Chapter Seven
1323 Words
"I guess we'd better take separate cars," I remarked, taking in the situation as we left the house and I closed the door behind me.
"Nah, I'll run you back later, no prob."
"Are you sure?"
"Pos, don't you worry," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close as we walked to his car.
It was cold and a bit windy, but we were still laughing and joking about going swimming.
It felt so right to be with him, we were so at ease, and it was so normal, familiar and fun.
"So where do you live?" I asked, "you'll see," he said mysteriously.
"Come on! Don't forget I grew up here." I reminded him.
"I know, but I want to surprise you!"
We drove for around 5 minutes. I know this for a fact because Bohemian Rhapsody hadn’t finished playing when he pulled up in a driveway. Huge double iron gates blocked our way.
I looked around, "you live here?" I asked grinning,
"yeah, I told you I would someday!"
I laughed, of course he would have bought the place we had both eyed while growing up. "yeah I know... I believed you too, I knew that if you put your mind to something you'd do it." I said, he grinned, as he touched a button on his rear-view mirror which caused the massive wrought iron gates to open.
"Welcome to Baker’s Palace,” he said with a laugh. I burst out giggling, “is that seriously what you named your house?”
“Yep- why not?”
I shrugged, “no reason why not- call your house whatever you want… it’s just a bit cheesy.” I burst into giggles, as he drove up the now-open driveway, parking in front of a massive house. The garden was huge I could tell, but I couldn't make much out cause it was quite dark.
“Come on then!" he said, I grinned at the way he seemed so eager to show me around.
We got out of the car, the wind was a lot stronger here, the car door was almost wrenched out of my hand as I opened it, "come on," he said again, taking my hand and guiding me towards the main door.
"Ok, now close your eyes," he said playfully as he opened the huge main door, "no peeking!" he said covering my eyes. "Don't you trust me?" I asked, "no!" he answered laughing, "Ok, now march!"
"OK..." I said, "Mind there's a ..." he began to say, "OWWW!" I yelled, cutting his sentence short.
"Are you Ok?" he asked, not taking his hands away from my eyes, "yeah I'll live!" I said laughing, "could you guide me a little bit more carefully if we're playing at being blind? I'd really like to get there in one piece with as few bumps and bruises as possible!"
"Of course. But it wasn't my fault! I was telling you to be careful when you hit it! Ok, there are three steps straight ahead."
"Three steps?"
"Yep."
"Look, Matt, what's the big surprise?" I asked, getting a little tired of stumbling on the steps, there seemed to be a lot more than three!
"You'll see... Actually you can see right now." he said as he took his hands away, I blinked, "wow!" I gasped as I looked around, "I knew you were ambitious but I didn't know that you wouldn't settle for less than a palace!!"
"Yeah well... Hang on," he said looking in the direction of the lounge. "What...?"
"You'll see... Hey, Lexie! Rupert!" he called
And then I heard them, the fast pattering of paws on the floor as two huge dogs came bounding out, I laughed as they jumped up at him, tails wagging furiously, "I should have guessed," I laughed, "so which is which?"
"Most of my fans would answer you that!"
"I have better things to do with my time than read up on your pets!" I teased, "ok, this is Lexie, and this is Rupert..."
I grinned as I knelt down, "hey..." I whispered as they came to check me out, laughing as they brushed against me, licking my hands... "They like you," he said, sounding surprised, I looked up, "why wouldn't they?" I asked, "well... It usually takes them a while, they don't usually trust just anyone..."
"Well, there's your answer... I'm not just anyone!" I said getting up, "so how about that tour?"
"Come this way..." he said taking my hand once more and leading me through a passage, "Ok, stop!"
"Are you gonna blindfold me again?" I asked grinning, "No, but I'd like to," he said, "Ok, my eyes are closed!" I said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"Pos?"
"Why don't you believe me?"
"Ok, I believe you..." he said putting his hands on my shoulders and gently pushing me in front of him through the door, "just a question... Are there any steps?" I asked.
"Nope!"
"Are you going to blindfold me before you show me every single room here?"
"No. Only my favorites!"
"Ok, just as long as they're not all your favorites!" I said laughing.
"Well..."
"I know... You love the whole house, but if you blindfold me before you show me each room there's no way we'll finish before dawn!"
"So we'll watch it together. You know, I've got the perfect place..."
"Are you usually up at dawn?"
"Well, I usually can't sleep so, yeah, I'm usually up to watch the dawn... It's inspiring."
"Sounds great... Can I open my eyes now?"
"Yep!"
"Whoa! Billiards!" I exclaimed.
"Can you play?"
"No, but I've always wanted to learn. You started to teach me but then... You left."
"No one else took over?"
"I didn't want anyone else to teach me!" I explained simply, "but I can remember a few of your tips... It's been a while though."
"Show me..." he said grinning and taking a seat, "Is that a bar?" I asked looking at the far end, "yep..."
"Well, if I may..." I said starting to make my way over, "my teacher told me that a drink was always needed to help..."
"No, the teacher needed a drink to give him something to do while the student..."
I laughed, "Ok, I get it!" I said, knowing that he was referring to how long it used to take me to actually hit a ball, let alone pocket one!
Visions flashed across my mind of the 'lessons', the way he would mould into my back, fitting against me snugly, much more interested in whispering in my ear than actually telling me anything useful to do with the game.
I remembered the way it ended more than often: me on the table, him standing, my legs wrapped around his hips; game abandoned!
"Let me show you round first then we'll come back to this, Ok?" he said, ending the daydream.
"I'm not that bad!" I protested.
"I know, but I think you need to revise some of the past lessons... Come on."
I grinned wondering which lessons he was referring to, secretly hoping for the ones I'd been fantasising about moments before, although knowing that he was talking about the real lessons when he gave me a few good tips... I didn't have time to answer as he grasped my hand, "this whole floor is boring and it only shows in the morning when the sunlight shines..." he said turning towards the stairs.
"How many guest rooms have you got?" I asked after he'd showed me the first five, "I don't exactly know!" he said grinning, "I've got two..." I said laughing,
"Yeah... I've got wings too."
"You haven't!" I laughed.
"I have, an east wing and a west wing..."
"Ohhhh!" I said understanding, "those wings..."
"You thought I meant bird wings?"
I nodded and burst out laughing, "I could just picture you jumping out of the window!" I gasped still laughing as he led me further along the passage, "Ok, close your eyes," he said, turning to me, "not again!" I moaned, he'd insisted on blindfolding me before showing me every room until then, "last room!" he said, "you've said that the last five times!" I reminded him laughing, "make them six!" he said, "ok, march!"
"This is my room!" he said, "looks great, but I think maybe I'd like it more if I could see it..."
"Maybe..." he said, uncovering my eyes.
***
- Writer
