CORAL (A Romance Trilogy, Book 1) (28 page)

“Well I better go.” I stifle a
yawn.

“Am I boring you?” He chortles.

“No. Just tired, it’s been a long
day.” I offer.

“I’m sorry Gladys is leaving,” he
says.

“It’s ok,” I yawn again. “I’ve
got Rob and Carlos and my sister.”
Well I think I have Rob!

“And me,” Tristan says. I frown
at the explosive feeling that begins fluttering away in my stomach. “Have you
thought anymore about us?” He whispers.

“Yes.” I answer breathlessly.

“And?” His voice sounds hoarse.

“Look Tristan, there’s a few things
I need to sort out, get straight in my head, I...” I instantly think of
George’s words
“talk to Tristan”
I shake my head, it’s just too hard.

“So that’s not a no?” He
questions. I sigh heavily.
Is it?

“It’s not a yes either.” I
mumble.

“I can live with that,” he croaks
sexily.
God damn it, please stop doing that!

“I...I have to go.” I breathe.

“Coral, I’m here for you either
way, whatever you decide, you need someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on.
I’m here.” He sounds so determined.

“That’s sweet Tristan, and very
kind of you, considering we don’t know each other,” I say, my stomach twisting
at his words.

“Getting there though.” I can
tell he’s smiling again.

“Goodnight Tristan,” I say,
shaking my head at his confidence.

“Goodnight Coral, sleep well
beautiful.”
Damn it!

“Tristan,” I moan.

“What?” he chuckles. “I can’t
call you beautiful?” I shake my head at him.

“Nevermind. Night, I’ll see you
when I see you.”

“Sooner rather than later,” he
teases and hangs up before I can say anything. I growl at my mobile.
What
the hell does he mean by that? –
Oh god, I hope he’s not coming back down
here. I don’t think I could take it. I close my eyes and try to blank him out
of my head, but all I keep picturing is him smiling at me. Man that smile gets
me every time –
Stop it Coral, you and him, it’s never going to happen you
know that! –
I nod in agreement with myself, pick up my hot chocolate,
switch off the air-con, and drag my tired butt up the stairs...

THE ROOM IS FLOODED WITH SUNSHINE
, but I can't work out where I am. I turn around and realise I’m
somewhere strange, a place I haven’t been before, and the strangest part about
it is the earth isn’t still. I am moving back and forth even though my feet are
on solid ground? I hear Tristan call me, I walk forward trying to locate his
voice, and as I do, I look down at my feet. No shoes? My toes look brown, my
toe-nails pink, like I’ve been sunbathing. How odd?

As I walk forward, I catch my
reflection in a mirror. I’m in a khaki bikini and my body looks tanned and
healthy. As I stare back at myself, I don’t recognize the girl staring back at
me, I look so happy. I hear Tristan call me again, his voice connecting to me
on some deep elemental level. It floods me with a feeling of complete and utter
peace. I feel so content, and I don’t feel afraid anymore, just blissful, happy
– very strange!

Tristan calls me again, I try to
locate his voice, it seems to be coming from above me; I step forward and climb
a small, wooden staircase. As I reach the top, I am blinded for a moment by the
sunlight. Then Tristan comes into view, he’s stood there with his hand held out
to me, he has his aviators on and he’s wearing his sexiest smile. He’s dressed
in a pair of navy combat shorts, no shirt and his feet bare –
Wow!

Reaching out I take his
outstretched hand, and look around me, and it’s in that moment I realise we are
on a boat, that’s why the earth is moving. We are moored in a little cove,
surrounded by a beautiful rocky landscape. The sea is twinkling sweetly, the
sky a perfect blue and the sun is high in the sky. I turn around again to look
at Tristan. He is beaming at me, a smile so wide; his dimples are deeper than
I’ve ever seen them. He leans down and kisses the back of my hand.

“Mrs Freeman,” he croons and
leans in to kiss me...

I AM RUDELY AWOKEN
by my
alarm clock buzzing loudly at me. I jump up in shock and slam my hand over the
top of it –
Oh My God! What the hell was that?
I run my hands through my
hair and stare blankly at the wall trying to work it out.
I...what?
Mrs
Freeman? I was married to him in the dream?
But I, Noooooo, that’s just
ridiculous!

I shake my head in wonder. I have
never in my life imagined myself getting married. I don’t even believe in
marriage, I don’t believe it has any value, my parents are a good example of
that. So why am I dreaming I was married to him? I shake my head, trying to
work it out.

When Debs got hitched, she told
me it was all coming true, how she had dreamed it would be as a little girl. What
her dress would look like, the church, all the bells and whistles. I shake my
head in confusion. I’ve never done any of that, ever -
How odd?

I lie back down and stare up at
the ceiling, trying to remember more about the dream. Then it comes to me, that
peaceful feeling, almost as though it was a knowing, like I knew that there was
no more pain, no more fear. That I was ok, actually happy, really happy -
Weird!

I decide it’s best not to be
thinking about a silly dream for too long, it’s not healthy, it’s never going to
happen and it’s not reality – The reality is that I have to get to the gym and
do my morning swim, go to work, and then tonight I have training with Will. Just
another ordinary day, nothing special, nothing new. The peaceful feeling
quickly dissipates and is replaced with a deep longing, a feeling of wanting
something, and wanting it so badly. It’s always been there, for as long as I
can remember, but now it feels more profound – I just wish I knew what it was
so I could get it and make the longing go away.

THE REST OF THE DAY
passes
by in a blur; I cannot seem to concentrate at all – I just keep getting the
dream playing over and over in my head. Joyce pulled me up on it several times,
and I apologized several times. And as for the walk home…well, I don’t even
remember doing that.

After training with Will, and
getting knocked on my ass far too many times. I decided to have an early night.
I know it’s weird – but I wanted to watch Twilight again. So I quickly showered
– wishing I was actually in that egg shaped bath, soaking my aching muscles –
dressed in my pyjamas, and took my laptop up to bed with me. I don’t know how
far I got in the movie before I drifted off, but I remember the dream.

I was stood in the middle of a
dark green forest, it was misty and cold. I could hear the rain crashing down
on the canopy of branches above me, the air thick with the smell of pine.
Edward was stood in front of me, then he blurred and changed into Tristan. He
looked so sad as he held his hand out to me, when I looked down to place my
hand in his, a red apple appeared, I looked up in confusion. He lifted the
apple up between his long fingers and stepped closer to me.

“Take a bite,” he whispered.

I tried to step forward, but I
was being held back by some invisible force. I pulled against it, desperate to
get to Tristan; I wanted to reach out, to touch him, but I couldn’t free
myself. The more I struggled, the stronger the force became, until eventually I
had to watch Tristan slowly morph from a solid human form, to a cloudy mist,
whispering my name just before he completely disappeared…

I AM STARING BLANKLY
at my
computer; it’s 3.45pm and it’s Friday. I know I should be bricking it about
seeing George, but I’m not – All I have done all day is daydream about the
dream I had Wednesday night, just like yesterday.
I feel like I’m losing my
mind!

I don’t know why I can’t stop
thinking about being on that boat with Tristan, and every time it comes to me,
I keep getting that Coldplay song Us Against the World playing in my head. I
don't get it at all, and I certainly cannot understand the marriage part – I’ve
been trying to convince myself that it’s because Gladys is getting married, and
I’m subconsciously thinking about it. But then I thought no, that can't be
right. I didn’t think about getting married when Debs did, and I was far more
involved with all the wedding shenanigans than I am now –
No, there has to
be some other explanation for it all.

But more than that, more than the
whole married thing, every time my mind has wandered to the dream, I have felt
the same sense of peace wash over me and quite frankly, I’ve loved it, so I’ve
purposely allowed it. I have never felt like that before, ever – “Coral?” I
look up in a daze.

“Yes Joyce,” I answer dreamily. I
hadn’t even noticed her standing there.

“Are you sure you’re alright?
You’ve been very pre-occupied these past couple of days.”
Uh-Oh!
I panic
for a moment and quickly run through my in-box –
No, I have definitely done
all my work!

“Have I?” I sigh.

Joyce rolls her eyes at me. “Well,
I’m leaving now, so you can do the same,” she tells me. “I’ll see you
tomorrow,” she smiles.

“Ok, see you tomorrow.” I answer
already on auto pilot.

Joyce walks off shaking her head
at me. I go through the motions of shutting my computer down, and heading out
for the evening, all the while thinking about that wonderful peaceful
feeling...

I HEAR DOGS BARKING
, in a
daze I look up and realise I have reached George’s house. I ring the bell and
after a moment, I hear George’s partner Phil, telling his two Maltese dogs to
be quiet. He opens the door and smiles widely at me.

“Hello Coral,” he says and ushers
the dogs back inside.

“Hey Phil.” I follow him in and
shut the door. Phil air kisses both my cheeks. “You look well.” I tell him.

“No!” He says flicking his hand –
he’s so girly. “Although I have just come back from the Spa,” he says, smiling
sweetly at me.

“Ooh, lucky you,” I chuckle and
almost go to say ‘lady of leisure’ but stop myself just in time.

“My weekly massage, full body and
face. You should try it, makes you feel amazing,” he glows.

“It shows.” I say and bend down
to greet Tinkerbelle and Princess, they’re totally adorable, fluffy little
pooches. After licking me to death, I follow Phil into the kitchen.

“You’re a little early,” he says.

I shrug. “I know. Joyce let me go
early.”

Phil suddenly narrows his eyes at
me. “You look different,” he says observantly.

I shrug again. “Do I?”

“Amour,” he says, with a twinkle
in his eyes.
Love?
“That’ll do that to you,” he titters.

I smile weakly at him. “I don’t
know what you’re talking about!” I say feigning innocence.

He gasps. “You have! You’ve met
someone!” He says with animated glee. If I blushed, I swear I would be purple
right now.
Is it really that obvious?

“Kind of…” He slaps his hands to
his face and squeals, his eyes twinkling.

“How marvelous!” I smile weakly
at him. “Tell me everything” he says, leaning on the kitchen counter, his chin
cupped in his hands. He’s dying to know, but I don’t know what to say.
Thankfully the phone starts ringing; saving me. Phil pulls a sad face. “Back in
a sec,” he says and skips out of the kitchen.

I start day-dreaming again. I’m
pulled out of it by George placing his hand on my shoulder. I jump a mile and
have to calm my heart down. “Wow George, don’t do that to me,” I scold.

“Are we in the land of the
living?” he asks dryly.

I pull a face and silently follow
him out of the kitchen, as we pass Phil who’s gossiping on the phone, I mouth
‘sorry’ to him – I know he’ll want all the juicy details when I’ve finished
with George, ‘later’ he mouths back; we smile at one another. I sit down on the
couch, and wait for George to settle himself. Sitting in his leather chair, he
takes out his notepad and pen, pops his glasses on, and smiles down at me –
Ok,
here goes!

“So Coral, how’s the rest of your
week been?”

“Um...good,” I say.

“You seem...relaxed.” He quickly
assesses.

“Yeah, I guess.” I shrug
non-committed.

“Care to share?” George asks. I
stare down at my fingers - I’m not sure I want to share the dream. It felt so
private so...like it was just mine and Tristan’s.

“Coral?” George prompts.

I sigh in resignation. “I had a
dream,” I confess, keeping my eyes on my hands that are now twisted together.

“And?” George says. I decide to
tell him about my conversation with Tristan first, about asking for the time
off and Gladys’s news about the wedding. “And his reaction?” George asks.

“Shocked,” I answer. “And
worried, for me,” I add. George chuckles, my eyes dart up to meet his. “Why is
that funny?” I ask a little sharply.

“I think it’s quite obvious he’s
already developed a deep connection to you.” George states.

I shake my head at him.
“Doubtful, he’s very caring about his staff, that’s all,” I answer.

George studies me for a moment
then crosses his leg. “Men are very different to women Coral. Do you think he’s
organized birthday surprises for his other members of staff? Or offered to
drive goodness knows how many miles to come and see you, because he simply
‘cares
about his staff’
no, I don’t think so.” I frown at George not knowing where
he’s going with this. My leg starts jigging up and down, a sure sign that I’m
nervous. “So tell me about the dream,” George adds.

I exhale slowly my cheeks
expanding and stare out of the window. “I kind of don’t want to tell you...it
felt like...well like it was private,” I say looking back at him. George shakes
his head at me.

“Nothing’s private Coral, not
when you’re in therapy.” He tells me softly.
Grrrrrrr!

“Fine!” I snap and reel off how
the dream went, how it made me feel. When I finish George doesn’t say a word,
he’s frantically taking notes on his pad. Finally he looks up at me.

“It’s not something we’ve ever
covered Coral so I’m intrigued, do you want to get married?”

I vehemently shake my head. “No.
It’s never been on the cards for me.” I state firmly.

“Yet, you felt contented,
peaceful?” He queries.

“It was just a dream.” I answer
dully.

“I’d like you to consider that
possibility for yourself.”

My eyes shoot up to his –
Is
he joking?
I snort sarcastically at that one. “George, I don’t believe in
it ok. I don’t think marriage has any value so there’s no point asking me to
consider it.”

“Why?” He asks cocking his head
to the side.

“Because...I...I just don’t,” I
shrug. “Look, I get what you’re saying, I really do. But I can’t even imagine
myself in a relationship, so I think throwing marriage in there is a bit...well
silly.” I say, feeling a little resentful.

“One step at a time Coral, I
would strongly suggest you consider it as being a possibility in your future. I
really want you to start opening yourself up to all possibilities. You have
just as much right to the deep happiness you felt in that dream as anyone else
on the planet.”