The Hangover

by Emma Nichols

  Carine sighed heavily.

  ‘Well I’m glad you feel that way too,’ Tori said, sarcastically.

  ‘Sorry, it’s just that I really am very busy.’

  ‘So you said. Anyway, I’m coming home. If you can’t take time off then fine, I’m sure we can find time outside of work. I can come to your networking events with you if you like, you know, like we used to do?’ she offered, hoping it would make a difference to Carine’s response.

  The offer met with silence from the other end of the phone. The silence continued until Tori realised they had been cut off.

  Carine watched the caller display disconnect as she pressed the end button on her phone. The red rage that had formed from the onset of the call, had settled into a heavy mist in front of her eyes. The last thing she wanted right now was Tori to return home, even for a day. She paced the office, trying to dissipate the boiling sensation in her head. She hated feeling out of control. What would she say to Eva? She needed to keep them apart and work out some way to ensure Tori’s visit was as short as possible. She popped a pod in the coffee machine and waited. Eva, Eva, Eva. What had that woman done to her? A coy smile came to her face as she answered her own question, softening the mist in her mind. Whenever she thought about Eva, she felt good. They were right together.

  *

  Eva stepped into her cool, damp flat, shivered at the feeling of emptiness she found there, and vowed to get it cleared out and sold. She had come for one reason and one reason only. She would clear the flat on another day. She picked up the small box that had been her mum’s Christmas present and studied it, rubbing her fingers across the surface of the wrapping paper. It would always be the gift her mum never got to see. She carefully opened the paper, revealing the red-cardboard gift box beneath. Removing the lid, the sight of the aquamarine stone caused her eyes to burn. It seemed bizarre to align a material object with a human life, but in that moment, that was exactly how she felt. The stone represented her mum and she felt the need to keep it close to her. She lifted the pendant, and noticed how the different light on it subtly shifted its colour. She unclasped the chain and then retied it around her neck, tucking it safely under her t-shirt. Pressing her hand against the stone resting against her chest, she smiled. This way her mum would always be with her.

  She grabbed the urn from the table and put it in the suitcase she had dumped after her trip to London. She would drop the suitcase at Rosa’s en route to Charlie. She also needed to fit in a shopping trip, for something to wear for the christening. As she walked away from the place she had thought of as home for some years, she knew the next time she returned would be the last. She was pleased that the thought didn’t come with the wave of sadness that she might have expected.

  She looked back, noticing the drab appearance of the dirty building that reached too high into the sky, and a sense of something unnerving caused her to shiver. She glanced around, but there was nothing to pin her gut feeling on. Just the normal activities: people passing by, cars moving too quickly, and a couple of cyclists, all going about their business. She had a sudden urge to text her father. Maybe it was her sixth sense telling her to contact him. She pressed the send button, then pulled the wheeled case behind her down the street and into the Metro.

  *

  Eva was too far away to hear the clicking of the lens, or the grunting sound that emanated from the person with a keen interest in her activities. ‘Bitch.’ The word carried sufficient venom that, had it been injected directly into the recipient, would have surely paralysed them: the sound though, got lost in the regular city noise.

  ‘Hey,’ Charlie greeted Eva with a warm embrace.

  ‘Hi.’ Eva entered the familiar space and immediately relaxed. Even though she hadn’t been feeling tense, something about the energy in the studio seemed to take her to an even deeper level of calmness.

  ‘You look good,’ Charlie commented as they walked along the short corridor to the stairs.

  ‘I am, thanks.’

  ‘I’ve got the plans ready,’ Charlie said, as they entered the living space, with a number of documents spread out on the large table.

  ‘Oooo, that’s exciting.’ Eva rubbed her hands together. Standing at the table she scanned the paperwork, briefly.

  ‘We can go through those afterwards,’ Charlie said, heading for the therapy room.

  ‘Sure.’ Eva followed her into the room and hopped eagerly onto the therapy bed. She had a lot she wanted to talk about, but first, she would enjoy the relaxation and mental space that Charlie’s reiki afforded her.

  *

  ‘This is brilliant,’ Eva said, her eyes soaking up the drawings, and reading through the business proposition she had discussed only briefly with Charlie on her return from London. ‘You’re good.’

  She checked her phone. There was still no response from her father, but that wasn’t unusual. She challenged the anxiety that pricked at her gut. It was hard to trust that he was okay, when the reality could be far from that fact. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to the idea of him living on the street, she could only hope that her plan to help the guys would give them some respite, and a choice. By providing a shelter that would be run by homeless people, for homeless people, she hoped they would be encouraged to support each other by offering food and shelter to anyone who needed it. It wasn’t a novel idea, but it was one that would give her father a roof over his head on any night that he chose to stay. And that was critical. She hoped he would run the shelter, with some assistance of course. She prayed it would give him hope for a better future, but if she were truly honest with herself, it was really about satisfying her fears, her needs.

  ‘I’m sure you can make it work,’ Charlie said, sipping at her herbal tea, enjoying Eva’s enthusiasm. ‘You just need to find the right building,’ she added, but she was smiling confidently.

  ‘We will find the right building,’ Eva said. The certainty with which she spoke left no room for doubt. She was going to make this project come to life, no matter what. Even if her father didn’t want to take advantage of the opportunity, the likes of Ed and George probably would. She would introduce skills classes for the homeless people at a later date: IT, construction, and even some personal development so that they could apply for jobs in the future. Eva beamed as the idea began to take shape in her mind.

  Charlie studied Eva, hoping that her plans would come to fruition.

  Eva’s phone pinged, raising the biggest smile to her face. ‘It’s my father, he’s fine,’ she clarified to Charlie.

  28.

  ‘Come back to bed.’

  Rosa reached out and grabbed Eva by the arm, confidently, tenderly, pulling her naked body down on top of her. The intensity in her dark brown eyes pierced through Eva’s thinly veiled façade, causing her nerves to fire uncontrollably. Eva moaned in pleasure as their bodies made contact. They fit together so perfectly; the softness of Rosa’s tanned skin and firmness of her muscular frame melding with Eva’s body at every point down her length. She felt consumed by Rosa’s touch, again, and it felt so fucking good she didn’t ever want it to end.

  ‘I want you.’

  The intensity of Rosa’s gaze never wavered as her mouth crashed urgently into Eva’s. Rosa’s hands moved swiftly down Eva’s body, as if this was new, exciting territory, to her. But, it wasn’t. It was familiar, comfortable even. Safe. It was wonderful.

  Eva’s hips bucked involuntarily as Rosa’s fingers swept through her folds, softly, deftly, spreading her effortlessly. The deep, earthy groan Eva emitted fuelled Rosa, and the deep thrusts she delivered created a wave of intoxication, that flowed through every cell of Eva’s body. Collapsing, her mouth finding Rosa’s firm breast, her tongue instantly flicking at her erect, dark nipple, she bit down hard. Rosa screamed in pleasure, her near-black eyes stared at Eva intently. Eva raised her head, locking onto the stare, finding the truth. She reached for Rosa’s arms and pinned her to the bed. The look was wicked, her intentions clear, an
d her mouth claimed Rosa’s breast again, causing her back to arch instantly. Eva had to work hard to keep Rosa from raising her arms and trying to take back control. Eva had no intention of letting that happen. She pinned both hands above Rosa’s head and reached for the belt of the robe that was still attached to the headboard. She smiled seductively as she tied Rosa’s hands together. Rosa bit her top lip, never averting her gaze, writhing underneath Eva’s exposed crotch. Eva groaned at the sensation coursing through her sex, lifting herself away from the contact before she lost complete control.

  ‘Fuck me.’ Rosa begged.

  Eva kissed her way down Rosa, teasing her and making her repeat her request. When her mouth took Rosa, parted her, delved into her, Rosa bucked and screamed. Eva continued pressing deeply, rhythmically, until the screaming silenced and her body shook hard.

  ‘Holy fuck! How do you do that to me?’ Rosa was panting hard, her pulse thumping through her rising chest. Eva watched in adoration, circling the rising and falling nipple, tracing the goose bumps that followed her touch. A beaming grin on her face, her eyes sparkling, she pressed a tender kiss on the erect nipple.

  ‘Enough, I can’t take any more,’ Rosa wriggled. ‘Untie me…’ Eva gave her a look. ‘Please.’ Eva’s mouth twitched, and her head tilted, as if processing the request.

  ‘Maybe I’ll leave you there all day,’ she said, watching for Rosa’s response.

  ‘You can’t, we’ve got a christening to go to,’ Rosa smirked.

  Eva grinned wickedly.

  ‘You wouldn’t…’ Rosa started to frown and wriggled to free her hands.

  ‘Oh no you don’t. I haven’t finished with you yet.’ Eva pinned them in place and pressed a deep kiss on Rosa’s swollen lips. Rosa responded, taken in by the tenderness and longing the kiss delivered. She jumped at the unexpected touch to her shaved sex, and groaned as Eva entered her and moved her rhythmically into another intense orgasm.

  ‘Jesus Christ, Eva stop… please,’ Rosa begged, through her body’s shuddering response. She started to laugh uncontrollably. ‘Seriously, we’ve got to get going or we’ll be late.’

  ‘I’ll remind you, it was you who pulled me back to bed,’ Eva quipped, jumping up from the bed and heading for the shower.

  ‘Hey, untie me.’ Eva turned her head, winked, and ignored Rosa’s request. ‘You little shit,’ Rosa shouted, in jest, wriggling intently to release her hands from the tie. She worked her way free and jumped out of bed, immediately struck by light-headedness, that struck her from being prone for so long. Steadying herself, she chased after Eva into the bathroom.

  Eva had stepped out of the shower before Rosa and dressed quickly. ‘Come on, we need to get going,’ she shouted up the stairs, just as Rosa started to descend.

  ‘Well, if you hadn’t delayed me then I would have been out already,’ Rosa teased, on her way down, pulling Eva into her and kissing her firmly as she reached the bottom. Eva groaned at the sensation on her lips, pulling away to hand Rosa her coat. ‘Later,’ Rosa said.

  ‘Perfect timing,’ Eva said, with the beeping of the horn. Stepping into the taxi she pulled Rosa into her shoulder. They would be at the barn in an hour.

  *

  ‘It looks fabulous, darling,’ Lisa said, admiring the display inside the gazebo-style tent that had been constructed for the christening. The tented corridor leading from the house had been adorned with shamanic images and inside the tent sat several shamanic drums and bells. The white-smoke of burning herbs still wafted around the quaint space, from the earlier cleansing and purifying rituals.

  ‘I love it,’ Anna said, squeezing her mum’s arm. ‘Martine has set it up beautifully.’

  Lisa smiled, with a tear in her eye. ‘It is spectacular,’ she said, leaning into Anna, with an arm around her daughter’s waist. ‘Right, let’s see what the chefs are up to.’

  They wandered back up the short corridor, into the hallway and through to the kitchen, picking up the delicate aroma of baked bread and cake. Lauren and Vivian were up to their elbows in flour, chatting away as if they had all the time in the world. Anna smiled, watching the two women. She loved that they got on so well, but more than that, the sight of Lauren with flour across her cheek caused tingles to run down her spine. ‘You look…’

  ‘A mess,’ Lauren interrupted, rubbing the cuff of her shirt across her face.

  ‘Hot, I was going to say.’ Anna rubbed at the flour and pressed a kiss on Lauren’s cheek. ‘And you’ve got about half an hour before people start to arrive,’ Anna added.

  ‘Anything I can do?’ Valerie asked, sauntering into the kitchen looking the picture of elegance.

  ‘Don’t come near here or you’ll end up covered,’ Lauren said with a laugh.

  ‘Champagne’s in the fridge,’ Vivian added, nodding towards the cabinet. ‘I’m ready if you are,’ she suggested.

  Valerie looked at her watch out of principle, but with little regard for the time of day. ‘Of course, darling,’ she said, with a flirtatious wink in Vivian’s direction. She pulled the bottle from the fridge and handed it to Vivian who elicited a soft pop from the cork, muffling the sound with a tea towel. She started pouring and handed Valerie a flute.

  Lauren and Anna sniggered at the harmless banter between their mothers, enjoying the fact that they all slotted together so well. ‘I’ll have one,’ Lauren said, placing the final batch of bread rolls into the oven. Anna nudged her in the arm and tutted, then took the flute that had been offered to Lauren and marched out of the kitchen with it, sipping happily. ‘Hey,’ Lauren called after her. They were giggling.

  Anna stepped straight into Martine’s path. She was waving a stick of smoking herbs and blowing the white smoke around the hallway, chanting as she went. She blew the smoke into the corners of the room and then made her way into the kitchen. Anna laughed as she watched the others exit the room at great haste, taking care not to spill their drinks.

  ‘Is that really necessary?’ Valerie grumped, somewhat bemused at the excessive ritual. Anna shrugged, placed a kiss on the older woman’s cheek, and ushered her gently into the living room, where the crackling fire, Henri, Antoine and Chico’s company might feel a little more comfortable. Vivian and Lisa followed, and she shut the door behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.

  ‘I’m going to get changed,’ Lauren said, smiling with her eyes at the antics, and Anna’s ability to soften Valerie’s temperament.

  ‘I’ll let Martine know to avoid the living room,’ she said.

  Lauren sniggered, taking the steps two at a time. She jumped into the shower, and was dressed in no time at all. Pulling on her white tuxedo jacket, the sound of a snuffling Emilie caught her ear. The noises coming from the baby room melted her. She peaked around the door to see Emilie trying to pull herself up in her cot. She watched the struggle for a short while, until Emilie spotted her and started to giggle. ‘Hello sweetheart,’ she said, softly approaching the cot and reaching out to collect her daughter into her arms.

  Emilie was already clothed, in a white dress, but her socks lay in the cot having been kicked off during her short nap. Lauren picked them up and carried both child and socks down the stairs, unaware of Anna’s presence in the foyer below.

  ‘You look hot,’ Anna said, unable to take her eyes off of Lauren, eyeing her from top to bottom. She was biting on her bottom lip and by the time their eyes connected her pupils had darkened. Fuck. Anna swallowed hard and tried to curb the desire that had rendered her mind numb. Lauren’s smile floored her though, and an unplanned groan escaped Anna, the heat moving down her body causing her knees to go weak.

  ‘My thoughts exactly,’ Lauren remarked. Her eyes were wide, and her smile ran deep. She turned her attention to Emilie. ‘Doesn’t mummy look lovely,’ she said to her.

  Anna brushed a finger softly down her daughter’s cheek. ‘And doesn’t mummy look hot,’ she said in a child-like voice. Her other hand tracing determinedly down the centre of Lauren’s tuxedo jacket, popping a bu
tton and slipping inside to get just a little closer to the flesh that tempted her.

  Emilie gurgled, and Anna kissed her softly on the cheek. ‘Want me to take her?’ she asked, removing her hand from Lauren’s firm abs, having clearly expressed her intentions for later.

  ‘Sure.’ Lauren handed Emilie over.

  ‘Let’s go and see Nana and Grannies,’ she said, bouncing Emilie in her arms.

  ‘I’ll get that.’ Lauren said, at the sound of the ringing doorbell.

  *

  Lauren pulled the door wide open, just as Eva and Rosa’s taxi crunched its way back down the gravel driveway, leaving them standing at the front door. ‘Hi.’ Lauren said, her expression slightly reserved, from a few moments ago.

  ‘Hi Lauren.’ Rosa stepped up and pulled Lauren into a tight embrace, breaking the distance that seemed to sit between them.

  ‘Hi,’ Eva said, waving her hand by way of greeting. Rosa released Lauren and put her arm around Eva’s waist. Entering the foyer area, a smile appeared on her face when she caught sight of Anna.

  Anna rushed at Eva giving her a big hug. ‘I’m so glad you could make it,’ she said, releasing her and assessing Eva from top to toe. ‘How are you?’ she asked, watching Eva’s response intently. She looked good.

  ‘I’m great,’ Eva responded, reaching for Rosa’s hand. Her smile was genuine, and Anna noticed a different quality emanating from her best friend. She seemed settled and a lot less edgy than she had ever known.

  ‘Come in, come in,’ Anna said, dragging Eva and Rosa into the kitchen. ‘What can I get you?’ she asked.

  ‘Water’s fine thanks,’ Eva responded, gaining a quizzical look from Anna. ‘I stopped drinking,’ Eva added, with a soft smile.

  ‘Wow. What have you done to her?’ she asked Rosa, who shrugged, squeezing Eva’s hand firmly. Eva brushed a thumb across the back of the hand in hers. What had Rosa done? But the truth was more than that, and they both knew it.