CORAL (A Romance Trilogy, Book 1) (45 page)

“I’m your dream man?” He beams. I
shake my head at him playfully.

“Oops! Guess I shouldn’t have
told you that one.” I smile shyly at him.

Tristan shrugs. “You’re my dream
girl, so I guess we’re even.” I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

“Your dream girl is a nutcase
like me?” I ask dryly.

Tristan’s eyebrows knit together,
his gaze staring down at the bed, then he takes a deep breath and meets my
worried eyes. “You
are
loveable Coral, and just as worthy of love as
everybody else. So start believing it baby, cause you’re going to be getting
bucket loads of it, better get used to it,” he chortles kissing me hard on the
lips, then again and again laughing as he does.

I can’t help giggling back and
playfully kissing him too, until we are rudely interrupted by an alarm beeping.
Tristan leans over, picks up his mobile and switches it off.

“Back to reality I guess.” I go
to get out of bed, but Tristan stops me.

“Five more minutes. I kind of
like all that kissing,” he chuckles. I lean into him again, pressing my lips
against his and we continue where we left off...

I AM SAT DOWNSTAIRS WAITING FOR TRISTAN
to come back from the hotel, he insisted he get ready there, I
don’t know why? But before he left, he made me a cup of tea, which I am sat
drinking, and it’s perfectly done. But he did make me stand by him, so I could
show him how I like it made, and wouldn’t you know it, turns out we both like
it made the same – Three squeezes of the tea-bag, a drop of milk no sugar –
Crazy
eh!

I take my
mobile out my bag and check to see if I have any messages, although I didn’t
hear it beep last night, but I’m still hoping I’ll hear from Carlos or Rob –
Niente!
Damn it Rob Text me!
– Tristan said I should just give him some time, and
that he’s sure to come around when he’s ready.

I sigh heavily and against my
better judgement, I type up a text.

*Hey Robster – Please let me know you’re
ok? I’m worried about you. I’m working from home so pop round if you want to.
Love Cx*

I press
send and hope that I’ll hear back from him soon, it’s really bugging me what it
could be. I hear the patio door slide open, so I put my mobile in my bag and
stand up ready to leave. But all the air gets knocked out of me when I see
Tristan. He’s suited and booted in his dark blue pin-striped suit, the very
same one he was wearing when we met.

“Going somewhere sexy?” I exhale.
Feeling my blood pumping through my veins – Damn he looks hot, much hotter than
the first time I saw him wearing that!
Maybe it’s because I know him now?

Tristan’s eyebrows raise and his
sexy smile appears. “Sexy eh?” He says reaching me. He smells so good,
aftershave, and Tristan scent mixed together. It’s so potent!
It should be
classed as a hazard to women!

He leans down his lips brushing
mine softly, and I realise that I’ve missed him. He’s only been gone half an
hour and I’ve missed him, badly. A sinking feeling spreads within me, this
isn’t normal, surely? How the hell am I going to feel when he’s gone? Feeling
empty and deprived of him even though he’s stood in front of me, I deepen the kiss,
forcing his lips apart and finding his tongue. He tastes of toothpaste and
coffee, and I’m glad Tristan hasn’t pulled away, afraid of hurting my nose
again. It’s a very long, amazing, wonderful kiss, I feel like I’m on cloud
nine, all heady and light.

“You really shouldn’t do that,”
he says his cheeky grin spreading across his face.

“Do what?” I ask breathlessly.

“Kiss me like that, or we’ll
never make it out of here.”

“Sounds good to me,” I wrap my
arms around his neck. Tugging on his hair, I push his lips harder against mine.

Tristan pulls back, I frown.
“Careful baby, your nose.”

“It’s fine.” I gripe and pull on
his hair again. Tristan takes hold of my hands and brings them down in front of
me. I sigh heavily and stare at the floor.

“Hey,” Tristan lifts my chin. “We
have all the time in the world for that.” He grins broadly at me and kisses me
once more, but it’s a quick, soft tender kiss.

I sigh inwardly.
I’m not so
sure about that.

“Come on or we’ll be late,” he
says, tugging on my hand. Stepping outside, I notice it’s yet another scorching
hot day. I’m sure Tristan is just melting in that sexy suit of his. Just as I’m
locking the patio door my mobile starts ringing.

Pulling it out of my bag I notice
it’s Rob –
Yes!

“Hey Robster, I’m so glad you called,”
I breathe.

“Coral, I’m just calling to let
you know Carlos and I will be away for a couple of weeks,” he states grimly.

“W-why, where are you going?” I
ask feeling shocked by this news.

“To his parents,” he answers.

“In Spain?” I gasp.

“Yeah…”

“Why? Oh Rob won’t you tell me’ –
“I’m coming to see you when we get back.” He interrupts.

“You are?”

“Yes, there’s going to be some
changes...I...” Rob chokes up again. I feel myself start to crumble. Something
is really, really wrong.

“I’m here for you always,
whatever it is,” I tell him my voice trembling.

“I know,” he whispers.

“I’ll miss you,” I tell him.

“Me too,” he croaks.

“Tell Carlos I miss him too won’t
you?”

“C-Coral...” He whispers, his
voice laced with pain. My heart constricts for him –
Oh Rob, please tell me
what’s wrong!
“I’d better go,” he quickly adds.

“Ok, love you Rob,” I say
fighting against the lump in my throat.

“Love you too.” He croaks.

“Safe flight,” I whisper.

“Bye.” He hangs up. So something
major is up, I was right all along. I turn to Tristan and wrap my arms around
him, he grips me tightly.

“Did he say?” I shake my head.

“They’re going away for a couple
of weeks.” I frown hard trying to figure it all out. Why would they go to
Spain? They don’t even get on with Carlos’s dad that well, he’s very old
fashioned, doesn’t really understand that being gay is nature, not nurture. He
thinks Carlos is doing this to piss him off. Tristan squeezes me tighter and
kisses the top of my head.

“We have to move Coral.” I pull
out of his arms and swipe at the tears that have fallen. Tristan takes my hand,
and in a daze I walk along the concourse, deep in thought.

As we reach the Gym I’m about to
ask Tristan how we’ll be getting to the Doctors when I see Stuart pull up.
Tristan opens my door for me and I slide in the backseat.

“Morning Stuart,” I sniff.

“Miss Stevens,” he nods. “Are you
feeling any better?” he politely asks as Tristan slips in beside me.

“Yeah, much better thanks. It was
agony at the time.”

“I bet it was,” he answers
pulling out onto the main road.

As the car moves smoothly through
traffic, I notice Ed Sheeran’s Lego House is playing on the radio, I love this
song. I turn and smile at Tristan.

“I love this song,” he says.

“Me too,” I smile back at him –
How we think and feel, it seems so synchronized, we seem so in tune with one
another. Tristan picks up my hand and kisses it. I shake my head and gaze out
the window. I'm trying so hard not to fall for this guy. But I'm really
starting to think it’s too late...

I AM SAT INSIDE A VERY POSH EXAMINATION ROOM.
Tristan is in the corner, flicking through a newspaper, while I’m
sitting on a very high tech examination table, being examined by a man called
Dr Andrews, he really isn’t what I was expecting at all. He looks younger than
me, has jet black hair, deeply set brown eyes and is quite frankly, a hunk as
Debs would say, in-fact he reminds me of Keanu Reeves –
Bet he’s gonna get
all the ladies after him!

“Well Coral, you’re healing up
nicely.” Dr Andrews smiles.

“Good.” I smile up at him.

“Are you getting any dizzy
spells, blurry vision?” I shake my head. “Good, any headaches?”

“No, my nose is just tender from
being bumped so hard…”
And when Tristan is kissing me.
I glance across
at him – I really could ogle at him all day and not get bored.

“Yes, that’s to be expected. Just
take some Aspirin or Ibuprofen, but if anything changes come back and see me
straight away.”

“Ok.” I look across at Tristan
again - I feel ridiculous in my jeans and t-shirt while he sits their looking
like a gozillianaire!

“Well you’re all done.” Dr
Andrews smiles.

“Thanks,” I say and jump down off
the examination table.

“Ready to go?” Tristan asks.

“Yep.” Tristan shakes Dr Andrews
hand.

“Thank you for fitting us in at
such short notice.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he says
reaching his hand out to me –
Fuck it, he doesn’t seem slimy!
– I take
his hand in mine and we shake. I sigh with relief, his hand is cool and dry. He
hands Tristan a card and we leave his very plush office.

Tristan takes hold of my hand
again. “Why do you do that?” I ask.

“What?”

“Hold my hand?”

He shrugs. “I like it.” I’m sure
there’s more to it than that, but I decide to let it go. Whatever those reasons
might be, I don’t care. It feels really, really, good. Tristan hands me Dr
Andrews card, I shove it in my bag. “Did you like him?” Tristan asks frowning
down at me.

“Who?” I ask, bewildered.

“Dr Andrews.”

I smile up at him. “What makes
you ask that?”

“You shook his hand,” he says
darkly.

“Oh…well, he…he didn’t seem
slimy,” I whisper, frowning at the floor.

“Hmm.” Tristan doesn’t seem
convinced.

“Tristan, if you’re jealous, I’ll
tell you now. You have no need to be.”

He smiles wryly at me, squeezes
my hand, and we continue walking out of the plush building, and into the
blinding morning light. Stuart pulls up outside the building, Tristan opens my
door for me again, and just as I’m about to lean down I freeze –
Was that
Rob’s car?

I instantly straighten up trying
to get a better view over the roof of the Jaguar. But I can’t see where it
went, and I couldn’t really see if it was Rob driving?

“Coral.” Tristan touches my elbow
bringing me back to him. “You ok?” I nod and frown in the direction of the car
park. If that was Rob’s car, what is he doing here, in the hospital car park? I
slide into the Jag in a daze. I can’t decide whether to text him or not, to
find out if he was there? Then I think even if he was, would he deny it?

My stomach drops then turns over.
What if Rob’s sick? I shake the thought away. No way, if he was he would tell
me. Maybe he was visiting a friend or something, if it was him at all.

“Coral, what’s on your mind?”
Tristan says pulling me from my musing. I notice we are on the move again.

“I thought I just saw Rob’s car?”
He is watching me with worried eyes. I think about how I would be reacting to Rob’s
behaviour if Tristan wasn’t with me. I’d be climbing the walls, I would have to
know. I would have knocked down his door by now to get to the truth. I pull out
my mobile and I’m about to text Rob when it starts ringing, it’s George.

“Hi George.”

“Good morning Coral. I thought
I’d let you know that I’ve spoken to Cindy, she can get you in for a regular
session with me on Tuesdays at 5pm.”

“So I’ll see her tomorrow, before
you?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“My place.”

“Really, that’s great George.
You’re an angel, thank you so much,” I gush feeling utterly grateful.

“You’re more than welcome,” he
says. “Did Lily have a nice birthday?” I groan and tell him all about our
little coming together, which makes me think of the hospital, then seeing Rob.

“Hey George, you haven’t heard
from Carlos or Rob have you?”

“Not directly, but we had friends
over last night. Apparently they’re off to Spain for a couple of weeks, it’s
alright for some isn’t it,” he laughs.

“Yeah,” I smile not really
feeling it reach me. “Did they see them before they left?”

“No I don’t think so, well they
didn’t really say. Why?”

“Nothing I just – “Coral don’t think
the worst,” he admonishes, interrupting me.

“I know,” I sigh. “It’s just not
like Rob...” I stop myself. I can go through all of this tomorrow night.
“George, you’re an angel, thank you for organising that for me. I’ll see you
tomorrow.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.” I smile
down the line.