‘You look like a Smurf.’
‘Exactly.’
‘A really cute Smurf,’ she says, reaching her arms around my back. I circle mine around her body and we stand together for a moment, eyes locked, promise in the air.
‘Alice, I am very keen to give you a tour of our bedroom now.’
‘Is that a euphemism?’
‘Very much so. But I am going to insist on taking this hat off first.’
She grins at me, standing on tiptoes to remove it. ‘Fine, but I should let you know that I fully intend to have that photo printed, turned into a magnet and stuck on our fridge. Just as a reminder of the time we decided to live together and when you looked like a Smurf.’ She fake-whispers the last bit and I reach for her hands, curling them behind my back again.
‘Something tells me that the fridge isn’t the only thing you’ll be in charge of once we’re living together,’ I say, knowing full well that Alice will breathe life into every single aspect of our home when she moves in.
‘How about that tour, then?’
‘These … are … the … stairs …’ I say, punctuating each word with a kiss as I lead her up to our bedroom and open the door. ‘This … is … the … new … door which, actually, I found in a scrap yard and reclaimed myself—’
‘Zach,’ she interrupts, pulling her yellow jumper over her head. ‘I don’t think now is the time for renovation chat?’
She’s peeling off more clothes as she backs into our bedroom, until she’s standing butt naked at the foot of the bed.
‘Agreed,’ I say, following suit.
I’d say 90 per cent of the day is spent in bed, punctuated only by trips to the kitchen to fetch drinks. I’m very hot, very happy and absolutely knackered by the time Alice has finished with me.
She’s lying on her front, circling her fingers on my chest, when both of our stomachs rumble in tandem.
‘Shall we order in?’ I suggest.
‘You read my mind,’ she grins, flicking through Deliveroo. ‘I’ve worked up quite an appetite.’
An hour later I’m trying to look like the kind of guy who knows how to handle chopsticks as we get stuck into a sushi platter, spearing maki rolls and dipping them in soy sauce.
‘So we should probably plan this out properly,’ says Alice, looking like she’s surprised herself by using the words ‘we’ and ‘plan’ in the same sentence. ‘Now that we’re going to live together and all.’
‘That sounds very sensible.’
‘I’ve been thinking about it. Obviously there’s my house to deal with and I want to make sure Nat feels totally comfortable with everything, too, so I’ll need to have a chat with her. But I was thinking maybe I could chat to my landlady and see if she’ll transfer the rental over to Natalie’s name? That way Nat doesn’t face any upheaval. She’s had enough of that already since things with Jake ended.’
I nod. ‘That sounds good. As long as Nat’s happy, I can’t see that there’d be a problem in transferring the rental agreement.’
‘And then I’ll just have to pack.’
‘Gerty and I will be at your service to move everything over.’
‘The house came furnished so it’s not like there’s any massive stuff to move.’
‘And Saskia’s already here …’
‘Exactly! I just need to get boxes and stuff and then, I guess I could have everything packed within a week?’
I reach out to hold her hand. ‘As soon as you’re ready.’
The next morning, I wake up before Alice and watch her stir, stretching under the duvet in our bedroom. It still doesn’t feel quite real, like I can’t quite believe that this beautiful, brilliant woman has agreed to move in with me.
‘Good morning Zach,’ she murmurs. ‘Good morning Saskia.’
