The One Awakened: Book 1 in The One Trilogy (4 page)

My phone bleeps next to me for the umpteenth time in the past hour and glancing at it briefly, I screw my nose up and sigh. It was my ex, Niall - again! Well… he’d have to bloody wait.
“Right, I’m off!” I announce, pushing myself back from my desk. I begin to gather up my extensive paperwork, shutdown my computer and grab my mobile.
“God, it’s been a long week, and my feet are absolutely killing me.” I visualise someone giving me a lush foot rub or some long overdue reflexology; I can practically feel the crystals of stress being worked away.
My passion for fabulously high shoes is seriously not good for the soles.
“Ok Lucia. Have a good one. See you on Monday and remember you have that meeting with The Ashton at 1pm,” Jackie replies, in her cheery and infectious tone.
“How could I forget? I’ve slogged away on the concepts for the last few days – I really hope I’m on the right track with this one, as it could be just what we need to put Elysium Interiors on the map.
We really needed this job to bankroll the next few months but I wasn’t about to tell my assistant that.
“Colin is coming with me too, so mark him out of the office for Monday afternoon in the iCal please. He’s on the phone at the mo, so say bye for me.”
I make a quick mental note to text my rather flaky, but incredibly talented Associate Designer and remind him that Monday is a deal-breaker.
“Whatever happens, the designs speak for themselves and you’ve nailed this one so I can’t see that they won’t love them. You can set me on them, if they don’t; I’ll drill it into them,” she grins cheekily and returns to her typing.
“Thanks Jack, I hope you’re right, but tonight I’m switching off. I’m all designed-out and I honestly don’t think I’ve got another creative bone left in my extremely weary body. I feel 89, not 29! At this moment in time, I can tell you that I never want to see another wallpaper swatch or carpet sample again!”
I grab my phone and shove it inside the interior zipper of my Gucci tote bag, slinging it over my shoulder. Right. All set to go.
“Have a great weekend and try and have some fun - it’s long overdue!” Jackie comments, without looking up from her Mac. She really is a superstar assistant, and I mentally pat my back as I reaffirm my good sense in hiring her six months ago.
“Oh don’t worry, I will, I have a hot date this weekend with my gorgeous toy boy; we may even have a play on the swings,” I shrug my shoulder up in a naughty twitch.
“Ooh, lucky you, Josh and I considered having one of those installed in the ceiling of our bedroom but the joists wouldn’t take the…,” she suddenly stops and blushes uncontrollably, flicking both hands towards me in defeat. “Holy crap, you meant, with Finn… didn’t you - in the park? Durr! How much of a perv do I sound?”
“Yep, I
did
mean Finn and you
do
sound like perv,” I smirk at her. “But nice to know you and Josh have a healthy and experimental sex life. You can make up for the lack of it in my department.”
Still smiling to myself I wave over my shoulder. “Night love. Enjoy your weekend of drink and debauchery.”
50 Shades sure has a lot to answer for I muse to myself and for the umpteenth time of late, sigh at my lack of action in the bedroom. It appeared everyone was not only having sex but hot, sweaty, dirty sex and I’m beginning to wish that I was one of them – not that I’d ever be that daring. Sex had not been high on my priority list for sometime, but maybe it was time for a little pleasure?

Smoothing down my pinstriped pencil skirt, I wait patiently in the lift, whilst it stops at what seems like every floor for staff to leave for the weekend; listening to their gossip and a small part of me is envious. The building housing my newest baby, Elysium Interior Design had four floors of immense square footage, all rented out and in hot demand due to its great parking, central position and sleek lines. It was slightly set back from the main drag of the shopping centre but near plenty of necessary amenities, Post Office, Bank and eateries. The rent was tough, but the way business had been, I’d been managing it comfortably so far and the location was unbeatable. I’d had to take the plunge or I’d be forever struggling to survive on a daily basis and I wanted more for my son than that. No, my motto had definitely been,
go big or go home.
It had been incredibly scary but the most sensible business decision I’d ever made.
My gaze returns to focus on the couple in front of me. They’re so into one another that the sexual tension is palpable; obviously a forbidden work romance, with lots of arm brushing and finger linking. Lucky bastards. Oh how the other half live! I remember the days when Friday nights meant drinks after work, then drinks to forget about the drinks after work and then drinks in some dodgy sweaty club, where we could dance the stresses of the week away. You’d have no memory of what happened after the club, just incredibly sticky shoes in the morning from the copious amounts of alcohol slopped onto the dance floor.
Nice!
Now, my life was more about clock watching, than carefree abandonment and living in the moment. But although it was tough, I still wouldn’t change it for anything, as this new life revolved around my best design creation of all - my little boy Finn.
Even at the thought of him, I feel the familiar bubble of excitement begin in my belly that only a mother would understand; finally, it was time to collect him from Kiddie-Club and I can’t wait. I’ve really missed him this week. My mum had had to assist with three of the pick-ups, as I’d worked late and I’d missed bath and story-time on each of those nights. That was
our
time, o
ur
routine and
our
opportunity, to catch-up on, the day’s events.
Tonight, I am determined to have some much needed one-on-one time with him. Then, tomorrow, I’d have some essential grown-up time at my Sister’s birthday bash and let loose. Niall, my ex, had been harassing me with pitiful begging texts pretty much all afternoon since he’d found out that I was going on a second date with my Banker friend and now all of a sudden, he thought it would be a good idea that he and I meet up to talk about
us
?
I shake my head just thinking about his weak little mind games.
What is it with men?
You break-up and the second they get a
whiff
that you’re potentially attractive to another member of the male sex - they come running.
As if Niall’s ears are burning, my phone vibrates in my hand as I exit the lift.

Come on Mu Mu, meet me for a beer tomorrow?
 

Before you get together with the gang. I’ll be in Lords too

I cringe at his use of the nickname he’d insisted on teasing me with, for the 9 years we were a couple. Lulu was reserved for my best friends and special people in my life, but Mu Mu? I sound like a bloody cow! I choose to rise above and ignore his message but after a second text, where he blackmails me with the only thing that would ever sway me, I agree to meet him.

It’s about Finny Boy

*

Ok. I’ll text you where and when tomorrow

*

Good girl!
 

With a heavy heart at my own weakness, I unlock my car.
That man
was the reason I wasn’t having sex right now - he’d put me off men for life.
 

Twenty minutes later, and I’ve been rewarded with a full on, run and jump, hug from Finn - a reminder that some males were still gorgeous. According to nursery, he’d told them that it was the weekend and Mummy was going to drink lots of
Jacob’s Creep!
- luckily, I know the owner well and she is aware that I’m not a raving alcoholic but I must admit a glass of the
Creek
would go down swimmingly, after the week I’d had.
Laughing at his funny little misquote, we head towards my two-seater Audi TT and I frown; every time I carry my precious son to and from the sports car, I swear that I’ll replace it soon for a more
suitable
vehicle - as my disapproving ex has suggested on numerous occasions. It’s just that this is probably the only item in my life, which makes me feel like I’m still
me
and not just a single mum.
It really is a hot little motor though - goes like a whippet and I do like to drive fast, when I’m on my own.
I strap him into his car seat and flick the CD on and the car is filled with our Play list of the moment and he wastes no time joining in. “You shoot me down and la la la!” the cute out of tune voice from the passenger seat shouts. Looking across my heart melts instantly, as I am struck at the sheer beauty of my adorable three year-old son, Finn. His blonde hair literally glows with health and so do his bright blue eyes - Frank Sinatra had nothing on Finn. They are so similar to my own, in every way, bar the shade; both having an unusual dark circle around the outside edge of our irises, his more navy and mine dark teal green. I’m pleased we have that in common, as our colouring couldn’t be more different, viking white
V
darkest brown - almost black.
It never ceases to amaze me that
I made that!
Well with a little bit of help from my ex, with the emphasis on
little (he’d been a little short-changed in that department),
I laugh to myself cattily. But
I
produced this fabulous bundle of exquisiteness.
I
had the war-wounds to prove it!
“You want me to play it again, sweetie?” I ask, hitting the repeat button for Finn’s favourite song of the moment. Nodding excitedly, he kicks his Cat boots manically on the glove box in front of him. I smile, as the familiar notes thump through the car as
David Guetta’s, Titanium
starts its intro. Oh well, it’s only the fifth time today; I’ll manage and at least he’s got good taste. We both lose ourselves, shouting out the words and laughing, as we sing in unison, at the top of our lungs, both equally out of tune.
As the music begins to end, I swing into our street. “We timed that well didn’t we Finnster?”
Pulling into the space outside our pretty four-storey Victorian mid terraced house on Rose Avenue, I smile with pride that I have managed to maintain this home,
our home
for my son and I. I’d worked hard to renovate the former psychedelic insult to interior design. I think the previous owner had decided that ‘the-more-the-merrier’ was the way to go when it came to patterns and had papered them to walls and laid them to floors, clashing catastrophically at every level. Plus, they’d had a fondness for the dreaded decorator’s nightmare that was wood-chip; it had been bloody everywhere! However, I’d been able to see past all that and visualise the end result and now four years later, we had a home to be proud of and it had padded and enhanced my portfolio -
had got me one of my first design jobs as a freelancer I remind myself.
I just needed to get a few more contracts on my books; regular retainer work and then I’d relax and breathe at last or at least my bank balance would.
Plus you need a fantastic night of wild passion to uncoil the tension of the past few months.
I hear my best friend Abby’s words in my ears and smile, shaking my head. She was right though. I decide to forget about work for tonight; no work and all play this weekend Lulu - it’s time to let go and be bold - let’s see what the weekend brings.