31 Days of Winter (20 page)

I figured the bills were higher than I’d be paying
in a smaller place on my own, but fed them into my spreadsheet as a worst case
scenario and used a salary app to calculate my new net wage, and was pleased to
see that I could comfortably manage £2,500 per month rent. I didn’t want to go
any higher, as Zac always used to pay for our nights out and holidays, and I
was going to need some spare funds for fun. I logged into my account and shook
my head when I saw that John had paid my £10K bonus directly into my account as
I hadn’t banked the cheque. I quickly transferred it to my savings to earn
interest and returned to start looking at apartments for rent. Dan had been
right, it wasn’t easy to get something I liked in terms of location or style
for my price. I figured I had some time before I had to worry too much. I
always had Brooke’s room short term and I was here on a getaway, and needed to
get my head back in the game. The fact I knew I could manage financially
without Zac was reassurance enough. I checked my emails and saw one from Brooke
and one from Zac. I hovered over the delete button, but was intrigued to see
what lies he’d made up this time, and opened it.

I’m really missing you, El. It’s not the same
at home without you. I’m sorting myself out, I got rid of the remaining
supplies of coke I’d hidden, and I’ve been to a rehab centre to get some help. I’m
actively looking for work so I can get back on track and pay you back the money
I borrowed.
Borrowed?! I laughed to myself. That was putting a spin on the
truth, he should go into politics.
I haven’t had sex since you left and I’ve
been for tests again to make sure I’ve not picked anything up since the last
lot.
Great, he had to remind me about the tests
I’d
had to have done
yesterday.
I’m going to email you every day and remind you of all the
reasons I love you and why we’re right for each other. I know I don’t deserve a
second chance El, but I was in a really dark place and couldn’t see a way out.
I thought you’d leave me if you knew I was so weak, so I hid it all from you,
but losing you has made me realise how much I love you and that I want to make
it work. I miss you, honey. Z xxx

I used to love it when he called me honey. It was the
first time anyone had given me a pet name, other than my dad calling me sweet cheeks
because of my dimples. Reading the word “honey” on his email though seemed so
wrong. It was a term implying endearment, of familiarity and love, and that had
been lost with us. I deleted his email and opened Brooke’s.

Hey babes, I’ll forgive you for covering up the
truth. Brooke can be a bit pushy when it comes to wanting answers, I’ll try and
dial it down when we talk later, but I’ll want full disclosure, voluntarily. I
can’t wait to have our girly night tonight. Eight p.m., be there or be square. It’s
going to be sexy talk heaven. xxx

Thank you and please don’t talk about yourself
in the third person, it’s just weird. Can’t wait either, fire’s lit, chocolate
and wine will be ready to go. Eight, don’t be late Brooke Hanson, I know you.
xxx

It was dark outside already and I checked my
watch. It was a quarter past seven and I realised that I hadn’t heard Dan go
out. He must’ve stayed in because of the weather and that’s why he’d pulled the
boat out of the water. If the snow kept falling at this rate, we’d be trapped
here for some time. I grabbed my iPad and headed downstairs and set up the
lounge ready with my bottle of wine, a large slab of Dairy Milk and the book
I’d been reading, and put some music on low as I went to nuke my meal of chilli
and curled up on the sofa to eat. It was quarter past eight when Brooke
facetimed me.

‘You’re late,’ I chastised.

‘Sorry, something came up.’

‘I’m guessing a dick as you have flushed cheeks
and matted hair. Been having sex have you?’

‘Shit, is it that obvious?’ she asked as she tried
to smooth it down.

‘Yes. I take it as it’s not your weekend with
Steve that this was dickless sex, and it’s your bit on the side?’

‘Man, she’s good,’ Brooke smiled. ‘Jesus, her
tongue could carve ice sculptures, and she’s got a pair of tits I could smother
in.’

‘Brooke Hanson,’ I laughed. ‘I thought you were
supposed to be being faithful and had decided you were more about cock?’

‘Well, I was until I saw
her
. It was lust
at first sight, and man was it crazy. We ended up in the supplies closet
ripping each other’s clothes off and I’ve never come so hard as when she went
down on me.’

‘So you’re in lust? Again?’

‘It may be love, Ellie.’

‘I only left on Monday, how can you have fallen in
love already?’

‘Never underestimate the power of good head,’ she
chuckled.

‘So what’s she like? Tell me all about her?’ I
asked as I settled back and sipped my wine and listened to her talking with the
excitement of a five year old, fresh from a Disney World trip, with wild
gesticulations. After about twenty minutes she’d calmed down and pretty much
drawn me a picture of this new interest in her life, who went by the name of Molly.
She was thirty-one, three years older than Brooke, and had just started as the
Spa Manageress at the Hotel. She had a short brown bob and “an arse that begged
to be grabbed” both in and out of her tight uniform skirt.

‘So she’s a real hands on boss then?’ I teased and
Brooke burst out laughing.

‘O
yeah.
’

‘Is employee fraternisation allowed?’

‘Hell no, but neither’s employee guest, but has
that ever stopped me?’

‘No, most definitely not,’ I laughed.

‘Enough about me, I could go on about her all
night I’m so madly in love. I want to hear all about these new digs you’re in
and hot non-gay guy.’

‘How long do you have?’

‘Molly’s back at ten a.m. tomorrow, so you have
until then. I love you and all, but you don’t go down on me and make me see
stars.’

‘Bet I could if I was that way inclined.’

‘I bet you could, too. You’re still the best
kisser I ever had. You know I’m always willing for you to give eating me out a
try, whether I’m in a relationship or not, just so you can see if you like it.’

‘Ahhhh, the things you do for your friends Brooke,
selfless to a fault.’

‘Not just any friends, my fanny isn’t an open
house free-for-all you know? She has a very strict clientele, of which you
would be on the VIP list.’

‘Thank you, I’m very honoured, as well as totally
grossed out at the same time. So, let’s start with a tour of the house, shall
we? I don’t want to waffle on as usual all night and keep you from Molly’s
marvellous tongue.’

‘Damn right you don’t, I’m wet at the thought of
it. So what am I looking at here?’ she asked. I walked around the house and
laughed as she kept gasping and asking me to zoom in on areas. ‘O my God Ellie,
it’s stunning, you have to show me the views when it’s daylight. It’s so you as
well, modern but with comfy cosy furniture and soft accessories.’

‘It is, isn’t it? I mean the boathouse is
adorable, but I couldn’t live in it long term, not enough storage space for my
shoes and bags, or a big enough kitchen for all my gadgets and to cook properly.
But this is like the perfect house, if not a little remote.’

‘How remote are you?’

‘Let’s just say that it looks like the loch’s
freezing and we’re an hours journey from the nearest town down a mountain that
makes black ski runs look like nursery slopes.’

‘What if there was an emergency? How would you get
out?’

‘I have thought of that myself and I have no idea.
I need to press Dan on it.’

‘Ok, talking of Dan the man, enough of the
stalling. Give me the juice.’

‘O God, where do I start?’

‘Have you seen his cock yet?’

‘No, Brooke,’ I laughed.

‘What’s wrong with you? It’s been six days.’

‘I’m not you.’

‘Fair point,’ she shrugged. ‘Describe him for me
properly.’

‘Wow, well he’s thirty-four, I reckon about six
foot four and seriously built with no fat on him at all. He’s got short black
hair with slight grey but very sexy flecks running through it, the deepest sea
green eyes that you just want to dive into, full luscious lips, and he usually
sports a five o’clock shadow, which just unnecessarily adds to his ruggedly
handsome face and raw masculine sex appeal. He has broad shoulders, firm pecs
and a ripped six pack, with that little trail of dark hair from his navel leading
down his stomach. His skin’s all soft and lightly tanned and his bottom, wow,
his bottom is
seriously
grabable too, in any outfit. He’s…’

‘Seriously, there’s more?’ she laughed as she
interrupted me. ‘Someone has
way
more
than a crush.’

‘I’m in serious trouble, Brooke,’ I sighed as I
poured another glass of wine, emptying the bottle.

‘Why? You need a proper rebound guy this time. He
can be your winter fling and then you come back to London with Zac having been
fucked well and truly out of your system, and you can move on.’

‘It’s not as simple as that,’ I moaned as I ran my
hand through my hair.

‘Christ, don’t tell me you’re that remote that you’ve
found the one guy in the universe that doesn’t find you attractive?’

‘O no,’ I replied with a vehement shake of my
head. ‘That’s definitely not the issue, quite the opposite.’

‘He can’t get it up?’

‘No,’ I confirmed on another shake. ‘No problem
there either from what I’ve seen fighting to escape his jeans.’

‘Big?’

‘
Yeah,
’ I groaned. ‘With girth like this,’
I gesticulated with my hands.

‘Sod Molly’s tongue, I want me some of that Dan
action,’ she groaned in response. ‘He’s a shit kisser, isn’t he? I mean he has
everything else, he has to be shit at kissing, tell me he’s a bad kisser?’

‘He’s the best,’ I sighed as I ran a finger over
my lips and remembered his on mine, whipping me up into a frenzy.

‘Then what? You’re killing me here, Ellie,’ she
pleaded. I sighed and tried to explain our complex relationship, from meeting
at the airport and all the way up to where I’d run from the boathouse after
seeing him half naked.

‘O my God, I’d have ripped that towel off and jumped
his bones. Why the hell did you run?’

‘Because I like him too much Brooke, and I didn’t
want to be hurt.’

‘Didn’t? You’ve done it already haven’t you?’ she
asked as she sat up a little straighter.

‘Sort of, he turned up here at eleven last night
and said he had an hour before he had to make his choice and wanted to spend
that hour making me come.’

‘No way,’ she exclaimed as her face moved so close
to the screen I could have counted all her freckles. ‘Did he?’

‘So many times,’ I nodded.

‘Good?’

‘
Incredible
,’ I whispered in a breathless
tone.

‘Better than Zac?’

‘Zac who?’ I jumped, then smiled as Brooke
screamed with joy and clapped her hands.

‘That’s my girl. Zac who?! I love it. O my God, one
hour with this guy and you’ve gotten over a five year relationship. What will
another twenty-two days with him do for your confidence? I love him already,
issues smissues, pah!’

‘Twenty-two days? Are you keeping a countdown?’ I
laughed.

‘Maybe. I miss you.’

‘I miss you, too.’

‘When are you back?’

‘Flight’s on Monday the sixth, in the evening
again.’

‘What are you doing for Christmas and New Year?
Tell me you’re going to spend it together having hot crazy naked sex?’

‘I’d love to, but he’s insistent that it’s not
going to happen, Brooke.’

‘Please, like any man was ever born with the
ability to withstand a woman offering herself to him, let alone a beautiful one
like you that he already fancies.’

‘You think?’

‘I know. Time and proximity is all that’s needed,
you’ll wear him down.’

‘I don’t want to wear him down Brooke, I want him
to want me, properly, not just because I’m a hole for him to fill after so
long.’

‘Babe, if he’s not lying and it’s really been
three years, then if all he was after was a hole he’d have filled it like a
cream donut on Monday night.’

‘Please don’t put me off one of my favourite
treats by comparing it to a come filled vagina.’

‘Still tastes just as good,’ she winked.

‘Brooke!’ I exclaimed as I started laughing again.
She was so much more adventurous than me, she’d been in threesomes, orgies, the
lot.

‘Want me to sleep over? Keep the call going?’

‘Not with that sort of talk and not unless you
want to watch me masturbating with my Body Wand while dreaming of him. Actually,
don’t answer that, as that was supposed to put you off.’

‘Now who’s the complex tease? I’m going to have to
crack mine out of the shrink wrap myself.’

‘You haven’t used it yet?’ I asked, aghast.

‘I was too busy with the eggs when you left Monday
and Mollypalooza happened on Tuesday, so there was no need for it until now.’

‘Are you going to tell Steve?’

‘Well, she’s agreed to try a threesome with him at
the weekend. He’s never had one before so he’s up for it.’

‘You’re not seriously going to date them both
concurrently and in the same bed?’

‘Why not? He’s the best guy I’ve been with, and
her for a woman, I can have my cream filled donut and eat it and I already know
what those single flavours taste like. To have them combined would be something
amazing.’

‘Stop with the cream donut references, for the
love of God,’ I groaned as I took her to the kitchen and opened another bottle
of wine.

‘Are you going to be ok, Ellie? I could always ask
for time off and come up there and stay with you if he’s going to be a complete
dickhead.’

‘That’s really sweet of you Brooke, but I’m not
sure you could get here with this snow at the moment anyway. Plus, I really
have started writing a novel and I’d like to at least have a few days of trying
to carry on with it.’