Desperately Seeking - By Evelyn Cosgrave Page 0,33

for ever.’

‘I know. I’m sorry. I had to get a later flight. The meeting ran late. The traffic was unbelievable. I’m sorry.’

‘You look tired.’

‘I am.’

‘I love you.’

Then he walked across to where I was lying on the bed. He bent low and kissed me. ‘I love you too.’

I wanted to climb inside that kiss and hide away for ever. ‘What will we do? Will we go out and get dinner? I saw a gorgeous place on the corner.’

‘Oh, Kate, I’m exhausted, absolutely wrecked. All I’m fit for is sleep. We’ll do Paris tomorrow. We’ll see everything. I promise you.’

‘Oh. OK.’

If there was complete devastation written across my face, it was unintentional.

‘Ah, Kate, don’t do this. I’ve been up since six. I haven’t stopped all day. Just let me sleep. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise.’

‘OK. I’m tired too.’

Tired of waiting.

I went to the bathroom to wash my teeth, and when I returned he was already in bed, practically asleep. He grunted something, which I took to be a request to get in beside him but I ignored it. Fatigued as I was, I wasn’t ready for sleep yet. I leaned over him, kissed his forehead and told him I was going out for a walk. He mumbled something else and I left the room. As I passed the concierge he barely acknowledged me. It wasn’t the same guy as before but he wore the same expression.

The night was cooler than I had expected and I had forgotten to bring a jacket. Maybe a jolt of cold air was what I needed. I knew I was being a touch unreasonable but I thought it was perfectly understandable. Sure, he’d had a long day, I could see he was exhausted, but he must know how important this night was for me. For us. I had spent the entire day without talking to anybody who wasn’t in some way paid to talk or listen to members of the public. I had spent my day waiting for him. And now here he was, asleep before he could even ask how I was. My flight hadn’t been so great. I had been delayed for an hour and a half. One of my bags had been mislaid. I didn’t have enough clothes for the next couple of days. I was hungry. I’d been waiting to have dinner with him. I had drunk too much, just when I’d decided to cut back. I’d been lonely all day. I was still lonely.

I decided to turn back towards the hotel. I was finding it hard to think while having to keep in mind how far I’d wandered. There was no one to turn to if I got lost. Another couple was waiting for the lift as I approached. They acknowledged me, then returned to their contemplation of each other. They got out on the floor before mine.

I opened the bedroom door as quietly as possible. Daniel was snoring loudly. I undressed and got in beside him. Eventually, I was asleep too.

∗

But tomorrow was a new day. Daniel woke first and before I had even adjusted to where I was he was edging my pyjama bottoms over my knees and himself as close as my sleepy state allowed. Realizing suddenly that we were finally here, that we had actually spent the night together, I forgot any misgivings I’d had and plunged on to him. It was wonderful – I loved him and we were on our own for two full days. It would be as if there was only the two of us, no wife, no kids, no work, just us. It would be perfect.

And that morning was. After our lovemaking (Daniel’s energies were well restored), we decided to have breakfast in one of the many authentic restaurants on the surrounding streets. The hotel dining room seemed too provincial, too much for tourists. We had the whole city to explore. The very place I had wanted to have dinner the previous evening was open. We sat outside, even though it was almost too cold, and indulged in strong aromatic coffee and hot buttery croissants. It tasted like heaven. This breakfast tasted like every breakfast I ever wanted to have again. Daniel was in great form: either he was intent on making it up to me for the night before, or he was truly as happy as I was.

‘I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day,’ he said, placing a morsel of croissant in my mouth. ‘I was