The Honeymoon Period (The Austin Series) (27 page)

‘Gabe, I’m
going to get so fat if you do all the cooking when we live together,’ I moaned.

‘No, this
is a Sunday treat, you’re going to be eating so healthily during the week you
won’t know what’s hit you.’

‘Have you
told your parents yet, Mia?’ Robert asked as he poured me another glass of
wine.

‘Thank you.
No not yet, I don’t think they’ll be quite as understanding as you’ve been.’

‘Well, they
don’t know Gabriel so I can understand that. I’ve got to know you quite well
over the last few weeks and I see how good you are for each other.’

‘Dad, Mia’s
told me about you offering for her to see Dr. Jarvis and I want to start my
sessions, the sooner the better.’

‘Good, I’m
sure you’ll both benefit. I’ll ask him to contact you both. Right, I’m not
likely to see you both until Christmas Eve now, you know where I am if you need
me. I better go and get my bags, Riley will be here soon so I’ll say my
goodbyes now.’

I kissed
him on both cheeks and he pulled me into a big hug and whispered ‘
Thank you,
you’re an angel,’
in my ear. I started clearing up to give him and Gabe
some privacy and they left me in the kitchen. I plated Gabe a dinner from the
left overs and covered it in foil assuming he’d be here one night soon and
rinsed the rest of the dishes and put on the dishwasher. I felt his hands go
around my waist and leaned back into his body as he kissed my neck.

‘Has he
gone?’

‘Yes. You
know you won’t be able to drive now you’ve had two glasses of wine, you may as
well finish the last bit.’

‘O shit
sorry, didn’t think.’

‘It’s ok, I’ll
try. It’s only fifteen minutes. When do you want to go?’

‘We may as
well go now or we’ll just get comfortable here.’ He sighed and I turned around
in his arms and put my hands on his chest gripping his shirt. ‘Gabe, don’t. I’ll
miss it here too, but I’ve missed my own home as well.’

‘Dad has
already packed your bags in the Range Rover, there was too much stuff to go in
my boot.’

‘Would you
mind if we took some of the roses as well?’

‘Of course
not, they were for you. Mrs. Darby will water the ones left here. I’m assuming we’re
coming back Tuesday night for movie night with Lexi and Doug?’

‘Actually
would you mind if we don’t? As we are going away I’d sort of like to just spend
the evening alone with Lexi at my place. I could come to you after, or you to
me.’

‘You don’t
want me there?’ He frowned and stepped away from me and I watched as he visibly
bristled.

‘Gabe, it’s
only a few hours. I didn’t see her last week and you’ve got me all to yourself
for four days. Please don’t take it personally or make a fuss.’

‘I’m not
making a fuss, I just figured it would be nice for us all to spend the night
together before we go away.’

‘You asked
me to be honest with you Gabe, I just really miss my best friend and I can’t
remember the last time we had movie night just the two of us and we haven’t had
a girls Friday in forever.’

‘Fine,
whatever,’ he sighed reluctantly.

‘Thank you.’

‘Hmmm.’

‘We can
decide on the night who’s sleeping where, but I could do with being at mine on
Wednesday to sort out my bag for our trip.’

‘You’ll
need a couple of going out outfits.’

‘What sort?’

‘One formal
outfit and a clubbing outfit.’

‘We’re
going clubbing?’ I asked excitedly. I hadn’t been dancing in forever.

‘Yes, and
if I get this damn hangover out of my system I may drink with you too.’ I ran
to him and flung my arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses
until he laughed. ‘So someone’s excited about clubbing and drinking?’

‘Hell yes,
it’s been too long. Right, I plated up a dinner for you in the fridge. Are you
coming back here tomorrow day?’

‘Yes, Dad’s
got hold of this swimming specialist and we’re due to have a few sessions a
week at ten a.m. excluding while we’re away,’ he brushed the hair away from my
face and ran his lips up and down my cheek.

‘Then you
can have that for lunch and come back to mine when you’re ready.’

‘What time
will you be home?’

‘Six, but I
put a key to my place on your key ring a few weeks ago so you can let yourself
in whenever you want.’

‘You did?’
he straightened up and looked at me shocked.

‘Yes, you
haven’t driven so you’ve obviously not noticed it.’

‘Mia, thank
you,’ he kissed me and held me tight.

‘It’s just
a key.’

‘Not to me
it’s not Miss “I want sex no strings” Page, you’re really handling this serious
relationship stuff amazingly.’

‘Well, now you’re
chatting to my mother behind my back, I figured we must be getting really serious,’
I teased. He stiffened up and pulled back to look at me concerned.

‘Baby, we
are
really serious. What’s your mum said?’

‘Don’t
worry, she only let slip you’d spoken to her about my birthday but wouldn’t say
anymore.’

‘Good
because it’s supposed to be a surprise. Come on then, if we’re going let’s go.
I want a few hours in bed with you before you fall asleep tonight.’

‘Mr. Austin
are you planning on seducing me
again
?’ I asked with a coy look.

‘Always baby,
but tonight I’ll be making you come multiple times and then I’m going to go
really slowly and look in your eyes when we come together.’

‘Hmmm, I
like the sound of that. We need to go now, as I’ve come over all hot and
bothered.’

‘Just how I
plan to have you later baby,’ he replied with a wink. We enjoyed a long slow loving
kiss and he eventually pulled away. ‘Damn, do we have to go? I’ve got a
perfectly good bed upstairs we could use right now?’

‘Yes we do.
I promised Lexi and I
miss
her.’

We went
upstairs and decided to take seven of the bouquets with us. Two for my room and
for the lounge, and one for Lexi, the kitchen and the hall. They were hand tied
free standing in cellophane wrapping so we bunched them along the rear seats
foot wells and I looked back at the house as he shut me in the passenger side.
It had been my home for longer than my apartment and I was going to miss it.

‘You’ll be
back, Mia,’ he smiled as he saw my face.

It was
nearly seven when we pulled up in one of the new car parking spaces as Doug’s
VW Golf was in mine and I texted Lexi to know we’d arrived.

‘How was it
driving? I saw you rubbing your shoulder.’

‘Better
than I thought, but long journeys are definitely out for now.’

As I opened
the car boot I regretted living on the top floor. At least moving across the
hall would be easy. Doug and Lexi came down and we actually managed it in four
trips, making Gabe sit out the last two, much to his mortification. The
apartment looked immaculate, everything was gleaming and as the three of them
sat in the lounge chatting, I dotted the roses around the place. I went into my
room and unpacked, closed the blinds and put on my side lights. I smiled as I
looked at my chocolate heart and the new piece of art above my bed.

‘What are
you doing? You’ve been gone for ages?’ I looked around and smiled to see Lexi
in my room and felt compelled to go and give her another tight hug and she
laughed. ‘I missed you too, so why are you hiding in here.’

‘I’m not
hiding, just putting stuff away, it takes longer than packing, plus I’d all
Gabe’s spare stuff as well. I hope you don’t mind me making room for his bits
in the bathroom?’

‘No, I’ve
been using the utility shower for the last week in preparation of you coming
back, so it’s all yours again. Loving the new art work in here.’

‘You’ve not
seen it?’

‘No it’s
your room, I’ve not been in,’ she said as she jumped on my bed. ‘So Friday,
dish it.’

I hopped up
on the bed next to her and talked her through it and had to get up and show her
the routine, as best I could without a pole, with the song playing on my iPhone.

‘Fuck Mia,
I bet he went ape shit.’

‘He was so
mad Lexi, but also
so
turned on. We didn’t speak all the way home but
then he shoved me up against the front door and we had
seriously
hot
sex. They want me to do some regular nights and he’s not that happy about it.’

‘I thought
you only did it for him?’

‘I did, but
look at me. I’ve got my flexibility back, I’m more toned and fitter than I’ve
been in ages and I loved it. I loved seeing how jealous he got as well, it was
such a turn on plus the tips will help me pay him back and then hello, it’s all
extra clothing and drinking allowance.’

‘What does
he think?’

‘He’s sort
of agreed for me to do it once more, as long as he’s there and we’ll discuss
how he feels after. If he’s really unhappy then I’ll have to stop.’ I frowned
as I thought back to Friday night.

‘What?’

‘Eh?’

‘What you
thinking? You look somewhere else.’

‘Sorry,
it’s just … that guy, Adam that chatted me up the night you Milo and I went to
Peppers. You remember him?’

‘Yeah,
vaguely, suit guy?’

‘Yes,’ I
nodded. ‘Well, he was the guy that came onto me the night before Gabe’s
accident and I broke his nose.’

‘That was
him?’

‘Yes, and
after Gabe’s accident I mentioned to the police that he might hold a grudge and
they investigated him. He had no alibi Lex, and he drives a silver car, Gabe
said it was a silver car that nearly hit him.’

‘Mia I
can’t believe you haven’t shared this with me. You can’t believe he’d try and
run Gabe over because he got too touchy with you and you pushed back?’

‘I know I’m
sorry, I forgot all about it as the police and Gabe made it sound ridiculous
and I’d just about convinced myself that it was, then Friday night when we were
leaving the club we walked past him. Gabe didn’t see him as he was in such a
mood, but Adam called out “Fucking Bitch” as we passed him and Lexi, the look
on his face was seriously scary. He even followed us to the taxi, but we left
before he caught us up. It really scared me.’

‘Does Gabe
know?’

‘No,’ I
exclaimed wide eyed. ‘And I don’t want him to, but it’s got me worrying again
that he had something to do with it. What if he tries to hurt Gabe again?
Because of what I did?’

‘Mia if he
tried it on with you against your wishes you had every right to defend
yourself. If you’re that worried call the police and report it.’

‘I don’t
think they’d take me seriously Lex, besides it’s my word against his, Gabe
didn’t see him and how will it look that I’ve said nothing to him about it all
weekend?’

‘I can’t
believe you’ve been worrying about this and not told me Mia, I’m your best
friend.’ She looked at me hurt.

‘Lex I’m
sorry, I just feel like I’ve not been there for you since Gabe’s accident and I
didn’t think you’d appreciate me offloading my crap on you when it suited me.’

‘Christ,
you’re a fuckwit sometimes,’ she sighed and slapped me up the side of my head.

‘
Owwwww,’
I laughed and reached up to rub my stinging ear.

‘Mia,
you’ve had so much more shit on your plate than I had these last few weeks,
don’t you ever cut me out again. I could have just listened. What’s the point
in me being a BFF if you don’t call me? O God, I am still your BFF aren’t I?’

‘
Lexi,
’
I gave her a slap back and she gasped and shoved me onto my back, jumped on me
and tickled me until I screamed with laughter. ‘Stop … stop please. Lesson
learned, I won’t keep stuff from you again, but don’t be so bloody stupid
thinking anyone could replace you.’

‘Fine.
Christ, Doug would get the baby oil out if he saw us right now, lying in bed
slapping each other and me straddling your lap, it’s probably right out of one
of his wank fodder fantasy images.’

‘And you
tell
me
I give you too much information? Shift you heifer lump, you’re
damn heavy for a skinny bitch,’ I giggled as I shoved her and she laughed and
got off and lay down next to me. ‘So what about you and Doug? Has he moved in?’

‘Fuck no,’
she said looking horrified. ‘He’s stayed over a bit. It actually feels good, having
someone regular, but there’s still something missing, for me anyway, not for
him it seems, he asked me to meet his parents and I’m like Christ no.
Way
too early for that shit.’

‘Has he
told you that he loves you?’

‘No,’ she
replied quickly and looked sort of relieved. ‘So how’s grumpy pants doing?’

‘Up and
down.’

‘Still?’
she sounded surprised.

‘Yes, you
look worried Lex.’