Almost a week passes, and it is the longest I’ve spent at home with Mum since before I started university. We needed this time together. She was distraught when she found out I was in hospital. When she visited, I realised how much I needed her and remembered the times when I was younger that she would look after me when I was in a flare-up.
It became evident to me that she cared about my life, she just didn’t ask me questions because she didn’t know what to ask. My visits became fleeting and I always had one eye on the clock checking the train. If I’m honest, I treated going home like a chore. So, the visits grew shorter and the conversations more superficial until the bond between us was so strained we simply didn’t know each other as people anymore.
Today, we spent the afternoon at a spa setting up an online profile for her on a serious dating website and trawling through suitable candidates for dates.
I told her all about my job and life in London, of the perils of living in a house-share and how expensive London is for a new grad. To my surprise, she thought my London life was high-flying and glam with parties every night.
We reviewed her Valium tapering-off schedule from the doctor and have planned something fun every two weeks as a milestone. We’ve arranged for her to visit me in London (God knows where I’ll find a space for her to sleep) and we’ve booked flights to Croatia.
I spoke to Tristan on the phone once. He wanted to give me an update on the case. Turns out I was right that there was something off with Maria. She did know the girls that were trafficked. In fact she was an instrumental part of the operation and even took a cut of the profits. If there’s one person you shouldn’t withhold information from, it’s your lawyer. And your anaesthesiologist. No good can come from either. Madison Legal withdrew from the case and Maria was sent on a flight back to Colombia where she stands trial for murder and now numerous counts of sex-trafficking. Some part of me takes satisfaction that I detected the anomalies in her statements.
Mum suggests walking the long way home from the bus stop. All afternoon, we meandered from hot room to cold room, steam room, ice room, mood shower, plunge pool…until we looked like two prunes. I had been steamed, rubbed and wrapped more times than a turkey getting prepped for dinner.
For the first time since the mother of all flare-ups, I felt ready to enter the real world again. Madison Legal insisted I take all the leave I need but I wanted to get back to normality. Besides, Megan complained that the apartment was smarter than her, and still thinks Jack Mathews is spying on her.
I’ve had two more counselling sessions and it’s slowly helping. I’ve slept better this week in Wales.
I’m surprised Mum suggested walking the long way home since it involves climbing up a savage hill.
“It’s got a great view.” She gasps for air as we ascend. “I needed some fresh air today.”
I look at her dubiously. Usually I have to drag her up a hill kicking and screaming. Today she seems intent in going this way even if it gives her a collapsed lung.
The cottage comes into view, my cottage as I like to call it even though I’ve no claim on it. Now everything about it reminds me of the happy memories of that weekend with Tristan.
Which makes me sad.
I miss him. I miss everything about him. Old impulses die hard. Every night I still think about him before I go to sleep. Every day he sends me little messages in Greek, Croatian, Welsh, Gaelic, most of the time slightly wrong. Superficial messages asking me how my day was or was the weather nice in Wales. Nothing further.
At least I no longer feel guilty about drugging his son.
We stop at the top of the hill just outside the cottage so Mum can catch her breath. I lie down in the grass and close my eyes. I sleep so well in Wales. Gone are the London sirens, drunkards returning home, early bin men, constant traffic, shagging foxes and coughing, sneezing, grunting, snoring humans. I call it ‘the sounds of London’ CD. I could dose off.
“Elly.”
I think I’m imagining it at first. Sometimes I hear his voice in my head.
But then a shadow looms over me and I smell that familiar scent that makes my heart hammer in my chest.
“Tristan?” I snap open my eyes in shock and headbutt him.
“Fuck,” he hisses.
I’m too surprised to apologise. “What are you doing here?”
Mum has crept over to the cottage garden and is pretending to be fascinated by the daffodils.
He holds out a hand and I take it, stunned, as he lifts me to my feet.
He stares down at me with that deep blue gaze that has haunted my dreams every night since I met him. “I can’t stay away any longer, Elly. It’s killing me.”
We stand frozen, staring at each other. My heart is in my throat. Only once have I seen him look this serious, and that was when Daniel overdosed.
“Just hear me out,” he demands. “I know I have baggage. I work too many hours. I have a love life that is splattered all over the internet. I have a beautiful son who needs most of my time and an ex-wife who has my neck in a noose. You’ll always worry that your career is tarnished with gossip. You could go out with that Chris bloke that works for Danny and not have all this shit. I get it.”
“Who’s Chris?” Mum chimes in.
I glare at her.
“But I promise no one will work harder to make you happy and love you more than me,” he continues, his eyes fixed on mine. “Just give me another chance.”
I swallow the hard lump on my throat. “When the incident with Daniel happened you just dropped me. You cut me out for days. I’m not sure I can handle the heartbreak again.”
His face falls. “I made a mistake, Elly. Holding it against me forever doesn’t help either of us.”
“What do you want from me, Tristan?”
He takes both my hands in his and pulls me against his chest. “I want everything from you. And I want to give you everything if you’ll have me.”
“Why?” I ask sadly. “I see the women that throw themselves at you. The ones in the pictures. Most of them are a cross between Mother Teresa, a Victoria’s Secret model and Einstein. Models. Fashion designers. Women at the top of their game.” And I bet none of them fall asleep on a loo some nights.
He sighs heavily and squeezes my hands. “None of them are you. Think about our future, not my past.”
“I’m a trainee who lives in a house-share who doesn’t have her shit together. And gets randomly sick every now and then. How do I know you won’t get sick of me?”
“Are you kidding?” His voice rumbles deep in his throat. “I didn’t stand a chance from the moment you stepped in front of me in that godawful bar in Mykonos. I love everything about you. Your sense of adventure. How determined, intelligent and ambitious you are, your resilience. How you always find the best in situations. I love how you protect Megan and your mum and everyone else around you. I love your relentless wisecracks that take the piss out of me, worse than Jack even. I want to build a life with you if you’ll let me. I want to be your guy when you need to get to Wales in under an hour. Or when you need to call in the heavies to get rid of brick-throwers.”
He smiles, leaning closer. “And you talk dirty to me in multiple languages. Is that enough?”
I swallow hard. That’s a good starter.
“Hold on a minute,” I turn to Mum who is pretending not to hang on to every word. “You knew he was coming here, didn’t you? It’s the only reason you went up the hill.”
“Guilty.” She smiles. “And that’s the last time I’m climbing that hill, so I expect you to take him back.”
“So?” Tristan asks impatiently. “Do I need to get on my knees in the grass? Or shall I take you inside our new holiday home?”
I frown, confused. “What?”
He tilts his head in the direction of the cottage. “I bought it. I wanted this to be somewhere we could enjoy together.”
My brain misfires. “You bought…the cottage?”
“Yes,” he says simply. “I know how much you loved it.”
I blink, speechless.
“You know I don’t do things by half, Elly.” He cups my face with his hands. “I’ve committed to having a holiday home near your mother. That has to count for something.”
I’m gobsmacked. “How did you get the sale so quickly through the conveyancing?”
He chuckles. “That’s what you are interested in? Typical lawyer, needing to know all the facts. If you must know, I had to expedite it through a lot of effort. Well? Will you give me another chance?”
My eyes mist over. “Yes, Tristan,” I whisper as he pulls me flush to his body. Our tongues meet, and it’s desperate and feverish and tender all at the same time.
Not because of the cottage. It’s just bricks and mortar. I stare at the guy who sends me articles every day about suggestions on how to manage IBD.
A soft smile spreads across his face as he pulls back to meet my eyes. Then he pauses as if getting ready to speak. He’s nervous. “Elly, I’d like to ask you…”
My eyes widen. Oh fuck. He’s going to propose. I’m not ready for this. I love him but it’s too soon.
“…if I can cook you dinner?”
My eyes shoot to my hairline. “You are cooking?”
He smirks playfully. “Thought I’d try a stuffed leg of Welsh lamb.”
Oh shit, I’m going to have to check the local takeaways, he’ll never nail this.
I take his hand as he leads me down the lane to the cottage.
It seems I got tired of resisting Mr. Kane.
One week later
Tristan
For the first time in over a decade I work from home for an entire week, in Wales. I suspect my management team thinks I’m having some sort of breakdown since this is my first board meeting over the phone.
But nothing could tear me away from Elly right now. She had four counselling sessions but she’s still fragile. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I try to focus on the board agenda but all I can see is a topless Elly floating in the jacuzzi. Her head is tilted back, her eyes are closed, and her arms are spread wide so that those beautiful breasts can be seen bobbing up and down. I have ten minutes before the meeting finishes and I can sink into the water and sink into her. My cock grows hard in anticipation.
“What’s left on the agenda?” I ask impatiently. As if Elly senses me watching her, her eyes flicker open and she gives me a shy sexy smile. My teeth latch on to my bottom lip in frustration.
“So we have the global all-staff conference in two months. We need to think about keynote speakers.” Rebecca is talking way too slowly. “Tristan, do you have anyone in mind?”
Elly emerges from the jacuzzi dripping water all over the deck, showing off her shaven pink flesh. She looks so beautiful.
Mine.
Willing my dick to settle down, I answer Rebecca’s question. “Happy for the events team to own sourcing candidates. I’ll review the final set.” My words catch in my throat. It’s a shit response. No direction whatsoever.
Elly opens the patio door and walks purposefully towards me, leaving behind wet footprints.
I swallow hard as she comes right into my space and presses her wet chest against mine, smiling innocently up at me.
“Anything else?” I snap into my mic.
“So for the event we’ll do breakout sessions…” one of my senior partners drones on about the all-staff event. I stare at Elly. What the hell is she playing at? Now? When I’m in the board meeting?
With one smooth pull, she removes my tracksuit bottoms and boxers. My jaw tightens. Good thing it’s not a video call.
My cock juts out, oblivious to the work discussion I’m having with fifteen of my employees. Fuck, this woman will be the death of me. Here’s hoping I don’t have to make any decisions on this call.
Taking my hand, she slides two of my fingers deep into her. Damn, that feels good. So wet. So ready.
Although I’m trying to follow what the team is saying, my brain is losing the battle with my dick.
With her other hand she pushes me down so that I’m leaning against the table, grips my cock tightly and begins to stroke me. Long hard furious strokes like she is in a rush.
I let out a strangled growl.
“Tristan? Rebecca asks. “Did you say something?”
“Just something stuck in my throat.”
Elly stifles a snigger and I give her a severe look. She continues to stroke my cock as if this was the most natural thing in the world to do to me right in the middle of a board meeting.
She releases my fingers from inside her. That’s it, game over. She doesn’t have the nerve to go further. Not my sensible Elly.
But she was luring me into a false sense of security.
She wraps one of her legs around my hip, and before I can react, she spreads herself open with her hands, lowering herself onto my throbbing cock.
A hiss escapes through my gritted teeth.
“Final agenda item,” Simon, Head of Recruitment, says, oblivious to the fact I’ve got my cock buried deep in Elly. “The open managing partner position we need to fill ASAP to cover Oceania. Tristan, we have candidates lined up ready for interview.”
“Good,” I grunt, as Elly rides my cock, controlling the tempo with her hips. I can’t stop this even if I wanted to.
“Are you going to fly out to Sydney for the final interviews or do you want to do them remotely?” Simon asks.
“Yes,” I groan in response, unable to complete a coherent sentence whilst Elly is riding me like a crazed cowgirl.
“Um, I’m not clear on which option, sir. Do you mean you are coming to Sydney?”
Elly clenches hard around me. I’m so close. I can’t stop.
I close my eyes and grip the edge of the table with both hands like my life depends on it.
Fuck me.
“Yes. I’m…coming,” I call out in a strangled voice as my whole body tenses and I explode hard inside of her in a final jerk.
I let out a ragged breath. “Are we done?” I bark.
“No further items for today,” Rebecca says tentatively.
I hang up without saying goodbye. I’ll have to apologise later and say I’m having a bad day.
“Elly.” I stare at her, trying to steady my breathing. “Never mind your job, if I didn’t own the company, you might get me fired.”
She winks. “Just showing you who’s boss.”
