The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3) (8 page)

 
I awake Tuesday morning rejuvenated and ready to put all my plans into action. First things first - I need a visit to the gym. I need to burn off some off last night’s calories, blast away my anger, stress and reinvigorate my body. I’ve missed exercising, not just for the benefits of maintaining my weight - it balanced my mind. I needed to stimulate the serotonin in my brain and flick my iPod to maximum volume. It takes ten minutes to make the journey from Finn’s Creche to my gym and en route I mentally make notes about who and what I’m going to organise when I reach the office. Once parked, I quickly text my mum and ask her to have Finn for the weekend, briefly explaining my plans to ensure that she has plenty of notice; her response flies through instantaneously with a barrage of thumbs up emoticons. She was definitely on board then, bless her. I’m already feeling better by the time I step inside the doors of Canons. This was going to be brutal but it had to be done.
 

A quick change and I head straight for the treadmill, music on, and with Redlight’s ‘Lost in your Love’, blasting in my ears, I’m off and within ten minutes I feel better and have moved from a steady pace to a fast walk. I’m mindful that I need to take it steady and not push my body too fast - I’ve had the all clear but I can’t go all out… yet. I’ll have to build my fitness levels over the next month, or so but the adrenaline rushing through my veins is exhilarating and despite the odd tug in my abdomen and stiffness in my joints and muscles I feel empowered.

I watch the TV screen in front of me, focusing on the news as my body aches in all the right places and I smile inwardly, pleased that it’s reacting to the work-out - that my body and not just my mind, is beginning to
feel
again. In a few days I’d be with Sebastian, as a couple, away from the stress and worries of home-life and enjoying a spur of the moment long dirty-weekend for two, where my body will be feeling things I hadn’t felt for weeks; I couldn’t wait. It was good to be sensing those tell-tale curls of sexual flutterings again and not just reviewing sex as a reminder of a pregnancy that was no more. I needed to do this for us but more importantly for me and the longer I left it, the harder it would be, pardon the pun.
 

Sweat trickles over my body as I blast the stress away, sipping regularly from my water bottle and resisting the urge to overdue it now that I’m buzzing with energy - I know tomorrow I’ll feel the burn. I’m about to think about heading off for a shower when I notice someone waving in my peripheral vision and slipping out an earphone I turn and try not to show my disappointment at the figure standing casually to the right of my treadmill.
 

“You were miles away… how’s things, Lucia?”

“Not bad thanks, Leo. First time back at the gym in a while so I’m having to concentrate a little more than the norm.”
 

“Cool! Good for you. You, fully recovered then? I have tried to come round but Sebastian is a force to be reckoned with.” He laughs nervously, his blue eyes flickering over my body.

He is that and thank heavens. “I’m getting there, thanks. I’ve seen Meg a few times and I received your flowers, they were lovely.”

“Oh, they were nothing. You’ve had an awful time, Lucia. I honestly felt so bad for you.”

I flick the button that stops the treadmill and allow my body a moment to maintain equilibrium. It’s times like these that I berate myself for being so hard on Leo in the past, he meant well. Stepping off the machine I wobble slightly and immediately Leo’s arms fly out to balance me, enveloping me and crushing me to his side.
 

“Whoa, steady there.” His laugh is contagious and I smile, feeling slightly more comfortable in his company.

“I never judge the dismount, cheers. Right, well, I better be off, got to shower and get ready for work.” I grab my hand towel and pat at my face gently. “You just starting?”

“No. I’m done. I’m on my way to the showers now.”

I frown, taking in his immaculate appearance, not a hair out of place. Maybe he’d not given it his all today? “Well, I’ll catch up with you later, then.”

“Of course. I may see you later, I have some paperwork for you to sign for Elysium but I don’t want to pressure you and it can wait. I can be as much help as you need, Lu, seriously - whatever you require.” I feel his friendly shoulder rub and again castigate myself for my continued negative thoughts towards this gentle, if occasionally intense man. He meant well and seemed really happy with my neighbour Meg.

“Thanks, Leo, I really appreciate it.”

“I’ll get Meg to cook one night this week and you and Finn
must
come round.”

“That would be lovely, thanks.

“Would be our pleasure. Meg does a mean Lasagne.”

I smile openly and turn to head in the direction of the changing rooms.“Great, tell her I’ll give her a call. See you soon.”

“You will.”

*****

My first stop is The Gilded Fox to meet with one of Seb’s newly appointed Site Foremen, Andre. He had already proven himself with his ultra organisational skills, working to my diva demands, from home the past few weeks. He’d been accommodating and understanding of our tight deadlines and unfortunate circumstances and we’d formed a mutual respect for one another at our first meeting. Mine in my dressing gown, plaster cast in place, bruised and battered but he was one of the few people who hadn’t pandered to that. He’d simply ignored it and treated me like a client. It probably helped that I was a stranger to him but I liked him immediately - loved the fact that he hadn’t come with a cloak of pity wrapped about him for my circumstances. He was probably empathetic but didn’t know me well enough to feel it deeply.
 

Our collaborations had taken place by email and phone, or Facetime link on the iPad on site from then on, often with Colin in tow and surprisingly we were still on track for the bathrooms tiling to begin today.
 

“Andre - great to see you. How’s it all looking?”

“Looking good, Lucia. We’ve started in Room 1 as it’s the biggest bathroom and Room 3, as it’s the second largest.”

“Great thinking Batman.”

He smiles shyly and I grin. I like him. I could see him for one of our friends - maybe Jess?

“Well, here’s the board you asked for - it’ll just give you and the guys a better idea of how things will look. I know you’ve seen the plans and have the materials now but sometimes it’s hard for some to visualise the end result.”

“This is just what we needed, thank you. The lads are great with their hands and their workmanship is second to none but they’d be the first to admit that design isn’t their forte. Stick a picture in front of them and we’ll get this job the way you want it.”

I nod, understanding completely. “So where are we at?”

“Well, the plumbing is in for all the rooms, all the suites, and lighting, that was completed last week, based upon our previous meetings and Seb helped coordinate. The walls were re-plastered, because when we removed the old tiles, as you know, they did some real damage. So the rooms are all ready to for tiling and the we’ll lay the wood floors last.”

“Superb.”

“Room 1 has already begun - do you want to see?”

“Oh. My. God. Does it look amazing? Lead the way.” I follow his carefully trodden path, across planks of placed wood and stretched pieces of cloth, up the stairs to the bedrooms above. The Inn would be closed for business for the next fortnight, so that we could complete these works and I am determined to finish on time - we had no choice, Carolyn Walters was losing business being closed
for that amount of time. We really needed to make this design makeover bloody amazing and worth all this loss of potential revenue.
No pressure then.

I step over a trestle table where tools and pots, precariously balance, and head into the guest-room I’d originally viewed on my first visit to The Gilded Fox. Everything had gone, leaving a huge airy blank space, with a tremendous potential. I could see the finished image in front of me now, not physically of course but in my mind’s eye. The bed, wall coverings and following the fashion trend of the moment, the tub in the bedroom. That focal point is actually now in place, as promised and as stunning as I’d envisaged, its copper outer glistening like bronzed water, a huge oval egg in front of the hole in the wall where the recessed fire will be. Be…u…ti…ful.

“So, what do you think?” Andre enquires from behind me.

“Perfection. Seriously. Has it been a bastard?”

He laughs. “We’ve had a few glitches - namely with the weight of the thing - it weighs a ton, but nah, we got there in the end. Chris, has been pretty good, he likes you - has been all over this job like a rash. Kept asking when you would be on site.”

I’m not sure how I feel about this. I hadn’t seen Chris much since the accident and he’d moved out of Seb’s place now and into his own. No matter how much more serious Seb & I became as a couple, Chris seemed to linger. Instead I choose to refrain from voicing my negative thoughts. “Chris is a good wingman to Sebastian. I appreciate his assistance on this job. He did some great work on The Ashton Hotel.”

“Well, I better get back to it? Do you need to see anything else?”

I consider the room. “Nope. The bathroom’s need to be completed by next week, that includes paintwork. All of them, so if you don’t have enough people on the job, get them. Decorating starts a week tomorrow in the rooms. Flooring goes down a week on Friday, leaving three days for furniture and accessories and 60 minute makeover etc. The launch is a week on Friday.”

“Quick turnaround.”

“Yep. Then we finish titivating downstairs. They’ve already painted the hall, foyer lounge, and bar area so I’m happy with that. We just need to finish the downstairs loos. Right, call me if you need me. I’ll be around for the next 24 hours but I’m away to see Seb in Paris on Thursday so if you need answers email me or contact Colin at the office.”

“Not a problem. Enjoy your trip. Say hi to the boss for me - have a croissant for me.”

I smile happily, excited that I’d be seeing my man so soon. “Will do. Im back Monday so will be around to sort out any concerns.”
 

All I can think of right now is those damned pastries in bed, with nothing but our naked bodies writhing against one another, hmmm just the thought of it makes me tingly in places that have lain formant for weeks.
Hardly Professional.

*******

The car journey back to the office is spent mentally itemising my wardrobe for the trip. My phone rings and interrupts Sia belting out something about her elastic heart whilst I’m mid-planning my outfit for the second night. “Good Morning, Elysium Interiors, Lucia Myers speaking.”

“Well, good morning to you too stranger. I thought you’d become a recluse.”
 

“Hi, Suze.” I chuckle at my sister’s blunt welcome - she was right though I’d been crap of late - I hadn’t rung her in days. “How’s the bump?”

“You mean the freaking mountain - bump my ‘growing-fatter-by-the-day’- arse? Hu…freaking…mongous, that’s how!”

“That big hey - enough about G’s cock - I meant my future niece, actually.”

“Uggghh don’t talk to me about Gino’s cock - the man can keep it in his pants
for…ever
,
as far as I’m concerned - that’s what got me in this state in the first place - I mean I’m like a freaking whale and I’m making him horny as hell - how is that possible?”

“So, the word of the day, is freaking?”

“Yeah..and?” she snaps, daring me to argue with her and I silently purse my lips together and blow out calmly, glad I’m not in her near vicinity.
 

“Nothing, darling and to answer your question, it’s totally possible that your sexy hubby is horny as hell over his heavily pregnant wife - you are beautiful and carrying his first child. To him you’re gorgeous no matter what.” I hear her sigh of exasperation into the phone and feel for her. I remember feeling the same with Finn. “How many weeks today?”

“25’ish - they are not sure whether I might be a week or so further on. So I might be 26?”

Bless she thought she was big now, wait until full-term…

“I’m sorry, Lulu…” I hear tears begin to clog her throat and sniffles follow.

“Hey, hey, Suze, what’s wrong - you Ok?”

“I’m fine - I just feel so hormonal and I feel rotten because I just realised I’m moaning about being big and fat and pregnant to you! You! Of all people. How fucking selfish am I?”

“Hunny, it’s Ok, really it is. To be honest I’m glad you are - you’re treating me normally and not with kid gloves and you know what? I love that you are having a baby, especially after what Seb and I just went through as it will help me get over it. This little girl will be our family miracle, or light at the end of a pitch-black tunnel.” The words spill out of me and as I say them without pause and I feel their worth, knowing that they have true value and I mean every one of them - they are completely cathartic.

Another sniffle deafens me down the phone. “Really?”

“Yes. I’m getting there, Sis.”
And I really am. I have lots to look forward to.