“How’s it going?”
“Okay,” she says. “A few places have an opening for instructors. Mixed shifts, five days over seven. Something is better than nothing. It’ll be strange having someone to report to. Telling me what to do.” She exhales. “I won’t miss the pressure of being my own boss. The monthly struggle to make ends meet.”
I squeeze her shoulders in sympathy.
“Perhaps one day you will have your own gym again,” I say.
“Maybe. But right now, it feels as if I’m starting all over. Back to being that newly graduated student, looking for my first proper job. Except now, I’m decades older and not convinced by my career choice.”
Her words surprise me, so I step around so I can look her in the eye. “You want to pursue a different career?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a thought. But what else would I do? This is all I’ve known. Is it even the right time to be trying something new?”
“Is there ever a right time?” I reply. “You can do whatever you want with your life, Amy. It’s yours to live as you please. No one else’s.”
She snorts, lifting a hand to cover her face. “You sound like my sister.”
“Maybe she sent me to keep an eye on you,” I suggest.
Her expression softens. Dainty fingers brush my cheek before her lips connect with mine.
“Maybe she did,” she agrees. “Maybe this is all meant to be. You’ve arrived right on cue, Ivan. Right when I needed you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I tell her, stealing another kiss. “So, job applications?”
“I’ve applied for a few. I’ll see who calls. I can always say no if I suddenly discover what I want to be when I grow up.” She closes her eyes for a moment. “Grown up. Hell. I’m not sure I ever have.”
“You look beautifully grown to me,” I whisper, pulling her closer. “So grown up, in fact, that I want to take a closer look at all your assets.” Her breath hitches. “Have you finished working on my laptop? Because I plan to spend our final hours in this beautiful country naked and inside you.”
She doesn’t argue.
I slide my hands under her backside, then lift her onto my waist. We stare at each other, no words needed. The time for talking has passed. Now, it’s all about sensation.
The next morning, as we climb the steps to the plane, I watch her sway up ahead, all sun-kissed legs, tiny dress, cheeky smile.
“I remember, I have to turn left,” she teases over her shoulder. “Do you want the same room service as I provided on theway here? The pods are a little cramped, but I could definitely squeeze in again to give you a blowjob.”
The poor flight attendant flushes crimson and looks anywhere but us. I laugh and tap Amy on the backside.
“You’re a menace. The inflight entertainment sounds tempting, but wait till I get you home.”
Chapter thirty-seven
Amy
I lie back in the bath, warm bubbly water sloshing around me as I wriggle to get comfortable. The heat loosens every muscle I didn’t know was clenched tight. I find myself humming away merrily to an unknown tune.
My toes curl around the cool porcelain edge of the tub while foam slides in slow trails down my shin. Warmth seeps deep into my bones, and for the first time today, my shoulders unhook from my ears.
My stomach flutters with thoughts of what tonight will bring. My first Valentine’s Day with Ivan, and he has plans. The not knowing is delicious and maddening all at once.
After Terry left, I thought romance and love were done for me. The word ‘love’ would claw at my throat anytime it was mentioned. A movie with a happy ever after would knock me sideways. Every love story a precise stab to my heart.
Meeting someone else didn’t seem possible. I’d already had a life with my soulmate. That’s what I told myself.
But these past few months have proved to me it’s possible to move forward and love again, even if you’ve been knocked sideways by the challenges thrown at you. It still scares me how happiness can turn to ash in a second. But tonight, for once, my fear of losing is quiet beneath the hope.
My phone vibrates on the counter beside me. I wipe my hands on the towel perched on the edge of the tub and reach for it.
