“Morning.” There was sleep in her voice.
“So you’re managing to sleep without me now?”
She laughed. “Just about. Don’t forget we have a time difference. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. We’ve just got the rest of the footage we need for this. They were saying that two thirds of the series will focus on Africa.”
“They should’ve just done an extra two weeks there and made it the whole focus. How is everything?”
“Good. Except you’re not here.”
“Same goes.”
“I’m taking it you miss my penis.”
“Just that. I don’t miss anything else, just your dick.”
I laughed. I knew she was joking. My cock and her missing it was referred to in each of her emails.
“My dad went to check out the farm.” An idea had started to grow and it had become big enough for me to involve other people. “Yesterday. He sent an email with about three dozen photos and his opinion.”
“What was his opinion?”
“He wants to invest in it. Told me to put a business plan together. He’s started to run the searches and look at viability. Marie’s started to look at the farmhouse and the outbuildings.” I’d phoned my father about the idea, knowing that it was further bridge between us being built. He was as much as a businessman as a solicitor and with something like this, he could help. I had a good idea about running a business – I couldn’t have grown up in our household and not had- but it wasn’t something I claimed to be an expert in. Dad could. And he was all over this idea.
“Can you send me the photos?”
“Sure. I’ll forward his email. I’ve contacted the stables nearby too.” This bit was for her. She’d done more work with horses in the last half decade, including for some pretty big stables that were producing champion racehorses. “They’re interested. Bill Thomas, who’s the current vet a lot of them use is retiring – that’s confirmed.”
“This is a lot of money you’re planning on spending.”
“We’ll get it back over time. It’s a good prospect and it’ll allow chance to work abroad still.”
“Veterinarians sans frontiers.” She half laughed, sounding husky. “I’m in. I’m ninety-eight percent certain.”
“What about the other two?” I needed her in all the way.
“What if things between us cool off? I don’t think I could work with you if you were…”
“Fucking other women?” Which was what she was referring to.
“Yes.”
“I’ve no plans on fucking any woman but you.” I couldn’t get my head around the idea. Before we’d flown out, we’d spent every night together, sleeping in my bed, fucking before we went to sleep, if one of us woke up, in the mornings before work. I’d held her afterwards and she’d held me, nuzzling my neck, trailing her fingers over my chest. I had never thought about leaving our bed or her leaving it. She’d been the only thing I wanted.
“Good to know. How liveable’s the house?”
“Perfectly, just stuck in the seventies. Ava would have that sorted pretty quickly though.”
“Is there somewhere I could rent?”
This was a sensible question.
“There are three small cottages on site. They could be for vets that are working at the practise. You could use one if you didn’t want to stay at the main house.” I sighed. “There’s a lot to go through and it could take months before everything’s settled.”
“I know.”
“It’s a big thing.”
