England or Bust (4 page)

 
Six

Michelle held her towel tight around herself as she exited the bathroom. They were out of condoms and some insane part of her brain knew that Rob would be tempted with her naked and clean. Stupid considering her past insecurities. But there it was. She kissed Rob as he walked close and tried to snag her towel from her. She held it tighter and stepped away with a giggle.

“Nice shower?” He asked and walked past her, naked and beautiful.

Michelle shivered as she watched his buttocks clench as he walked past and closed the door.

That man is truly spectacular
. She dressed hurriedly, wishing she had fresh underwear and cursing the airport once again. She had already checked in all her baggage before they had cancelled her flight and she hadn’t even thought to ask when and how she was going to get it back. That would teach her not to pack a proper hand luggage bag for travelling.

She cleaned up the small mess they had made, pulled back the blinds and looked out the window. The sun had just risen and it was a bright, clear morning. The storm seemed to have blown over some time during the night. She didn’t even remember hearing it.

The question was, would the airline be happy to push the flights back, and what would they do in the interim? She had told everyone she was leaving, her apartment was empty. Would she go back to Rob’s house? Where did he live? Argh, she knew so little about Rob yet she had just agreed to spend some time with him, getting to know one another.

What if he didn’t like her and got back on his plane tomorrow? She bit her lip, she couldn’t stand that.

Groaning in frustration she packed up her bag. “Stop getting ahead of yourself Michelle.”

A strange noise sounded and she realised it was the vibrations of a phone. She went in search for hers and found it lying beside the bed. She lifted it up and glanced at the screen. It was still locked, the message wasn’t for her.

Next to her phone was Rob’s black mobile, the screen alight with words.

Michelle took a step back and her belly cramped with tension. She couldn’t possibly spy on Rob. It just wasn’t the right, or the nice thing to do.

But against her inner angel telling her to turn away, she crept forward once again, curiosity eating away at her. So many times with her ex-boyfriend she had turned a blind eye. Trusted him when she shouldn’t have. She had expected the faithfulness that she had always given and had ignored all the little signs that said something else was going on.

Rob wasn’t her ex, but he was rapidly becoming someone she could care very much for. To be lied to once again would just be too much to take. She simply had to know.

So with a sharp nod of her head and her future hanging in the balance, she picked Rob’s phone up and read a message that stopped her heart.

Have an amazing time Robbie. C u when u get back. Love u. Nikki xo

“No way…” Michelle breathed, her chest aching in pure panic. She couldn’t possibly be that unlucky, could she?

Stop over reacting, it could be innocent.

Yeah right. What man that good looking, successful and nice is ever single?

But he’s been so caring, so honest so far. Shouldn’t you give him the chance to explain himself?

And lie to you again? No way. Better just to walk away now. You had your fun, now get out while the going’s good.

Michelle’s inner battle ground to a halt as she heard the water stop in the shower and knew Rob was going to be out soon.

She knew she could and probably should, stay and explain but a heavy feeling of inevitability settled over her. She’d had an amazing one night stand, but who was she kidding? There was nothing else to gain from spending more time with Rob except possible heartbreak. The night was over and it was time to go.

Feeling like a mature adult, Michelle calmly grabbed her bags and pulled open the door. She let it close behind her and that’s when the pain began. She started running, tears blinding her vision as she moved down the hall.

The numb calm seeped away as hot emotion poured in. Who was Nikki? A wife? A girlfriend? Had she just unwittingly been a participant in an extra marital affair?

“Oh my God,” she gasped, stopping in one of the corridors to catch her breath. After everything she had been through this past year, couldn’t the fate’s just give her a frikken break? She was a good person and Karma was a bitch. This better not bite her later on.

The thought sobered her and she pulled herself up and kept walking. Out the hotel front door and into the safety of the crowded airport.

♥ ♥ ♥

Rob towel dried his body and took a deep and soothing breath. His belly was clenched tight and he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. He hadn’t been this excited in, well, probably forever. He couldn’t believe his good luck. Part of him had been hoping for a holiday romance, even perhaps a permanent one.

He wasn’t getting any younger and more of his friends just kept finding these great girls and settling down. He wanted that too but so far he’d had no luck in finding it.

He wiped the fog from the mirror and ran a hand through his wet hair. It looked like the fate’s had thrown the perfect girl right into his lap.

“Just don’t stuff it up.” Rob muttered to himself as he fastened his towel around his waist. His body was wide awake now and he stifled a grin as blood flowed south. They didn’t have any more condoms, but he had plenty of ways to make Michelle scream, if she was up for more loving.

He pushed open the door, expecting to see Michelle’s beautiful green eyes, but the room was empty. He frowned and picked up his jeans. Where were her clothes? And her bag?

“Probably went to get something to eat,” he decided as he dressed again and collected his phone and wallet.

Nikki had messaged, that was nice of her. She was the only one who had encouraged him to go on this holiday, unlike the rest of his family. Plain selfish they were sometimes. He was probably being a little selfish too, taking off at this time of year, but hey, he’d worked eight out of the last ten Christmas’s anyway and hadn’t been able to enjoy the festivities with his family then, so what was the difference?

Rob glanced at his watch and an uneasy feeling began to permeate his blood stream. It tickled along his veins like an insect. It didn’t look like she was coming back.

He picked up his phone to call her and groaned. “You haven’t even got her phone number.” Major oversight!

With all of the drama, talking and amazing sex of the night before, Rob hadn’t even thought to get Michelle’s mobile number.

He took the key and shut the door. He’d find her.

He handed the key to the reception staff and asked the man behind the desk, “Have you seen a woman walk past here? About twenty five, brown hair, green eyes, five foot ten?”

The man nodded and averted his eyes. “Yes, about ten minutes ago.”

Rob nodded and tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him impatiently. What was the man not saying?

“Did she say where she was going?”

The man shook his head and Rob waited. Finally the man looked up, giving him a rather weird look. “She was crying. Loudly.”

Rob gasped and took a step back, No! He turned and started running, something had happened. He went over everything he had said, everything that he had done and he couldn’t think of anything that would cause that sort of reaction in her. Maybe her ex-boyfriend had called her and hurt her? He’d bloody kill the wanker himself.

Rob slowed his run to a fast walk as he reached the airport. He looked up at the flashing screens, then made his way to the international terminal. She was broken, he knew. She had obviously experienced a lot of hurt in the past year or so, but that didn’t mean he would ever hurt her. She couldn’t possibly think that, could she?

Rob shook his head and clenched his teeth. She wasn’t getting away from him, no way.

♥ ♥ ♥

Michelle’s adrenaline kicked in when she most needed it and the pain disappeared. She blinked her tears away and swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and a sheen of sweat covered her whole body, but it kept her moving. She had never been more appreciative of her sympathetic nervous system.

Flashing her new airline tickets to the guard, she moved through the international doors. Customs was a daze and though the noise was immense, she felt cold. It was like someone had died all over again.
London, just focus on London
. Her new start was only a few short hours away.

Michelle finally collapsed onto one of the chairs in her departure lounge, emotionally exhausted.

There were people everywhere, yet the tears rolling down her cheeks wouldn’t stop. She should have been embarrassed but she was too numb.

Michelle moved to the furthest corner and wrapped her arms around herself. How could she have been so wrong about someone?

Why would Rob have stayed the night with her if he already had someone in his life? It didn’t make sense. He had seemed so genuine, so caring and considerate of her feelings. Had he really been playing a game with her – and for what? A warm bed and a soft body to pass the time between his next liaison?

She shook her head. It was hard to imagine that was the case, but the phone hadn’t lied. There was nothing imaginary about that message and the sentiments it had conveyed. God, she was such a fool!

With her ex she had seen the signs and ignored them. Late night phone calls, secretive texting and emails. He’d often been withdrawn, unaffectionate and distracted. Even his touch had seemed cold. But with Rob, there had been nothing to arouse suspicion.

Nothing to indicate that he was a lying scumbag.

The thought brought a respite from the tears as anger filled its place. Yes, that was better. She could work with anger. Her arms dropped down and she wiped away the tears staining her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the palms of her hands into her eyes. They were aching and Michelle knew her eyes would be blood shot for hours now.

She sighed and glanced down at her watch. An hour and she would be on the plane. She would forget this night had ever happened and try to forgive herself. What had she been thinking to trust someone who she didn’t even know?

“Michelle!”

Rob’s voice cut through her fog of denial, her eyes sharpening as he weaved through the crowd to get to her. She looked either side of herself, she was trapped and she had done it to herself.
Fuck.

He walked right up to her, eyes furrowed in disbelief. “Why did you leave without me?”

Michelle avoided his stare, turning her head away. How could he ask her that? Didn’t he feel even a little bit guilty?

“I couldn’t stay. I think it’s best that we just say good bye now.”

Rob dropped into the seat opposite her, which drew her attention.
Damn
.

“Not until you tell me what happened.”

Michelle turned her head and stared up into those blue eyes that she would never forget for as long as she lived. Tears gathered once again in her eyes and she blinked to dispel them. Why wasn’t she angry any more.

“You told me… that you were single.”

Rob nodded, his forehead creasing in thought, but he looked completely innocent of any wrong doing. He obviously didn’t know that she had seen the message from Nikki.

“I saw the message from Nikki.”

Michelle watched Rob’s face and nothing changed. He didn’t swallow, his eyes remained clear, no obvious signs of guilt.

Rob nodded. “Yeah, so?”

“So is she your wife or your girlfriend?”

That made his face change. His mouth dropped open in disbelief and he grabbed at his phone. Swiping and scrolling to find the offending message he found it quickly.

He seemed to reread again and then eyed her. “You thought I was cheating
with
you?”

Michelle nodded, the hurt in his face hard to process. He looked truly disappointed in her. Michelle’s usually logical brain rapidly began to rethink her rash action. Had she just run out on this guy for no reason?

“How could you think that Michelle? Honestly? After everything we talked about? Do you seriously think I could have made love to you like that if I was married?”

Michelle shook her head, pain clenching her chest hard and she squeezed the words out that were needed. “I am so sorry.”

Rob huffed and stood up. “Okay, I’m not angry with you. You’ve been through a really rough time and I can sort of understand. But we need more time together. Stay here, please. Rearrange your flight. I want a week to prove to you that I’m a good guy.”

Michelle shook her head, pain dragging her down into the self-made pit of despair. “No, I can’t. My flight is non-refundable. This is my life Rob. This was my choice…” Tears trembled on her eyelashes and her voice was breaking on the words.

Rob grabbed her hands and pulled her up to stand in front of him. His face was hard, his tone pleading with her. “I’ll buy you another ticket Michelle! That doesn’t matter!”

Oh my God! I have found one of the few remaining gentlemen and I already betrayed the trust he instilled in me.