62 Days (13 page)

“
I didn’t expect you to move in quite so fast so I wasn’t very organised. I had to make do with what I could find in the fridge.”

“
I am over the moon to be moved in so fast. I don’t care what we celebrate with.”

“
What would you like first then? A drink, a strawberry or a big chocolate.” He asks as he pours the champagne out.

“
I’ll have all three.” I pop a chocolate and strawberry in my mouth and take a big fizzy gulp of my champagne. “Well that was lovely. Fizzy, strawberry chocolate. Your turn now.”

“
I might just have a go at that.” Mark goes for the triple oral heaven as well.

We have a fun filled strawberry champers choco fest and then drink all the rest of the drink. I am definitely feeling a little lightheaded. I can see Mark is a touch glassy eyed as well. We then have a rather raunchy half drunk sex filled session on our bed to conclude our little love picnic.

“
So that’s it now. I’m officially moved in am I?” I lay back exhausted from our hot romp.

“
You are.”

“
It’s a shame we have to go to work tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“
Two days to struggle through and then I’m yours to play with.”

“
Is it really a struggle for you?”

“
Sometimes. There’s way too much going on in my head.”

“
Promote someone as your deputy and delegate some of it then.”

“
I know I should, I just can’t seem to get round to it.”

“
Tell Caroline she’s it… there, done.”

“
Caroline is an acquisitions expert. I don’t think she knows the first thing about running a business.”

“
Well neither did you to begin with. Give her some simple things to do, pass other things over gradually. Let her deal with your accountants, admin, I don’t know, there must be a lot she can do, surely? Better still you can keep doing the things you like and give her the things you don’t… Mark, I’m sure she’ll do a good job, especially if she gets more money… that usually works wonders on people’s enthusiasm for learning new things and taking on extra responsibility.”

“
You know what? You’re absolutely right. Caroline is going to be promoted tomorrow morning, whether she likes it or not.”

“
Oh she’ll like it, I’m sure of that.”

“
A huge weight has been lifted fom my head already. Rachel Olivia Collins, what a wonder you are.”

“
Helping overstressed executives manage their workload is one of my specialities.”

My phone suddenly bleeps and I pick it up. It’s Suze of course.

“H
ow’s things?”

“H
ow about this … I’ve just moved in with Mark.”

“We
ll he’s a fast worker – he’ll have the ring on your finger before the week is out.”

“W
hat is it with you – shut up about that.”

“
I like deep purple, silver grey or magenta, when you get round to choosing the bridesmaids dresses.”

“
Stop it. He’s right next to me. Come round tomorrow at 7 for a drink and a chat.”

“
And SB?”

“
OK.”

Mark was watching me smiling like an idiot and texting back and forth like mad on my phone. I stopped smiling quickly.

“
It’s just Suze. We were having a quick chat. I asked her round tomorrow evening at 7 for dinner. Is that okay?”

“
That’s fine with me. You can have whoever you want round. It’s your place too now. You don’t need my permission.”

“
You’ll have to suffer my spaghetti bolognese because for some inexplicable reason Suze loves it.”

“
I’m sure it’s lovely, everything else you do is.”

“
My cooking isn’t that great I can assure you. I haven’t got a clue.”

“
I can show you some things sometime, if you want me to?”

“
I’d love that” Mr sexy chef offering to show me his hotter than hot food tips… I’m suddenly feeling full of cooking desire. “You’re such a sweetie.”

“
I know.”

My gaze travels across to the box with a bow for the hundredth time tonight. “So… what the bloody hell is in that box?” I can’t wait another second.

“
Ah well, that’s something a little special for you.”

I can see it’s far too big for a ring, so I can relax a little.

“
Can I open it then?”

“
Yes, go on…”

I am quite excited as I open it. I have absolutely no idea what it could be. I untie it slowly savouring the moment. I see another lovely box inside with the word Rolex on it.

“Oh my, y
ou’ve bought me a Rolex watch?”

“
Yes, I hope you like it.”

I open it up. It’s a DateJust 36 diamond and pink flower ladies Rolex watch. My eyes are completely watch lovestruck. “I really love it. It’s so beautiful. Put it on me…”

I get it out of the box and he puts it on. “Come here Mr Lovely. I want to say thank you for my rather extravagant moving in present.” I am officially over the moon twice in one day.

***

Mark arrived home on Thursday evening and told me how he had gone ahead with my suggestion and promoted Caroline to Head of Operations and she had been very pleased indeed. Especially when she saw how much her salary increased. He had given her a lot of his work straight away and had some other things to give her next week.

I was busy cooking up my special SB ready for Suze’s arrival.

She turned up on the dot. Suze is a very punctual person. I get a bear hug on the doorstep. Mark was upstairs when I let her in.

“
You look like the cat that got the cream.” Suze said smiling widely.

“
Well I have.”

She spotted my new watch within a nanosecond of her arrival. Not much gets past Suze. She has eyes like a hawk. She gripped my arm in a vice like manner and looked at it.

“
My God Ray, that’s a Rolex DateJust… when did he give you that?”

“
Last night as a moving in present.”

She got out her phone and flicked about on it.

“
What are you doing?” I asked her curiously.

She showed me my watch on eBay. Suze knows a lot about expensive things.

“
That’s at least twelve thousand pounds worth of watch on your wrist. Be careful with it!”

I thought it might be expensive, but that was a lot… “I will.” I just about managed to splutter.

“
So where’s Mr hot stuff then?”

I called him down.

“
Hello Suzanne.” He gave her a big smile and I don’t believe it, she is blushing. I’ve never seen Suze blush in my life!

“
Hello Mark.” She smiled back a little shyly, all pink cheeked. I can see she is trying very hard not to lust over my boyfriend. She seemed to be having trouble though.

I finished cooking the spaghetti while Mark poured us all a small drink. The three of us sat down to eat.

“
Well, this was a rather sudden turn of events. You moving in here I mean.” Suze announced.

“
It certainly was, I didn’t need to be asked twice, did I Mark?”

“
You hardly needed to be asked once.” He gave me a big smile. “She had me in the car collecting her things the second I suggested she might like to think about it.” He said to Suze.

“
Well I can’t help it if I love you to pieces.” I protested.

“
I’m very happy you’re here and that you’re so decisive Ray.”

We continue to chat about this and that, Sam and Suze and arranging a dinner date in the future. We finally finish our meal.

“
Well you surpassed yourself today. Your SB was fab.” Suze is definitely my number one fan.

“
I think so too.” Mark added genuinely.

I am glowing with pride for my small culinary achievement, even if it is mainly out of a jar.

“
So what have you two got planned for the weekend?” Suze asked with a wicked little smile directed at me.

I resisted the urge to kick her under the table.

“
Nothing much. Just lazing around in here” Mark replied with a little grin in her direction.

I gave Suze a ‘See, no marriage proposal likely to be going on here’ look.

We took all the plates through to the kitchen and Mark tidied up whilst I gave Suze the grand tour.

We went upstairs and were finally standing in our bathroom when Suze suddenly said “It’s all great, the house, you two… he’s so lovely I could eat him.”

“
I know.” I replied. “I eat him a lot, one way or another.” She gave me a big wide eyed ‘oh really’ look. I don’t usually say things like that.

“
I have to be going now, seeing Sam later, but call me when it happens, okay?”

“
Oh for God’s sake. Have you got a crystal ball or something?”

“
No, just fantastic intuition.”

“
Well I’m telling you your intuition is way out of whack in this case. I don’t think he wants to get married. He had a bad experience not that long ago.”

“
You can say what you like, I’m sticking with my intuition. Give me a call, okay?”

I laugh. I’m now convinced. She really is nuts.

Friday night is here. We are both so looking forward to our first weekend cohabiting.

It is a very warm September evening, we seem to be in the middle of a mini heatwave. We are sitting outside on the deck watching the sunset with a drink. Mark suddenly asks me a question.

“
Do you want to have children?”

Oh heavens, this is a big one… “Well yes, of course I do.” I hope this is the right answer and that he isn’t of the same mind as his friend Daniel. Children are so important to me.

“
What shall we call ours?”

I nearly choked on my G & T. “I don’t know. That’s something for a later date, isn’t it?”

“
I like Joshua and Nathan for boys and Emma and Sophie for girls.” Mark carried on.

“
Yes, they’re very sweet names. We can think about that one day.” This is a very strange and rather premature conversation I think to myself.

But it’s about to get stranger.

“C
an we think about it now?”

“
Mark are you being serious?”

“I’ve never been more
 serious.”

“
You would actually like to have children now?”

“
That just about sums it up.”

“
But why the rush?”

“
Well… I love kids. I don’t want to be an older parent. I really want to have them with you… I can’t see any reason to wait for years, or even months.”

“
But I’ve only known you a few weeks and I’ve just moved in…” I am very surprised at Mark’s broodiness. I would never have thought this about him. I wonder if Charlotte turning up pregnant the other day has tipped him over the edge.

“
Is that a definite no then?”

“No, I haven’t decided yet. I’m a little stunned. Can I have a while to think about it?”

“
You don’t have to give me an answer this second.”

My mind is a whirl. Suze got this a little wrong. He might be proposing this weekend, but not marriage. It seems he wants a family first. There’s nothing like the new modern back to front way of doing things, is there?

I go to bed in a strange mood. I don’t know if I’m ready to be a parent yet. I know I’m more than old enough in terms of years, but I rather hoped to have some time with Mark on our own before little Marks and Rachels start to appear.

He turns towards me. “I’m sorry Ray. I shouldn’t have sprung it on you so suddenly. It’s not fair on you.”

“
That’s okay, I’ve got over the surprise now. At least I know you want them, unlike your friend Daniel. How’s that progressing anyway?”