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There is no time to wallow. We have a job to do. The sun is already blazing down and I am already sweating. Just a meal to get through and a farm tour, and we can grab the book piece and be on our way. Chris eyes me warily when I come out of the bedroom. He probably heard us last night. The door to the bedroom is made up of four slats with a couple of cross braces. Not exactly conducive to privacy.
Callie is nowhere to be seen and I’m not about to ask Chris where she is. There is a granola bar on the table and a bottle of water. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. I force the birdseed bar down my throat, half the bottle of water helps it go down easier. God, I fucking hate granola!
I take some time to check my laptop in the bedroom. If I really wanted to, I could tell Callie and Chris to retrieve the pages alone. Work would be a better distraction than sitting with Callie and Lucia. I can’t though. I need to be there in case something goes wrong, although what I would do to help is a mystery. I sigh for the millionth time. My body is restless and my mind is unsettled. Callie must be back. I can feel two sets of feet padding around in the other room. Well, it’s time to face the music. I have decided to act as if last night never happened. I will be keeping a distance from Callie though, it’s only right. My heart can’t stand any more rejection.
Callie and Chris are huddled on the couch when I enter the room. I’m ready to go to lunch. I don’t want to hang about. Callie gives me a tentative smile, which I return but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. I’m trying.
“Ready to go?” I ask them both. Two heads nod. God, this is awkward.
We take the car to the farm. It would have been easy to walk, but the heat is already climbing to an uncomfortable level. Plus, if we need to make a quick run for it, we need the car close by. Lucia is waiting for us by the door to a lovely farmhouse. She greets us with a warm smile and a hug. There doesn’t seem to be anything between Callie and Lucia that indicates they shared a bed last night. I’m sure Lucia would be thanking Callie for “all the orgasms” if it had been the case.
The food is delicious. Fresh authentic tapas are one of my ultimate favourite foods. I temporarily forget my worries as I stuff croquetas in my mouth. Callie and Lucia talk politely, catching up. Of course, every word that comes out of Callie’s/Monica’s mouth is pure fabrication. Finally, the time comes to go on the tour. How much could there possibly be to see? It’s a field of trees for god’s sake.
Callie forgot to mention we would be taking donkeys up a sodding mountain. There are eight of them lined up outside the house. Normally I would steadfastly refuse to use one of these poor creatures. I find it appalling that animals are still used for this kind of thing. In this heat, no animal should be made to carry our fat arses around. We should walk, but I can’t voice all that today. Our mission has to take priority. I do, however, ask that water is made readily available. Lucia looks at me like I’m an alien. I don’t care. Eeyore isn’t going to collapse on my watch.
My donkey, who I have called Enrico, is a very chill guy. He’s happy to plod along, following the lead donkey, Maria. I also named her. Callie doesn’t get a monopoly of naming things. At least I name living creatures, not just cars and kitchen furniture. Okay, that’s bitchy but I’m pissed. She’s acting like nothing is wrong—which I know I said I was going to do too, but that’s not the point.
I subtly look over my shoulder. Coincidentally, Lucia’s ride is linked to Callie’s. Not in a line, but side by side. How the hell are we supposed to slip away now?
Chapter 11
Callie
What a heap of steaming shit! I want to punch myself in the face repeatedly. How could I have been so selfish? My go-to method when I’m feeling vulnerable is to fuck my way back to some feeling of normalcy. That’s what I’ve been doing all these years. I never thought I would do that with Daisy.
Yes, she kissed me and that will need some processing, but I took it further. My libido and default method took over, and I almost ruined something special. Daisy is not a woman you shag because you’re feeling a bit down and need a pick-me-up. Daisy Simpson deserves to be cherished and shown love.
It took everything in my power to pull away from her. I always assumed that if I ever got to kiss her, it would be wonderful. Wow, I underestimated what kissing her would feel like. Think of every overused cliché to describe a kiss, and that’s what it was! But I had to stop it. I don’t want my first time with Daisy to be in a run-down farmhouse, whilst we’re on the run, and with Chris just an earshot away. Let’s not forget the fact that just a few minutes before, I had to deal with Lucia.
She was the reason I felt so shitty in the first place. Well, my deceit and behaviour towards Lucia were the reasons, but that’s just semantics. I was mortified having to lie my way out of the situation with Lucia. I can’t even imagine what Daisy thinks. She said she would never judge me, but, shit, how could she not?
When I left her half naked on that bed, I wanted to break down in tears. Chris had shot me a bemused look when I came out of the room. He’d obviously heard us, but his smirk soon fell when he saw my expression, which must have been a mix of pain and frustration. I couldn’t stick around and talk to him. I wanted to run as far and as fast as I could. I ended up in the back seat of the car for the night.
My poor bloody back protested wildly the next morning. My head felt heavy, like I’d been out on the lash when really I was just feeling the weight of my shame. It was an effort to walk back to the house. For all I knew, Daisy was going to slap me as soon as she saw me. Looking back at it now, I can’t believe I left with only a “I’m sorry.”I mean, what the fuck, Callie. I offered her no explanation at all. God knows what she was thinking.
Daisy acted like her usual self, well to everyone that doesn’t know her as well as I do, she was normal. I knew I had hurt her. She wasn’t cold, but there was a definite edge to her body language. I would have to sit her down and talk to her properly but I couldn’t right then. We needed to meet Lucia and grab the book pages.
My perfect and simple plan is going down the shitter! Here I am straddling a donkey, which is literally attached to Lucia. There is no possible way I can sneak away. Daisy is at the head of the group, so she’s out. Our only hope is Chris, who seems to be having an issue with his steed. I notify Lucia that our young companion is falling behind.
“Don’t worry. He is on Teddy. That donkey never keeps up. He will arrive okay, just a little late.” Lucia gave Chris a cursory glance before snapping her attention back to me and, for once, I’m happy with that. I look back at Chris and give him a salute.
Before meeting Lucia, the three of us came up with the salute as a way to signal that the person had to take the lead. I told both Daisy and Chris where the tree was and specifically where the pages were hidden. It’s almost like I was expecting my plan to cock-up. Nevermind, it’s down to Chris now. I encourage Lucia to talk. Engaging her is the best way for Chris to be left unnoticed. Thank Christ for Teddy, the slow donkey.
The trek around the orchard seems to be a hell of a lot longer than I remembered it to be. Daisy hasn’t looked back once, and it’s kind of screwing with me. I just want to know what’s going on in that wonderful mind of hers.
Sweat is pouring out of every part of my body. The sun is relentless. We stop under a large tree to hydrate. Lucia leaves me to speak to some of the other people in the group. This is my chance to talk to Daisy, who is leaning up against the trunk of the tree wiping sweat from her brow. She looks like a model from a Coke advert.
“Hey.” She watches me with a look I can’t decipher. There is a chance she will still deck me.
“Hi.” Okay, still a little stiff, but I’ll persevere.
“Can we talk about last night?”
“No, it’s fine, I get it.” That confuses the hell out of me. What does she get?
“What do you get?” I need to make sure she hasn’t come to a wrong conclusion. My gut feeling is that she has.
“Callie, can we not. I’m embarrassed enough as it is.”
