Page 31 of Best Mistake Ever
So what’s going on then? Is this some kind of twisted game that Dee’s playing with me? First coming on to me hard, then backing off fast. Trying to get me hooked into something with her, something she can control? But why would she do that? It doesn’t chime with anything I’ve seen of her in the last few days.
Shit!What’s happening to me? Tessa did a real number on me when she ripped my trust to shreds and it seems to be having repercussions through my entire life. Am I destined to always read women and their intentions wrongly?
Jeez, I hope not.
But then maybe it’s not such a bad thing for me to be on my guard now. At least I won’t be taken for a fool again if I’m being vigilant for it.
Anyway, it seems clear I need to separate how I’ve started to feel about Dee recently from our working relationship. I don’t want to mess things up and lose a really good employee when I’ve only just found her. And on the surface, she seems keen on keeping things professional between us too.
If only my body would get the memo. I’m still turned on from kissing her, then not being able to take things further. I haven’t felt this level of need for sex in ages and now I’m supercharged with it.
I stand up and start to pace the room again, not sure what to do with myself. Only one thing for it: I need to take care of this incessant urge myself before I’ll be able to sleep. With that thought in mind, I pop the button on my jeans, slide down my fly and take my cock in my hand, picturing what I would have done to her amazing body if she’d not called a halt to things. Irelive the feeling of her full breasts under my hands and the way her hard nipples pressed urgently into my palms. So fucking hot. I imagine how wet she would be for me when I slid my fingers inside her, finding the exact spot to give attention to, turning her wild and pliant under my touch. I imagine the expression on her face when she climaxes, moaning my name. I come hard, revelling in the blissful release as my body finally gets the relief from the sexual tension I’ve been holding at bay for the last few days.
In the morning, I wake up with another iron-like erection, having dreamt about Dee and our near miss, which my addled subconscious turned into a very definite hot hit.
I try to shake off the craving to make it real that’s got me by the throat as I scoff down some breakfast, feeling as though I’ve run a marathon already this morning.
Wandering over to the house, I find an early-morning yoga session in full flow on the front lawn. The attendees are contorting themselves into impossible-looking poses and letting out loud, visible breaths into the cool, morning air.
The sun has made another appearance today and it’s making the dew on the grass glint and shimmer as far as the eye can see.
As I walk into the house, I hear the sound of dance music pounding away, coming from the direction of the ballroom. Poking my head around the door to it, I’m amazed to see a large crowd of people dressed in full-on dance gear throwing themselves around to the beat, as if they’re all at a rave. I stand, dumbfounded, watching them, feeling a weird sense of displacement. It’s so strange to see people dancing like this in the bright, morning sunlight.
A guy in a furry, turquoise onesie squeezes past me into the room, giving me a grin and a nod of greeting.
‘Hey,’ I say to him. ‘Has this been going all night?’
‘No. It started at seven this morning. It’s a great way to start the day. The best kind of exercise!’ he says and dances away from me into the crowd, whooping and punching his fists into the air in time to the music.
I stay and watch the joyful revelry for a minute more, fighting another urge to join in with the fun. I really shouldn’t allow myself to be enticed by it. I’m here in a professional capacity and I can’t let myself get drawn into what’s happening here. I have my reputation – what’s left of it – to think of.
It occurs to me now that the festival has reminded me of how much I loved partying in my former life and that’s probably had some bearing on the way I acted towards Dee last night. I’m suddenly angry with myself for letting my dick get in the way of common sense.
I’d decided not to get drawn into a fling with her but I’d gone and let myself be side-tracked by the idea of it anyway.
I sigh and turn away from the dancing.
Some days, being an adult isn’t a lot of fun.
Outside, more people are milling around now, yawning and stretching in the soft, morning sunshine.
Feeling a sudden weariness descend on me, I turn back towards my cottage. I suspect I’m going to need strong coffee if I’m going to get through today.
Back in my kitchen, I make myself a double espresso and add two spoonsful of brown sugar to it before knocking it back. I wince a little as the hot liquid burns the back of my throat, but the warming sensation of it hitting my stomach gives my spirits a lift.
I should get back out into the sunshine and have a walk in the fresh air. Sitting inside my house and brooding all day about what happened last night would not be helpful.
So, I drag myself out again and take a walk over to the apple orchard, avoiding the lake – a place I’ve not been able to visit since the thing that happened there trashed my relationship and my reputation – and wander through the leafless trees with their twisted and gnarled branches standing stark against the grey-blue sky, drawing in deep lungsful of cold, fragrant air. It’s so peaceful here, even with the low-level hubbub of the festival waking up humming in the distance.
I had such high hopes for this place when I first convinced my dad to let me take it over, but it all ground to a halt when Tessa left and I’ve not quite found the impetus to get things going again. I was hoping Dee might be the one to help lead that, and I guess she might still, based on the effort I’ve seen her put in in the last few days.
In fact, focusing on that would be a good way to get past the awkwardness that’s bound to be there between us now. Feeling in a more positive mindset, I set off back to the festival to see if I can find her and clear the air quickly so we can move on from it.
Since I’ve been away from the site, the rest of the attendees seem to have emerged from their tents and are strolling towards the large marquees where the workshops are being held before lunch is served.
Outside each of the tents, there’s a blackboard with the name and a short description of the event written in white chalk on it. I walk past each one, reading, with increasing interest, about what’s about to take place inside.
There appears to be a ‘Cuddle-in’ in one of them.
