Fern stood just in front the door, letting her eyes get use to the darkness. She picked up the shape of Brook’s body as his hand scanned across the wall. She heard a small click then lights glowed on above her head. She glanced up at them and saw that she was stood in a short hallway. A row of coat hooks hung from the wall under which was a small shoe rank and beside them a large blue umbrella holder.
The front door swung shut and locked behind her. Fern eyed it over her shoulder then followed Brook into a large living/dining room and kitchen. The walls, floors and furniture were all in neutral colours and looked like a show room with its lack of personal effects. Fern stepped onto the rug in the middle of the living room and watched Brook going over the floor to ceiling windows. With a slight turn of her head, Fern looked out over a family sized table, breakfast bar and small kitchen.
She noticed that four doors led off the wall behind her and guessed they were bedrooms and a bathroom. Fern sniffed and smelt nothing but a faint wave of cleaner liquid, wood vanish and Brook’s earth scent. She turned back and looked at the wall to the left of her. There was a large real fire place, all ready set up with pile of logs. To the left of that was a bookcase which contained, DVDs, CDS and two framed photographs. On the other side of the fire place was a flat screen TV, DVD player and music system.
Aware that Brook had now opened the door and concertinaed the windows together, Fern moved towards the photographs slowly. She glanced at him and watched him step on to the balcony and into the night. She could hear the sea and sigh of cars going by. The tips of her shoes hit the wall and she looked up at the shelf.
The first photo showed Brook and a young man sitting with their arms wrapped around each other and grinning madly. The second photo showed a large family and Fern almost reached out to take down but stopped herself. She looked closely at the image and picked out the same young man next to what had to be his mother and father. The others close to him had to be brothers and sisters, maybe cousins. Then there were two sets of grandparents, aunts and uncles, more cousins and two dogs.
‘Come out here,’ Brook called.
Fern whipped her head around and saw him, leaning back inside. She nodded and hurried to join him outside. A gentle sea breeze hit here, but not feeling it’s chill, she carried on walking out and went to the balcony rail. There she lend over and looked down. She saw the front garden, the rough woodland before it and the village. To her left, highlight in the darkness by streetlamps was the dual carriageway and bridge. To her right was the seaside town, the beach and the sea.
‘Told you then view was better,’ Brook whispered.
He stood behind her and gathered her to a hug. Fern melt in his arms and felt the brush of his lips against her neck. Brook planted small kisses from her shoulder to her jawline. Fern sighed and lent back into him, she shut her eyes and focused on the sensation. When Brook stopped, he brushed her cheek with his nose then kissed her forehead.
‘Still want that shower?’ he asked huskily.
Fern came back from her small daydream and turned her head to look up at him, ‘yes. What about you?’
‘Perhaps,’ Brook slowly replied, ‘I’ll show you were it is.’
He led her back inside the apartment and to the last door. He opened it and easily located the light switch. Spotlights along the ceiling lit up a cream and pale blue bathroom. There was large deep white tub, a separate glass shower, twin sinks and the toilet. Brook walked Fern in then turned, glanced around for something then left.
Fern almost called him back, but a quick look at the towel rack stopped her and she realised what he was doing. She stepped up to the bathtub instead and looked into it, debating if to use or just have a shower. Deciding showering would be easier and faster, she went over to the large glass doors and opened them.
‘Here,’ Brook’s voice called from behind her.
She glanced over her shoulder and watched him place three or four towels over one of the sinks.
‘Thanks. Do you have soap?’
Brook frowned then began rummaging in the under sink cupboard.
Fern started the shower up and let the cold water go hot whilst she took her clothes off. Abandoning her things, she got in and gasped loudly as the warm water rushed over her. In the background she heard Brook asking what was wrong. Forgetting to reply, she stepped further into the waterfall downpour where she could hardly hear anything else.
The door opened, letting in a waft of cold air and forcing Fern to open her eyes. Brook had joined her, holding two plastic bottles in one hand. He dumped them into a wire basket at the back of the shower then came to join her. Fern turned to him and held her hands out so they could hug. Fern pressed her naked body in his and put her head onto his shoulder.
‘I brought you some soap. Do need help washing?’ Brook whispered, his words almost lost over the roaring shower.
Fern giggled and pushed herself off him, ‘I should be fine, thanks. Though you can do my back if you want?’ She turned, grab the bottle that said shower gel on it and handed it to him.
Fern turned around, catching the slight shake of his head and large grin on his face.
The Story Files 