Page 13 of Wish You Weren't Here
‘Oh my God, you angel,’ I practically groan. ‘Mmm.’
‘Don’t make noises like that, you’re giving me flashbacks,’ he jokes.
‘Would a little memory refresh be such a bad thing?’ I reply.
Taking the hint, Ethan leans forward and starts kissing my neck. I lean back into it, letting him wrap his arms around my body, holding me close.
‘Your breakfast will go cold,’ he whispers into my ear.
‘I’ll get over it,’ I reply.
I drop forwards, onto my elbows, as Ethan takes my hips in his hands.
Obviously I’m a little distracted, but I am vaguely aware of a quiet but strange noise coming from somewhere in the room. It’s only when I open my eyes that I realise the room is suddenly much lighter, and the blinds are open, and we’re on the ground floor and, oh God, we’re starting to catch the attention of people walking by on their way to work.
‘Oh my God,’ I blurt.
‘The blinds!’ Ethan says.
He grabs the duvet from under us and quickly pulls it down over us, leaving us hiding in a sort of bed den.
‘What happened?’ I ask him. ‘And what are we going to do? People are looking – how do we close them?’
Ethan just laughs.
‘I think you leaned on a remote,’ he tells me. ‘I think this one might be for the blinds.’
He pushes a button and sure enough we hear that sound again.
I dare to peep out from under the covers and sure enough the room is in near darkness again.
‘I wonder if everything we do will be chaotic,’ I say, seeing the funny side. Well, you have to see the funny side, don’t you, when you accidentally commit an indecent act in front of an audience?
‘I hope so,’ he replies. ‘I’d really like to see you again. Tonight, maybe? While I’m still in Leeds?’
‘I’d really like that,’ I say, trying to keep my cool, even though I can feel a smile yanking at my lips.
‘Great,’ he says. ‘I’ll message you the details later.’
I nod, already thinking about what I’m going to wear, wondering where we’ll go, wishing that I didn’t have to go to work – shit, work!
‘I should probably get ready for work,’ I say reluctantly, grabbing my coffee for another sip. ‘Actually, I really need to get a move on if I’m going to have time to apply the emergency make-up I keep in my desk.’
Ethan chuckles, shaking his head slightly.
‘You look beautiful as you are,’ he says, and I almost believe him, but a quick glance in the mirror tells me otherwise. Bed hair and smudged mascara from the champagne-explosion-shower combination will definitely get people at work talking. I keep a simple white blouse in my drawer too, just in case I ever end up pulling an all-nighter, and don’t have time to go home. A plain white shirt over any dress makes it look instantly businesslike.
‘Thanks,’ I reply, blushing just a little. ‘But you know what Jennifer is like.’
I slide out of bed, gather my clothes, and head toward the bathroom with a smile that almost makes my face ache.
‘Looking forward to later,’ Ethan calls after me, and there’s something in his tone that makes me think he actually means it.
‘Me too,’ I call back, before shutting the bathroom door behind me. Yep, privacy, for the girl who showered champagne from her boobs in front of him.
As I turn on the tap and splash my face with cold water, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There’s a sparkle in my eyes, one that I haven’t seen in a long time, and a lightness in my chest that makes everything feel… possible? Oh my God, what am I saying? That’s so cringe but… I don’t know, I guess it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this happy, and hopeful and, for the first time in ages, I’m actually going on a second date. I know, it’s hardly wedding bells like my sister, but it’s a start, right?
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