My body instantly tensed, his touch was awkward, uncomfortable.
“I am fine darling, things are just so surreal, the wedding is just a week away.” I sighed automatically. “I am just tired, the baby I assume.”
Henry snorted, “Well this is just the beginning Everline, you are going to become far more drained, no doubt our nonexistent sex life if going to suffer further more” His tone snide and repulsed, “should have just waited Everline, but you wanted it, so you are going to have to deal with the consequences.
His arms abruptly pulled away from my body. I turned to face him, “Henry darling, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to distance myself. I am sure I will be fine once I progress into it.”
“Until of course you are too fat and uncomfortable to let me near you.” His eyes bitter, full of hate for my choice.
“Henry I am so sorry, I promise we will be fine, I will try harder, for us. For you.” I raised my hand to touch the side of his face. Dashed with raw stubble he pulled away at my movement.
“You better get finished, Lucy will be here soon.” Henry turned his back to me and stalked out of the room. My body filtered in the much needed oxygen it required to function.
I continued to pack the large Louis Vuitton weekend bag. Filled with essentials, make-up, lingerie, clothes. Pulling the zip I carried the bag across the landing and down the flight of stairs. As is by some miracle Lucy was standing in the hall. Waiting to be my saviour.
“All set honey bun? Let’s go get our fix of men and alcohol.”
I hesitantly looked over to catch Henry’s reaction at Lucy’s lewd declaration. Lucy must have caught my awkwardness.
“Take a chill pill Henry, getting far to miserable in your old age.”
“Lucy” I snapped.
“Bye,” Henry barked, “I will see you tomorrow, coherent I hope”. He walked away into the kitchen, not looking back.
“Someone’s pissed” Lucy sniggered.
“Just leave it Luce, I am really not in the mood for your analytical breakdown of Henry and his moods.”
We loaded Lucy’s sleek black Mercedes coupe with my bag, her boot barely able to contain any more baggage yet we still had Lex to fit in. As I sunk into the deep bucket seats felt exceptionally happier, like a burden of doubt had been lifted and for the next twenty four hours we were going to tear up Brighton, miles away from reality.
We pulled up outside Alexis’ apartment. The sound of the horn blaring pulled Lex from the inside of her home. We had declared our arrival. Callum carried Lex’s bags to the car, bags, plural. For one night she had two weekend bags. Never one to travel light.
“Staying somewhere nice Lex?” I mocked.
“No, I just know how drab your Henry authorised wardrobe is, so I snuck ya some sexy numbers in.” Her flashing wink and grinning smile tickled me within.
“Climb in Lex, let’s get going, we have a chocolate shop to pig out in, slutty clothes to dress up in and male strippers awaiting our presence.” Lucy was beyond excited about our impending night. “I… um, see you tomorrow… um then”, Callum stuttered, sounding very nervous at the line up of events we had planned.
“It’s okay babe, you know it’s only fair, you have your half naked stripper groupies and I have my fully naked gyrating men to dance for me”. Callum’s face turned a deeper shade of crimson.
“Bye, baby, see you tomorrow.”
Lex jumped in the back.
“Ah, how positively repulsive,”
“Leave her alone Lucy, you know he is whipped.”
“Both of you, seriously!” Lex exclaimed.
“Hell yeah, pussy whipped.” Lucy giggled.
For once I was loving the attention focusing on someone else’s relationship other than mine.
We arrived in Brighton a little after one. The costal waves were choppy but the atmosphere was electric. Brighton was full of eclectic mixes, the pier full of novelty games and roller coasters that would warrant shutting down if they were on normal ground.
We walked into The Grand, a huge off white institution perched contentedly at the centre of one of the most iconic British seafronts. The Grand was beautiful, inside and out. The Victorian architecture was extravagantly beautiful. The lobby consisted of a dramatic spiralling staircase which leads us to our sea front view room. We unloaded our bags swiftly, determined to head down to the Lanes before closing.
We wandered along the cobbled path ways, in awe of all of the beautifully unique trinkets that filled the glass fronted boutiques. Each store completely distinct; yet all complimentary to one another. We shopped for a few hours before coming to a complete standstill.
“Oh my bloody God, we have got to go in here!” Lucy squealed.
Alexis pushed through us both, mouth salivating at the mass of chocolate which framed the window in front of us.
“I’m going in”, Alexis called back. Lucy and I giggled in unison.
As I walked through the doorway into the dark and dramatic chocolatier, I couldn’t help but be completely in awe by the abundance of chocolate before us. 19.50’s sailor girls sculpted from chocolate, hearts, solid plaques, mmmm and my ultimate favourite, chocolate covered marshmallows. Baby bean must have mummy’s lack of resistance to chocolate in any form too.
Hello ladies, how may I help you today?” A polite lady from behind the counter called over. Her jet black hair deemed even more dramatic than Lex’s, if that were even possible. It was darker than onyx, beautifully glossy. Her eyes framed in the same dark kohl, with bright red lipstick painted lips. He clothes edgy and bold.
“Hi,” I called over, “We would absolutely love some hot chocolate” I smiled.
“It’s her hen party, but I think the naked men are going to have to wait for a while” Lucy smirked.
“Take a seat, I’ll bring three Belgian hot chocolate’s over for you.”
We slipped into the blood red leather booth, all eagerly awaiting our dose of calorie intense chocolate.
“You are just joking about the naked men, aren’t you?” I questioned.
Lucy and Alexis glanced at each other, their reactions telling me all I needed to know.
“Yeah, um of course”, Alexis stuttered, “no nakedness whatsoever.”
“Yep, just a completely grown up, adult experience, involving nothing but fully clothed people this evening” Lucy added.
“Mmmmhhmmm” I hummed. “I believe you”.
“Three hot chocolate’s up” The raven haired woman said as she set them down on our walnut finished table.
“Thank you”
The hot chocolates were beautifully indulgent, finished with whipped cream, marshmallows and lashings of chocolate curls.
“So how are things going with Callum?” I asked.
“Really well, strangely enough, I actually trust him. I don’t really understand why I have been making an issue of the band for so long.” Her forehead pulled into a frown.
“Defence mechanism,” I countered.
“I suppose, just never realised how much more effort it takes worrying and stressing over the possibilities rather than just living each day in the moment.
Her words cut a certain truth with me.
“So, everything ready for the wedding”, Lex cautiously approached the subject.
“Yes all ready I think,” I didn’t actually have much knowledge on the wedding, “Vivienne has it all in hand I am sure”, I smiled, masking the awkward feeling of knowing so little about the biggest day of my life.
“That’s good, I suppose it’s nice not having to deal with the smaller things”, Lex offered, trying to diffuse some of the tension.
“Yeah, I suppose it is, it means I get to sit, sipping hot chocolate with my best girlies, preparing to not, see any nakedness of men tonight”, I winked.
“Amen” Lucy raised her hand.