“I’ve walked in all weathers, but if I’m going to get wet while I’m with you, it will be in bed.” Mattie smirked. “You look adorably hot when you blush.”
“You’re incorrigible.” Nell shifted in her seat, hyper-aware of the seam of her jeans pressing against her. She studied Google Maps again. “There’s Bath.”
“To get wet in?” Mattie snorted. “We could have a bath in Bath.”
Nell shook her head in mock outrage. This was so much fun. “There are the Roman Baths and the abbey to visit if it’s raining, and there are good walking trails around the edge of the city if the weather’s kind.”
“I like the sound of that. What sort of place would you like to stay?” Mattie shuddered. “I’m not up for freezing my butt off in a tent.”
Briefly, she entertained the memory of running her hands over said gym-toned butt. “Guest house? Posh hotel? Spa?”
A shadow fell over Mattie’s face. “Delete the last option.”
Damn. Of course Mattie wouldn’t want to be pampered at a spa. That would involve being topless and exposing her scars. “I’m sorry, I forgot.”
Mattie dismissed her apology with a brush of her hand. “Hotel. Somewhere cosy rather than corporate. I stay in far too many of those.”
Nell shared her screen, and they chatted over different accommodation options. She soon learned that Mattie tended to favour comfort over style, whereas Nell stayed at hotels far less often and was excited to have the whole experience. “Luxury Egyptian cotton linen, rainfall shower, bespoke toiletries, artisan snacks,” she read aloud.
“What the hell are artisan snacks?”
“Posh biscuits?” Nell flicked her gaze from the webpage back to Mattie. “Shall we find out?”
Mattie rolled her eyes. “Go on then.”
She booked a room with a king-sized bed. It would get plenty of use to justify the extra expense, she was sure. The conversation switched to a light-hearted discussion about their plans for the weekend. Mattie intended hitting the gym before going to Shona and Lisa’s place for lunch.
“Say hi to them from me,” said Nell. “Oh, and tell Lisa I’ve remembered the name of the silver jewellery designer we were talking about at dinner. I’ll text it to you.”
“Sure. What are you up to tomorrow? Or have you got to work?”
Nell stretched in her chair. “Whole weekend off, thankfully. Angie and I are planning a cross-country walk and lunch at a pub.”
“Enjoy.”
“We will.” Nell saw Mattie yawn, and she looked done for. Their call was drawing to a natural conclusion, but Nell was reluctant for it to end. “We should go, I guess.”
Mattie nodded. “It’s that or watch me nod off on the sofa. Mouth hanging open and snoring, probably.”
“You don’t snore. Much,” Nell said. “Talk tomorrow? Or leave it until next week?” She didn’t want to come across as too demanding or desperate and needy.
Mattie stretched. “Let’s play it by ear.” She blew a kiss and waved goodbye.
Nell stared at the screen long after Mattie had logged off the video call. So that’d been another first. She hadn’t shared a virtual call with a lover before, and she’d felt a little out of her depth. Who was she kidding? So much of her relationship with Mattie was out of her comfort zone: having sex, confiding in someone about her past, being with a woman. She didn’t intend on making an announcement about that. Her circle of friends was minimal, and as for colleagues at work, it was none of theirbusiness. What about family though? Out of everyone, she’d like to share her newly established status with Caroline. Could she trust Caroline to keep it to herself? Probably. Her brothers and sisters-in-law never usually visited Bath. There’d be awkward explaining to do if she bumped into them. It’d lead to all sorts of family ruckus, and it wouldn’t be fair if Caroline got dragged into it because she hadn’t shared what Nell had told her. Her mind went round in circles and didn’t land on a conclusion. She still had three weeks to make up her mind.
But it was soon down to two weeks, and then one week, before the Bath trip, and she still hadn’t told Caroline. She’d got as far as ringing her, but Caroline was distracted, fretting about redundancies at her husband’s place of work. Then her teenage son had interrupted because he’d dropped his iPhone down the toilet, so Caroline had cut the call short to sort him out. Nell hadn’t tried particularly hard to find the time to contact her again since.
“Two more sleeps to go,” Mattie said when Nell answered the video call.
Nell smiled as she propped the phone on the pillow next to her. It was the closest she got to sharing her bed with Mattie, at least for now. They were chatting much later than their usual habit of eight thirty, because Mattie got caught at work. “You’re in bed too.”
Mattie ruffled her hair, which was still damp from her shower. “Thanks for waiting up for me.”
Nell shrugged like it was nothing, but in truth, she’d been willing the extra hours away since getting home. Now the evenings were drawing in, there wasn’t enough daylight after work to go into the garden or have a stroll along the coast path. “I like talking to you.”
“I like it too.” Mattie smiled and proceeded to chat about her day until a shadow crossed her face. “Jon’s book is officially top of the bestsellers’ list. The damn thing’s everywhere.”
“It’s in the window of the bookstore here.” Nell hesitated before asking, “How are you feeling about it?”
