Continued from Zöe Part 1

We drifted off into a deep sleep. Next morning, I was awoken by the sound of the balcony door sliding shut. Zôe was outside having a smoke. I stayed where I was and savoured the delicious comfort of the bed linens and the lingering aroma of Zöe and the previous night's lovemaking.

I checked the time. 8:45. Time for a smoke.

I slid out from under the covers and slipped my robe on, grabbed my smokes, and headed towards the balcony. The glass door was pulled shut across the opening, and I saw her leaning on the metal rail as she looked down on the world below. She was on the phone, so I decided to give her some privacy by going to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. When I came out, she was making coffee in the machine.

“Morning,” I said.

She smiled, took a step towards me, and reached around my neck. Her lips found mine and we kissed as though we had been apart for a year.

“Good morning,” she whispered and smiled.

I pulled her to me and we, wordlessly, just existed together in embrace for several moments until the coffee machine made a gurgling noise.

“Sleep well?” I asked.

“Mmmm. The best sleep I’ve had in years. Are you up long?”

“About twenty minutes. You?”

“Not much longer. I needed coffee and a smoke.”

“I would’ve joined you, but you were on the phone outside," I said. "I didn’t want to intrude.”

She handed me a coffee and we went out for a smoke.

Zöe Part 2

“I had to call in to the office. There was an urgent text when I got up,” she said.

“Everything ok?” I asked.

“Oh, one of the girls called in sick again, I had to call the office and make other arrangements,” she said. “It happens sometimes.”

She took a drag on the smoke and looked away across to the cricket stadium. She sipped her coffee and tapped the railing with her foot as she took another drag of her cigarette. I sat in the chair and watched her as I finished my drink. She seemed nervous. Either that or regretful. Maybe last night was too much. Maybe it was too soon.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing," she said. "Life as usual, I suppose.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know how to say it,” she said, still looking out over the railing.

“Are you having regrets about last night? Did we go too far?”

“Oh God, no. It’s just reality coming to bite me on the arse.”

“What kind of reality?”

“Well, life, I suppose. I don’t want this moment, these moments, to end, Danny.”

“Why should they, Zöe?” I asked.

“I know and they shouldn’t, Danny,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t want to go home yet. I’m not ready for that. We’re here, and in a few hours we’ll head back home, and I go back to work tomorrow. I’ll have no idea when I’ll see you again and I can’t live with that."

“But we can adapt our lives a little, surely,” I said.

“How do we do that?” she asked.

“Okay. Why not take tomorrow off and delay returning to work until Monday,” I said.

She came and sat on my lap, a smile beginning to form across her lips.

“I’m listening. What are you thinking?” she said.

“I’m making this up on the fly, so feel free to butt in if you feel the need. You mentioned that Tara was staying away until Friday,” I said.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And she goes to stay with her dad on the weekend.”

“Yes.”

“So he can pick her up at your sister’s place on Friday and drop her home on Sunday.”

“True. So we stay here until Saturday?” she asked.

“We can, if you’d like to, or we can check out at 11:00 and drive back home," I said. "You can stay with me at my place for a few days. A holiday of sorts. We can pick Tara up on Sunday and take her out somewhere nice, my treat. It’s just a suggestion, or at least a basis for a considered conversation.”

I knew I had come up with something good when I saw her demeanour brightening further.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said and squeezed me tight.

“Great. You had me worried there for a moment, I thought you’d had enough of me already,” I said.

She kissed me and then her eyes bored into mine, “I’m not letting you go, Danny Sheehan. I’m sorry for being so needy, but I hope you understand,” she said.

I took her hand in mine and kissed her palm.

“Yes, I think I do Zöe,” I said. “It’s all new for both of us.”

When we came back inside, she was smiling again.

”I think I’ll jump in the shower before breakfast, do you need it first?” I asked her.

“Yes please, but that might not be such a good idea,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Well you’ve seen what happens when one of us takes a shower,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, as she bounced into the bathroom.

When I heard the water beginning to flow I followed her in. She had just stepped into the stall and was testing the temperature of the water with her hand.

Her back was towards me, so she didn’t see me drop my robe on the floor. She did, however, hear the shower door sliding open and turned around, her arms covering her breasts.

“I thought I’d cut out the middleman,” I said, as I took her in my arms and kissed her.

Her tongue found mine as we kissed, and I luxuriated in the feel of her body close to mine as she pulled me close. The kiss felt different. It was a lovers’ kiss, deep and intimate, a kiss guided by the certainty of a shared desire. It was a kiss born of reassurance, of commitment, that made our hearts soar and clarified our thoughts.

I looked into her eyes as we held each other under the warm sprinkle of the shower head. She looked like a young girl who’d been caught in the rain, her fair hair spiking outwards a little from where she had run her hands through it. Droplets of water dangling from her face and slowly dripping down onto her breasts, landing with a soft splash and rolling across and over her nipples, before cascading to the floor.

She looked happy, a smile on her lips as she made to say something. I kissed her before she could form the words and lifted a bottle of body wash from a shelf in the shower stall, flicking it open and squeezing a fingerful into the palm of my hand.

The contents were pink in colour and had a delicious aroma of strawberries and champagne. I offered it to her nose for her to test, she sniffed it and made a satisfied face as she watched me with a thoughtful expression. I switched the shower off and she wiped the excess water from her face and eyes with her hands, curious at my actions.

I tenderly massaged the pink gel into the skin of her shoulders, forming a rich creamy lather and, using a circular motion, slowly covering her arms and hips in the scented foam. She lifted her arms, silently directing me to where I should bathe next, encouraging my touch with her baby blue eyes.

I covered the lighter coloured skin of her underarms with the scented residue and lathered it softly to encourage the fabrication of a further accumulation of suds. Her eyes closed at my touch as her body swayed rhythmically from side to side. She moved to switch the water on again, but I stopped her, opened the container again, and filled the well of my palm with the gel.

I turned her around and repeated the process on her shoulders, back and neck, covering her completely in a soft creamy foam, slowly reaching around to take her breasts in my hands and covering them in foam with my hands, traversing them in softer, smaller circles.

She leaned back against me, her soft sighs captivating me as she shared herself with me while I reinvigorated the bubbles with my hands. I heard her sigh as her nipples grew and stiffened under my slippery fingers.

“Oh, Danny, that’s beautiful,” she whispered, as she rested her head back against me.

The feel of my hands, covered in lather, as they slipped over her skin was an overwhelmingly erotic and arousing experience and my penis reacted as I expected it would. She felt it move against her left buttock and she reached back to hold it gently as I switched the water on and rinsed her off slowly.

I reached for the body wash again, but she took it from me with a wicked smile and a sensuous kiss. She opened it and squeezed a generous amount into her hand as she looked deep into my eyes. She kissed my left nipple and lathered up the front of my body, paying extra attention to my penis and scrotum, turning me into a babbling fool in the process, as her hands slid slowly and sensually around the head and tip.

I leaned back against the shower door for support as my legs began to fail me. She reinvigorated the lather covering my torso and slid her breasts deliciously across my body, almost bringing me to orgasm in the process.

She leaned backwards, her eyes locked with mine, and allowed the water to rinse me off. She switched it off and slid down to her knees, my penis heavy in her right hand as she took me between her lips.

She moved slowly, her lips and tongue focused on the head of my penis as she held my shaft in her warm, safe hand. I felt her other hand slide up under and between my legs and on up over my backside, slowly returning and taking my scrotum into her hand and cradling it as her fingers closed around it.

I felt myself beginning to come and I closed my eyes to try and ward it off. It was impossible, so I whimpered for her to pause, her eyes wide as she looked up at me, her thumb stroking the eye of my penis. I lifted her by the shoulders and stepped out of the shower, picking up a towel as I backed out through the shower door, bringing her with me.

We quickly dabbed the wettest areas of our bodies with the fluffy white towel and made our way to the bedroom, kissing as we moved towards the bed. We broke the kiss as I held her waist and kneeled in front of her to kiss her stomach and guide her legs apart. She eased herself backwards, her legs parting as my lips kissed her inner thigh.

I touched my tongue to her vulva as she opened herself to my tongue, her hand resting on my head, gently caressing me in supportive encouragement and affirmation. Placing my hands along her inner thighs, I eased the lips of her swollen labia apart, exposing the wonder of her glistening pinkness to my tongue.

“Oh my God,” she breathed at my touch, lifting her hips in the air, signalling her desire breathlessly.

My tongue explored the sweet and fragrant layers of pinkness of her outer lips, and she groaned as the tip of my tongue slipped inside her vaginal opening. A slow release of musky viscosity trickled from her, amazing me at how wonderful she tasted. I slipped my tongue further inside her, slowly thrusting in time with the ebb and flow of her hips as they undulated beneath me.

I removed my tongue from inside her, allowing it to float upwards between her lips and inside the walls of her vulva. It flitted across and under her clitoral hood, sensing the different texture of her clitoris, tasting her, and encircling her sensitive bud as I inserted my index finger into her vagina.

“Oh Danny, Jesus,” she whispered in an agonised whimper, her hands pulling me into her, holding me in place.

My, now-soaked, finger sought and found her g-spot and I began to slowly massage it as she accompanied me with a heavenly series of breathless sighs and plaintive cries. Her breathing came fast and deep and I felt her body begin to shake as her arousal built to a level that was impossible to withstand.

“Danny, I’m...” she began as her stomach muscles clenched, and her legs buckled around me.

She cried out as her grip on my head tightened and her thighs folded me in their grasp. Her body convulsed as she groaned loudly, and I held on as she completely lost control of her functions when her climax coursed through her, accompanied by an anguished cry as she released a stream of ejaculate that bathed my face in a sweet and musky scent.

“Jesus!” she said, breathlessly as she pushed me away and drew me to her before she threw her arms and legs around me and rode out the aftershock as I held her to me, marvelling at her femininity and the trust she had placed in me. She smiled a shy smile as her eyes shone. She touched my chest, scratching it gently before pulling my to her lips as she kissed me with one of those hypnotic kisses she was so good at.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered, searching my eyes before kissing me again.

Her tongue sought mine and the kiss quickly became one of need and desire as she straddled my body, moving me onto my back in the process. As we kissed I felt her hand guide me inside her.

“I can’t get enough of you, Danny,” she breathed.

“I’m going nowhere, Zöe,” I said, “I’m exactly where I want to be.”

She leaned forward and held me in her arms and legs as she slowly took my penis fully inside her vagina. She sighed as she lifted herself off, taking my hands and clutching them to her breasts. I saw now they fit perfectly inside my grasp and adored their shape and feel as I drew her back slightly and sucked a nipple between my lips, yielding a beautifully soft and sexy sigh of pleasure from her as my teeth scratched across the surface.

“Oh fuck, Danny!” she whimpered, as her head dropped, and her hair fell across her face.

Her facial expression altered somewhat as her gaze became unfocused. The undulations of her hips increased in tempo as her breath became ragged and intermittent. She leaned slightly forward and began to writhe against me, encouraging me to thrust deeply inside her as I lay beneath her.

“Fuck, Danny, I’m coming again,” she almost screamed, as another stream of ejaculate flooded my groin. “Come with me please, I need you,” she exhorted me.

I was highly stimulated, and I wasn’t far away from my peak.

“I’m with you, Zöe,” I managed to breathe through my breathless voice, as I felt my climax tear through me and release a glorious stream of semen deep inside her vagina as she began to quickly rush towards her own release, arriving there a mere few seconds after me.

She fell forward and rested her head on my chest. I laid beneath her, still inside her, and held her with me. I was content with just being there with her and I revelled in our connection. We lay still, just focused on breathing.

Her heartbeat was strong, and I felt every beat. It was almost as though we shared a heart, but in this moment I felt that our souls were as one. She started laughing softly. A satisfying laugh, comfortably bridging the wordless promises that bounced around our heads. She lifted her head and looked into my eyes. They were smiling, she looked happy.

“I think I’ll burst if you move,” she whispered, “we’re probably going to be stuck here all day.”

“Imagine the headline in the newspaper tomorrow,” I laughed.

“Don’t make me laugh. I’m serious!” she said.

“Are you sore or just sensitive?” I asked.

“No,” she said, and, still laughing, she buried her face in my chest, “I think I’m still coming.”

“I don’t mind. My erection is still working at least, so there’s that,” I said.

She slapped me playfully, and in that moment her hips moved, causing her face to contort, forcing a low moan to escape from her throat. I withdrew the rest of the way at that moment to allow her to lie down flat on her back to aid her recovery and it took several minutes until she was finally able to sit up.

“Fucking hell! That’s definitely a first. How do you do that?” she asked.

“I was just lying there,” I said.

She looked down at me. “You’re still hard,” she said.

“It’ll disappear in a few minutes, don’t worry,” I said, “you didn’t break it.”

“Let me help,” she said, and she climbed off the bed and took me in her mouth.

She used her lips and tongue to engulf me as she concentrated on the engorged head of my penis. I was surprised and delighted that I could already feel that this wasn’t going to last long. Slipping it from her mouth she licked her juices from it as she kissed down the underside of my shaft. She took the base of it in her mouth and sucked it hard as though she wanted to leave a love bite mark, but her hand took over to massage the head until some preliminary fluid escaped through the eye. She felt it on her hand before she saw it and she licked it off quickly before taking my entire length into her mouth, wrapping her tongue around it and beginning a soft sucking motion that caused me to struggle to contain myself.

“I’m gonna come again, Zöe,” I said, but she just made an incoherent sound and placed her hand on my chest as I finally succumbed and released my load which she collected in its entirety in her mouth before swallowing it with a satisfied smile.

I was worthless as my head fell back and hit the mattress. Zöe joined me and we kissed. We stayed like that for a long time before she needed the bathroom and broke the reverie as I gathered myself and sat up to grab my cigarettes. A few minutes later she threw my robe at me, and we went for a smoke.

As we smoked I reflected on the morning. She snuggled into me, and we warmed each other in the brisk air. “I don’t want this to end, Danny,” she said.

“Me neither,” I said. “How about this for now? We’ll head home at some point today and you come stay with me for a few days.”

“At your place?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s not a bad space,” I said.

“When you say, ‘at some point’ what do you mean?” she asked.

“An unspecified time. Whenever we decide.”

“I need to go home and pick up some clothes because I’m fast running out of underwear.”

“We can spin by your house on the way if you like,” I offered.

“Great. That’ll give the neighbours something to talk about at least,” she laughed.

“It’ll probably be dark by the time we get there, so they mightn’t see us. But fuck them,” I said, “it’s nothing to do with them. It’s just an idea. If you just need underwear there’s a million shops on the way.”

“Ooh! new lingerie!” she enthused.

“I also have a washing machine if you’d rather.”

“You’re so clever,” she said, and she touched my face as she kissed me.

“Ok, let’s have breakfast,” I said, looking at my watch. “I’ll extend our check out time at reception on the way past.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because somebody waylaid me in the shower,” I said, “and spent two hours or so burrowing her way deeper into my heart, Zöe.”

“Was that me?” she asked.

“Yes, it was,“ I said.

“Did it work?” she asked.

“Yes, it did.”

“Ok, but I’d like to place on record that it was I that was the one that was waylaid in the shower, not you,” she said, “so who is doing the burrowing now?”

“It must have been me,” I said with a grin. “Did it work?”

“You burrowed your way into my heart many months ago, baby,” she said as she cuddled against me and kissed me. “This morning just confirmed everything. Now get dressed, Danny, I’m fucking starving.”

"Do you need to shower first?" I asked.

"We'd never get out of here then, love," she said, "if the past is anything to go by. Besides, I'm covered in the fruits of our lovemaking, I kind of love that."

"I do too, Zöe" I said and went off to get dressed.

We stopped off at reception and extended our check out time by two hours so we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a quiet stroll through the grounds. Neither of us was in any hurry as we enjoyed each other. Over breakfast of Eggs Florentine, coffee and Mimosas for her and tea, toast, poached eggs and bacon for me, we discussed how we would handle the next few days.

"I wish we could have a whole week together without interruption, Danny," she mused, as she demolished her eggs.

"Where would your wish take you, Zöe?" I asked, sipping from a glass of orange juice that had mysteriously appeared in front of me.

"Oh, I’d love to spend a few days just touring some of those old Inns in Cumbria, or the Lake District," she said. "I'd love to take Tara; she idolises Beatrix Potter. I promised I'd take her to Top Hill Farm and The World of Beatrix Potter in Windermere someday."

"I always wanted to visit Glasmere, myself," I said, "Dove Cottage is there."

"Wasn't that where William Wordsworth lived?" she asked.

"Yes, for a while," I said. "There, and Rydal Mount."

"I'd find a quaint old romantic Inn and stay for the night," she said, dreamily. "Just the two of us."

"You and Tara?" I asked.

"No, silly," she said, taking my hand, "the two of us, Danny."

"Thanks, Zöe," I said, stroking her hand with my thumb, "that makes me happy, but you've given me an idea."

She smiled and looked at me curiously.

"Have I? What is it?" she asked.

"I do some work for a chap called Denis Fairclough. His wife, Ethel, and him own a place called The Roebuck Inn," I said, as she leaned in to listen. "It's a Country Inn in Cheshire. Mobberley, in Knutsford. It’s about twenty minutes away by car and an hour from home. George Mallory was born there, and David Beckham lived there for a while too."

"The Everest guy?" she asked.

"Yes, and the footballer," I said, "It's in the Golden Triangle, lots of spondulicks floating around."

"Ok," she said, "I'm not seeing where you're going with this, Dan," she said.

"Why don't I give Denis a call and see if he has something available for tonight?" I said. "You're looking for something romantic, love. I can guarantee romance in abundance at The Roebuck."

"Oh, Danny," she said, "that sounds amazing. Yes, I'd love to, if we can get a room."

I pulled out my phone and called Denis' mobile. He answered on the first ring.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the famous Danny Sheehan," he said, in a fake upper-crust accent.

"Hey Denis, how's it hanging?"

"I told you before, it doesn't hang, it merely exists in an arc."

"Is it self-supporting?" I said, "like the Humber Bridge."

"A little less steel, I will concede, but effective nonetheless," he said, laughing at his own joke. "I was actually meant to call you this week, so this is opportune."

"What do you need, Denis?" I asked.

"Would you have the time to drop down to us any time soon?" he asked.

I looked at Zöe and smiled. I held my finger to my lips and put him on speaker.

"Sorry, Denis," I said, “I was putting you on speaker. What did you say there?"

"Oh, right, Danny," he said. "Would you have time to drop over to see us in the near future?"

Zöe lowered her head, an inscrutable smile on her face, and shook it from side to side.

"For what?" I asked.

"We’re looking at turning a few old carriage houses into Airbnb holiday homes and I'm looking for some free advice," he said, laughing.

"Ok," I said, "I'll tell you what, Denis, this first consult will be on the house. In five minutes you'll be on the clock."

Zoe's head shot up.

"HA-HA, you old codger," he said, "you'll never change."

"I'll tell you what, Denis," I said, "fair exchange is no robbery. I called you because you can do something for me."

"Anything, Danny," he said.

"I recently became enamoured with a beautiful young lady, her name is Zöe," I said, as she blushed. "We're in Manchester at the moment, and Zöe expressed a wish to spend an evening in an old country Inn. Can you recommend one that's not too far from Manchester? I'd like to grant her wish."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Danny," he said, "Ethel will be over the moon. We have a couple of rooms available tonight, would you be interested in one of them?"

"If one of them was The Picpoul Room, I would be," I said.

"I'll move things around and you're both very welcome, Danny," he said. "You'll have dinner with us, won't you? We'd love to meet Zöe, and we won't overstay our welcome."

"Zöe is here with me and she's smiling broadly, Denis," I said, "do you want my card over the phone?"

"Not at all, Danny," he said, "this is akin to Princess Diana visiting us."

"I'm not doing your Airbnb work for free."

"Yes, you are," Zöe said, and we all laughed loudly.

"That's wonderful, Zöe," Denis said, "there's finally someone who can put manners on him. What time shall we expect you?"

"I'll aim for late evening, say 5:00 or so, if not a little earlier," I said.

"Excellent, I'll have Andy surprise us with a special dinner that's not on the menu," he said. "I don't care about you but, Zöe, do you have any allergies we need to allow for?"

"None at all, Denis," she said, "thank you for asking."

"Don't mind her, Denis," I said, "she's allergic to suck-ups."

"Aren't we all?" he said, and we rang off.

"How did I do?" I asked.

"You're the best, Danny," she said, "now give me a kiss and let's get out of here so I can do some clothes shopping."

"Everything has a consequence, doesn't it," I said, and she laughed.

Back in the room, Zöe went in the shower while I packed up my bag of tricks. I ran my eye over everything I had with me and decided that, if we were going to go shopping, I'd probably need some extra socks, a white shirt and, possibly, a tie to wear during dinner. I stuck my only pair of leather shoes into the automatic polisher and switched it on to work away on its own. My phone rang, it was Austin.

"Hey, man," I said. "How was the match?"

"It wasn't bad," he said, "we won 2-0 but we weren't great. You didn't miss much. How did you get on? Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I had a great evening, Austin," I said.

"Did that have anything to do with the little blonde you were seen escorting out of Piccadilly yesterday?" he said, laughing.

"How did you know about that?" I asked.

"This is a very small town, Danny. One of my guys was picking up a parcel at the station and he saw you on the platform. He said he was heading over to talk to you, but this blonde girl ran up to you and wrapped herself around you," he said. "Was that Zöe?"

"Yes, it was," I said.

"Jesus, man, you should have brought her to the game," he said. "We'd have loved to meet her."

"I didn't know she was coming until she called me yesterday," I said.

"Well, Olive wasn't too happy about it," he said, "you'd better come over to the house for lunch so we can meet her."

"I can't, Austin," I said, "she wants to go shopping. We're going down to The Roebuck this evening and she needs to get stuff to wear."

"Are you telling me that you'll be walking around a women's clothing shop this afternoon trying not to look like a pervert?"

"I hadn't thought of that," I said, laughing, "but now you've said it, I think I must be."

"Where are you taking her to shop?"

"I was thinking the Trafford Centre, it's just across the road."

"What time have you to be in Knutsford?"

"I told him we'd be aiming for 5:00."

"Ok, we'll meet you outside Zara at 1:00," he said, "Olive wants to try the new Chinese place in the food court. My treat."

"Ok, thanks. I'll see you then," I said and hung up.

As I hung up I heard the sound of a text coming in. It was from Denis,

"Reservation confirmed for The Picpoul Suite. Check in from 3:00, dinner in The Bistro at 7:00."

I thanked him by reply as Zöe came out of the bathroom. I held up the phone and she read the text, scrunching up her shoulders gleefully as she read it.

"Did I hear you on the phone?" she asked.

"Yes, it was Austin," I said, "did I mention him last night?"

"Yes, he's your daughter's godfather," she said.

I told her about the conversation, and she smiled. She hugged me.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"Oh, I like that you include me in stuff, Danny," she said, "you're not ashamed of me."

"Zöe, you are a beautiful, intelligent, vibrant woman," I said. "These people have been friends of mine since Adam was a boy and they want me to be happy. There's no judgment here, love, because they know I won't accept it. Just be yourself and they'll love you too."

"I know, Dan. I'm nervous is all," she said.

"I know, love. So am I," I said.

I disappeared into the bathroom and showered quickly. When I came out, Zöe had her entire suitcase emptied out onto the bed and was writing something down in a notebook.

"Something missing?" I asked.

"No,” she said.

I scratched my head and looked at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, "I'm making a list of what I need at the shops."

"Do you carry a notebook everywhere?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, "I'd be lost without it. So, I'm thinking I need to buy a new frock for tonight, a pair of nice strappy shoes would be an idea too. Do you think I need a jacket? I could get a skirt, but then I'd need a blouse to go with it. Oh, I also need some underwear."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"No, we need to bring a gift for Ethel and Denis. Something elegant but not overpoweringly expensive."

I smiled at her excitement and her organisational skills. This was her in office manager mode and she was impressive.

"Ok, I need a shirt and some socks so I can't argue with you on that," I said, removing my shoes from the polisher and examining them for scuffs or scratches. "I want you to use my company credit card, though, Zöe. I can write it off."

"No, Danny. I'm only going to Zara, it's not that expensive," she said.

"No, I'm not comfortable with that, love," I said. "Please use it. You've undergone enough expense coming down here already."

She reluctantly took the card from my hand and kissed me. She looked into my eyes as hers seemed to mist over. She shook her head, touched my cheek with her forehead and breathed in.

"Thank you, Danny," she said, "I appreciate the thought behind this."

She put her book in her handbag, packed everything else away and closed her case. I took her hand and turned her to me.

"Promise me you won’t go bargain hunting, Zöe," I said. "Promise me you'll buy the stuff you actually like and not just buy something just because it's under £20."

"I promise, Danny," she said, "but it's not easy for me to do this. I have a good job and I'm well paid."

"I know all that. Just let me do this, Zöe, please."

"I will,” she said, "now let's go."

I followed her around The Trafford Centre until we decided to split up to save time. I went to find what I needed, and I was outside Zara at 12:45 as arranged. I was about to lean back against the shop window when Zöe stood up from her seat on a bench in the centre of the Mall. I laughed as I saw the amount of bags she carried in her hands.

“Did you get everything you needed?” I asked, as she leaned in to kiss me.

“I couldn’t find a pair of shoes that I liked,” she said. “I’ll make do with what I have.”

“I missed you,” I said.

She hugged me and put her lips to my ear.

“I thought it was only me,” she said.

“Well this is very nice, I must say,” Austin said with a laugh, as he and Olive arrived beside us.

I made the introductions and kissed Olive on the cheek as she embraced me. She smiled at Zöe and hugged her tightly, took her hand, and led the way to the Food Court, both of them chatting like long lost friends. We toddled along behind carrying the bags. Olive knew where she wanted to go, so it was a brisk walk to a restaurant called, Tampopo, located in the huge Food Court, where she had reserved a table for us. She took charge and ordered a selection from the menu.

“No Dim Sum or Gyozas then?” I said, as the waiter turned to leave.

“You and your Dim Sum,” she said with a smile.

“And Gyozas,” I said.

“Danny!” Zöe said, blushing.

Olive took her hand.

“Good luck controlling that side of him, love. I’ve been trying to do that for years,” she said, “he has very few filters.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that for years too,” Zöe said. “I like that about him.”

“I do too, but don’t let him know,” Olive said in a whisper.

The food arrived in copious amounts. Everyone picked food from every plate, and we all engaged in a light-hearted conversation of conviviality and fun. I seemed to bear the brunt of the barbs, but I was big enough and ugly enough to take it.

“So, how’s Malcolm these days, Zöe?” Austin asked.

“Malcolm is Malcolm, Austin,” she said, “he plays his cards very close to his chest.”

“Danny tells me you’re the office manager,” he said.

“Yes, I am,” she said.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s a job and it pays well,” she said. “I’d like to do something else, but I have my daughter to consider.”

“I’m trying to get Danny to come and work with us,” he said, “but he won’t.”

“For fuck’s sake, Austin,” I said, “we’d kill each other.”

“Better than going over to Ireland, mate,” he said.

Zöe looked at me, her eyes wide open.

“Stop there!” I said, winking at her. “I never said I was going abroad, Austin. I said I had been made an offer from there. I’d rather do that than work for someone else. I like working for myself and I’m too old to change.”

“So, Zöe,” Olive said, “did you get everything you needed?”

“I couldn’t find a pair of shoes I liked, Olive,” she said, “but I’ll get away with what I have with me.”

“We can’t have that,” Olive said, standing up. “We need to put those Faircloughs in their place. What were you thinking about getting?”

“A pair of simple black strappy shoes is all, I didn’t think it would be so difficult,” she said.

“I know the exact place,” Olive said, taking her by the hand and leading her away from the table.

They returned twenty minutes later carrying several more bags. They shared conspiratorial looks as Austin asked just how many shoes constituted one pair.

“A lady must have her secrets, Austin,” she said as she squeezed Zöe’s hand, “isn’t that right, babe?”

“Yes. It’s crucial,” Zöe laughed as they hugged each other.

Austin had an appointment that he needed to keep, So we bade them farewell at 3:15. We found the car and loaded Zöe’s bags into the boot.

“Thanks for that, Danny,” she said as we closed the doors behind us. “I really enjoyed that. I love Olive and Austin. We have to do it again.“

“They seem to have taken you too, love,” I said, “although Olive loves anyone she can shop with.”

I sat back in my seat.

"What's the plan, Zöe?" I asked.

"Why don't we head on down to The Roebuck?" she said. "You said we could check in after 3:00."

"That suits me down to the ground," I said, "we can kick back a little."

"I can check in on Tara from there too," she said. "Keep her in line."

We took it easy on the drive down and arrived at 3:45. We checked in and were accompanied to our room by a porter. Zöe immediately went into hunting mode, visiting every corner of the suite, and opening every door and drawer available to her. She was very pleased as she came back into the sitting room carrying a small plate of chocolates that had been left us as a welcome gift.

"I found these on the console table in the lobby, Danny," she said, sitting down beside me on a settee in the living room. "There's a huge cast iron bath in the bathroom too. Can I try it out?"

"Of course you can," I said, "the world is your oyster while we're here."

"I'll fill it up," she said, "it'll take a long time to fill. Will you get the bags of shopping out of the car, Danny, please? And don't look in any of them."

"Why not?" I asked.

"No reason," she said, scrunching up her shoulders, "just don't."

I smiled as I left the room and kept my eyes closed as I took her bags out of the car. When I returned to the room, Zöe was fluffing up bubbles in the bathtub. She was slightly bent over, and she had a large white towel wrapped around her. I heard the splash of her hand in the water cease and she skipped into the room where I was fiddling with my phone.

"Care to share a bath with me, Dan?" she asked.

"I'd love to," I said, "is it big enough for two?"

"The bath?" she grinned.

"You little minx," I said, "but now that you mention it."

"Everything is just the perfect size, baby," she said, kissing me softly as her towel dropped to the floor before she walked slowly away from me.

I undressed quickly and followed her in. She took my hand and indicated for me to get into the warm bubbles. My senses were overpowered with the scent of limes and honey and enhanced by the sight of a beautiful lady stepping seductively into the bath before turning around and settling herself easily between my legs.

"This is the life, Danny," she said, "I've dreamed of this since I was a little girl."

."Me too," I said, as I touched the side of her breast.

"We're not having sex, Danny Sheehan!" she said. "That's reserved for tonight on that sheepskin rug under the moonlight with the log fire burning and the lights off."

"Will we be naked?" I asked.

"I would hope so," she said, wriggling her bum gently against me.

"Can you move your bum a little less please?" I asked.

"Why, do you not like my bum touching you?" she teased.

"Oh, it's my very favourite thing, Zöe," I said, "but it's causing a reaction."

"I noticed. But no, I don’t think I will. I'm quite enjoying it," she said, as she took my finger and brought it to her vagina. "As you can clearly tell."

I let it linger a few moments before slipping it a little inside her.

"Oh, Jesus, Danny," she moaned, "what are you doing?"

"It's impossible to differentiate between the wetness of the water and the wetness of your vagina, love," I said, a little more of my finger entering her. "I just want to make sure you're ok."

"How long does it take to differentiate?" she breathed; her head thrown back against my shoulder.

"I need to focus," I said, stroking inside her, feeling her temperature rise, "I wouldn't like to make a prediction in case I make an error."

"Jesus, Danny, you're driving me insane," she whimpered, her legs opening wider.

"Imagine you're in a doctor's office having a medical procedure," I whispered softly, moving my finger a little quicker inside her moist canal.

"Danny ..... Oh Jesus! Christ, fuck, I'm coming. Please don't stop." she cried out, her flailing legs splashing water over the sides of the tub and onto the brightly coloured porcelain of the floor.

I held my hand on her Mons, my fingers lightly stroking through her soft pubic hair, and I felt her become a little calmer. It was a sultry few minutes and we drifted off to a shared nether world in a light haze, neither asleep nor awake. She moved off me slightly, the water in the tub beginning to cool. The bubbles had long since departed and we were marooned in a calm lake of translucence.

Her hands took hold of the rails along the rim of the tub, and she eased herself out of the water, stepping elegantly over the side and wrapping herself in the towel she picked back up off the floor. I watched her for a beat and did the same myself, a little less elegantly it has to be said, as I slipped and almost emptied the bath when I fell back into it. She squealed with delight at my predicament, before assisting me by taking my hand and pulling me out.

"Thank you for that, Dan," she whispered, as she reached around my neck, pulling me to her and kissing me deeply.

She checked her watch and grabbed a magazine from a coffee table at the foot of the bed. She flicked through it before finding something that piqued her interest. My phone rang. It was Denis.

"Hey Denis," I said.

"You arrived early," he said, "you should have rang ahead. I could have met you."

"No, you're busy enough, everything went smoothly."

"What are your plans for the evening?" he asked.

I covered the phone and asked Zöe. She just held up her magazine and mimed showering.

"Nothing except kicking back here until dinner," I said.

"Do you want to take a quick walk over to one of the carriage houses?" he asked.

"I wouldn't mind," I said, "let me ask Zöe."

Her head pricked up when I mentioned her name.

"Fancy a walk over to look at Denis' carriage house?" I asked her.

"No thanks, love, I need to call Tara," she said, looking at her watch, "she should be home in fifteen minutes or so."

"Sound," I said. "Do you mind if I go? It'll save me a lot of time next week, or the week after."

"No, you go ahead," she said, "but kiss me first."

I met Denis in the lobby, and we walked over to a row of buildings at the rear of the Inn. They were very old carriage houses, I guessed they had been built over two centuries ago. He opened the door on one of them and we ambled inside.

"Nice, Denis," I said. "What are you doing with them? Airbnb?"

"Yes, there's quite a demand for that kind of accommodation around here, Danny."

"So, what do you need from me?" I asked.

"I need your expertise, Danny," he said, "can you design a renovation for me? It needs to be sympathetic to the age of the structure."

"Airbnb owners don't usually have that kind of sentiment inherent in their design or equipment, Denis," I said. "It's more of a balancing act than is usually considered to be by owners."

"In what way, Dan?"

"Well, you want to preserve the history and heritage of these buildings, am I correct?" I asked.

"Yes."

"But your clients will want all mod cons installed."

"Yes, they do," he said.

"Central heating, possibly using Heat Pump Technology, double or triple glazed windows, maybe a full-width bi-fold door system with a view of the grounds in the mornings as they have breakfast, designer furniture, large format LED televisions, Wi-Fi and so on," I said. "But the concept doesn't fit with that ethos."

"I don't understand,” he said.

"Ok, when these buildings were built, the heating didn't exist in them because they were carriage houses, although there may have been a brazier burning wood or coke from one of the nearby mines occasionally. There were no windows either, embrasures would have been used to cast light inside. The doors would have been sturdy timber doors, possibly using locally sourced oak or chestnut, and as for furniture, there would be little more than a watchman's chair."

"So what are you suggesting, Danny?" he said, a little deflated. "Do we park the idea completely?"

"No, not at all, Denis" I said. "To get these to a modern, habitable state will cost an absolute fortune. You'll also have to contend with the local planners and Heritage people, I would wager that the National Trust would get involved too, and that won't be a cakewalk."

"I didn't even consider the National Trust, Danny," he said. "So what are our options?"

"What's your budget?" I asked.

"Four units at £300k each," he said.

"What accommodation does each unit require?" I asked.

"We were thinking a one-bed unit, two, two-beds and a three-bed."

I looked around the grounds and walked over behind a small copse of mature trees. There was a good two acres of open parkland behind it.

"Your buildings are built using a facing bond, which all brickies are used to. They look, to me, like a brick called Alderley Antique, which are made for The Manchester Brick Specialists, amongst others. They'd be perfect because they're a frogged brick and would look similar, if not exactly like, yours," I said. "If it were me, I'd build everything new over here behind the copse where it can't be seen from the road. I'd mimic the styling and the design of the buildings and use them for rental purposes."

"Interesting," he said. "But what about the original buildings? Do we leave just them to rot?"

"No," I said, "there are restoration grants available from the National Trust. I'd restore them to what they originally were and open them up as a museum or something like that. I saw something like this in the States last year and they use it as a restaurant also, they even hire actors to come in during the summer to give guided tours and little historical plays."

"We wouldn't be able to turn them into a restaurant, Danny."

"No, but you have a kitchen that's almost a Michelin Star kitchen," I said, "have you not heard about the explosion in street food vendors?"

"Yes, I have," he said.

"Well here's another angle," I said, "over in Ireland they use old tarted up horse boxes to purvey food and coffee. Why can’t that idea be stretched to a horseless carriage?”

"What a good idea," he said. "Can you draw me up a plan?"

"I'll do something that you can submit to the Planners on it for you," I said, "You can have your architect use it as a conversation starter with them."

"Wonderful, Danny," he said, "I’m enthused, thank you."

"I'll take a few photos before we leave in the morning," I said, "I can do the rest by Geo Mapping."

I checked my watch. It was almost 5:00.

"I'd better make tracks if I'm to be on time for dinner,” I said.

"Yes, me too," he said.

"We'll meet you in the bar."

When I returned to the room I found Zöe prowling around the suite with her phone to her ear. She spoke in low tones as she remonstrated with her hand as she spoke, no, positively berated, the poor unfortunate individual on the other side of the call.

I eased the door shut and leaned back against it. I watched as she harangued the individual who had pissed her off. She eventually paused, sat down with her head almost in her lap, listened quietly whilst punching the nearest cushion in frustration, like a metronome with a broken spring, before standing tall and speaking in the coldest voice imaginable.

“Fuck you, you dickhead, it always has to be about you, doesn’t it? It has always been about what you want. I warned you the last time about what I’d do if you pulled another stunt like this, you selfish fucking bastard,” she almost screamed.

I could hear the sounds of protest emanating from the earpiece of her phone. She shut him down quickly.

“I’ll be fine with this, don’t worry. I’ll sort it out like I always do. That child has never been a priority for you, we’ve always been an inconvenience, and I’m at the end of my tether,” she said calmly and coldly. “Why don’t you fuck off now and never darken our door again. We’re much better off without you and, by the way, put your fucking solicitor on notice that he’ll be getting a communication from the Courts. I’m going to fuck your arse into the ground.”

I heard the sound of a rejoinder from the earpiece.

“I warned you the last time,” she said. “I told you what I’d do. The Courts have a full written record of your behaviour, and they’ll have this one on Monday too. In future do not contact me. If you have something to say, say it through your solicitor to my solicitor. As far as we’re concerned, you do not exist anymore. Do you understand that? Do you?”

I guessed it was her ex on the phone.

“I’ve said all I’m going to say,” she said, “The agreement we made is now null and void as far as I’m concerned, you’ve broken it too many times. I’m blocking your number and restraining your access to us. You no longer exist in our lives.”

She pressed the red button on her phone with venom. Pressed a further few buttons and then put it on the table. She noticed me at the door and ran to me, throwing herself in my arms, sobbing as she did so. I held her until her tears stopped and she lifted her head again.

“Your ex?” I asked.

“Yes, the prick,” she said.

“Trouble in Paradise?” I said.

She burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry for laughing,” she said. “He’s not taking Tara this weekend.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“You know, I didn't even wait for him to tell me,” she said. “I don’t know why, and I’m not fucking interested. It would probably have been another fucking lie in any case.”

“How often does this happen?” I asked.

"Too often, and I've had it with him," she said.

"So, what are you thinking?" I asked.

"I haven't got that far yet, Danny," she said, her hands gripping my leg as we sat. "I'll be fine when I calm down, but it fucks up our lovely weekend."

"There's a weekend at the end of every week, Zöe," I said, "that's why they call it the weekend."

"Is there now," she said, kissing me.

"There is," I said, as she appeared to perk up a little. "I have a question, though."

"Ok." she said.

"Do you think he does this because he resents you having a life?" I asked.

"Possibly."

"Would he have found out about you being here with me?"

"I don’t know. Tara may have said something," she said.

"I'd unblock his number, Zöe," I said, "let him play his games. Just don't react in the way he expects."

"You mean give in to it?" she said.

"No," I said. "I always remember the time that a bloke in my school used to wind me up, so I threatened him with a kick in the balls if he didn't stop. So he goes in to the principal and reports me, which led to my Dad having to come to the school."

"Ok, what happened? Did your Dad have a go at you?"

I laughed.

"No. All he said was that it was very nice of me to warn the bastard that I was going to kick him in the nuts," I said.

She squealed with laughter.

"What did you do?"

"Well, my Dad advised me to say nothing for a while," I said, "to ignore the stupid bastard for a couple of weeks and then kick the shit out of him the next time he annoyed me."

She smiled at me and kissed me.

"Is there some advice for me in all of that?" she asked.

"No, you're a perfectly capable woman, Zöe," I said. "I heard you on the phone there and, to be perfectly honest, you frightened the shit out of me too. It's no wonder that the girls in your office work so hard."

She laughed again, squeezing my hand as the smile returned to her eyes.

"So what are you saying?" she asked.

"I'm suggesting that you unblock his number, because I guarantee you he'll call again," I said, "try not to fly off the handle and appear to just offer meaningless platitudes as you accept that he's such a busy and important person that these things are naturally going to occur."

"Fuck off," she said.

"Will you let me finish?" I said.

"Ok, go on, then."

"You've already told him what your course of action is going to be, there's no need to labour the point. So, when you hang up, call your solicitor, and set the wheels in motion without warning him first," I said, "and make sure he gets the bill for the costs."

She sat back in the seat, a thoughtful look on her face. A few minutes later she picked up her phone and unblocked her ex-husband's number.

"You're a devious little fucker, aren't you, Danny Sheehan?" she said.

"Me? I hardly think so."

She looked at her watch and shoved me away.

"It's time I made myself beautiful for our fancy dinner, love," she said, as she kissed me before grabbing her bags of stuff and sauntering into the bathroom.

"Do you need help?" I asked.

"Me? I hardly think so, my dear," she said, and we collapsed into a fit of unbridled laughter.

TBC