Good Enough

by PH Morris

  Sensing me, he looked down, smiled, pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my head.

  “Christ, Mel,” he exclaimed, “you have no idea how long I have thought about doing that.”

  “Well, I hope it lived up to expectations,” I cringed.

  “Better than I could imagine,” he grinned manically at me. “I hope to be doing that again and again.”

  I don’t know how long we lay there, but the next thing I noticed was a distant sound of dishes and I awoke covered with a sheet, and Alistair was missing, I could hear him talking but not the words, and I figured he was speaking to Archie. I realised he was moving the dishes around and perhaps stacking a dishwasher which was probably somewhere in that kitchen.

  A few moments later there was the sound of Alistair coming up the stairs, and I quickly wondered if I should fan my hair across the pillow and look all Hollywood and glamorous or just go for normal. I didn’t get the chance to decide as he came into the room and I peeked at him and stretched.

  “Brought you a glass of water,” he said and held up two glasses.

  I sat up, dragging the sheet with me to protect my modesty. I don’t know why, considering he had just seen me in all my naked glory, but it’s what they did on TV, and it seemed appropriate.

  I managed to sneak a peek at the guy who was now in just his boxers holding a glass towards me, the glass being presented at the same height as his crotch.

  “Thanks,” I stuttered. “What time is it?” I looked around the room for a clock and settled on the big windows and a view of the stars as if that could give me a clue.

  “It’s just after midnight. Scootch over,” he said.

  I put my glass down on the bedside cabinet, and he climbed into bed with me, snuggling my naked boobs against his chest.

  It was an intimate and relaxed gesture, and he started to stroke my arm with his free hand.

  “You okay? You’re normally a bit more forthcoming.”

  “You know me, don’t take anything I say or don’t say as agreement or disagreement. I’m fine, just thinking,” I explained, stifling a yawn.

  “Well, as long as you are okay, then I’m okay. Get some sleep.”

  I freed myself from him and turned the other way, and a few moments later he followed me and wrapped his warm arm around me, and I fell into a deep comfortable sleep.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning was bright – urggghhh, no curtains again. Was I always going to be tortured by thin curtains, no curtains, or perfectly available curtains that weren’t drawn?

  I cracked a sleepy eye and peeped out at my surroundings. I then realised where I was and became still in case Alistair was still in bed asleep or, worse, watching me intently.

  I lay absurdly still, which would have seemed a bit strange, but as I listened, I realised that I was alone. I took in my attire; luckily, I was securely covered by the sheets, my modesty suitably protected. It was then that I took in the wider view of my surroundings.

  The bedroom and the bed were empty, the sheets a little dishevelled. I reached into space at the side of me, and it wasn’t cold, so he could have been there just a few minutes earlier. The room was flooded with light from the upstairs bedroom windows, which I noticed had curtains, and they looked pretty thick, but due to the evening’s fun and games we hadn’t considered closing them. My bladder was screaming for the bathroom, but my clothes were scattered, and some were downstairs. Damn it. I could either dash to the bathroom or wait until later. The covers were too big and tucked in to drag them with me. Sod it; I would dash to the bathroom, have a wee and be back in good time.

  I crept out of bed and was across the landing and in the safety of the bathroom in double quick time. I had a wee and then looked at my naked self in the mirror while I washed my hands. I looked okay. My toothbrush was in my bag, but there was some toothpaste, so I brushed my teeth with my finger and rinsed my mouth. I dragged my hands through my hair, and I looked decent, all things considered. I grabbed a towel to cover my modesty, but damn it they were only hand towels, and it just about reached round my body but barely covered my ass.

  I opened the door and peeked out. I could hear movement downstairs, so I had time, and like a kid I dashed quickly and on my tiptoes to the bedroom, threw the towel to one side and dived under the covers. I settled my breathing, so I didn’t sound like I had been dashing around. Again, I wondered if I should fan my hair on the pillow, but thought it would look too contrived, and he had probably heard me dashing around. I heard Alistair before I saw him as he was clearly carrying something on a tray and the cups clinked together as he stomped up the stairs. I fluffed the cushions behind me and pulled the covers up high, so my boobs were covered.

  As Alistair reached the top step there was a kerfuffle, and Archie came charging into the room, jumped on top of the bed and licked me fully on the mouth. Ewww, so much for trying for a minty breath. “Morning, Archie,” I complained.

  “Hey, leave her alone, she’s mine. I’m the only one allowed to kiss her,” Alistair admonished. “Archie, get down,” he ordered, and obediently Archie flopped onto the floor and began to wag his tail. He leant his head near me on top of the covers, and I scratched his head.

  “Hey, lovely lady, I brought you breakfast.”

  “Wow, that is some breakfast,” I exclaimed as he laid the tray on the bed.

  “Come on, boy, let the lady eat. No begging. Out,” he ordered.

  Archie reluctantly got up and walked at a snail’s pace to the door, sparing me a backward glance and a sad face. Alistair softly closed the door.

  Turning back to Alistair, I noticed that he had slipped on his jeans and a T-shirt, which was a disappointment, but I guess there would be plenty of time to admire his bod.

  Scrambled eggs and Scottish smoked salmon, toast, tea and orange juice.

  “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble for me,” I protested.

  “Nonsense, I wanted to do it… plus half is for me,” and he picked up a triangle of toast and bit into it to demonstrate his ownership.

  He stared at me for the moment, and his chewing slowed. I was just about to panic when he said, “You look sexy this morning,” in a suggestive tone.

  Nervously I tucked my hair behind one ear and simultaneously tucked the sheet around me. I grabbed a cup of tea to hide my embarrassment at his compliment. It was quite a feat.

  “Well, that’s your fault,” I offered, looking over the top of the cup.

  He smiled devilishly. “Well, I’m not apologising.”

  He took the cup from my hand and placed it on the tray. He picked up the tray and placed it on the floor, which puzzled me until he grabbed the hem of his shirt, dragged it over his head, giving me a full view of those abs, and climbed onto the bed, kissing me firmly on the lips. I squealed at his audacity and squirmed under the sheets.

  He stripped off quickly, shedding jeans and boxers, and we were off for round two. This time things lasted a lot longer and were a bit more frantic, fast and passionate. Eventually, we both collapsed in a tangled heap; I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Who knew it could be like this? I wanted to cry, cry happy tears.

  I guess I was going to have to get over my shyness when it came to getting naked, as it appeared that we might be spending a rather large amount of time doing just that. Once we had caught our breath, Alistair jumped up and kissed me quickly on the forehead.

  “Come on, lazy bones, get up.” He was not at all shy, standing there, starkers with his hands on his hips. He was still, shall we say, half-mast. I dragged the sheets over me to hide some parts; he was much bolder.

  “You can’t spend all day in bed,” he admonished, looking around for his boxers.

  “Well, I keep trying to get up,” I replied, laughing, “but you keep getting up yourself.”

  As if to respond, he twitched and grew a little f
irmer.

  “Don’t you know it’s rude to point?” I laughed.

  “Well, that’s technically your fault,” he said, grabbing his boxers and slipping them on; he rearranged himself and muttered, “Down, boy.”

  Grabbing the tray off the floor, he said, “I’m going to salvage this if I can, and you can jump in the shower if you like.”

  Pointing with his head, he added, “Your bag is over there.”

  He managed to open the door and balance the tray at the same time, and as he padded downstairs, I could hear him talking to Archie.

  When the coast was clear, I climbed out of bed and unzipped my bag, grabbing my toiletries, underwear and a change of clothes, and went back into the bathroom.

  I put my hair in a bun so as not to ruin it. The shower was hot and steamy, and as I washed, I thought about the sex last night and this morning. I knew I shouldn’t compare Alistair with Mark, but as they were the only two men, I had slept with I didn’t have much else to go on. I had to say that Mark was very matter of fact, and if I eventually got off then great; but I seemed to be more in line with Alistair, and on the two occasions that I had got off both were before him. I wondered if that was coincidence or planning on his part. I didn’t have much of a reference for these things, but hey, who was complaining?

  As I finished showering, I remembered that there were no large towels but figured I could dry myself. Just then, Alistair knocked at the door.

  “Mel?” he shouted through the crack in the door. I froze, thinking, what do I do now? “I’ve just remembered there are no bath towels. I’ve got one here. If you are decent, I can pass it through the door.”

  What should I do? I wanted to be brave and be naked in front of him; after all, he had seen and touched pretty much all of me, twice…Oh, what the hell. I opened the door naked and dripping and looked Alistair right in the face, his eyes flickered to my lower half and then up again, resting for a brief moment on my chest before moving back to my face, his pupils dilated.

  “Thanks,” I said and held out my hand.

  “Nnnn no problem,” he stammered, and I took the towel and shut the door in his face. I turned my back to the door, and my face was flame red at my brazen audacity. Ha, take that, Mister Pointer. I shoved the towel in my face to stifle a giggle. I heard him swear behind the door before he walked away. I dressed quickly, my bravado evaporating, in case he burst through the door and took me on the bathroom floor. After I had brushed my teeth and applied a quick layer of make-up, I cautiously left the room and padded to the bedroom. My shoes were downstairs, and as I looked out of the window, I could see Alistair at the side of the property chopping wood. His muscles rippled under his T-shirt as he chopped bigger pieces into smaller chunks.

  I padded downstairs and loosely shoved on my shoes before exiting the house and making my way round to the noise.

  I approached quietly from behind, but Archie gave me away and wagged his tail furiously but didn’t move from his position. Alistair embedded the axe into the block and turned around slowly, shaking his head with a crooked smile on his face.

  “Not sure we need that much wood,” I offered, looking up at the sky as the sun warmed my face.

  “You think?” Alistair grinned. “It was either chop wood or self-combust.”

  “Sorry about that,” I offered shyly.

  “Don’t be sorry, it was a nice surprise, but I thought you might prefer some personal time. Believe me, it took all my willpower to walk away. I figured I needed to do something physical, so chopping wood or jumping in the loch were the two options.”

  I looked down at my feet and started kicking at a stone with my boot.

  He closed the distance quickly and grabbed my face in his hands. “Don’t feel bad, Mel, it was an amazing surprise. I think this body and this face are going to be the death of me.” He kissed me sweetly.

  “Come on, woman; you can try and make a second breakfast while I grab a cold shower.” He held my hand and marched me back to the lodge. Archie bounded along with us.

  The weekend was a blissful mix of eating, drinking, walking, talking and amazing sex.

  I found myself opening up to Alistair and telling him all about my family, and we also talked about the will and what the whole thing might mean.

  I found it easier to talk when the lights went out. We would lie in bed and cuddle, and then I would talk, and he just listened; at one point I thought he had fallen asleep, but he was just listening. I had never met a guy like him before, someone who seemed genuinely interested in me. I asked about his family, but he always moved the conversation back to me – was that avoidance or just sweetness?

  Sadly, the time came for us to leave the lodge behind, and he drove me back to the airport in time for my flight.

  I didn’t want to go back to my reality, and I kept quiet as I didn’t want to appear like a sulky girlfriend. Girlfriend? Is that what I was?

  Alistair’s voice broke my musing, “I wonder if you are free the weekend after next? I can’t do next weekend as I have a family thing, but I could do the following weekend. I could drive up on the Friday afternoon, and then we could spend the weekend together if that works for you.”

  “Yeah, that’s fine; I can’t do next weekend as I promised I would do something with David. I know he is off on a long-haul stretch, so I will have the apartment to myself. Well, to ourselves.”

  “Great. “He smiled at me and reached across to grab my hand and held it softly.

  Before too long we were pulling up again into the car park at the airport. It felt like a million years since we were here, and it had been an amazing weekend. Back to reality. I sighed loudly. Even Archie was subdued.

  “We just have to stay in touch, facetime, call and text, and in no time at all we can get together again,” he added in a sunny voice

  “I know,” I sighed again. “I don’t wish to be a sap, but I had a great weekend, and I can’t believe I have to go back to my life.”

  “Hey, I’m as gutted as you, but we live a few hundred miles apart, so we just have to work out a plan where we get to spend quality time together and still see our family and friends in between; it just needs a bit of planning.” He sounded more optimistic than I felt.

  “I suppose,” I added.

  On the plane, I did start to recall the fun things we had done that weekend, even including the ones with clothes on; it had been amazing. I felt like Alistair had worshipped me; he was kind and gentle and caring. He genuinely seemed to care about me, and once, when I made a negative remark about how fat I thought my legs were, he kissed me and whispered dirtily in my ear that as far as he was concerned, they were perfect and led right to his favourite place in the whole world.

  On one of the days, he took me along to the coast, which was over an hour away, and we found the most idyllic bay I had ever seen in my whole life. It was hard to believe that the sea could be that azure or that the sand could be that white and not be somewhere in the Caribbean.

  I thought about the evenings in front of the log burner and how he taught me to start a fire and how to keep it burning. Who knew there was an art to that?

  We walked a lot and found hidden tarns at the tops of the hills, and we also found some hidden pubs in valleys that you would not have known were there.

  Archie and I had ganged up a little on Alistair, with Archie preferring to snuggle into me on the couch, turning his back on Alistair and technically giving him the arse end of him, which made me giggle. I guessed it was because I had a bit more padding on me than Alistair, so I was probably more comfortable.

  The sex was great, really great, and I became more and more comfortable in my own skin and walked around partially naked most of the time. This amused me and made Alistair particularly horny all the time, which amused me some more.

  As I sat on the plane, I gazed out of the window at cloud cover and day d
reamed. It had been a great weekend, and I couldn’t wait to tell Kat. David too would be frothing at the mouth for the details.

  Back at work, the week passed quickly. Nick bobbed his head into my office to say hi, commenting on how well I looked, and that was it. He knew that if I needed him I would ask. I threw myself into work with new vigour. Luckily, Louise was on annual leave with her bloke, or I would seriously wouldn’t have achieved anything. A couple of weeks before, Nick had asked me to write a report for the board on succession planning, and I knew it was a big project, and I hadn’t started it yet, so I threw myself into it. I was working late most evenings. In truth, I was trying to repay his kindness, but I was trying to speed up time.

  I fired off a few texts to Kat and invited her to tea on Saturday with David and myself. I had repeatedly told David that I wasn’t spilling the beans, even though he threatened to shave off an eyebrow at one point. I explained that it would have to wait until Kat was present, as I was not repeating myself. He moaned a bit… well, when I say a bit, I mean a lot, and by the time Saturday came around I knew both would be at the point of spontaneous human combustion, until they had the juicy titbits.

  Phone calls and texts came thick and fast from Alistair, and I missed him if he didn’t message me. I had it bad, but I was happy, very happy.