Chapter Thirteen
Maya
This week has dragged.
It’s only been four days since I last saw Tommy. Four days of hell. Now that I have tasted the forbidden fruit, I want to taste it all night long.
The salon is closed today. We have all been pulling fifteen-hour shifts recently and decided to just fuck it and book some random days off. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do. You never know what the day is going to bring you, but wow, it's hard going.
Fallon – Anyone up for going for a coffee?
Maya – Hell yes! I’m dying of boredom.
Gracie – We will… once Blair kicks out whoever it is she sneaked into her room last night.
Maya – Shut up! Do we know who it is?
Fallon – I bet I can guess…
Maya – Go and pop your head in her room, we need to know.
Fallon – I wouldn’t pop your head in there, knowing what your sister is probably doing with her head right now.
Maya – Lmao!
Gracie – OMG. It’s Jenson!
Fallon – Knew it!
Gracie – We’ll be there in thirty minutes.
I can’t wait to find out all the gossip about this juicy bit of information. Blair never, ever sleeps with the same person twice. This is going to need some serious investigation.
Chucking on some shoes, I head out for the café. I can’t be stuck in this house moping over a man all day. A very sexy man. But still, I need to snap out of it.
Knowing that I’m going to be early, I park further than I would usually. Our village is so beautiful with the river running through it. I try to go for walks as often as I can. Going in and out of the boutique shops dotted along the street to kill some time.
I’m almost at the café when I hear a cough coming from beside me. I turn to look, but the street is almost empty. It’s still early in the morning, so not many people have ventured out yet, but I could have sworn someone was right next to me. That is so weird.
An eerie feeling travels up my spine. I spin in a circle and can’t find anyone close enough that it could have been. Maybe they went into a shop? Yeah, that must be it.
The feeling of paranoia doesn’t leave me as I carry on to meet the girls, and I find myself turning to look at the slightest sound around me. My head is still up my arse over the door being left open the other night, my imagination running wild at the first opportunity.
I’m practically running by the time I get to the girls, panting as I drop into the empty seat they saved for me.
“What the hell, Maya? What’s got your feathers ruffled?” Fallon asks.
“I just didn’t want to be late. I parked right down by the river and walked up.
Getting those steps in.” I haven’t told my friends what happened that night.
They were so against me going back home that they’d drag me out of there kicking and screaming if they knew.
I didn’t see the point in mentioning my new irrational fears.
“Here’s your coffee, I just got our usual,” She passes over my vanilla latte. Heaven.
“You’re the best!” Then I turn towards Blair. “Spill the tea. No holding back. You like him, don’t you?”
I have never in my twenty-five years seen Blair blush.
“Oh my god! You do!” Fallon’s mouth drops in a large O. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Piss off, you lot. It’s nothing. Just a casual fuck. A very good one at that,” She winks, trying to play it off. She has a wall built so high, I don’t think any man has ever attempted to touch it, never mind bring it down.
It’s something she has never spoken about, maybe to Gracie but not to Fal and me. Blair tends to hide behind her dry sense of humour and sarcasm. I would love to know why.
“What’s different with him? There must be something?” Gracie pries.
“We’re the same person. We both like to have sex and don’t expect anything more from each other.” She shrugs.
“What about when you’re not together, what would you speak about?” I ask, this is like trying to get blood out of stone.
“We don’t.”
“What do you mean you don’t? Are you just each other’s booty call? Never talking, just fucking?” Fallon asks, her face incredulous.
“Basically, yeah. God, why are you all so bothered about it? Want me to describe his dick for you? Or how he likes to use his tongue to…”
“Nope! I don’t want to know what you do. I can’t have those visions haunting me when the walls are shaking.” The look of disgust on Gracie’s face is hilarious. She covers her ears, adding to the drama.
“Then stop questioning me,” Blair drags out. “Anyway, why is nobody asking Fallon who she spent the night with last night?”
My head shoots round in Fallon’s direction, squinting my eyes at her. “Er, excuse me? Why didn’t I know about this?”
“I didn’t realise Blair knew,” She huffs out, clearly annoyed. “And I didn’t spend the night with anyone. I went for a drink with Harry, but nothing happened.”
“Oh my god! This is amazing. It’s about time you put that boy out of his misery. Gracie is bouncing up and down in her chair; she’s that excited.
I love Harry, but I know Fallon. She isn’t in the right headspace for dating, and Harry is way too much in love with her. She would break his heart before she let him in.
“How was it?” I ask, eyeing her to check her reactions. The thing with Fal is that she has the world's best poker face; she is completely unreadable.
“Good, we had a few drinks, and then we went home. Alone. It was nothing major, don’t get your hopes up.”
Hmm, the way she is being so evasive is making me think she does actually like him. An idea comes to me.
“Who’s up for the pub tonight? I can’t sit in the house all night.” And I get to see how these two are together.
“You know I would never say no to that,” Blair says. Gracie nodded her head along next to her. Fallon snarls at me, knowing exactly what I’m up to.
“I’ll come, but if you play matchmaker even once, I’ll kill you.”
“I would never dare to do such a thing.”
“Maya, you missed all the drama at work yesterday. I can’t believe we forgot to tell you. Fal’s client walked out without paying!” Blair laughs as she fills me in. We’re all sitting at our usual table in Bar 96.
“Shut up! Who was it? What did Fallon do?” I can already feel a laugh bubble up inside of me, knowing exactly how she would have reacted.
“She only went and chased her down the bloody street! I’m shocked she didn’t tackle her down to the floor; she was that angry. I can’t remember her name; she was a newbie. She won’t be coming back any time soon, though.”
“That is hilarious. Trust that to happen as soon as I leave.” What I would give to have seen Fal’s face.
“It wasn’t funny at the time,” Fallon barks out, clearly still annoyed over the scenario.
“Fal, you turned into the Hulk! You should have seen your face. The poor woman just forgot to pay,” Gracie chirps in, giggling.
Harry walks over with a tray of drinks, sitting down at the table with us. We don’t even need to order anymore, he always knows our order.
“Hello, my lovely ladies. What a treat it is to see you all on this fine evening,” He speaks to all of us, but his eyes haven’t left Fallon once.
“I’m going to just nip the loo, don’t have too much fun while I’m gone,” Fal announces as she leaves the table. We all wait a moment to make sure she’s out of sight before Harry turns back to us.
“Right, now she’s gone. Are we all set for Fallon’s party on Saturday? I’ve got her favourite band coming, and they’ve promised to do an acoustic version of Happy Birthday,” He announces proudly. Harry is letting us host Fallon’s birthday party here next weekend.
“Yep. I have sorted the guest list, food platters and a cake.” I say, whilst mentally ticking them off my list. “All of her family and close friends will be there.”
“She is going to love it!” Gracie beams. “I can’t wait to see the shock on her face.”
“Tommy messaged earlier to say he’s booked a surprise too. So, we need to be at her place for 6 pm,” Blair says. I feel a zing of electricity from the mere mention of his name. What is this man doing to me? Tomorrow can’t come quickly enough.
I feel like a crack addict, waiting for my next fix.
“I wonder what it could be, a stripper?” We all laugh at Gracie’s idea.
“Oh yeah. Her brother booking her a stripper is the most logical thing that could happen.” Blair rolls her eyes at her sister. “So, her place for 6 pm, then bar for 7 pm?”
“Yes. That’s the plan,” before I get a chance to say anything more, Fallon is walking towards us again.
“What a fucking week. I think I need vodka fed through an IV to help me today. Why can’t we just be rich and live a life of luxury?” Fal plonks her arse down next to me whilst she moans.
She takes the drink that Harry passes to her. His puppy dog eyes are on full display.
“Thanks, Hazza,” She winks back at him, her cheeks pinking slightly. Oh, she does like him. “I feel so wound up today.”
“I could think of a way to help with that,” He flirts back to her.
“I might just take you up on that.”
“Come on, Fal, put the poor sod out of his misery already!” I don’t know how much longer these two can last with this foreplay they’ve got going on. When they finally give in, sparks will fly.
Harry stays with us for the next few hours, only leaving to grab us some more drinks.
Too many considering we’re all back in work tomorrow.
At least it's only a short day. We have had shots, laughed, danced and chatted all evening. It’s still early, and we’re all on the dance floor.
Me, Gracie, Blair shaking our arses, enjoying every moment.
I haven’t felt this carefree in a long time. I didn’t realise just how much I lost myself when I was with Jake. Times like this show just how much. I don’t feel like I’m stepping on eggshells to be here.
Blair stops dancing, looking around the room. “Where the hell has Fallon got off to?”
The three of us start to look around the room, not being able to see her.
As I do, I have this really uneasy feeling that someone is watching me, shivers running up my arms and down my spine.
The feeling is making me feel a little lightheaded.
What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t keep worrying like this.
I keep looking around and still can’t see anyone staring at me.
That’s when I see Fallon.
And she isn’t alone.
She’s swapping saliva with Harry!
“Ohhhh, my god!” Gracie drags out, all of us now focused in the same direction.
“About fucking time,” I burst out laughing. “Aw, I am so happy for them. She has finally given in.”
“Yeah, but does she need to tickle his tonsils right in front of us?” Blair makes a gagging motion, but she is still smiling.
“Don’t be mean, you know how much of a wall she has built. She needs to let loose a little,” I tell her, whilst smiling at Fallon and Harry.
“Ew, how creepy are we? Stood here staring at them,” Gracie says. Making us all double over laughing. She’s got a point.
The three of us carry on dancing for another twenty minutes before Fallon comes over to join us. Deciding it’s time to go home, or none of us will be fit for work tomorrow.
“Not a word, you three,” She says, giving us the stink eye.
With a straight face, Blair pretends to zip her lips and lock her mouth, before throwing away the key. Making Fallon even more annoyed.
Standing outside the bar, Harry has come with us to see us into the taxis. Always such a gentleman. It’s quiet outside tonight as it’s a weeknight, so not many taxis are about. We’re all chatting and laughing together whilst we wait.
“Ooo, I think I can see one,” Blair exclaims, overly excited by the thought of getting home to bed. “Quick Maya, go and flag it down whilst your closest.”
Walking a few steps into the road, I lift my hand signalling for the taxi to stop. As I do, a car's headlights come into view out of nowhere. Where the hell has that come from? It wasn’t there a few seconds ago. They’re driving so fast, I can hear the revs of the engine roar the closer he gets.
Everything happens so quickly.
A force hits me from the side, not in the direction of where the car was coming from. A blast of all-consuming pain thunders through my skull. A feeling of cold numbness runs through every part of my body.
Why are people being so loud?
The agony is too much. Why can’t I keep my eyes open?
“Harry!”
Harry? Where’s Harry?
The noises around me begin to blare into one. I can feel myself spiralling into panic as I try to catch my breath, but the pain is too much. I can feel my heartbeat pulsing through my skull. I am fighting so hard to keep my eyes open, but I’m surrounded by nothing but darkness.