Starting Over - Chapter Six - Life goes on!

Chapter Six - Life goes on!

Ellen followed Jan out of the water and up the sand, flopping on a towel beside him. Lying on her tummy she stretched out resting her head on her folded arms looking at him.

                “Thank you for today, I really needed to get away from the hotel.”

He lay on his side propped on an elbow watching her, “I usually spend my days off alone, travelling the island, walking, climbing....but it’s really nice to do something with someone, with company, you know?”

She nodded, “I do.”

Closing her eyes she drifted off, the rush of the sea the only noise disturbing the serenity.  

 A hand touching her warm shoulder woke her up.

                “Do you want some lunch?” She opened her eyes to see him sat smiling at her. When she nodded he added, “the hotel chefs usually take care of me!”

With an ever dropping jaw, Ellen watched as he pulled stuffed cherry tomatoes, cold meat, cubes of cheese, beef sandwiches, boiled eggs, chilli prawns, a variety of pastries,  a thermos of coffee, another icy bottle of water, fruit...it was a virtuoso fest for a king! Jan looked proud as he laid it all out on the blanket for her.

                “Well you are definitely the perfect host!” She announced finding a juicy olive and popping it in her mouth. “Can we build a shack in the corner? I can live there and you can provide this every day for me?”

He laughed, “That’s not a bad idea, and would save you from going back to where that bastard can hurt you again.”

Ellen sighed, “Let’s not talk about him anymore; he’s in the past Jan.”

Jan nodded, filling a small cup with black coffee and handing it to her, “Ok, I’ll call a truce in being angry for you!”

She laughed, he was so endearing, and so protective of her, yet he’d only known her for a few days. Ellen couldn’t remember Richard ever being like this, caring for her, doing nice things for her. How had she been so blind? And when did she ever think that marrying him was the right thing to do?

He’d knocked her off her feet, that much was true. From the day she’d started work as a fresh faced graduate, he’d flirted. His intentions were always clear, she’d worried about getting into a relationship with her boss, but after just a month he’d taken her out for a celebratory dinner, they’d secured a contract that was sending his fairly small business to another level. After a meal in a very nice restaurant with Audrey the elderly secretary and Martin the older partner, the two ‘young ones’ at Martin’s behest had gone onto a club. Within the hour they were leaving wrapped around each other and she woke up with him in her bed.

From then on it had been a secret affair. Occasional encounters in the office after hours, late dinners. Never more than that. Never a visit to his home, never even a proper date. It was only when Audrey discovered them in an uncompromising position a year later that Richard came clean and started to date her properly. Within a month they were engaged and the whirlwind of the wedding began.  Now looking back Ellen couldn’t believe she’d been so duped, so stupid. But Jan had been right in one respect; she had such low self esteem then that she’d been happy with any scraps thrown to her. And now?  She asked herself. Now it’d taken a stern talking to from Jan, but also the insight that she deserved so much more for herself to make her see how it had been. She owed Jan SO much!

                “What are you thinking?” he asked with a chuckle. “You looked really angry.” He lifted a thumb to her forehead and stroked out the frown lines. 

She sighed, her body instantly appreciating the contact, “whatever I was thinking, it’s changed now!” Closing her eyes she exhaled softly.

Jan continued his gentle massage, but then suddenly his lips touched hers. To Ellen it was like a fuse being lit, the bomb inside her fired again. Earlier in the sea things had been rushed, out of control, now she was having a master class in kissing. Jan’s lips were firm, insistent as he explored hers; his tongue sneaking into her mouth, his hand cupped her cheek. Relaxing back on to the blanket she wriggled under him as he threw a thigh across hers, brought his body over her, all the time is lips hypnotising her, sucking her lips, teasing her tongue. It was even more erotic and exciting than the previous kiss.

                “Oh Ellen,” he sighed, dropping is lips to her neck, “I can’t resist kissing you!”

She ran her fingers over his hips and along his spine to his shoulders, his skin was hot and smooth, as she stroked slowly she felt his whole body shudder beneath her hands. It was an aphrodisiac.  Lifting his head to look down at her with an ironic smile.

                “Sorry I started this again, I couldn’t help myself!!” He stroked her cheek gently then sat back against the rocks, pulling her into his arms, her back against his chest, head on his shoulder. “Your idea of a shack is appealing, how idyllic is it here?”

Ellen nodded, enjoying being enclosed in his arms, protected, appreciating the gentle breeze and the shade the rocks offered. 

Later as she lay in her hotel bed she remembered the serenity, the comfort as she lay there in his embrace. They’d lounged for a while talking, laughing, Jan had told her all about his family, his siblings, growing up in Liege in Belgium. Then they’d swum again, she was a much stronger swimmer and he’d given up on the chase across the bay before they’d reached the halfway point. Ellen loved sea swimming, the freedom, the lack of boundaries.

There’d been the over erotic reapplication of sun cream, more lounging and more eating. Eventually they’d found themselves packing up. On the way back to the hotel, Jan stopped at a cafe in a small village and they ate coffee and ice cream. Ellen was gutted to end the day when he took her back to the hotel at half past nine that evening. But she could honestly with her hand on her heart say she couldn’t remember a better day.

She woke early, full of life, invigorated and motivated for the day ahead. Jan’s parting message had been that he was working all day. She couldn’t sit around waiting for a glimpse of him, like a love sick teenager. After another trip to the sea and a trawl along the beach, she showered, dressed for the day, packed a bag then headed for breakfast.

She still felt awkward heading into the restaurant alone, but she managed to secure a small table neat the door, dumping her bag she was about to head to the self serve buffet when she spotted Amelia, Katrin and Ernie the other members of the Animacion team were all sat together eating breakfast at a table in the centre of the dining room. As she was registering them Jan sat down with them, a plate piled with bacon and beans in his hands.

Suddenly the nervous teenager she felt herself blush. Standing she skirted the outside of the room, getting a coffee, some orange juice and an apple, the only things that weren’t located at the large serving area. But a glance down told her she was being foolish, she was ravenous after her swim, and she didn’t fear Jan, they were friends.

Standing she reached for a plate then selected tortilla Espanola, grilled tomatoes and sausages. AS she was adding some mushrooms to the mix, a warm voice whispered in her ear.

                “Just when I think you can look no hotter.......”

As her body melted like chocolate in the sun, a response to the warm breath on her neck, she snapped her head around, but Jan was several feet away talking to a young female resident about today’s games as he grabbed some cutlery. She’d finished filling her plate and was walking back across the dining room to her table, when she spotted him, crossing back to his table. He turned to her, gave the most promising, sexy, lusty smile, before rejoining his friends.

Ellen fell into her seat before her legs gave out. When did that man get SO sexy? She was barely able to function. Enough is enough she thought, today I spend time on the beach. Distance is the order of the day. So with her book, her iPod, and a full stomach, she headed to the small beach a few metres from the hotel.

Ellen had a relaxed day, mostly in the shade; reading and watching the World go by. Mid afternoon her mother called, Ellen was unsure how to talk to her mother anymore, her disappointment at the embarrassment of the cancelled wedding seemed to outweigh the concern for her daughter.

                “Hello?”

                “Oh Ellen!” It was her father. Bill Reynolds was a gentle man, hen pecked by his wife, three daughters and the variety of mainly female animals that had shared their home as they grew up. He was a good man, loving his family, working hard...but he was easily controlled, by her mother. Ellen had recently seen similar traits in herself as her father, the opting for an easy solution, settling into the background...

                “Dad! Oh my God! How are you?”

He’d been on business in New York when everything had collapsed. He’d been due back a few days before the wedding, but with all the kafuffle that her calling off the wedding caused, she’d only spoken to him by phone.

                “I’m worried....about you!” I still can’t believe that they’ve let you go out alone. Do you need me to come and join you?”

She sighed, good old Dad, whilst her mother was a driving force in the development and success of her children, her father was merely the provider. Of course he loved the trips to New York, Moscow, Paris watching Charlotte dance, then there was chaperoning Sara to Madagascar, South Africa, the Caribbean....the list went on, he genuinely didn’t seem to stress over her, he supported rather than pushed.

                “I’m fine Dad, it was the best thing I’ve done, I realise how stupid it was to think that Richard was right for me....I know Mum is upset over everything, but I think it was for the best...”

                “She cares about you darling, but she has waited for one of the three of you to get married since you were born. It was always a big thing to her, probably because our wedding was SO understated.” She could hear him sigh, this was difficult for him. “I was glad that you had a chance to succeed in the girls eyes, I know it’s not been easy living in two such gigantic shadows...”

A few days ago this conversation would have reduced her to tears, instead now, her mind flitted to Jan, who had helped her find that inner confidence. Would my father like him? She wondered, her mind drifting to thoughts of him, chatting to her father, about sport and music, anything non-female!!

                “Are you there?” her father asked urgently, it was then she realised that she’d really switched off to the conversation.

                “Sorry Dad, I’m in a world of my own...I’m fine, it’s all good. I made the right choice, I’m happy, and I’ll be home soon to take the flak. I promise!”

With a stutter of explanation her father hung up, promising to call in a few days.

After showering, the evening a lot cooler than the day, Ellen was drying her hair when the phone in her room rang.

                “Hi sexy!” Came the heavily accented English voice that turned her stomach to jelly.

                “Jan, how was your day?”

She could hear the barely contained lust in his voice, “it was terrible...other than breakfast. Are you avoiding me?” There was pain, hurt as he spoke.

                “Jan...You told me we need to hide this, I can barely look at you without wanting to kiss you....I thought going away would be the best. I was only at the beach!”

                “Only kiss?”

She rethought her last words then grinned, “You know I don’t mean JUST kiss!” She dropped her voice to a whisper, “you have NO idea Jan...” then chuckling she added, “or maybe you do!”

The growl that emanated from the handset caused her to burst into peals of laughter.

Eventually Jan spoke, “funny hey?” Then he laughed too, “I finish at ten tonight. Will you meet me? We can go into Palma, it’s busy...fun...”

                “Do you even need to hear my reply?”

Chuckling again he said, “just after ten, the car park! Be there!”