Chapter Twenty-Five
January 2017
Andorra was a beautiful backdrop for a writer. Lydia had ordered room service for lunch and spent the afternoon in her hotel room at the desk putting together all her notes. She was already shaping the article more than she’d thought she would’ve done on this trip. Her creative side was in full flow and she couldn’t ignore it.
Jonathan had texted again to thank her for last night, and she found herself comparing him to Theo again. Theo had been a typical rugby lad right from the start and she sensed he’d not settled down into coupledom properly until they were both well and truly out of university and in the workforce. And while Lydia and Theo had slept together very quickly after they met and the deep feelings beyond a physical attraction had developed much later, Jonathan had been cautious last night in his approach, extra polite, a complete gentleman. But, she sensed, if things progressed he’d be all man when the time was right, and the thought distracted her continuously as she tried to concentrate on what she was doing.
Midway through the afternoon, Jonathan texted again to say he was about to do the same black run he’d shown her a recording of last time. He’d asked her to meet tonight for a drink at one of the local bars and as soon as she replied that yes, she would, he texted back to say that if he wasn’t there at eight o’clock, she should feel free to send out the search party.
She wrote for a while longer, and then after a walk in the fresh air, returned to the hotel for a shower and got ready for the evening. It was a long time since she’d dressed up for another man and it felt odd, but she told herself she’d make the same effort if she was going out with Sally. Sometimes Theo had asked why they got dolled up for a night on the town when they both had other halves waiting at home. She’d told him it made them feel good, reminded them they weren’t past it, at least not yet.
The bar they found in town was loud, and the après-ski was in full swing but it didn’t take long for Lydia and Jonathan to join in, and they danced long into the evening. By the time they left and negotiated the steep hill down towards the street below, Lydia was ready to drop.
‘I haven’t danced that much in a bar for ages,’ she said as they began walking in the direction of her hotel. ‘How small was that dance floor?’
‘Pretty small. And I very rarely dance. There should be a law against uncoordinated people like me even being allowed on the dance floor.’
‘I think you’re putting yourself down. You weren’t bad at all. You can move and you’re not too stiff in the hips like a lot of men.’ She was glad he couldn’t see how her cheeks flushed at the last comment.
‘How come you’re so good?’
She grinned at him.
‘Oh don’t tell me, you’re a dance champion?’
‘Not quite. But I do dance, I have done for years.’
‘Well I’m glad you didn’t tell me back there at the bar.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I wouldn’t have set foot on the dance floor, no way.’
‘Then I’m glad I didn’t tell you either.’ Her insides fizzed at the thought of how much fun they’d had together tonight.
They reached the entrance to the hotel and he followed her through the glass doors. ‘I’m not working tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I was wondering whether you’d like to go out on the slopes with me again.’
‘Honestly?’ They’d reached the lift and she pressed the button.
‘Is that a no?’
‘You’ll be bored going at a snail’s pace while I tackle the green runs in my dainty snow plough. Can I make a suggestion?’
‘Go for it.’ He stepped in to the lift after her. He was obviously walking her all the way back to her room again, just like he had last night.
‘I need to check out the shopping precinct—’
‘Oh no, don’t do that to me.’
‘I wouldn’t.’ She laughed. ‘But how about we meet in the afternoon and go mushing?’
‘That sounds like a good idea.’ His eyes locked with hers until she was saved from the moment by the lift doors opening up to reveal their escape.
At the door to her room they confirmed the time to meet tomorrow, and just before Lydia pushed open the door, Jonathan stepped closer and kissed her goodnight. A simple kiss but it landed on the side of her mouth rather than her cheek and he only pulled away for a second before their lips met again and the kiss became more passionate than Lydia thought possible. Different to kissing Connor, this kiss was filled with feelings that were one hundred per cent reciprocated. It was a kiss to start something new rather than run away from something that was fading into her past, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it to end.
The thumb of his hand holding her face caressed her bottom lip. ‘That was a nice way to finish the night.’ He kissed her once more and she was convinced he was going to come into the hotel room but instead he said goodnight and she hovered until he was almost at the lift before she went inside.
She leaned against the closed door in a daze. This was real. This wasn’t a romp in the hay like it’d been with Connor, to help her grieving and break the drought of not having sex for a really long time. This wasn’t a source of comfort to take her mind off Theo and whether or not she was right to be moving on. This was real.
