Some people feel the rain, others just get wet. Bob Marley
'Jonno, I want to know how on earth you managed to keep this wife of yours from telling me Jess was coming?'
'Trust me James, you don't want to know.'
'Actually, now I do.' James pipes back.
Inside, we (James and I) are checked in and march up the stairs. This march, led by Ronnie the ever-so-friendly Staffordshire bull terrier, our young host from check-in, Jonathan, me, Ana, and James who bookended us.
'Well, knowing how my dear friend Ana doesn't know how to keep a type of secret, it must have been something big.' I drag out the last word, extending it past its three letters. 'Wait, Jonno did you agree to a third child?'
'Jess, you're not far off. At this rate, I might have to sell myself and the house to pay the mortgage on this one.' His tone deadpan.
'Okay, that's big.' James pipes back up. 'Because last time, didn't you have to sell the car just to pay for the petrol?'
Ana clears her throat behind me, 'Hellooo. I'm here.'
We're all laughing and I almost have a urological accident but the truth is, Jonathan will bend over backwards for Anastasia because Anastasia broke ties to be with him. Those two, a match made in a heaven some people never enter into. A match struck over coffee between the BA business class aisles while crossing the Atlantic from the Caribbean to the UK. And over the years, I've sat and watched it percolate. Percolate into something both robust and meaningful. There's nothing mediocre about their relationship. That relationship is built on a strong black coffee. I love that about them. And Ana needed that.
Nothing worse than giving up your everything, well near everything... Anyhew.
But now at the top of the stairs, our little cavalcade is at a standstill, where our host has opened the door to Room One. And says it is my room.
So I stroll in and my heart flutters.
'Guys.' I say all excited and sail straight pass our host and the bed to stare out to the seafront. The view out to sea, jaw-dropping. And the huge bay window framing it with its nook to sit in, is all the invitation I'll need to sit and stare. I hear James (whose now entered the room) say she's happy but I am more than happy. I'm happy and buzzing and when I turn back into the room, for the first time notice my king size bed draped in its white linen, and too a fire place I'd passed on the opposite side of the bed. The bold dark floor boards, a statement and I follow them to the bathroom's entrance. In the doorframe, I stand and stare at the rain shower on my left and the sink on my right. I have to bend over to see out the windows (suspended more to the floor than the roof) and there was something overly sexy about that. It's James who ultimately picks me and my jaw off the floor and when he does, I simply say, 'forget bedtime, its about shower time in this room.'
James turns back to the rest of our group and says, 'Yep, she's happy.'
I look back at them and nod with agreement and Jonathan makes the sign of the cross and exhales.
'Eh, what's that for?' I joke and throw him a look.
'Jess, do you know my wife chose this place because of you.'
'What place?' I asked confused.
'This hotel, what's it called?' He turns to Ana who offers 'The Terrace Rooms and Wine.' 'when she suggested we try and invite you.'
'No she didn't.'
Yes I did. Ana replied but quietly.
'What?'
Yep she was more concerned about you not liking the hotel, than about me liking it.
'What? No way.' I was eyes wide and gobsmacked.
'Yes Jess, you can be quite picky when it comes to your hotels.'
I go over and give Ana a hug who proceeds to polite-brag about their room. Room Three, they not only had the best room but also the best of views from a free standing claw-foot bathtub perched between windows that are perpendicular to each other.
Now that I had to see. And so we did. There as she said, a sea-viewing bathtub… It pulled a little at my heartstrings but I suppose it suited the lovers they were moreso than a single woman on her own. James' was further down the corridor in Room Five. His room also had a sea-view serving from a bay window not from a bathtub. That was probably best.
And while James and Jonno stayed in James' room, Ana and I returned to mine. There, I quickly got out my tablet. Took pictures of the bathroom because here in the layout of this bathroom could be a potential solution to a design concern that my client has. Maybe indeed it was a saving grace not to have found that file.
‘So Jess, are you stealing the design?’
No, Ana, I'm merely using it as design cue in the way I want my client to go. When I'd finished with the photos, I sat back on my bed. Propped myself up against the headboard, right leg stretched out along the bed, left leg stayed anchored to the floor, made some notes.
‘Jess, please don't tell me you're working.'
I stopped what I was doing, looked at her and said. 'Let me quickly finish this and then I'll put the tablet down.'
She'd plopped down on the bed, feet resting near my hips. Her head propped up on one hand facing me at the other end of the bed.
'So, was it good to see James again?'
'It's always good to see James.'
'Oh, don't you be so coy with me.'
'Okay, yes, it is very good to see him again.' Straightening out the already straight bed sheets.
'You know, I've always preferred you for James. The two of you belong together.'
Except it was James' actions on the night of Caroline's wedding (Charlotte's sister), that fuelled the fork in our roads. No, I haven't told you about that yet, have I? But my good friend Ana, here, knows because I needed someone to take my side. And she did initially but when James continued to give the same answer she long forgave him for a sin he knowingly or never knowingly committed. All be it, that sin wasn’t towards Ana. Ana on the other hand has not forgiven me for running off and marrying Rex.
Soon enough, I might not be able to forgive myself either.
I bite down on my lower lip.
‘Anyway look at the way your stars are aligning again.’
I inhaled, because what other reason could there be that we are both on the singledom road? And I inhaled again.
'Anyway,' I say, 'I can see water and feel the White Company's bed sheets, so where's the wine we are supposed to be drinking?
'Oh you remembered?'
'Yep, its the only reason I'm here.' I let out in a chuckle.
She shoots me a side eye before sitting up. 'Where's your wine cooler?' She asks looking around.
We saw it at the same time and in the wine cooler, two bottles. All my favourites, a Riesling and a Rosé. At first I’m puzzled then realised it must have been her. We poured, we cheered and we drank to Jonno's birthday, a weekend of Rieslings and Rosés and James and I getting back together. Well that last part came from Ana and Ana alone. But deep down inside, butterflies were beginning to take flight.
‘We have more wine at five, compliments of our stay.’ She tells me after she pulls out her phone for me to say hi to the kids, Alexander, Ava-Leigh and the in-laws. I love their family dynamics. Well this side of the family dynamics. Her parents didn't want to know after she decided to marry who she decided she wanted to marry. Mr Jonathan Gardiner, whose Senior Consulting position at one of the Big Four firms was too lowly for them. I mean, its not like he was out robbing Peter to pay Paul. He was not like that so-called husband of mine who I decked out an entire music studio for and still can’t see any music production. No, that was not Mr Gardiner but neither did he fit into their oligarchy circles. Yet, to their surprise Anastasia left all that their lifestyle offered, took nothing, and chose to marry the man she loved. And he in turn chose to give her everything.
Though since her sister finally came to visit, things are looking much more promising, at least with her mother. I suppose photos of your grand kids will do that and I was happy for her.
Now off the phone, she turns the conversation on me.
‘Jess do you not ever see yourself with kids?’
‘No. And Ana, no matter how many times you ask, the answer remains the same.’
‘A little you. A little James. Running around driving the two of you mad.’ She pokes me in the ribs each time so that now, I'm shifting so far left I'm almost falling off the bed, with laughter.
‘First of all...’ I pause. Look out the window to collect those thoughts of mine. 'First of all.'
‘Yes.’ She claps back.
'I don't want kids. I've told you that.'
‘That's because you're not with the right person.’
‘And James is that person is he?'
'You know he is.'
‘Ana, you of all people know its a little chaotic between James and I.’
'Listen the kind of chaos that exists between you and James is the kind of chaos that leads to unquenchable fires. Who needs boring boy meets girl and they live happily ever after? Not me and certainly not you. With James you get the snap the crackle and the pop. What you want is the pull and the tug, the desire and the fire. She tops up my Riesling and her Rosé as if we don't have wine tasting shortly. Continues listing all the reasons I belong with James. And I sit still in the moment, goose bumps covering me over with all the reasons James and I should be together, when the door knocks.
‘It's open.’ I manage to say.
The door swings open next to me, presenting Mr Adlington-Cellurier, framed in my doorway. He and Jonno acknowledge us. Ana still vogued across my bed, me still sat up against the headboard.
‘Ladies.’ He said to both of us. 'Coming?'
My eyes were in his when he said that and I couldn't stop my lungs from inflating then. I'm pleased Ana answered because I didn't trust myself to. Then they left, closed the door behind them. And when they did Ana sat up on the bed, stared me straight on.
'Now tell me, he doesn't hold a flame for you. Tell me you don't hold a flame for him.'
I didn’t answer, I just pouted. Then got up, grabbed my red wide-brimmed hat (to give me something to do) and put it on. To distract me from acknowledging the feeling James had just stoked as I went to open the door. The same door he'd just closed, and I opened it. Ana followed. Her long breezy striped dress flowing behind her.
'Ana, you do realise I am still married, right?'
'Really Jess?' She lifted the brim of my wide-brimmed hat. Checked my face. 'Can I just ask, is it to the same man who walked out and left you without a word?'
And when I didn't answer that either, only stuck my tongue in my left jaw, she dropped the brim of my hat back. 'Exactly, go tell that to the vicar who married you. I'm sure even he or she saw that was doomed.'
I gasped, though I should be familiar with Ana's frank. Still her statement was a gut punch. I took another sip of my Riesling and stayed stuck in my spot.
'Jess.' She said when I hadn't moved. 'Jonno regularly says to me, some people feel the rain. Other people, well they just get wet. 'Those people who feel the rain, that's us. That's you and James.' She taps my glass with hers and on that note we knocked back the rest of our wine and went downstairs.
