Nothing Like the First Time(30)

"There could be a perfectly good explanation. Maybe he wanted to do  something as a surprise for the wedding and didn't trust himself not to  tell you if he answered your texts or calls."

"Maybe." I sniffled as I took my mug in my hands.

"Look, let's just wait and see what happens today."

"Okay."

I took a deep gulp of my too hot coffee. It scalded my mouth, but at  least I felt something other than sorry for myself. I set the mug down  on the table and rested my head in my hands. I had to pull myself  together, but how? Was I supposed to try again to contact him or should I  wait for him to contact me?

"You gave him a key to your house, right?"

I nodded and took another gulp of coffee.

"You never know, he could be there now, waiting."

I knew she could be right but I also knew it was more likely that she was wrong.

Jodie pulled out her phone and tapped out a quick text. She placed her phone on the table and waited quietly for a reply.

A couple of minutes later her message tone alerted her to a reply and she smiled a little as she opened the message.

"We're going back to your place, and if Grey is there, I'll leave you to  it. If he isn't, I'm going to spend the day with you. We'll have a  pamper session. I'll do your nails and even toe nails if you're lucky."  She smiled at me.

"But I'm supposed to be working."

"You did, but Khelsey is willing to cover. She could do with the money and I want to be there for you. It's a win-win!"

We waited until Khelsey arrived before Jodie grabbed my purse from my  locker and hauled ass out the door, pulling me along beside her.

"Give me your car keys."

"What? Why?"

"Because you're in no fit state to drive."         

     



 

I threw her my keys and moved to the passenger door. I didn't see  Jodie's car in the lot, maybe Matt had dropped her off this morning.

We got in the car and Jodie turned the dial on the radio. I had an iPod  connector set up but she was old fashioned and liked to listen to the  country station on the radio.

We drove in relative silence, except for the words floating from the radio and Jodie singing along.

I loved Victoria Shaw and she was one of Jodie's favorite country  artists, too. I loved listening to Jodie sing. She had a fabulous voice  and wasn't afraid to belt out the lyrics with the windows down. If  people looked at her, she just smiled and carried on.

We arrived at my house. There was no sign of Grey's car in the driveway, just as I had known there wouldn't be.

Jodie did her best to keep my mind occupied. She gave me a mani-pedi, a  facial, and waxed my eyebrows and upper lip. I let her book me in at the  hairdressers for later that afternoon and she came with me, as I had a  trim.

"You could do with about an inch off the ends, Carly," the hairdresser, Tasha said.

"Okay."

I let Tasha get on with cutting my hair and tried to listen when she  chatted happily about her upcoming holiday. I only half paid attention  to her words, the other half of me was still pining after Grey and  wondering where he was, what he was doing.

Jodie drove me home. She could see that I still wasn't right.

"I can call him if you like?" she asked.

"No, it's okay. He obviously has his reasons, I'll leave him in peace."

"We could go to his house," she offered.

"No, seriously, Jodie, he can come to me-if he has some perfectly good  reason, then fine. He could have cold feet about the wedding. We haven't  even booked a date yet."

"Why would he have cold feet? He traveled all the way across the world  to get back to you, he wouldn't just leave you. You've been apart for  ten years, there's no way he'd mess it up when he's only just got you  back."

I knew she had a point but I also knew that Grey had left me once, he could do it again.

"Look, Jodie, I don't mean to be rude, but could I have some time to myself?"

I had thought I wanted company to distract me, but I was feeling more  and more like I needed to be on my own to get used to the feeling again.  If Grey had vanished, I needed to get on with my life on my own.

"Of course. I'm only a text or a phone call away," she reminded me before calling herself a cab home.

"Thanks, Jodie," I said and hugged her to me. "Thank you for today and  for being my best friend. I promise I'll call when I feel like company."

"What are you going to do about work?"

"I'll be in for my shifts. I have a couple of pieces due for the local paper, too, so I have plenty to keep me occupied."

"Okay."

She pulled me into my second bear hug of the day and I felt the ghost of  a smile pass across my lips as she held me in case I broke.

Once the cab had picked her up, I got changed into my Betty Boop onesie  and sat in the snug-a small room in the middle of the house where I had a  TV and a large sofa-where I chose a DVD to put on and poured myself a  glass of wine.

I glanced down at my engagement ring. If he was really gone, I'd have to  take it off eventually-but maybe I really was worrying over nothing, it  had only been 24 hours, after all.

I watched Pretty in Pink, hoping a fix of Andrew McCarthy would help,  and drank another couple glasses of wine. I went to bed after the film,  and though I didn't fall asleep straight away, I didn't get up and pace  like I had the previous night.

Upon waking in the morning, I reminded myself that there was life after  Grey the first time he left and there would be again if he was gone now.  But I also decided to give him some space-if that was what he needed,  constant texting from me would not be received well.

Over the next two weeks, I went into work and wrote articles for the  paper-a pretty normal routine-normal was what I needed great doses of  right now. I even let Jodie drag me to Sinners one night when Matt was  working. We danced and drank cocktails, but nothing we did had  completely taken my mind of the case of my missing fiancé.

On the Monday morning of the third week, my phone rang while I was still  asleep. I reached over to my nightstand to retrieve my phone and  answered it without even glancing at the caller ID.

"Hey, Carls, sorry. Did I wake you?"

The sound of that voice had me awake and alert within seconds.

"Yes," I replied a little curtly.

"Sorry. Can we talk?"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" I wasn't going to make it easy on him.         

     



 

"I mean really talk. I know it's been a couple of weeks and I really  should've made contact before now, but please, Carls, hear me out?" I  could detect sadness in his voice.

"I'm listening."

"Oh, Carls, I know you're mad at me. I would be, too. I owe you an explanation, I owe you more than that. Can I come round?"

I cleared my throat before speaking again.

"I'm busy this morning. I'm busy for the next couple of days, actually. Maybe we can talk in a few days."

I heard Grey sigh on the other end of the line.

I wasn't really busy, but I wanted to make him sweat and to see how sorry he really was.

"Carls." He sighed and I could imagine him scrubbing his hand over his  face the way he does when he's frustrated. He didn't have a right to be  frustrated when it was his own doing that caused this situation. I was  getting antsy and wanted to get off the phone.

"I can say I'm sorry and I am, I really am. But words won't make up for  the last couple weeks of my absence-I know that. I love you, Carly  Summers, and have never stopped, not since we first met. Please, let me  come round and explain face to face, it's not really something I feel  comfortable doing on the phone."

"Well, I have a little time at lunch time today, I guess."

"Great. What time and where?"

"Noon. My house."

"Okay. Thank you, Carls. I promise I'll do everything in my power to convince you to forgive me."

"See you then." I hung up before he could respond.

Now I had a few hours to myself before he turned up. I got out of bed  and walked to my en-suite bathroom. I turned the shower on and sent  Jodie a quick text.

Grey finally made contact. He's coming round. I'm not going to make it easy on him. C xx



I got an immediate reply.



Good for you girl. Hey you should dress up nice, show him what he's been missing out on!



I had to smile to myself. That was Jodie all over.



I should cover up like a nun, that'd serve him right. Why give him a peek of what he's missing?



I got into the shower and stood there, letting the water beat against my  skin. Jodie's talk of dressing to show Grey what he was missing had got  me thinking about what I had been missing. Not only was Grey the man I  loved with all my heart, he was the man that got my blood pumping  through my veins. Sex with Grey was indescribable. He made me feel like I  was on fire. I felt alive and incredibly sexy beneath his gentle touch.

As I washed my hair, I could almost feel Grey's hands running through my  hair and lathering the shampoo into it for me. I could feel the warmth  of his breath on my skin as he traced kisses along my collar bone and up  the side of my neck, finally to my lips-I could taste the combination  of things that made Grey unique as he plunged his tongue inside my  mouth, our tongues tangling and tasting each other.