but I find the whole thing kind of gross. I heard too many horror stories in school about oral sex gone wrong, where the woman has vomited all over herself, or she’s choked to death. “I will try.”
His grin comes back full force. “Tonight?”
“No. I’ve just eaten and I’m still eating.”
“In the morning?”
“Nope, we have shit to do.”
He scowls but I know he doesn’t mean it. “Fine. On my birthday?”
Destruction: The Distraction Trilogy #2 Page 2