The Aisle and Skye (The Skye Series Book 2)

by Fox Brison

  “Hard sell much? I can see now why you have all those realtor of the year awards on your mantelpiece! However, is it me or is everyone desperate to get as far away from me as possible?”

  “Oh Skye-”

  “I’m joking,” I interrupted; actually I was only half joking but rounded up. “Of course I’ll look after Bean for you.” Thinking about it they were the ones doing me the favour. The flat seemed so empty without Natalie and a change of scenery was exactly what I needed to keep the blues away.

  Nothing else seemed to be working.

  Chapter 16

  Skye

  Opening the front door I hurriedly entered the alarm code before half of the Boston police department was on the doorstep. Seconds later, Bean appeared with his tongue lolling and his tail wagging. Having him meet me at the door every evening when I came in from work alleviated the loneliness, more than even I thought it would, and it was comforting to hear him excitedly tip tapping his way from room to room before he settled in one of his four beds.

  That’s right. Four. Can we all say pampered pooch?

  “You’re not Natalie, though, are you boy?” I said rubbing his ears and he replied with a small whine of acknowledgment. I inhaled sharply; the sting of missing her was unbearable at times and no matter how hard I tried to escape it, the pervasive ache continued to dog me.

  Huh. But where there’s a pun, there’s a way.

  “And how is my favourite man tonight?” I cooed, picking up the post and leaving it on the antique bureau in the hall. I hung up my coat, kicked off my shoes and removed my suit jacket.

  Much better.

  Bean nudged into my leg as we headed to the utility room. “So how about some chow before our evening stroll? Would sir like,” I scanned the pouches on the shelf, “duck and vegetable casserole? Does that sound like something you would like?” he virtually bounced. “I’ll take that as a yes. And I’m not surprised, it sounds like something I would like.” It’s no wonder he was excited; his feed cost more than Nat and I spent on groceries for a month. “You’re such a good boy. Looking after you is such a doddle, isn’t it?”

  I snorted.

  On one of my first days in charge, we went for a run and got caught in a humongous rainstorm. By the time we made it home we were both soaked to the skin. I towelled off and changed into to dry clothes, but for poor Bean it wasn’t quite as simple.

  I wondered how he felt about the hair dryer?

  I texted the question to Brooke and she sent back a short and to the point reply: WTF? He’s a dog. Give him a quick towel off and he’ll be fine!

  Yeah and that didn’t make me feel stupid. Much.

  A quick change and I was ready for our evening walk. I checked the time on the grandfather clock. Just enough for a quick once around the park and then, “Shall we Facetime Aunty Nat later? Yes? You’d like that?” He ruffed his agreement. “C’mon then, let’s go.”

  One power walk later and I was curled up on the sofa in a silky beige negligée, ready and waiting. “Hey, babe,” I said when I saw her on the computer screen. Her smile rivalled Bean’s when he saw a lake.

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  Everything was (almost) right with the world.

  ***

  Wednesday morning saw me wake with a start. Today was Natalie’s big day; the England squad was due to be announced live on Sky Sports. I could barely contain my excitement as I hurried through my routine before turning on my laptop and opening the Sky Sports website. Natalie called as I literally clicked on the live feed button. This often happened and I liked to think it was because we were so in tune with one another rather than pure coincidence.

  “Are you okay, baby?” I asked.

  “Nervous. I actually feel a little sick, Skye.”

  She did look a little green and I didn’t want to admit to my own feelings of queasiness, so I sought to reassure her. “Hey, there’s absolutely no need to feel nervous. Honestly, if your name doesn’t appear on that screen, I’ll shave my head. That’s how confident I am. I mean I’m no expert, but seven goals in five games is good, right?”

  “Yeah, pretty good.”

  “And it’s not like England set the world alight at the Euros,” I chimed in persuasively, “and do you know why?”

  “No, tell me Dave Bassett,” she laughed.

  “They lacked firepower and you, my sexpot, are a bona fide goal machine.” The green hue was replaced by a small smile.

  “Thanks, Skye.”

  “I only speak the… oh, shush, here it comes.”

  Kirsty Gallagher, the Sky Sports commentator started by announcing the goalkeepers first and then made her way through the team from back to front. “Why can’t they start with the forwards for once,” Natalie muttered.

  I didn’t answer because I was, quite frankly, shitting a brick. The shape of my skull could not carry off a shaved head, and as for my round face. Jesus, forget ‘Dude Looks Like a Lady’ it’ll be a case of ‘Skye Looks Like a Baby. I closed my eyes as we reached the strikers and Harriet Davis’ name was read out.

  Please, please, please…

  “Yes!” Nat shouted elatedly and my eyes snapped back open.

  “Oh my god, woo hoo!” I cheered. “You did it baby, you made the squad!”

  “Hell yeah I did!” All the uncertainty evaporated and my cocky, self-assured Nat was back. I imagined her swagger returning and feeling a stirring down south, I sorely regretted not cancelling my office hours.

  “I’m so proud of you, darling.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without your support Skye. I know the past couple of months have been a trial for both of us, but-”

  “But at least it wasn’t all for nowt,” I smiled. “You’ve no idea how happy I am, Nat, and I wish I could stay and celebrate, but I’m really sorry I have to leave for work. Call me tonight?”

  “Definitely,” Natalie’s voice deepened and her eyes darkened. “Do you think this goal machine can score with you tonight?”

  “Oh absolutely, I expect nothing less than a hat trick.”

  Chapter 17

  Skye

  Adding a handful of fresh mint to the Spanish chicken stew, I poked at the butternut squash with a knife. Forty minutes and it would be done, which gave me just enough time to grab a quick shower. “So, Bean, how do you feel about becoming an honorary laydee, ‘cos Aunty Tess is coming over for a girl’s night and I’m sorry but no boys are allowed.” He yawned, clearly unimpressed. “No? I can’t say I blame you. I’m beginning to think agreeing to speak at her father’s conference wasn’t one of my wisest moves. She was highly strung before, but now it’s like she’s swinging between Jupiter and Mars. I thought her head was going to swivel three hundred and sixty degrees today when I dared to suggest we use Wikipedia as a source.” I sniggered. I was kidding of course, but poor Tess looked like she was going to burst several blood vessels. “So tonight she’s coming over for some r and r.” I leaned over and petted his ears as I whispered conspiratorially, “And to soften her up because I have a favour to ask.” Bean acted as if he understood every word and agreed with each sentiment.

  ***

  “Are you going to Professor Walsh’s Halloween dance?” Tess asked as I opened a second bottle of wine.

  “I might, although costumes have never been a forte of mine.”

  “Me neither. I either look exactly like myself or spend hours explaining the pun I was going for. Hey, I’ve an idea, why don’t we go together?” She said hopefully.

  “Sounds like a plan,” I agreed easily. Halloween was my second favourite holiday. It this would give me the opportunity to redeem myself after last year’s debacle. “Who shall we go as?”

  “How about Black Widow and Hawkeye?”

  “Hmm. Tight black leather and Scarlett Johansson comparisons? Nah, I don’t think so.”

  “Okay… Iron Man and Pepper-”

  “I’m seeing a recurring theme here, Tess. Do you have a secret superhero fetish?”
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  She coloured. “No… no… I’m not some kind of weirdo!” she protested.

  “It’s okay, Tess.” I immediately rushed to smooth her ruffled and embarrassed feathers; she obviously wasn’t used to this kind of banter, or any kind of banter for that matter. “Not that you wouldn’t look absolute fabulous, dahling,” I put on an incredibly shoddy Russian accent, “as the Black Widow, you certainly have the figure for the outfit. Ooh saved by the bell! Hey, baby.” It was Natalie.

  “Hey, sweetie.”

  “You’re calling late.” I checked the time, it was two in the morning in England. “I’m worried you’re becoming an inso… so… maniac.”

  “Insomaniac? Has someone had a few drinks this evening…” she sang.

  “Maybe.” I nodded as Tess poured me another glass.

  “So… whatcha doin’?” Nat turned flirtatious in a heartbeat.

  Shit. “I’m having drinks with Tess.”

  “Ah.”

  “Ah.” Her disappointment was tangible. We’d only managed a couple of short calls since she was reselected for England due to work commitments and time differences. “Later?”

  “Later it’ll be time for me to get up for training. I’ll call tomorrow… Does five pm suit you?” She suddenly became very businesslike.

  “Yes, oh wait, no, Tess and I are taking Bean to Franklin Park after work. Is six okay?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Nat are you there?”

  “Sorry. Yeah six’ll be fine.”

  “Love you,” I said quietly, hoping she could hear exactly how much several thousand miles away.

  “Yeah, sweetheart. Say hi to Tess from me.”

  ***

  The following afternoon I swivelled in my office chair to face my computer screen again. This had been something I’d deliberated on for a few weeks, and last night sealed the deal. Natalie sounded depressed, which was disturbing considering she’d just won back her place in the England squad.

  So I didn’t care if it cost an arm, leg and one kidney (and even half my liver if necessary) I was going home for Thanksgiving.

  Tess returned from the library with a stack of books so high I could barely see the top of her head. She plonked them down on my desk, quickly reaching out to steady them before the leaning tower of books toppled over. “That’s a lot of books you have there, Tess,” I said with a raise of my eyebrows.

  “Research. You said we’d… we’d work on the presentation this weekend?” She was still catching her breath. “I didn’t want a reference book we needed being lent out to someone else, so I procured them all.”

  “Good thinking,” I said, but I actually thought ‘someone shoot me now.’

  “I really enjoyed dinner the other night, Skye,” Tess picked up the top book and started to flick through it.

  “Me too. Actually, Tess, your timing is great; I have a favour to ask. Are you staying in Boston for Thanksgiving, or are you spending it with your parents? It’s just I was hoping-”

  “Oh my god, Skye, yes I’d love to spend Thanksgiving with you!” Tess jumped the gun and was half way round the track.

  What now? Oh and this isn’t awkward. “No, Tess, I’m sorry, I think our wires have crossed. I’m going to England and was hoping you could cover a few classes for me when I’m away.” I wasn’t sure who was redder in the face, it was a close call, but I think my fuchsia beat her rose.

  “Oh. Right. Yes. No. That’s fine,” she blustered. “I’m going home but only for the weekend, so of course I’ll cover for you.”

  “Thanks, Tess, you’re an absolute saint. I’ll make it up to you this weekend.” I stood to give her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “No… no problem,” she stuttered. “I… I’d better go. Class.”

  “We’re still on for the movies tonight, right?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be round about eight.”

  Unexpectedly, Tess and I had become good friends. I say unexpectedly, because she was less like any of my other friends and more like me. She was a little unsure of herself, but when she relaxed and let her wicked sense of humour come out to play, she was actually a lot of fun; she was a genuinely sweet person who had gone out of her way to help me though this difficult period, something I’d always be grateful for.

  I clicked the purchase ticket button and looked at my watch. I had time. Oh how I loved it when a plan came together. “Nat?”

  “Hey, sweetie, this is a surprise. Shouldn’t you be teaching?”

  It was sweet that Nat knew my schedule and it only reinforced my decision. “I will be in about thirty seconds,” I admitted. “So this’ll have to be a quickie.”

  “I’m good but not that good, Skye!” Nat teased.

  “Idiot. I wanted to call and tell you my good news.”

  “Good news?” she asked, mystified.

  “Guess who’s going to be in England for Thanksgiving?” stunned silence followed by a hitch of breath. “Sweetie?”

  “Skye, please don’t mess with me.”

  “I’m not. I just booked my flight. Baby, are you okay?

  “I am now.” I’d expected excitement and wasn’t prepared for Nat’s intensity of emotion.

  “I can only take a few extra days, so I’ll be flying in on Wednesday and out on Tuesday,” I warned.

  “I’d have taken an hour,” she said softly.

  ***

  I finished putting the finishing touches to my costume for the Halloween bash and Skyped Nat to get her opinion. Any excuse, I thought as I smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle. “Hey, babe,” I said, twirling, “what do you think?”

  “Oh wow, Skye! I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. You look incredible and totally despicable, but I still wouldn’t say no.” She winked and I melted – just for a change.

  “I hired a fat suit.” And yes I said it proudly. A few years ago it wouldn’t have been necessary!

  “Really? I thought you’d been missing me and comfort eating.”

  “Cheeky mare,” I sat down and Bean jumped up next to me, his head trying to join the computer on my lap. Yeah it was a fat suit not a morbidly obese suit.

  “Hey, Beanbag, are you looking after Skye for me?”

  “He sure is,” I said, removing Bean so Nat could see me and not up his nostrils.

  After a few moments of silence, Nat reached out as if to touch my face. “I wish I was there,” she said wistfully.

  “Really? Have you forgotten last year?” I asked, hoping to lighten the mood

  “By Christ don’t remind me.” Nat burst out laughing. “That wasn’t embarrassing. At all.” We’d only been in Boston a few weeks when Abby invited us to their Halloween party. When we arrived we were met with silence and blank gapes. Seriously, all that was missing was the whistle and tumbleweed. Most of her teammates were dressed in sexy little numbers… it was like Comicon with wall-to-wall leather clad heroes... Lexa and Catwoman, to name two that I actually recognised. Oh yes and Xena; how could I forget Xena when there were three of her circulating the punch bowl.

  However, her colleagues couldn’t understand why we chose to go as Weird Al Yankovic and Professor Xavier from the X-Men series of films.

  “Going as Little Britain’s Lou and Andy didn’t do our credibility much good, did it?” I raised my eyebrows. Her eyes were twinkling and the lines that had wrinkled her forehead lately were thankfully missing.

  “No, but thanks to the wonder of YouTube a complete catastrophe was diverted.”

  “It wasn’t that bad,” I chuckled. “No one got the humour but at least they didn’t think we were totally insane.”

  “Send a picture when Tess gets there so I can show Jack and Sally! They’ll have kittens seeing their Aunty Skye dressed up as one of their favourite characters evah!”

  The doorbell rang and I groaned. “Sorry, sweetie, that’ll be Tess.”

  “Oh… oh okay. Have a good time and remember, Skye, you only need one minion and that position is already
filled.”

  “You don’t have to remind me, I’ll never forget.” I blew her a kiss and ended the call.

  The party was a blast especially after Tess and I won first prize for best couples costume. I was uber excited because I’d never won anything before. It seems Gru and his minion Dave were far more recognisable than Lou and Andy to the average American.

  And apparently far more apt!

  Chapter 18

  Natalie

  Instead of going for a morning run on my day off, I found myself driving from my digs towards Holy Island. The A1 was mercifully empty at five in the morning, and I was travelling in the right direction too, out of Newcastle. I arrived at the end of the causeway, at just after six am and sipped lukewarm coffee out of a cardboard cup whilst I waited for the waters to sluggishly recede. The parting of the North Sea was slower than its Biblical counterpart, but it provided me a warmth of memory that cheered, which given the way I was feeling was quite the miracle.

  Sitting on a sand dune, I gazed over to the shadowy rock where I’d grown up, and the familiar elongated shape with the bump at the end eased my aching heart slightly. The sun was gradually rising and its pale yellow light filtered through the darkened clouds. I shivered. I could have waited in the car, but I needed to feel the chill in the air to wake me up.

  The thought of losing Skye was tearing me apart.

  I was allowing depression to cloud my judgement, but I couldn’t help it. Every time I called, Tess was there. Every time I connected with Skye, the call was cut short.

  Because Tess was there.

  I loathed feeling needy.

  I owned few regrets in life, but taking this loan deal was one of them. It was doing amazing things for my career, but when it came to the important stuff, like my relationship with Skye, I was losing out. I smiled to myself, a dreamy one. I couldn’t wait to see Skye again. I missed feeling her body next to mine when we snuggled in bed. I missed seeing her chocolate eyes darken with passion, or brighten when she threw her head back and laughed. God how I missed that laugh of hers. It was pure unrestrained joy at living. It wasn’t one she shared very often, but when she did? It eclipsed the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky.