And Then There Was You (3 page)

I must ask for a guided tour too, I thought. It was a beautiful house. Very different in style to ours, which was quite traditional; theirs was very contemporary, with large windows everywhere. As I watched them through the window, someone tapped me on the shoulder. 'Excuse me,' said a middle-aged lady wearing a long woolly cardigan.

Smiling, I turned to her. 'Hello?'

'Hello, dear. Are you Eve Brooke, by any chance?'

'That's me.'

'Oh, how wonderful. I had heard you lived in the neighbourhood but wasn't sure where. My daughter is a fan of yours. She's read all your books on her Kindle.'

'Oh really? That's lovely,' I said, genuinely surprised. I'd never been recognised before, except at the few book signings I'd done, of course. 'I hope that means she's enjoyed them?'

'Are you kidding? She's always talking about them. She's a big fan. She even did a talk about them at school. Apparently she got you lots of new fans.'

'Really? Wow, I'm really very flattered. I must meet her and thank her in person.'

The woman grinned. 'She'd be absolutely delighted, I'm sure. I'm Gail, by the way. Gail Green. I can't wait to tell Emily.'

'I'm afraid I don't have business cards with me at the moment, otherwise I'd give you one so you, or she, can call me. But I live next door, at number eighteen. You're welcome to drop by any time.'

'Thank you, dear. That's very kind. I'll tell her as soon as I get home. No doubt she'll still be up! Anyway, it's a little chilly out here. I'm going to head back in. Maybe see you later.'

I nodded as Gail disappeared indoors with a grin on her face.

'Accosted by the fans?' asked a voice from further down the garden.

'What are you doing down there?' I asked, as Adam appeared out of the darkness.

'Just having some time out from the party. Are you having a good time?'

'Yes, I am, actually.'

'You sound surprised.'

I chuckled. 'I wasn't expecting to, to be honest.'

'I know what you mean.'

'I noticed Charlie gave Matt a tour of the house. I'd like to see it too, if that's alright?'

'Of course.'

'Perhaps I should go and find her.'

Adam smiled. 'Yes, if you prefer.'

I rolled my eyes. 'I think it would be better that way.'

'What's that? What would be better?' asked a familiar voice from the large door that opened up from the living room.

'Hey, babe,' I said to Matt as he strolled towards us.

'I was just saying that I noticed Charlie gave you the grand tour earlier, and I'd like to see their place too.'

Matt nodded. 'Erm, yes. Adam, why don't you do the honours,' he suggested.

'Well, if you insist.'

'Are you coming?' I asked Matt, but he shook his head.

'Already seen it. I'm going to grab a lager. Enjoy.'

'Looks like we can't avoid it, then,' Adam whispered as he led me back indoors. The heat hit me, and I had to stop for a second to become accustomed to the temperature.

'Are you alright?' he asked me as he took hold of my elbow. 'You look like you might fall over.'

'No, I'm fine,' I said, gingerly extricating his hand from my arm and looking around shyly. 'Maybe this isn't such a good idea, Adam.'

'I'm sure we can resist each other's charms for ten minutes,' he whispered discreetly into my ear.

I wasn't so sure we could, so I stepped away from him, walked to the bar and poured myself a refill.

'Hey guys, having fun?' asked Charlie, who strutted towards us. I couldn't help but notice several men stare at her. She really was a bit of a sex kitten, especially dressed like that.

'Yes, absolutely. It's a fabulous party. Your house is beautiful. I noticed you gave Matt the grand tour earlier.'

She nodded. 'Yes, yes. Thank you. Adam, why don't you show Eve the rest of the house while I go and be the hostess with the mostess?'

This time it was Adam's turn to redden, and he looked away.

'Well? What are you waiting for?'

I reluctantly smiled and nodded.

'Okay then, Eve. Follow me,' he said.

'Well, you've pretty much seen downstairs, why don't I show you upstairs?' he said, through gritted teeth.

'You really don't have to, you know?'

'Charlie and Matt both want me to give you the tour, so I'm giving you the tour,' he said. 'Let's just act normally and walk up the stairs,' he added quietly.

The wine was going to my head, so I just nodded and followed him, looking down at the party below. Everyone was in good spirits, and I noticed that more people were dancing now. Even Matt and Charlie had got up and were strutting their stuff to Kylie Minogue's Spinning Around.

Adam stopped ahead of me and looked down to see what I was looking at. 'Looks like they're having fun,' he said. 'Charlie rarely dances with me. She doesn't like the way I do it.'

'No? That's a shame. I love dancing.'

'Oh, really? Anyway, follow me.'

I continued to walk behind him until we reached the second floor, where he showed me the two large spare bedrooms, which shared a bathroom.

'Beautiful bathroom,' I whispered, as I walked in and admired the floor to ceiling mosaic tiles and walk in shower with separate bath tub.

'It is quite special, but it hasn't been used very much. Maybe when the kids come to stay.'

'Oh, I'd forgotten about your kids. How are they getting on at uni?'

He smiled proudly as he talked about them. It was nice. 'They're doing great but Jack's not at university any more. He graduated last year.'

'Jack? I don't think you ever told me their names.'

'No? My eldest is Jack and my youngest is Amy.'

'Lovely,' I said, as I sat on the edge of the bath and looked out the window. 'Wow, what a great view from here. I think you've got the best view on the street. We can't see the countryside like this. It's stunning.'

'We were lucky to find this house, I guess.'

'Yes, I suppose so. So tell me about Jack. What is he doing now that he's finished his studies?'

He smiled again and leaned against the doorframe. 'He studied architecture and was lucky enough to get a work placement in quite a sought after office in Bristol.'

'You sound very proud.'

'I am.' He grinned, taking a sip of his wine.

'And Amy?'

'Amy is studying at Bournemouth to become an interior designer.'

'Wow, that's impressive. Did she have anything to do with the design of this place?'

'As a matter of fact, she did. Charlie wasn't too thrilled about it, though.'

'Really? Why not? Don't they get on?'

'Not terribly well. Amy doesn't quite approve of my choice of wife.'

'Oh dear.'

'Tell me about it. Shall we continue?'

'Yes please,' I said, standing and taking one more glance out at the spectacular view beyond the houses.

'These lead up to the master suite,' he said, standing to one side and letting me climb the stairs in front of him. I tried not to think of his eyes on me, but I knew he was looking at every curve of my body.

As we reached the top there was a cozy lounge. I stepped aside so he could lead the way.

'Here's the bedroom,' he breathed as I followed him into a large room where one wall was painted black and the rest cream. Bright pink chairs with golden scatter cushions stood in either corner of the room, and a large four poster dominated the space. Animal print rugs were carefully placed over the top of a cream shag pile carpet. Somehow the room didn't quite match the rest of the house. My opinion clearly showed on my face, and Adam looked a little downtrodden.

'It's grim, isn't it?'

'Grim?' I asked, trying ever so hard not to laugh. 'I take it that Charlie was allowed to decorate this room.'

Adam nodded, and I let out a deep laugh. 'Oh dear, Adam. Now I understand why you had Amy do the rest.'

'I know. I've been trying to convince her to change it, but she's having none of it.'

'Well, you've only been here, what – a month? You've got plenty of time to work on her. I'm sure you can use your charming ways to convince her.' I smiled and leaned on the wall beside a large nude painting of a woman with large boobs.

'Is this... Charlie?' I asked.

Again, Adam frowned before nodding. 'I'm afraid so.'

'Did you paint it?' I asked, stepping back to get a good look. I turned my head sideways, trying to work it out.

'Erm, no, I certainly didn't,' he laughed. 'It was by one of her gay best friends. Well, she told me he was gay. I never met him.'

I turned to look at him, and we both burst out laughing.

'It truly is horrendous.' I giggled. 'She's got very good boobs, though.'

'I prefer them somewhat smaller,' Adam whispered, and there was that familiar sensation again, rising up from my groin to my heart. I stepped towards the door.

'We should return to the party.' I smiled tightly. 'Before... well, just before...'

Adam stared at me for a moment before he grinned and followed me out the door.

CHAPTER FOUR

Matt stood in the bathroom doorway, staring at me. He was drunk. I could see that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. I switched my bedside light off and turned over, but it wasn't enough. He climbed into bed and reached for me. I hated it when he was drunk. He fumbled around for a bit, while I lay on my back, looking up at the ceiling in the dark.

'C'mon baby, get in the mood,' he slurred.

'I am,' I whispered back.

'No, you're not, you're just lying there. Do something.'

I sighed and pushed him off me, climbing out of bed. 'You're drunk,' I said, as I walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

'Don't be silly. Come on, I want to have some sex.'

'Do it yourself, then,' I muttered, as I sat on the toilet and waited for him to go to sleep.

But it was no use, he was out of bed. I could hear his feet padding across the carpeted floor. He knocked on the door.

'Come on out, baby. I need you.'

'No you don't,' I whispered. 'You just need a vessel to stick your dick into.'

I sighed and thought about earlier, standing in that hideous bedroom with Adam. Immediately, I began to throb between my legs. I stood up and opened the door.

Matt grinned and stumbled slightly, pulling me back to the bed.

I closed my eyes and straddled him as we sat on the edge. My mind wandered to the only person I wanted to be screwing, and he was next door, perhaps screwing his wife. God, this was totally messed up, I thought as I began to move faster and faster. Keeping my eyes closed, I pushed him backwards and readjusted myself on top of him for full effect. It didn't take long for me to reach orgasm. Matt was a little slower, so I tried to roll over with him on top, but he grabbed me roughly and turned me around, entering me from behind. This was why I didn't like it when he was drunk. He got a bit carried away and sometimes it hurt. He wasn't doing it on purpose, I knew that, but still; I didn't like it.

Eventually he started moving quicker and quicker until he shuddered and stopped.

'Tissue,' I whispered.

He leaned over and grabbed the toilet roll, handing it to me. I unravelled a bit to prevent the wet patch and hobbled back into the bathroom to clean myself up.

Matt was fast asleep when I went back to bed. He probably wouldn't even remember that we'd had sex when he woke up in the morning.

I lay there looking at him in the moonlight for a while. He was really handsome. He'd always made a real effort to have a good body, with his cycling and the gym he used almost every day. Sometimes he went swimming, too. A surfer as well - whenever he got the chance to go away, he'd go. And I'd use that time to write. We gave each other freedom, and that was important to both of us. He let out a sudden snort and turned his head, giving me a better profile view of his classic features. His nose was a little long, but it fit perfectly with the rest of his face. He had the deepest of blue eyes, not that I could see them. In fact, it was his eyes that had drawn me to him, all those years earlier. That and his dark red hair. His colour was unique and so was he. That's what I'd thought at the time. We'd fallen in love almost instantly and were living together within four months.

I sighed and turned away, curling up into a ball. Where and when had it gone wrong? Was it Adam? Had I ruined it? A tear rolled down my cheek. Had I done this to us? Was I really to blame?

oOo

'Morning,' I said, as I stood checking the week's post as Matt walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning. I handed him a large cup of black coffee without him even having to ask for it. I just knew he needed it.

He took it and looked at me gratefully as he took a long drink. Sighing, he sat down at the breakfast bar.

'How are you feeling?' I asked.

He raised his eyebrows.

'You were quite drunk, last night.'

He nodded. 'Yes, I think I must've been,' he said, rubbing his temples. 'I must have fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow,' he muttered.

I didn't say anything about the rough sex. There wasn't any point. 'You danced a lot.' I smiled, remembering how happy he’d seemed.

'Did I?' He thought for a moment. 'Oh yeah, I suppose I did. It was a good night. Maybe we should throw a party soon, too.'

'A party? Whatever for?'

He shrugged. 'Just for the fun of it.'

'Maybe at Christmas,' I suggested.

'That's not exactly soon, though, is it?'

'A few months. It's enough.'

He shrugged. 'They've got a great house, haven't they?'

'Hm? Yes, they do. Beautiful.'

'Especially the master suite. I did like that.'

I burst out laughing, expecting him to laugh with me, but he just looked at me quizzically.

'What are you laughing at?'

'I thought you were being sarcastic.'

He slowly shook his head. 'No. I quite liked it.'

'Oh, Matt, it's hideous. That woman has no clue when it comes to interior decorating.'

'I just think it has... plenty of personality.'

'Yes, you could definitely say that,' I said, shaking my head. When had we become so different? We used to have the same style, the same ideas when it came to how to decorate our rooms. And now? Well, I'd much rather have Amy's assistance than Charlie's.

'I prefer the rest of their house, myself.'

Matt nodded, standing up to go and make himself a slice of toast. 'It's lacking a little something, if you ask me.'

'Really? You know it was Adam's daughter that did the rest?'

'I had no idea. I didn't even know he had a daughter.'

I nodded. 'Yes, Amy is at university in Bournemouth, studying to become an interior designer. He has a son, too; Jack.'

Matt barely acknowledged me while he stuffed his marmite-covered toast into his mouth, 'I'm going for a shower.'

'Okay. You going out after?'

'I think I made plans to do something. Can't quite put my finger on what, though. I'm sure a shower will help me remember.'

'Maybe. I just hope it's not anything particularly important.'

'No, probably not. Something I organised last night. It'll come to me soon enough.'

'Well, it's almost half past nine, so whatever it is, I hope it wasn't too early.'

He ignored me and walked up the stairs, and I returned my attention to the mail. Just bills, random leaflets and my magazine subscription. I tossed them onto the kitchen counter and went to the bottom of the stairs.

'I'm going to yoga,' I yelled. 'I'll see you later.'

'See you in a bit,' he shouted back before I heard the water come on in the shower.

oOo

'Oooh,' I groaned as I leaned forward, stretching my legs straight out in front of me. It was my least favourite yoga move, but it did wonders for my lower back. Spending so much time sitting at a desk at my computer meant my back often ached, but the yoga was helping tremendously. And I was thoroughly enjoying it. The group that attended were really good fun, and I'd frequently go for a cup of coffee with one or two of the ladies afterwards.

'And now the shoulder stand,' said Amelia, the yoga teacher, after we'd done a few other poses. I carefully threw my legs over my head until they were touching the floor. Breathing slowly for a few moments, I then lifted them upwards so that they were straight out above me. Amelia walked over and just pulled my legs up a little more. 'That's better, Eve. You weren't quite upright,' she said, walking over to the girl next to me.

After three minutes of being in the shoulder stand, we gently lowered our legs before we slowly sat up and continued with the other moves. Soon though, it was time for deep relaxation. A time to clear the mind and totally relax. I often found my mind drifting to whatever I was working on at the time, but lately, all I could think about was one thing. Or should I say one man.