Hey. Clean dun. Lookin gud. Soz got it in such mess. We need 2 catch up. Not told me bout Fri strip, or ow ot Gs dad woz. WOW. Me like ;-)
She’d sent the first not long after I’d rung her this morning, I’d been so busy arguing and having sex I’d not even noticed. The next was only an hour ago.
U ok? That pissed wit me? I’m soz. <3 U x
Sorry Lexi, I was out and about. I’m not pissed with you now, though I was when I found the apartment yesterday morning. I’m going to work you hard when I get back and make sure you know how to keep on top of it when I’m away. Friday went really well, tell you all about it later. Robert is pretty hot isn’t he? Lovely to think Gabe will look even better at his age :-) About to ring Mum to firm up arrangement’s for going home first weekend of the holidays. Are you still coming? I think it may spin Gerry’s head Exorcist style if I ask for Doug to stay as well, though Mum would love to meet him and he could come and eat with us. He could stay in that B&B down the road? Let me know what you think. See you later, don’t be fucking anywhere but your room. I don’t need to see that xx
I rang Mum’s number.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi Mum, it’s Mia.’ I felt the automatic smile on my face, it was so good to hear her voice. It had been over nine weeks since I’d last seen her and that was too long.
‘Mia sweetheart, how are you? How’s Gabe doing?’
‘I’m good, tired but good. I’m looking forward to catching up with you properly. Gabe’s doing much better thanks, he’s out of his sling and other than heavy lifting he’s got most of his range of movement back and seems a little less stressed than he was.’ I’d still had not told her about me, that was a face to face conversation and I was praying Georgie hadn’t said anything. We’d finally spoken a few weeks ago and being a nurse she knew all about my condition and had given me some helpful advice.
‘Are you still at his house?’
‘Yes.’
‘Mia, it’s like you’re living together, do you not think you’re going a bit fast?’ I could hear the concern in her voice. She was definitely not ready to find out we were actually moving in together.
‘Mum, I love him. What was I supposed to do, quit because he had an accident too early in our relationship? And so what if we’re spending so much time together? I’m still on top of my studies and have had some good grades on my assignments. Can’t you just be happy for me?’
‘I am sweetheart, he seems so taken with you and he’s so polite and well mannered. He’s a lovely voice on the phone too.’
‘On the phone? When have you spoken to him?’
‘O bugger. Sorry, he wanted some advice on your birthday sweetheart so he rang me. I was supposed to keep quiet.’
‘What advice?’ I asked, Mum was about as good as Doug at keeping secrets.
‘Well I’m not saying anymore, but I think you’ll love his gift.’
‘Mum, come on.’
‘No. I’ve already said too much. So how’s Lexi?’
I updated her and she was shocked to hear her and Doug were still together. She agreed it’d be fine for him to come and eat with us, but that it wouldn’t be a good idea for him to stay. Gerry still wasn’t happy that Gabe was stopping in one of the spare rooms. I updated her on most things, leaving out the pole dancing, sex and the new apartment and after half an hour had to apologise and tell her I needed to go or they’d be halfway through cooking without me.
‘Have a lovely weekend away Mia, lucky girl.’
‘I know Mum, he spoils me. Love you, ring you next week.’
‘Love you too, send him my best. Bye.’
I’d another text from Lex and read it as I went downstairs.
Glad we r ok. Text when arrive. We’ll elp wit bags x
I went into the kitchen to find preparations for dinner already well underway and Gabe seemed in much better spirits and was back in his jeans and white shirt. I kissed him on the cheek, grabbed a glass of water and set the table and offered to help with the cooking, but was told they had it under control. Gabe sat me at the island and Robert got out a nice bottle of red and poured us a glass, Gabe refusing and glugged back his water. It was five when we tucked into a lovely roast beef dinner, with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, rich thick brandy gravy and mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and parsnips and then hot apple strudel with a delicious clotted cream ice cream for dessert. I sat back and held my stomach and they laughed.
‘Gabe, I’m going to get so fat if you do all the cooking when we live together,’ I moaned.
‘No, this is a Sunday treat, you’re going to be eating so healthily during the week you won’t know what’s hit you.’
‘Have you told your parents yet, Mia?’ Robert asked as he poured me another glass of wine.
‘Thank you. No not yet, I don’t think they’ll be quite as understanding as you’ve been.’
‘Well they don’t know Gabriel so I can understand that. I’ve got to know you quite well over the last few weeks and I see how good you are for each other.’
‘Dad, Mia’s told me about you offering for her to see Dr. Jarvis and I want to start my sessions, the sooner the better.’
‘Good, I’m sure you’ll both benefit. I’ll ask him to contact you both. Right, I’m not likely to see you both until Christmas Eve now, you know where I am if you need me. I better go and get my bags, Riley will be here soon so I’ll say my goodbyes now.’
I kissed him on both cheeks and he pulled me into a big hug and whispered ‘Thank you, you’re an angel,’ in my ear. I started clearing up to give him and Gabe some privacy and they left me in the kitchen. I plated Gabe a dinner from the left overs and covered it in foil assuming he’d be here one night soon and rinsed the rest of the dishes and put on the dishwasher. I felt his hands go around my waist and leaned back into his body as he kissed my neck.
‘Has he gone?’
‘Yes. You know you won’t be able to drive now you’ve had two glasses of wine, you may as well finish the last bit.’
‘O shit sorry, didn’t think.’
‘It’s ok, I’ll try. It’s only fifteen minutes. When do you want to go?’
‘We may as well go now or we’ll just get comfortable here.’ He sighed and I turned around in his arms and put my hands on his chest gripping his shirt. ‘Gabe, don’t. I’ll miss it here too, but I’ve missed my own home as well.’
‘Dad has already packed your bags in the Range Rover, there was too much stuff to go in my boot.’
‘Would you mind if we took some of the roses as well?’
‘Of course not, they were for you. Mrs. Darby will water the ones left here. I’m assuming we’re coming back Tuesday night for movie night with Lexi and Doug?’
‘Actually would you mind if we don’t? As we are going away I’d sort of like to just spend the evening alone with Lexi at my place. I could come to you after, or you to me.’
‘You don’t want me there?’ He frowned and stepped away from me and I watched as he visibly bristled.
‘Gabe, it’s only a few hours. I didn’t see her last week and you’ve got me all to yourself for four days. Please don’t take it personally or make a fuss.’
‘I’m not making a fuss, I just figured it would be nice for us all to spend the night together before we go away.’
‘You asked me to be honest with you Gabe, I just really miss my best friend and I can’t remember the last time we had movie night just the two of us and we haven’t had a girls Friday in forever.’
‘Fine, whatever,’ he sighed reluctantly.
‘Thank you.’
‘Hmmm.’
‘We can decide on the night who’s sleeping where, but I could do with being at mine on Wednesday to sort out my bag for our trip.’
‘You’ll need a couple of going out outfits.’
‘What sort?’
‘One formal outfit and a clubbing outfit.’
‘We’re going clubbing?’ I asked excitedly. I hadn’t been danci
ng in forever.
‘Yes, and if I get this damn hangover out of my system I may drink with you too.’ I ran to him and flung my arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses until he laughed. ‘So someone’s excited about clubbing and drinking?’
‘Hell yes, it’s been too long. Right, I plated up a dinner for you in the fridge. Are you coming back here tomorrow day?’
‘Yes, Dad’s got hold of this swimming specialist and we’re due to have a few sessions a week at ten a.m. excluding while we’re away,’ he brushed the hair away from my face and ran his lips up and down my cheek.
‘Then you can have that for lunch and come back to mine when you’re ready.’
‘What time will you be home?’
‘Six, but I put a key to my place on your key ring a few weeks ago so you can let yourself in whenever you want.’
‘You did?’ he straightened up and looked at me shocked.
‘Yes, you haven’t driven so you’ve obviously not noticed it.’
‘Mia, thank you,’ he kissed me and held me tight.
‘It’s just a key.’
‘Not to me it’s not Miss “I want sex no strings” Page, you’re really handling this serious relationship stuff amazingly.’
‘Well now you’re chatting to my mother behind my back, I figured we must be getting really serious,’ I teased. He stiffened up and pulled back to look at me concerned.
‘Baby, we are really serious. What’s your mum said?’
‘Don’t worry, she only let slip you’d spoken to her about my birthday but wouldn’t say anymore.’
‘Good because it’s supposed to be a surprise. Come on then, if we’re going let’s go. I want a few hours in bed with you before you fall asleep tonight.’
‘Mr. Austin are you planning on seducing me again?’ I asked with a coy look.
‘Always baby, but tonight I’ll be making you come multiple times and then I’m going to go really slowly and look in your eyes when we come together.’
‘Hmmm, I like the sound of that. We need to go now, as I’ve come over all hot and bothered.’
‘Just how I plan to have you later baby,’ he replied with a wink. We enjoyed a long slow loving kiss and he eventually pulled away. ‘Damn, do we have to go? I’ve got a perfectly good bed upstairs we could use right now?’
‘Yes we do. I promised Lexi and I miss her.’
We went upstairs and decided to take seven of the bouquets with us. Two for my room and for the lounge, and one for Lexi, the kitchen and the hall. They were hand tied free standing in cellophane wrapping so we bunched them along the rear seats foot wells and I looked back at the house as he shut me in the passenger side. It had been my home for longer than my apartment and I was going to miss it.
‘You’ll be back, Mia,’ he smiled as he saw my face.
It was nearly seven when we pulled up in one of the new car parking spaces as Doug’s VW Golf was in mine and I texted Lexi to know we’d arrived.
‘How was it driving? I saw you rubbing your shoulder.’
‘Better than I thought, but long journeys are definitely out for now.’
As I opened the car boot I regretted living on the top floor. At least moving across the hall would be easy. Doug and Lexi came down and we actually managed it in four trips, making Gabe sit out the last two, much to his mortification. The apartment looked immaculate, everything was gleaming and as the three of them sat in the lounge chatting, I dotted the roses around the place. I went into my room and unpacked, closed the blinds and put on my side lights. I smiled as I looked at my chocolate heart and the new piece of art above my bed.
‘What are you doing? You’ve been gone for ages?’ I looked around and smiled to see Lexi in my room and felt compelled to go and give her another tight hug and she laughed. ‘I missed you too, so why are you hiding in here.’
‘I’m not hiding, just putting stuff away, it takes longer than packing, plus I’d all Gabe’s spare stuff as well. I hope you don’t mind me making room for his bits in the bathroom?’
‘No, I’ve been using the utility shower for the last week in preparation of you coming back, so it’s all yours again. Loving the new art work in here.’
‘You’ve not seen it?’
‘No it’s your room, I’ve not been in,’ she said as she jumped on my bed. ‘So Friday, dish it.’
I hopped up on the bed next to her and talked her through it and had to get up and show her the routine, as best I could without a pole, with the song playing on my iPhone.
‘Fuck Mia, I bet he went ape shit.’
‘He was so mad Lexi, but also so turned on. We didn’t speak all the way home but then he shoved me up against the front door and we had seriously hot sex. They want me to do some regular nights and he’s not that happy about it.’
‘I thought you only did it for him?’
‘I did, but look at me. I’ve got my flexibility back, I’m more toned and fitter than I’ve been in ages and I loved it. I loved seeing how jealous he got as well, it was such a turn on plus the tips will help me pay him back and then hello, it’s all extra clothing and drinking allowance.’
‘What does he think?’
‘He’s sort of agreed for me to do it once more, as long as he’s there and we’ll discuss how he feels after. If he’s really unhappy then I’ll have to stop.’ I frowned as I thought back to Friday night.
‘What?’
‘Eh?’
‘What you thinking? You look somewhere else.’
‘Sorry, it’s just … that guy, Adam that chatted me up the night you Milo and I went to Peppers. You remember him?’
‘Yeah, vaguely, suit guy?’
‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘Well he was the guy that came onto me the night before Gabe’s accident and I broke his nose.’
‘That was him?’
‘Yes, and after Gabe’s accident I mentioned to the police that he might hold a grudge and they investigated him. He had no alibi Lex, and he drives a silver car, Gabe said it was a silver car that nearly hit him.’
‘Mia I can’t believe you haven’t shared this with me. You can’t believe he’d try and run Gabe over because he got too touchy with you and you pushed back?’
‘I know I’m sorry, I forgot all about it as the police and Gabe made it sound ridiculous and I’d just about convinced myself that it was, then Friday night when we were leaving the club we walked past him. Gabe didn’t see him as he was in such a mood, but Adam called out “Fucking Bitch” as we passed him and Lexi, the look on his face was seriously scary. He even followed us to the taxi, but we left before he caught us up. It really scared me.’
‘Does Gabe know?’
‘No,’ I exclaimed wide eyed. ‘And I don’t want him to, but it’s got me worrying again that he had something to do with it. What if he tries to hurt Gabe again? Because of what I did?’
‘Mia if he tried it on with you against your wishes you had every right to defend yourself. If you’re that worried call the police and report it.’
‘I don’t think they’d take me seriously Lex, besides it’s my word against his, Gabe didn’t see him and how will it look that I’ve said nothing to him about it all weekend?’
‘I can’t believe you’ve been worrying about this and not told me Mia, I’m your best friend.’ She looked at me hurt.
‘Lex I’m sorry, I just feel like I’ve not been there for you since Gabe’s accident and I didn’t think you’d appreciate me offloading my crap on you when it suited me.’
‘Christ, you’re a fuckwit sometimes,’ she sighed and slapped me up the side of my head.
‘Owwwww,’ I laughed and reached up to rub my stinging ear.
‘Mia, you’ve had so much more shit on your plate than I had these last few weeks, don’t you ever cut me out again. I could have just listened. What’s the point in me being a BFF if you don’t call me? O God, I am still your BFF aren’t I?’
‘Lexi,’ I gave her a slap back and she gasped and shoved
me onto my back, jumped on me and tickled me until I screamed with laughter. ‘Stop … stop please. Lesson learned, I won’t keep stuff from you again, but don’t be so bloody stupid thinking anyone could replace you.’
‘Fine. Christ, Doug would get the baby oil out if he saw us right now, lying in bed slapping each other and me straddling your lap, it’s probably right out of one of his wank fodder fantasy images.’
‘And you tell me I give you too much information? Shift you heifer lump, you’re damn heavy for a skinny bitch,’ I giggled as I shoved her and she laughed and got off and lay down next to me. ‘So what about you and Doug? Has he moved in?’
‘Fuck no,’ she said looking horrified. ‘He’s stayed over a bit. It actually feels good, having someone regular, but there’s still something missing, for me anyway, not for him it seems, he asked me to meet his parents and I’m like Christ no. Way too early for that shit.’
‘Has he told you that he loves you?’
‘No,’ she replied quickly and looked sort of relieved. ‘So how’s grumpy pants doing?’
‘Up and down.’
‘Still?’ she sounded surprised.
‘Yes, you look worried Lex.’
‘And I can’t believe you aren’t, Mia.’
‘You really think it’s that serious?’
‘Well Doug said he’s never seen Gabe like this, he’s really concerned about him. Plus it feels like every time you and I arrange to get together to have some girl time he goes and screws that up as well. It’s not normal to be that clingy, not for a guy who seemed as confident about himself as Gabe was when you started dating.’
‘I know,’ I sighed as I rubbed my eyes. ‘I’ve been trying to play it down Lex, or I’d have gone out of my mind with worry, but I’m really hoping it was the stress of his recovery and the lack of sex.’
‘Looks like you’re more than making up for that,’ she nodded, her eyes on my neck.
‘Don’t. You should see my shoulders and breasts, I was furious. He’s been better this weekend though and this trip away will do him the world of good. We’re through the worst of it, I’m sure.’
The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) Page 21