After All - Part Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Five

                “Mr Johnson, I assure you that we are doing all we can to find rooms, but when something like this happens then all the hotels are in demand.”

Mattie smiled at the pensioner whose flight to Florida had been postponed along with dozens of others after the now infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland had once again started to spew a cloud of ash and rock out into the atmosphere. Like with a few years earlier, flights out of all UK airports were cancelled on safety grounds, and despite being a forty minute drive from Gatwick, the Sunset Club like every other hotel in and around London was in hot demand.

                “I’ve got nowhere else to sleep...” he insisted, and Mattie felt such sympathy for him. He wasn’t alone, earlier she’d had a couple with two children under three begging her for a room. But the place was full to bursting. In fact she could have filled the hotel twice over quite easily. She had been in close contact with the neighbouring hotels, but they were also all full.

Smiling apologetically she assured people that she was doing all that she could. They had strict health and safety rules so she couldn’t let anyone extra stay, but stressed emotional people didn’t see that, and as many were angry as were desperate and begging. Smiling to Hermione, she left the experienced receptionist to man the fort whilst she headed back to her office, and safety.

Slumping into her seat she sighed, they’d literally just got over the golf weekend, which had been chaos, and this happened. And to make it worse, Dylan was stuck in New York. He’d been there five days, and as they got into the weekend there was no sign of him coming home. No flights were predicted for the next couple of days. Being without his input at this busy time made things difficult, but for Mattie the predicament was even worse as they hadn’t spoken since he left, as promised, but the weekend was there and there was no plan for him to take her out for the meal he’d promised, and so plans to address their relationship.

Mattie had barely slept all week. She had no one to discuss her predicament with, she’d lost all her friends when she hit rock bottom, Andy hated Dylan and wasn’t about to offer any advice, everyone else was a work friend, she needed to maintain her professional distance, and it wouldn’t do to implicate Dylan’s reputation with colleagues. That was important.

So when she looked up to see Sarah watching her with concern, “you ok Mattie? You’ve not been yourself all week.”

She smiled, “no, I’m fine. Just busy, you know?”

Sarah came in and lowered herself opposite to Mattie, “busy? You THRIVE on that, what’s really up?”

Mattie shrugged; she really didn’t want to get into this, not now.

                “So what’s he done this time?”

Mattie’s head snapped up at that, too late to hide the moment of guilt that spoke volumes to Sarah, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Sarah laughed, “you two have more chemistry going on that you’re average fifth form science lesson.”

                “Really?” She looked up again, “you think THAT?”

                “Yes! The two of you are like telepathic, you look up when he walks in, you laugh at the same time. It’s spooky.”

Mattie sighed, “you’re wrong, we’re nothing...”

Giving a knowing nod Sarah laughed, “like I believe that. You two...well, you look good together.”

Standing Mattie stood and walked to the window, the last thing she wanted was to think about Dylan, let alone talk about him, “it’s difficult.”

Sarah smiled when Mattie finally turned to look at her, “I can’t begin to imagine. But we’re friends, as well as colleagues, if you need to talk...well, you know where I am, ok?”

Standing Sarah walked towards and turned to give a little smile, and it was then that Mattie said, “he kissed me...but I can’t do that. I can’t go back to letting him walk all over me, can I?”

When she looked at Sarah with her sad and confused eyes, her friend kicked shut the door and moved back towards her, “was it good?”

                “The kiss?” When Sarah nodded enthusiastically, she added, “yes. Of course...it always was.”

                “So what’s the problem?”

Mattie sighed, rubbing at her eyes, “I gave everything to him when we were married, and he ruined everything, ruined me! It took me SO long to get over it. How can I let him back in? What if he does it again?”

Sarah sighed, “what if he doesn’t? What if it’s the best thing that happens to you because you’ve both grown up and you both know what you lost?”

                “I don’t think that I can take that risk.” Mattie couldn’t believe how hard it was to hear the words come from her own lips. “I’m finally in a good place, but it’s taken years.”

                “I’ve not seen you smile as much as you have since he’s been here, back in your life. Could you risk turning him down on a what if?”

Mattie sighed, she was doing more and more of that lately, “things aren’t simple. Dylan thinks they are...”

                “Well, you have to make one clear decision; if one kiss makes you this confused anything more will derail you. Do you love him?”

                “I loved him more than anything, even when I hated him I still loved him...or rather what he was.”

                “And now?”

Laughing Mattie closed her eyes for a moment, “he’s better than he was. He’s the full package now, as you said he’s grown up...”

                “And that’s wrong? Surely that’s good.”

She groaned, “I don’t know...maybe it’s me? I’m scared. Scared of what he can do, how he can make me feel.” She dropped her head at that confession, it was the first time she’d managed to work out the muddle in her confusion of a brain, and whilst it felt cathartic to finally make sense of things, she also felt sad at the realisation that she was SO vulnerable at his hands. “I don’t think I can get past this.”

Sarah smiled, “you don’t think I’m scared marrying Steve? You don’t think I have my concerns?”

Laughing in a rather harsh way she shook her head, “I wasn’t nervous, I wasn’t scared first time, and look what happened.”

                “But now you know what’s at risk...you’re both different people, you’ve both learned what you want. Do you trust him? Would you trust him with your life?”

                “In a heartbeat...now.”

Sarah smiled, “that says it all. I just think that you love things to be organised, but love...it’s a risk. What’s the other option? Living with a what if of regret for the rest of your life? I can’t tell you what to do, but I honestly think that the way he looks at you...you don’t see that very often in life.”

Mattie had that food for thought as she headed back to Dylan’s London apartment, every step of the way her head was rethinking her predicament. And of course that led to yet another bad night’s sleep. At two am, tossing and turning, she bit the bullet and phoned Dylan, it was nine ish in New York, she wanted him to answer, but didn’t at the same time. So when it cut to answer phone she was both relieved and disappointed.

                “Dyl, it’s me. Um...it’s all going ok here, well that’s a lie, it’s absolute chaos. We could have filled the hotel ten times over the last few days...which is great. But it’s been stressful. But then you know all about that, being stuck over there. We’re waiting to find out if our Barcelona flight is leaving on Friday. At the moment it’s looking doubtful, but it’s a daily review. Not sure we want to go there at the risk of getting stuck out there.

                “Anyway, just thought I’d fill you in as we’ve not really spoken all week. Call me if you need anything.”

She hated that she sounded so needy, but she couldn’t avoid him any longer.

By the time he noticed his phone flashing with a message, it was almost midnight. If Matilda couldn’t sleep four hours earlier, then she wouldn’t be grateful for him waking her now. Dylan played the message four times a ridiculous grin on his face. He’d tried to salvage some sort of life since he’d been back in New York on such a prolonged basis. He’d had meetings for a few days, but now, he had nothing much to do, if anything he was worrying about the hotel. He’d watched the news and seen how crazy things were.

Patrick had come to town the previous day though, and had dragged him out to a club...hence his late night, and they had a tennis match lined up for the following day, then golf Sunday as there was no chance of any London bound flights leaving before then.

Instead of a call he deliberated for a long while, before finally formulating a text message back to her.

“Can’t imagine how hectic things must be, sorry I’m not there to help you guys out. Not likely to be back before Wednesday at the earliest. If it looks doubtful then, I’ll swim back. I know you need me for the infamous hen trip! Got a busy weekend lined up, trying to fit things in whilst I’m here, may not get back again for a while.

Will call you on Monday when you’re back in work. Won’t eat in to your weekend. Hope you’re out doing something nice.

Thinking of you all the time.

Dylan”

Mattie looked at the message and fumed, “having a busy weekend!” She shouted as he stormed across the living room, “call you when you’re back in work? DYLAN Wallace, I don’t have any BLOODY weekends off, you KNOW that!”

Then she read the last line and slumped onto the sofa.

                “Dylan you bastard,” she whispered under her breath. “How the hell do you know EXACTLY what buttons to press?”

Taking a deep breath, she replied instantly,

“Eat into my weekend? Nah, you won’t do that, I’ve got a real bastard for a boss who works me into the ground whilst he’s off gallivanting. I’m sure he’ll call me when he feels like it. Enjoy your tennis, I spoke to Brandy yesterday and she said you were dusting your racket off. Sounds idyllic.”

It was frosty and impersonal, and she didn’t sign it, just sent the sarcastic words, he’d obviously know it was from her without that, but it also made her feel that she was expressing her disdain with him. For what little in mattered. Saturday meant weddings...again; she had to get to work.

They’d run out of champagne, and someone had thrown up on the dance floor by ten pm, and as she got back to the office groaning, her phone was ringing. Anticipating yet another problem in SUCH a long day, she picked it up and snapped a “hello?”

                “Mmmm. Seems I may need to send my staff on a customer service course. What’s eating you?”

                “Nothing!” She snapped again, but knew that her heart was racing at hearing Dylan’s voice on the phone. “Sorry...stressful day. How are you?”

A warm chuckle came down the phone line, “Oh Matilda...sorry.”

                “It’s not your fault.”

                “It’s been hell not speaking to you, but I thought that not phoning you would make you work out what you want. Instead you’re angry.”

Mattie struggled to control her emotions, “I’m just fraught...everything is confusing, and busy.”

                “I’ll be home soon, ok? You will wait for me?”

She laughed, “I’ve hardly left the hotel since you left, you’ll know where to find me.”

                “That doesn’t answer my question Matilda.”

She hated that confidence in his voice, because she struggled to feel as strong herself, “how do you know?”

                “Know what?”

Sighing with frustration she closed her eyes, “that this is right.”

There was that warm chuckle again, “I can’t stop thinking about you, that has to stand for something. You occupy my every thought...it’s the rest of my life I need filled now.”

If she hadn’t been sat she’d have swooned. “You always were a smooth talker,” she offered breathlessly.

                “And you always were immune to that, I’m still serious Matilda, this isn’t going away...I’m not going away.”

Sunday was her first day off in ages, and she wanted to seek out Andy. It was a long time since she’d seen him, and she felt the need for a huge Sunday lunch in their favourite pub. Cutting across London seemed easy, usually she hated the long journey out east, but today it went smoothly.

The Cart and Donkey was one of the pseudo posh wine bars that had flooded parts of the East End, but this one, unlike the plastic characterless other ones, did amazing food. The Sunday lunch being the pinnacle of that. When he entered the bar, Andy and three of his mates were sat at their usual table and all called out when they saw her.

                “Haven’t seen you for ages!” Andy told her with a hug.

She sighed, “work has been hell.”

                “I saw you on TV last week,” Carl his best friend offered, “great interview.”

She blushed, “I managed to avoid cameras all weekend, they caught me on the very last day! Now this flight cancellation thing has made us an oasis in the desert. It’s hell. Tell me they’ve got beef for lunch.”

Andy grinned, “beef or lamb.”

She moaned with pleasure, “awesome, now let me get you all a drink.”

Two hours later she was tipsy, and stepping out into the late afternoon sun seemed sinful, but she felt happy. The boys hugged her, then she skipped back off to the tube, her stomach full and content for the first time in weeks.

Back at Dylan’s she ransacked his DVD collection and found his stash of spaghetti westerns. With one on TV, she cracked open a bottle of wine and relaxed...a luxury in its own right.

Monday morning brought its own set of challenges, there were several big conferences planned for the week, but there was very little room for manoeuvre. A few flights had left airports late Sunday night which had almost called a stampede, but not enough to relieve the pressure on the hotel industry.

Her and Sarah were flat out taking calls most of the day, fielding requests for rooms, assuring existing bookings would be honoured, plus planning for forthcoming functions. It was a challenge, but a busy mind was a calm mind in Mattie’s head.

That was until she looked up mid afternoon at the knock on the door. Before she’d had a chance to offer a Come In, the door opened and like a mirage a very tired Dylan stood there. She’d not expected him, and for a moment she doubted her eyes. For that same moment he stared at her, and every inch of her body responded to that look. Then he was marching across the room to her, his smile dropped the closer he got, and then she knew she wasn’t dreaming. He was there, he’d come to her. With a tug to the wrist, he pulled her to her feet and before she had chance to protest, he dropped his lips to hers.

Neither heard Sarah chuckle from the door, which she then closed behind her.