No Ordinary Love (High Rise Novella Three) (6 page)

Nerves tore through Maddie’s body as she made her way to Shape. She’d lingered in The Bean long enough to miss Alex in the locker room. She wanted to look at her in silence before having to speak to her. She wanted to see how she’d react to Maddie’s presence in class. Maddie didn’t want to risk Rita turning up afterwards again, with another relic from their past—which is what Maddie figured Rita had planted in Alex’s hand the night before. She didn’t want to miss her chance this time.

Alex was already running through her obligatory introduction lines when Maddie entered the studio. She found a spot in the back before daring to face the front.

Alex’s words halted for the briefest of moments as she acknowledged Maddie’s presence. She followed up with a small smile before addressing her attention back to the group.

Maddie had never seen circles so dark curving underneath Alex’s eyes. Her voice sounded gravelly and her movements appeared far less fluid than usual. Either these were signs of heartache, or she was suffering from a severe hangover. Maybe a combination of both.

All Maddie wanted to do was rush to the front, cradle Alex in her arms and tell her she’d give her all the time in the world. She’d wait. Then again, waiting until the end of class to talk to her already proved quite the challenge. At least she could shamelessly gawk at Alex, who, no matter how destroyed she looked, was always a sight for sore eyes.

She wore a white tank top as usual and, when pushing up from cobra into downward dog, her biceps still bulged obscenely. This is my woman, Maddie thought. For as long as she could remember, she’d never allowed herself to think something like that. She believed such thoughts to be quite ludicrous actually, but here she was. This was love and, for the first time in her life, Maddie was not running away.

“Give yourself a round of applause.” Alex sounded relieved when she spoke the traditional last words of every class. “It’s not always easy on Saturday morning.” She shot the group a weary smile before rubbing her temples. Maddie disposed of her mat outside the studio and positioned herself at the exit while nodding at a few regulars.

She swallowed the tightness out of her throat as Alex and Nat approached.

“I have to run,” Nat said, for once choosing to be diplomatic. She slapped Alex on the shoulder briefly and smiled at Maddie.

“Hey,” Alex started as soon as the crowd around them thinned.

“Hi.” Maddie felt like a teenager, standing around awkwardly and having no clue where to begin to say all the things she had to say. “You look like you could use a strong cup of coffee.”

“Only small sips of water for me today.” Alex puffed some air through her nostrils. “Nat and I had a bit of a bender last night and I have no idea how I made it through class.”

“And this was only the first one of the day.” Maddie inadvertently brought her hand to Alex’s shoulder, but stopped herself a split second before it touched skin.

“Tell me about it.” Alex’s eyes followed the path of Maddie’s now idle hand. “I must admit I was surprised to see you.”

“Can we talk?” Maddie dropped her hand.

“Yes.” Alex took a deep breath. “That would be good.”

Ten minutes later they sat across from each other in The Bean, both still in work-out clothes, Maddie sipping another espresso and Alex trying her luck with a lemon tea.

“I’ve never been so ready for the weekend to begin.” Alex stretched her arms above her head, accentuating her shoulder muscles.

“I’m sorry for overreacting.” Maddie cut straight to the chase because she had no idea how to go about it any other way. “I was hurt. Well, mainly my ego was hurt and I thought if I beat you to the punch…if I broke up with you, that would somehow make me feel better. It didn’t.”

Alex shook her head. “Your reaction was completely comprehensible. I should have handled the situation with more delicacy.” She grimaced and put a hand on her belly. “This tea is not working for me.”

“I want you to know I will wait for you. As long as it takes.” Maddie’s hands trembled as she lifted her cup from its saucer.

Alex shook her head again and fear rushed through Maddie’s blood. “Rita was a big part of my life for a long time. Seeing her again rendered me temporarily insane, I’m afraid. But it’s no excuse for my behaviour. We are…” Alex hesitated. “We were in a relationship and I had no right to treat you like that, nor to behave as if the world was about to come to an end just because I laid eyes on my ex.”

“I saw her last night. Outside the gym after body combat. I saw the two of you together. I didn’t mean to spy…I had come to see you, but she was there when—”

“I had no idea she’d be there.” Alex cut her off, wincing at the memory. “She’s getting out the big guns now, but the bigger her gestures, the less they mean to me.” Alex leaned forward. She paused before continuing. “I don’t want her, Maddie. I want you.”

Maddie bit her bottom lip and had trouble keeping her gaze on Alex.

“If you’ll still have me, of course.” Insecurity tugged at Alex’s voice. “After the way I behaved…”

“What are you doing later today.” Bursts of joy popped in Maddie’s veins.

“Mentally preparing for my next class and afterwards I’m going to have to take a nap.” Alex smiled sheepishly.

“Come nap at my flat, I’ll prepare lunch.” Maddie realised her enthusiasm was getting the better of her. “I’m sorry, I’m jumping the gun the way I usually do.”

“How about dinner?” Alex grinned and another weight lifted off Maddie’s shoulders. “I may be up for some of your spaghetti carbonara by then.”

Maddie smirked. “You mean a replay of our first date?”

“I’d love that, but you shouldn’t overdress this time around.”

“Deal.” Maddie’s heart jumped in her chest.

Later, after Alex had made her way back to the gym for her final class of the week—a chaste peck on the cheek as goodbye—Maddie lingered in The Bean and wondered if it really would be that easy. Probably not, but at least things were looking up.

ALEX

Alex peered at her reflection in the mirror. The worst of the headache had died down, but her eyes drooped and her shoulders hunched, no matter how many times she corrected her posture. More than that, she was mentally and physically exhausted. And now she had a date to prepare for.

“Never again, Pozzato,” she told her mirror image and applied the emergency eye balm Nat had given her. “Only to be used in extreme circumstances,” Nat had said. A fresh start with Maddie qualified as just that.

She’d slept for three hours in the afternoon, after finding Rita’s rock in the corner of her bedroom and stashing it as far away as possible in her unused sock drawer. Fatigue had taken her and had given her mind no chance to dwell on past and present loves. She’d tumbled into a dreamless sleep and had woken up feeling slightly better, but not exactly looking like someone who was about to reenact a sexy first date.

“Don’t make the same mistake again,” she whispered to herself. The only way going back to Maddie now would be different than when she had launched herself blindly into their affair a few weeks before, would be if she was honest with herself. Rita was alive and kicking, living her life on the same stretch of over-populated land as Alex was, and she was gunning for a reunion. Ignoring Rita’s existence had been the easiest way to deal with the painful collapse of their relationship, but now it was time to re-acknowledge she had an ex running around out there. An ex who had caused her a great deal of pain, but who had also provided years of happiness. These were the facts. Now all that remained was to find a way to deal with them.

“You’re not alone, Pizza.” Alex channelled Nat’s advice in her head. “You have me and Maddie and I also happen to know a really good shrink.” Alex managed a smile. Her face still looked ghastly and her body felt as if all life had been drained from it, but at least she had hope. She shot herself a wink in the mirror and went on her way to meet Maddie.

* * *

“How are you feeling?” Maddie’s eyes brimmed with compassion as she held the door open.

“Shattered.” Alex barely made it into the apartment before her throat tightened and a flood of tears welled up behind her eyes. She pushed her back into the door for support and pulled Maddie close. “Oh damn,” she said, her voice muffled by Maddie’s shoulder. Alex let the tears flow out, all of them, while Maddie wrapped her body around her.

“It’s all right.” Maddie patted her hair and rubbed her neck.

 
Alex knew, as ruined and confused as she felt in that moment, Maddie was right. It was okay for her to cry on Maddie’s shoulder. She didn’t have to strive for perfection in everything she did every hour of every day. She could come home to Maddie and display some insecurities.

“Great start to our date,” Alex said after the biggest wave of tears had subsided. “Can we try again?”

“How about we go straight to the massage part?” Maddie gently freed herself from their embrace and searched for Alex’s eyes. A crooked grin split her lips.

Alex remembered the shoulder ache she’d had on their first date and Maddie’s swift offer to massage some oil into it. “I’m too tired to protest, not that I want to.” Alex lifted up her tank top to brush the last tears from her face.

“Do you want to eat first?” Maddie asked.

Alex shook her head and headed for the sofa.

“What are the chances of you falling asleep while my hands perform their magic on your shapely body?” Maddie asked while cracking her fingers ostentatiously.

“I’d say ninety to ninety-five percent, but only because you’re such an expert at it.”

“Then please allow me to invite you into my boudoir so I don’t have to do my back in when I transport you afterwards.”

“Your pillow talk has certainly improved.” Alex sat down in the sofa. “Speaking of which, maybe we should talk first.”

Maddie approached the sofa and perched next to Alex. “You’re exhausted and I don’t care what we do, as long as you’re here with me.”

“But you cooked and—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Maddie slanted her body forwards until her forehead touched Alex’s. “I’m just happy you’re here.”

Alex lifted up her hand and found Maddie’s neck. Gently, she pushed Maddie upward and stared into her eyes. “I love you.”
 

Maddie’s eyes grew moist and she wrapped her fingers around Alex’s hand. She brought it to her mouth and pressed a soft kiss on its palm. When Maddie’s eyes found Alex’s again, a full-blown tear dangled from an eyelash, ready to tumble down.

Alex pulled her closer and kissed Maddie on the cheekbone, on the spot where the teardrop had just landed.
 

“I love you too,” Maddie said.

It only took a split second for their lips to find each other. They’d kissed many times before, but this lip-lock was different. It was a reaffirmation of their connection. It was the beginning of them as a couple that could weather many a storm.

As divine as kissing Maddie felt, the fatigue and the fact she hadn’t eaten all day started to catch up with Alex. A bout of light-headedness caused her to retreat from the warmth of Maddie’s mouth.

Maddie’s eyes sparkled with desire and her words came clipped and lustful. “Are you all right?”

“I’ve had better days. The stuff Nat poured me was nasty.” Alex let herself fall against the armrest.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Maddie rose and extended her hand.

“You do realise I’ll be out of it so much tonight, you’ll be able to do whatever you want with me.” Alex let Maddie pull her up. Maddie slung her arm around her waist and guided her to the bedroom.

“As if I need you to be out of it for that,” Maddie whispered in her ear. Chills spread across Alex’s flesh.

Maddie undressed her slowly, starting by pulling Alex’s tank top over her head. She halted her actions to gawk at Alex’s abs.

“I’m going to need some alone time with those very soon.”

Alex smiled in response and let Maddie take off her bra. Her jeans soon followed until she stood in front of Maddie wearing only a pair of bright red boy shorts.

Maddie hesitated. Alex thought she’d already displayed a huge amount of self-control, undressing her like that without the prospect of some extensive fondling to follow. Bringing her hands to her side, Alex tugged her shorts off and tossed them into a corner of the room. “I’m ready for my massage now.”
 

“I’ll get the lotion.” Maddie’s voice was a low whisper and instead of heading for the bathroom where she kept the massage oil, she stood there a few moments longer, breathlessly taking in Alex’s naked body.

Alex broke the spell and crashed down on the bed. As soon as her body made contact, she felt herself sink into the mattress. Whatever was on Maddie’s mind, it would have to wait until she’d had a good night’s sleep and had shed the wretched remnants of this hangover. She settled on her belly and spread her arms and legs wide while waiting for Maddie to return.

MADDIE

Maddie squirted some oil into her hand and warmed it between her palms. Alex looked as good as ready to doze off, but Maddie had other plans. Alex should know better by now than to offer her naked body on a silver platter like this and not be faced with consequences. Lust drummed in Maddie’s veins at the sight of Alex’s smooth shoulders, toned back, and perfectly arched bottom. What was a reconciliation without make up sex anyway? She’d taken her clothes off while Alex was already planted firmly on her belly, her head buried in the pillows. She’d start the massage with her hands, but planned to use other body parts to finish.

“Aah,” Alex moaned at the first contact of Maddie’s hand with the skin of her shoulders. Maddie let her fingers slide over them gently, as if reacquainting herself with Alex’s flesh. Had it really only been three days since she was last in her bed? It felt more like three weeks, what with the emotional toll it had taken on Maddie. For the first time in her life, at the ripe age of forty, she had felt as if she’d stood to lose it all. Because of another woman.

“That feels so good.” Alex’s voice was hoarse and muffled by the pillows, but still sent a pang of lust up Maddie’s core.

“And I’ve only just begun.” Maddie leaned her upper body over Alex, making sure her hard nipples brushed the skin of her back. She dug her fingers into Alex’s shoulders and rubbed them with gusto. She felt Alex relax under her hands. It wasn’t total submission yet, but that could wait until later.