by Brenna Darcy
“Are you never satisfied?” Flic breathed, as he pulled her to sit on top of him.
“Oh I’m satisfied all right, I just don’t seem to be able to get enough of you is all.” Dave ran his hands over her, as she began to rock her hips, kissing his neck and trailing back to his mouth, taking her time. The urgency of her initial desire now replaced with a need to feel more than physical stimulation.
When they fell into bed, Flic knew the relationship they were building was stronger than she thought she wanted. Somehow he’d proven her wrong and she wanted nothing more than to be where she was right at that moment—with Dave.
Chapter Twenty
HAVING TO GO TO WORK, Flic got up early, made coffee and dressed before Dave woke. It seemed a shame to disturb him. He looked so peaceful in her bed. Being as quiet as she could, she finished getting ready in the bathroom.
Two days off and she felt refreshed. If only Lacey would do the same. Fatigue noticeably wearing her down, but she was too stubborn to give in to rest. Day after day Flic watched her deteriorate, no longer able to tolerate the intake of food, relying on cups of tea to sustain her. But it wasn’t enough.
Flic hoped that the return of signed documents might give Lacey permission to step back and make the most of the time she had left.
Flic was counting on rest to bide Lacey time.
It wasn’t fair of her, especially when she’d been a part of Lacey’s life for such a short time, to dwell on the possibility of losing her too soon when Ty, Dave, and Mim already stood in line long before her. Flic was scared for them all. Lacey was the brightest spark in their lives, and Flic didn’t know if she had the strength to help them after she was gone—a selfish notion, but only for wanting the best for them all.
As Lacey’s time was running out, panic was taking hold. The responsibility of the beautiful, successful business loomed over her. What if she didn’t cope and ran it into the ground?
Flic looked around for her handbag, no longer on the bedside table where she left it, and found it wedged under the bed. It appeared to be caught and wouldn’t budge when she tried to pick it up. Down on all fours she peered under the bed to see one strap caught on a curve in the metal, unhooked it, and edged back with her bag in hand. As she stood she saw Dave was awake and watching her.
“Hey, sorry I woke you. I have to start work at nine.”
“That’s okay, I’ve work to do myself. What’s up Flic, you look upset.”
“No, I’m fine.” She didn’t want to discuss Lacey, or anything that would compromise the fabulous night they’d shared. Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed and hugged him.
“Thank you for being here.” She wanted to say more, but didn’t. Too quickly loved ones had been taken from her and she hadn’t the chance to tell them how much they meant to her. Something she was mindful of, and wouldn’t take for granted in the future.
“Hey, what’s brought this on?”
“Nothing, I just want you to know I like having you around.”
“Good, then you’ll come over for dinner tonight?”
“I’d like that, thank you.” It was reassuring to know he wanted to spend time with her too.
“I have to go. Check out isn’t until eleven so take your time.”
“Thanks, I’ll see you after work.”
Flic kissed him again. Hoping she hadn’t forgotten anything, she picked up her overnight bag and left.
Putting her bags in the car before returning her room key, Flic remembered she’d forgotten the tea pot Lacey had loaned her from the store, so went back to get it.
Dave was stretched out on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling.
“I was hoping you’d come back,” he said, grinning, as she walked over to kiss him again.
“Sorry to disappoint you, I only came back for the tea pot. I almost forgot it.”
Placing it on the passenger seat, Flic hoped the checkout line wasn’t too long, or she’d be late. Stepping into the reception area she was pleased no one else was waiting and she was served immediately.
“Dave is still in bed, but will be gone before eleven.” Flic assured Stacey, who raised her eyebrows and smiled, but didn’t comment.
Arriving at five minutes before nine, Flic found the shop still locked and in darkness, so stood out the front to wait. It was unusual for Lacey to be late, but she guessed it to be another of the side effects. How was she to continue her usual routine when her body systems where shutting down and wearing her out? Flic was amazed she still managed as well as she did.
“Oh, Flic, I’m so sorry, I slept through my alarm and then I had to take Ty to school.”
“It’s fine, Lacey. I’ll make some tea and then why don’t you go home and rest before you have to pick Ty up,” Flic suggested, as she walked over and switched on the lights. Catching a glimpse of the clock, it was almost a quarter past nine.
“Thanks, I won’t say no to tea. As for the rest, let’s see how I go. I’m not feeling so great today.”
Flic nodded, not trusting herself to speak for fear her voice would give away her earlier concerns.
Turning on the remaining lights, as she went to the back room, Flic switched on the kettle and put her handbag down before going out to turn the waterfall pump on. She saw Lacey sprawled in one of the chairs, her eyes were closed and she seemed to be concentrating on taking slow deep breaths. Not wanting to disturb her, Flic went back to fix the tea.
She carried the tray and set it on the table between the two chairs and sat. Lacey’s forehead was damp with perspiration, and the colour had drained from her face. Flic had never seen her look so dreadful.
When she opened her eyes, she gazed at Flic a moment before she spoke. “How did you go with the paperwork? Everything okay?”
“Yes, fine. I have it in my handbag.”
“Signed?”
“Yes, and Mim witnessed for me.”
Lacey nodded, as though the effort to speak was too much.
“Please let me call Dave and have him pick you up.” Flic pleaded.
“He’s not home, I tried to call him this morning.”
“Oh—he stayed with me last night.”
Lacey smiled, despite how she felt. “Then I’m happy.” She closed her eyes again.
Flic tried his home and cell first, but both went to voicemail, so she phoned the hotel in hope he was still there.
“I’ve not seen him leave yet. I’ll put you through to the room.”
“That’d be great, thanks.” Flic tapped her foot, as she waited, what was taking him so long to answer.
“Hello.” He answered as she was about to hang up.
“Oh good you’re still there.”
“I know, you forgot your writing book, I’ll bring it home for you.”
Flic paused a moment, the only way to know she’d left her writing book was if he’d looked inside. Dread mounted, but she pushed it aside, having more important things to think about for the moment. “Can you come via the shop on your way home, I need to talk to you?”
“Okay. I’ll be there in five.”
Flic hung up. There was no reason to alarm him when he had to drive.
“Dave’s on his way.”
“Thanks.” Lacey sucked in a shallow breath. “Can you get me the documents, I want to give them to my lawyer.”
“Sure.” She rushed out the back to get them, and a damp cloth for Lacey’s forehead, hoping it’d make her feel better.
Returning to Lacey’s side, she put the envelope on the table. “Lacey, I’m going to put a cold compress on your head, it might make you feel a bit better.”
She opened her eyes a moment then closed them.
Flic wiped Lacey’s face with the cloth and was holding it to her brow when Dave arrived.
“What’s wrong? What happened to her?” Dave rushed over to Lacey, taking her hand in his.
“It’s okay, Dave, I’m not feeling so good. Flic wants me to go home, but I’ll be fine in a minute.”
“You need to go to the hospital, you look shocking.”
Lacey smiled, “I knew I could count on you to tell me the truth, but I am not going to the hospital, we talked about this already.”
“Okay, but you’re not going home either, you can come back to my house.”
“Ah-huh.” Lacey knew better than to keep arguing with him, beside she didn’t seem to have the energy even if she wanted to.
“Flic, can you manage here?”
“Of course. I’ll get the door.”
Dave scooped Lacey up as easily as if she were as featherweight as Ty.
“The documents, I need them.” Lacey insisted.
“They’re right here.” Flic picked them up and placed them in her lap.
“Thank you, I can’t tell you what this means to me.”
Flic blinked back tears and gently rubbed her shoulder. Opening the door for Dave she followed him to his car.
“It’s unlocked,” he said, giving Flic room to open the door wide enough for him to place Lacey on the passenger seat. He fastened her seatbelt before withdrawing from the car.
“I’ll talk to you tonight.” Flic said, as she closed the car door.
“Thanks for taking care of her.” Dave rubbed both his hands up and down her arms. “I love you, you know,” he said, before planting a kiss on her lips. He stepped back and walked to the driver’s side before she could respond. “See you tonight.” He swung into the drivers seat, closed the door and drove away.
Flic wandered back to the shop. An overwhelming sense of loneliness sunk in, as Lacey’s condition became real.
AFTER WORK FLIC WENT straight home, desperate to know how Lacey was feeling. Pulling into the drive way behind Dave’s car, she didn’t waste time parking over by the cottage. Ringing the doorbell, Flic tried to be patient, but felt her irritation grow as she waited.
Opening the door a few minutes later, Dave grinned. “Hey you’re early, I haven’t finished yet.”
Flic frowned, confused. “Finished what?”
“Dinner, remember?” Dave leaned forward, grabbed her hand, and drew her in close for a kiss. “Come in,” he said, stepping back without letting go of her hand.
“I forgot all about dinner to be honest, I’ve been so worried about Lacey, how is she?”
“Oh, sorry, I should’ve called, she’s fine. The doctor came to check on her, but by the time he got here she’d perked up. I gave her some chicken soup, which she ate and felt better afterwards. I took her and Ty home about an hour ago.”
“That’s good. If you don’t mind I’ll have a shower before dinner.” Flic wanted a few minutes alone after making herself sick with worry. It wouldn’t have taken much for Dave to phone and let her know all was well. She wasn’t angry, he had enough to think about without having to report back to her, but it would have eased her over active imagination.
Dave kissed her again. “Take your time, dinner will be ready in about an hour.”
“Great. I won’t be long.” Flic wanted to escape to the safety of her cottage where she didn’t have to pretend like everything was fine.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she showered. Dressed in a long black maxi dress, Flic glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Blotchy faced from crying she decided makeup would be the only solution to disguise puffy eyes and reddening around her nose. It helped, and by the time dinner was served she figured all traces of her meltdown would be gone.
Still too early to head over to Dave’s, she decided a walk and some fresh air would be nice, especially since she’d been caught up indoors so much of late. She’d never walked the back of the property, a large open expanse of green pasture, lined with natural rainforest. She loved the many shades of green not seen in the outer city area where she lived. Even during the summer months Margaret River’s cooler weather saw to the lustre remaining all year long.
Not knowing how much land was Dave’s, she circled back not wanting to venture too far. Off to the side, between the house and the cottage she found the perfect tree to build a cubby house for Ty under, with a branch straight and sturdy enough for a tree swing. She’d always wanted one as a child, having seen them on many movies whilst growing up, and thought Ty would love it. Maybe she could buy a kit and suggest Dave assemble it for him.
Not ready to go inside, Flic sat on the grass. With her back against the trunk of the tree, she leaned against it and closed her eyes. Dave told her he loved her. It took her a little by surprise, but she was pleased he felt strongly enough to say it aloud. Lacey’s condition had occupied every spare thought she had that day, and his parting comment blended into the background until now.
Flic played the moment over in her mind. He’d said it so quickly, as though a slipped confession. Their relationship so far had been unpredictable, she had no intention of reading too much into his words.
Dave always stressed he was a planner, so if that were the case, where did she fit into his future?
“Dinner’s ready.” Flic hadn’t heard Dave approach, and lean against the post of the back entertaining area, until he spoke.
Flic opened her eyes and smiled at him, he was ridiculously good looking.
The table was set with candles and fresh tulips in a vase. The aroma wafting from the kitchen smelled incredible. Dave pulled out a chair for her to sit and leaned forward to kiss her on the shoulder, trailing a feather light path up her neck. “Would you like a glass of wine?”
“That’d be lovely, thank you.”
Dave poured her a glass of the same wine they’d shared at the outdoor cinema, before filling his own.
Lifting silver lids from the plates he’d set on the table he revealed a meal equivalent in looks to that of scent.
“You cooked this?”
Dave laughed. “Yes. Why? What were you expecting?”
“Let’s just say, nothing as extravagant as this.” The meal was as pleasing to the eye as one of Tim’s creations. The fresh salmon steaks were covered in what looked like a creamy sauce with sundried tomatoes and herbs, steamed green vegetables and carefully stuffed baked potatoes. He’d gone to so much effort, even after everything that happened with Lacey.
Dave slid into the chair opposite her, and raised his glass. “To you, Flic, for giving me reason to smile again.”
Flic clinked her glass to his, and sipped her wine, too overwhelmed to respond.
The combination of flavours was exquisite, as satisfying a meal as any restaurant capable of providing.
They chatted easily, although avoided topics likely to dampen the mood.
After they’d finished eating, Dave suggested they take their wine to the lounge room where they could relax before dessert.
Entering the room Flic noticed her writing book on the coffee table. She wanted to pick it up and run away, never to face Dave again. How had she been so stupid as to leave it where he’d see it, and what right did he have to read it anyway. He could’ve picked it up, and not gone through the pages, because anyone could see it didn’t belong in the hotel room, without opening it to find out.
Dave followed her gaze. “I know you think I read it, but I promise you I didn’t. I opened it up, saw your handwriting and closed it again. Can’t say I wasn’t tempted, but I wouldn’t invade your privacy like that.”
Flic nodded, she had to trust him. She had no proof his story wasn’t legitimate. “Thank you, I appreciate that.” Leaving the book where it was, Flic turned, wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into the most sincere eyes she’d known.
“I meant what I said this morning, you know.”
Flic paused a moment, not wanting to assume she knew what he was referring to. “What’s that?”
“You know what I mean, I hope I didn’t freak you out by admitting it.”
Shaking her head, she smiled. “No you didn’t freak me out, took me by surprise though.”
Dave laughed. “If that’s the case, why stop now— will you move in with me?”
“What?” He
was out of his mind. He had to be.
“Well I just figured you live on my property anyway, and I’d prefer it if we slept together each night, so why not move in.”
“I don’t know.” He was moving too fast and Flic needed time to process the rapid pace. She didn’t know if she was ready to take that next step, it felt too formal and she wasn’t even sure where they were going with the relationship yet. “What’s the hurry, it’s not like I’m far away if you decide you want to come and stay the night.”
Leading her over to the couch Dave sat and, giving her hand a gentle tug, indicating for her to sit beside him. “I’m not trying to rush you, and if you’d prefer not to move in yet then that’s fine, but I want you to know that I’m asking for my own reasons and it has nothing to do with what’s happening with Lacey and Ty. It’s really bad timing I know but I don’t want you to make the association between moving in, with helping me care for Ty.”
“Point taken, but you have nothing to prove to me. We don’t have to rush this.” She didn’t know why this was such a big deal for her. It sounded like crazy talk, as they hardly knew each other.
“At least it wasn’t a straight out no. I guess that’ll have to do, but will you stay with me tonight?”
Flic was curious if the incident with Lacey earlier was responsible for Dave’s sudden eagerness for security.
Having walked into the store alone, she knew the impact it’d made on her and couldn’t imagine what he was dealing with. She had no desire to be alone either. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“I know that, but I have an alarm clock. Admittedly I rarely use it, but it works.”
“Alright, I’ll stay.” She half expected him to cheer like a child allowed a sleep over for the first time.
“Geez that was hard work, I think I’ve earn dessert, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Hmm, that all depends on what you had in mind.” Flic wasn’t certain it was food he was referring to.
Leaning toward her, he kissed her quickly before standing. “I made sticky date pudding, my favourite.”