by C S COURT
“Now hurry up.” I hear her call from the hallway.
Ah, the girl thinks of everything.
Jumping out of the bath, I wrap the bath sheet around me, snuggling in to the warmth of the material and sighing. I don’t remember her having towels of this colour when I last came in here. Huh, I really am out of sync lately.
My make up and hair, luckily have come out of it all unscathed and look just as good now as they did when they were done. I still can’t believe I have a pink streak in my hair, I feel utterly rebellious, and it gives me happy tingles when I take in my new appearance.
Who would have thought something so easily done and something so simple could change how I feel about myself, and give me a burst of newfound confidence?
I fly through brushing my teeth and applying deodorant, and dump my clothes in the washing basket as I leave the room.
My heart is pounding in my chest the closer I get to my new bedroom. Nerves are starting to set in heavily and I feel a tad sick. Judging from my bodies reaction to Hunter’s impending arrival, you would not think I had slept with the man, or have seen the most intimate parts of the other person. But I do, I feel so edgy, and completely unprepared to date a man who shuts down all of my senses.
“No matter how you feel.” I watch Lottie step in to the room behind me, and by the look that has come across her face she is waiting for me to finish our ‘pick me up’ saying.
“Get up, Dress up, Show up and Never give up!” We both say in unison.
I don’t know how she does it, but she never fails to pick me up, how she knew I was feeling blue I have no idea, what I do know is how grateful I am to have a best friend like her.
She moves to my bed, picking up form fitting silver and black midi dress. I look at her in question, perplexed by her choice.
Surely this dress is for the more formal affair.
“Seriously, I cannot believe you are giving me that look. How dare you question the all fashion knowing Lottie.This dress is perfect, yes it looks smart, but it also looks damn hot. It’s the ultimate tease on a figure like yours. It accentuates your curves and makes your butt look amazing. Pair it with these silver diamontee heels, and the matching diamontee bag and you are set for one mother fucking, orgasm induced, jaw dropping evening.” Well, any doubts I had about the outfit have been smashed in to a thousand pieces.
I give her a huge grin and move towards my walk in wardrobe, a skip in my step as I go, getting tingles of excitement from having something so girly and classy.
“STOP! I have everyhting you need right here”
Lottie dangles what appears to be string and a matching see through bra.
I gape at her, speculating about what she plans to do with the black dental floss in her hands.
“Yeah, but I need some underwear, and I’m talking about one that actually covers my bits and doesn’t leave them totally exposed.” She looks confused by my statement, looking between the scraps of material and me in question.
She makes me laughs as she dangles them, as if that makes them look anymore appealing.
Her face hardens slightly, a stubborn look flitting through her eyes. I groan in my head, knowing Lottie is going to trample any choice of underwear I try and select.
“Nope, I don’t get it.” She says, after looking my body up and down several times, making me feel uncomfortable standing here in a bath sheet. “You have a body to die for and you go all sheepish over some underwear. Well, if you don’t want to wear it I suppose you don’t have to. But..” She pauses, letting me digest her words.
Did she really give up that easily or did I mishear? The shock must be pretty evident on my face. She laughs lightly, picking up the dress and walking past me with a sombre expression on her face.
What is she doing? I wasn’t happy with the underwear, but the dress can bloody well stay!
“Such a shame. There is no way you can wear any other kind of underwear beneath this dress, it would totally ruin the look and look god damn awful under it. Really is a waste, but I suppose theres not much I can do if you choose not to wear the appropriate undergarments.” I throw my hand out, catching her off guard as she walks in to the wardrobe. “Yes?” She raises her eyebrows at me, to punctuate her question.
I really want to wear the dress. It made me feel good about myself, and does compliment my bum perfectly. I suppose I can sacrifice the underwear for the dress though, it’s not as if anyone will see it, well anyone except hopefully Hunter.
“Okay, okay.. Hand it over, but if I get laughed at for looking like something that has stepped out of an Ann Summers catalogue, then I get to dress you up for work as a clown!” I tell her, a calculating glint forming in my eyes. I’m not sure where the clown idea came from, but I know Lottie would hate it.
She waves her hand in the air, dismissing the idea of being laughed at and agreeing with me. “Fine, fine. Just get the bloody thing on and stop wasting time. I guarantee Hunter has an aneurysm when he sees you dressed and undressed.” The girl is a pain in the bloody arse, she knows how to play you to ultimately get what she wants.
“I should hope not. If he keels over on me then it was all for nothing.”
I throw her a pout as I pull the practically non existent knickers up my legs with the towel still wrapped around me.
It feels weird, there is just a small V covering my bald sex, and a piece of elastic at the back in the shape of a T.
To be fair, it is not uncomfortable in the slightest, it sits on my skin with ease.
She gives me a smug look, picking up on my surprise at wearing something so slutty in one way, but so pleasant in the other.
“Don’t worry, I asked the sales woman to collect a few colours in this style for you.” I scoff, why am I not surprised? she is quite clearly trying to turn me in to some hussy... and I fucking love it!!
Putting the bra on over my towel, I chose not to look in Lottie’s direction as I can hear her laughing at me.
Yes, I know it’s only a pair of boobs, and yes I know I have bared them to Hunter, and although my confidence is making it’s way back, it’s not quite there just yet.
Lottie starts tapping away on her phone, tutting beneath her breath shuffling her feet awkwardly. A typical Lottie sign of wanting to tell me something, but unsure of how to bring it up.
“What is it Lottie?” I ask her as I pull the dress over my head and smooth it down. I still can’t look at her, afraid of what she could be so edgy about, the last time this happened I had to find out my partner of ten years and father to my children was fucking a supposed friend of mine.
“Erm, I’m not so sure I should bring it up. It might put you on a downer for tonight.” She whispers, as if afraid of me hearing her.
“Lot’s just tell me chick, the sooner I know, the sooner I can put it to bed. Look how fast I overcame the whole Dan crap.” I won’t tell her that I didn’t really deal with it, just locked it away in a box, as it hurt too much to find out that a friend could betray me so awfully.
It’s not so much my feelings in general for Dan that cut me deep, as Hunter has made me realise that I didn’t have any true feelings for him. It was just fear of being alone and the crap he would throw my way, plus the insecurities I felt, of not being good enough, that someone would choose Rhia over me, someone who was supposed to love me.
She comes around in front of me, searching my eyes to see if I can handle it and truly want to know. She nods, resigned, “Diane has been messaging me all day, about Dan and Rhia. Diane thinks Rhia may have set the whole thing up, not that it makes it any better on Dan’s part. Rhia, apparently, and I say apparently as I’m not sure who to believe anymore, I mean, yes Diane did the right thing by telling you, but did she truly not know what was going on? Or did she play a part in it? I will say this, a bigger part of me believes she was just as shocked as we were and is on your side. Anywho.. I digress, I asked Diane how she came about this knowledge, it was a bit coincidental of her to be at the right place at th
e right time, well according to her, she received a few text messages from Rhia, asking her to pop over for some girl time as her other half was going to watch the kids. She was quite adament that Diane leave asap, as she was desperate to get out, she set the whole thing up. Diane followed her and continued to take photos, although she is pretty adamant that Rhia at one point recognised the car and smirked in her direction. She says she has all of the messages to prove it babe. She just wanted to clear it all up that she has dropped Rhia, will have nothing more to do with her and is there for you if you need her, to which I told her, you have already moved on and are the happiest you have been in a long time.” She stops abruptly, standing there and staring at me completely expressionless.
Wow! That is a hell of a lot to take in.
Rhia set it up, but why? The whole bitchiness makes sense, but it all came on so suddenly, there was no warning.
I understand Dan messing about, I mean, really? He beat me, mentally abused me, gave me a shit standard of life and probably shagged anything offered to him on a plate. I can almost guarantee that Rhia probably did just that. How else would they have met? It’s too much of a coincidence.
My blood starts to boil, and my heart beats heavily in my chest in anger.
That fucking bitch. I couldn’t care less about her shagging Dan, but to do it in such a vicious, evil way is beyond taking the piss. A premeditated attack against my family.
I suppose in a way I should be thanking her, she got the waster and I got Hunter.
That explains her going through my phone then.
“Fuck her Lot’s. If she’s so desperate for him she can fucking well have him! I’m more angry at the two faced slag, who thought she got one over on me. I mean, really, she looks like a boy, acts like a twat and by the sounds of it, is a home wrecker as well. Good luck to the pair of them, they are well suited.”
I take a few calming breaths, forcing myself to visualise the positives and release the negatives. As one foot slips in to the diamontee embellished heels, I start to count.
1. My kid’s are free to be happy.
2. I am free to be happy.
3. I have Lottie.
4. I have Hunter.
5. I live - temporarily - in one of the most expensive and impressive apartment complex’s in London.
6. Dan is gone!!
The last one makes me smile the most, and I stand in my heels and new designer outfit, with streaks in my hair and eyes that pop from my face, feeling like a new woman.
A huge weight has lifted from my chest, and I’ll be damned if I’ll allow Dan to suck me down anymore.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“You really don’t care, do you?” Lottie watches my reaction, seemingly perplexed by my array of emotions that led to easy acceptance.
I give her a small smile. “Nope, I have the better life now chick. This is a fresh start for me and the kids, something I’ve dreamed of for a long time.”
I grab the new matching clutch bag, and throw my bank card and driving license inside, “Can I call the kid’s please Lot’s?”
She places her index finger against her lips, appearing to think of an answer to my request. “Actually, Hunter kinda had something delivered whilst we were out, the concierge rung while you were sleeping in the bath.”
I stare at her in impatience, wondering what on earth this has to do with me ringing my children. Growling low in my chest, I throw my hands out to the sides, asking her without words to hurry it up.
She laughs, and runs from the bedroom, returning a few seconds later with an Iphone box. “Here.” She thrusts the box at me and bites her lip in anticipation of my reaction to opening it. I’m not sure why, it’s a phone, so bloody what?
Inside the box, is of course, an Iphone. “Right, and the whole point of me opening a phone is?”
A puff of air escapes her lips from annoyance. “It’s yours, you dingle berry. Nobody has the number yet, so you can give it to whoever you want.” The way in which she just said that pisses me off a bit, I mean, does everybody in my life think it’s perfectly acceptable to flash their cash and treat me as if I can’t pay for anything myself?
I do have limited cash, but that is not stopping me from purchasing myself a cheap, basic phone for the time being. This is getting so over the top it’s unreal.
“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe you expected me to be happy about taking something so extravagant from Hunter. It’s wrong Lot’s, I’ve gotta learn to do this stuff on my own, not rely on a man.” I sound like a spoilt whiny, ungrateful kid. Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the gesture, I really do. But I cannot have Hunter thinking he has to buy me.
Lottie appears to ignore my concerns and skips out of the bedroom. Yes, that’s right, skips. She clearly hasn’t listened to a word I’ve just said.
I lift the phone from the box, and turn it on. It is very sleek, and I love the pink case that comes with it. If only I could afford this, I could offer to buy it from Hunter, but there is no way I’ll be able to pay for a phone like this.
It’s a waste of money when I have other things to worry about. I really do need to get a part time job and start bringing some cash in.
As I sit back on my bed, I spin the phone from front to back in my palm, not daring to go through the apps out of fear that I won’t be able to give it back.
“Do you like it? It’s the only model we use at work at present?” That voice, that sinful voice alone floods my knickers.
I steal a quick glance from under my lashes, taking in his black, tailored suit and baby blue shirt. It looks expensive, ridiculously so. It is totally worth it though, the man is a walking orgasm, even more so dressed like this.
I must stand there looking like a goldfish, mouth opening and closing, failing to grasp a single coherent thought.
“Mouth baby. It’s only a suit, although I’m glad you approve.” He makes his way to me, leaning down to kiss me. “God I’ve missed these lips. It’s been a fucking long day, and the only thing getting me through it was the thought of seeing you again.”
My cheeks heat at his words, and I still struggle to find anything to say. He completely renders my body and mind immobile.
After what feels like an eternity of staring in to each others eyes, my mind begins to function, immediately grasping the problem of the phone. I place my hand in his, attempting to hand him the mobile, but to my dismay, he moves away, leaving me unable to deposit it in his palm.
“Hunter please.” I whine, yes I know, I whine!! “I can’t accept this and I won’t. There is no need for me to be taking something like this from you. I will hit the shops tomorrow and buy a temporary replacement. I understand I can’t use my old phone as Dan may have had it reported stolen, but that doesn’t stop me from buying a basic model myself. You can’t just throw your money at me like this.” He looks angry, his face darkening by my rejection.
“You can and you will. I will not have you, unable to contact your children or make a single phone call cause of that tosser. I would never forgive myself if something was to happen to you and you were unable to call for help, when I can rectify the problem before there even could be one. This phone hasn’t cost me a penny. We have several contract phones lying around at work for employees to use. This was just one of them. I pay a monthly bill, regardless of if it gets used or not, so don’t feel bad for putting a phone to use that could just be sitting in a cupboard for months on end. If you decide to buy yourself one, and choose to give this one up, then I will just put back in to the cupboard to await someone else to use it. Take it, or I’ll hire someone to follow you around and keep you safe at all times.” The words that came out of his mouth shock me, not so much about the phone, as I understand that’s what plenty of companies do, but about hiring someone to follow me about.
He can’t be serious, but judging from the expression on his face, he is daring me to say no. I know I don’t have a hope in hell of getting my own way.
“Do you promise thi
s has not cost you a penny, well not cost you a penny just for me to use. And I will pay you a monthly bill for my usage.” Let’s see how he likes that, now I’m deadly serious.
“Fine,” He grates out. I can tell it kills him to have to compromise with me.
He gets a devious look flitting through his eyes, and my stomach drops out from under me. I know that look, that is the look of someone who has a plan up their sleeve. I’m pretty sure I just heard him mutter, ‘we’ll see’ under his breath. What could that mean?
I don’t get a chance to ponder it, as Hunter snatches the phone and starts programming several numbers in to the phone book. His work, his mobile and his home.
Not that I need all of those, I’m sure his mobile alone would suffice.
I speak to my babies in the car on the way out, feeling so tearful and lost without them as I hear their little voices.
They were so excited to tell me about their escapades and driving Grandma mad. I was so close to telling them I was jumping on a train to see them, but Hunter chose that second to place his hand on my knee and ground me.
Of course I can’t go rushing down there for no reason, other than missing them. I need this break and so do they, it’s just so hard when you haven’t been without them before.
I miss their little faces, and the cuddles they give me. It hurts to be without the laughs the don’t even have to force out of me and the unconditional love they throw at me twenty four seven.
I end the call by making up a story, it was slightly rushed, but they love to hear them and I love to hear them giggle by my made up words.
I swallowed back a huge tennis ball sized lump as I told them I loved them and would speak to them tomorrow, they really are my whole world.
After the call it wasn’t long before We arrived at a steak house, I couldn’t help but tease Hunter’s choice of restaurant. He’s not exactly dressed for steak and chips.