Page 50 of The Chase

“I don’t-”

“We do a mindfulness body scan, and a gratitude thanking-”

Colt gritted his teeth. “Course you do.”

“So if there is anything else you need,” Ash paused and gave them both a heated look, “here’s my personal phone number.” He slid two business cards over the table, one to Colt, one to April. Bold move, Colt thought.

Colt cleared his throat. “Do you offer all the guests your personal number, or are we special?”

Ash smiled sinfully. “Most of them don’t pick up what I’m laying down. Are you catching my drift?” Ash asked suddenly.

Colt didn’t glance at April, he went ahead and answered for the both of them. “Not this time, no.” Colt shook his head.

Ash shrugged, unperturbed. He didn’t blush, he didn’t look embarrassed, he didn’t look ashamed. Good for him.

“Well, enjoy your stay, I’ll get back to you about an appointment with Dane, for your tattoo.”

“Thanks, Ash.” April nodded, and they all stood while Ash waved them out of the room. Colt let April out first, like the gentleman he most definitely fucking wasn’t. He followed. Colt’s eyes caught on April’s butt as she walked ahead in her jeans. Yes. He wanted in. He reached forward and pinched, then massaged, then lightly slapped.

“Colt!” she exclaimed, whirling around, grabbing his hand, eyes wide but a smile on her lips.

“Come on, Kitten, let’s go, I wanna fuck you.” He was a drug addict needing his next hit already, he was getting withdrawal symptoms.

April watched Colt tapping away impatiently on his phone. He’d been quiet since dinner. To be fair, though, she’d been quiet after dinner, too. The raw food, four course taster dinner had been that night. She hadn’t had a whole meal of raw food before. It had been shiny, cold, crunchy and all in all, unsatisfying. Colt had barely hid his displeasure. And they’d got a glimpse of the other guests, too. Colt had been right. They were all city yuppies. Some couples were about their age and some older. All of them douches, as Colt liked to label them. The dining room had been low lit, that was part of the dining experience. She smiled when she replayed Colt rolling his eyes again as the waiter had explained each dish. A low chatter, like they were in a museum or an art gallery was the backing track.

“We promote a whole foods diet built on raw, unrefined plants, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Here we have a wheat berry cultured kombucha, artisanal red pepper flake, olive and cashew cheese, courgette noodles, parmesan crisps, basil pesto, organic Thai coconut lemongrass soup, Ceylon cinnamon custard…”

April ran her tongue around her mouth. Some of it was tasty. Some gimmicky. All of it had been small, little dainty bites. One particular dish had come out and Colt had immediately put the whole thing in his mouth, before the waiter had set the plate on the table, it was so small. He’d take thirty seconds to finish one of the plates of food and then he’d crossed his arms over his chest. He was trying hard not to get grumpy. April saw it and appreciated that he was trying at least. He was trying not to have a smoke, and he’d gone to yoga earlier that afternoon, too. In his new yoga pants.

When he had seen them, that had been funny. And his speedo, too. True to his word, Ash had the gift shop deliver them and a bikini for her. They were the right size, Ash didn’t even have to ask. Unsurprising considering how much he’d ogled them both with his eyes. Colt had held up the skimpy black swim briefs with incredulity stamped on his face. He’d held up her two-piece black bikini, too, and was miffed about how he wanted her to wear it for his eyes only.

But he’d put the leggings on and loped off to his first yoga class with only minimal grumbling. Like a moody eight year old on his way to school.

She hadn’t heard how it had gone. She’d asked, but only received grunts in return.

When the waiter had brought them their final course, Colt had snorted. “Final plate? I’m still hungry.” He could be grumpy when he wanted to be. She smiled, imagining him as an old man, imagining herself with him as they grew old and gray. She shook her head, trying to shake the image out of her mind. She shouldn’t be so silly, she could only dream of being with him that long. For them to grow old together? Who was she kidding, of course she wanted that. She’d said as much to Colt, she’d said she wanted it all. And hadn’t he said he wanted it, too? Not just with the few words he’d spoken on the subject, but with his kisses, the way he held her, the way he touched her. If she wasn’t mistaken, that was a forever kind of loving her. Now they were back in their room, she was on the sofa, and he had spread himself out on the bed, tapping away on his phone.

“Colt,” she spoke up before she lost herself in planning out her wedding vows and the names of their children.

He grunted, not looking up from his phone. She licked her lips and tried again. “Hey mister grumpy, what are you up to?” she asked. She was minorly irked, moody, for some reason, not quite herself. Maybe it was her period, she suddenly thought. Yes! She didn’t have her cycle tracker app because she tossed her old phone away, which meant she had no idea what day of the month it was, but she was pretty sure she was due any day now. She sighed with relief, that was it, that was why she was feeling so off. She’d have to warn him, they’d need to not have sex for a few days, which she imagined he wouldn’t be too pleased about…

He flicked his eyes up to her, then suddenly pulled himself up, out of the bed.

“Gotta go,” he muttered, stomping past her.

“What?” she blubbered, incredulous. He shrugged on his jacket, his face closed off.

She felt mounting anger at his attitude. “Colt, wait.” That inexplicable irritation, the dissatisfaction, the wildness in her spoiling for a fight. It was new to her. It was his influence, maybe, she thought, his impulsivity and wildness, rubbing off on her.

“I’ll be back later,” he said and headed toward the door.

She flared with the physical rush of anger. And then in its wake, a stabbing in her chest. The anger turned to hurt. April couldn’t believe it, he slammed the door behind him. Those happy images of them growing old together shattering in front of her eyes. She knew she was being emotional, and felt very hormonal, now that she thought of it. But still, she was hurt. The hot prick of tears began to threaten behind her eyes. She could either give in to them, or chase him down. Chase after him, and her new dreams of being by his side. The old her would have probably gotten huffy and collapsed on the bed. She would have settled on her role as the victim, the one who had been wronged. The girl who got what she wanted and had a privileged life would have seen this as a betrayal and given in to the tears. That girl would have seen such rude abruptness as a personal insult, a snub against who she was, and would have felt affronted by his attitude. But April felt new power in her soul. A strength and willingness to face a fight. She wanted to confront Colt, face him, and bring him back into line. No way was she walking away and giving up on her dreams so quickly and easily. No way was she letting his grumpy attitude fester into something they couldn’t overcome. She slammed her feet into her sneakers by the door and trotted out after him, determination coursing through her.

“Colt,” she yelled out, facing the darkness of the night. She looked up and down the path, squinting back in the direction of the restaurant and reception area. “Colt!” She couldn’t see him.

“Kitten, go back inside,” came a low rumble from behind. She whirled around and found Colt peering quizzically from the side of the cabin. He had an unlit cigarette balanced between his lips.

She was relieved to find him. She didn’t like being alone out here, the woods yawned hungrily, threatening to suck her in. Colt seemed perfectly at home, skulking in the shadows. She did not. She felt a renewed wave of irritation. “Don’t you tell me to go back inside,” she began, taking a deep breath in. Here goes, she stalked up to him and faced him. “Colt, your attitude has sucked all evening. Here we are having our first day in this swanky resort. I thought we’d have a nice time here, safe, cozy, a chance to get to know each other a little better… this isn’t a cheap place and I feel like you’re not really embracing this.” April took a breath.

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