Cock & Bull - Laura Barnard Page 0,36
still be around, maybe she could help me with the pub…
Nothing…
Nah. What am I thinking? Great Aunt Breda must have been off her rocker. I’m fine. Totally fine. Just in need of a good night’s sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
Monday 12th October
After a rather slow, and thankfully uneventful, day at the funeral home I’m completely drained. I decide to treat myself to a bubble bath. A bath always makes everything feel better. It helps that it’s also a rebellion against my parents.
We were never allowed baths. Well, our camper van didn’t have one anyway, but our parents, being the eco warrior protesters that they are, insisted we only ever have showers and even then they could only last two minutes. I know how wasteful a bath is. How many showers you could have with all of the bath water. But right now, I don’t care. I need a hot bath to soothe my tired, weary muscles.
Plus I’ll end up taking it out to the garden in a watering can to water the already overgrown garden. I hate that I can’t just let it go down the drain wasted. Stupid saving the planet soul.
I ease myself into the too hot water, careful not to wet my thumb. Although healing it’s still sensitive as hell, especially in different temperatures. Not that it’s looking great; the nail has started to grow back. I should really book a doctor’s appointment to get it checked over, but I haven’t even registered with a surgery yet. I’ve no idea where the nearest doctor’s surgery even is.
I manage to get my body submerged and dunk my head under the water. I might as well wash my hair while I’m here. I hold my breath, liking the feeling of shutting everything out. Under here there’s no pressure to succeed. It’s just me and the water. The only thought in my head, a simple reminder to breathe. This is the only type of meditation I’ll ever be able to do.
Something makes the still water jump and I sit up abruptly, expecting to find Suki has barged her way in. I stare back at Clooney, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. What the hell is he doing in here? I put the sock on the door. I told him this bathroom didn’t have a lock. The sock on the door is code for occupied. His eyes lower and I’m reminded that I’m naked.
I clutch my breasts. ‘Agh! Get the fuck out!’ I scream, ducking down lower in the water.
He snaps out of whatever trance he’s been in and turns around, scrambling at the door handle. He finally finds it and yanks at it so hard that the handle comes off in his hand.
He turns around to me, holding it out, eyes almost popping out of their sockets. I duck my chest further into the water.
‘Dude!’ I shout. ‘What the hell?’
‘Sorry!’ he shouts back, turning so his back is facing me. He tries in vain to reattach the door handle, but it’s clear it’s not going to work. The strong bloody idiot.
‘Didn’t you see the sock on the door?’ I screech.
‘Obviously not.’ I can feel him rolling his eyes.
‘Really?’ I snort sarcastically. ‘How convenient.’
‘Please.’ He turns to face me. ‘If I wanted to see a naked woman, I’d just call any one of the girls on my phone.’
I manage to cover my boobs with a face cloth and if I pull my body close to the edge of the tub, he won’t be able to see my lady bits.
‘Ugh, you’re such an arrogant pig,’ I cry, but my heart is pounding. ‘Pass me my towel, keep your eyes turned that way.’ I stab my finger to the door.
He smiles smugly, before turning back around. ‘I’m just telling the truth.’ There’s a pause. ‘What towel?’
Oh my fuck. I haven’t forgotten my towel too? The moment he says it, I know. I can vividly remember laying it on the bed.
I sigh. I can’t even have a bath in peace. ‘Whatever. Call one of your skanks now to come and let you out. I was trying to relax in here.’
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and frowns. ‘Shit, it’s dead.’
‘Oh for God’s sake. So neither of us can get out of here?’
He bites his bottom lip. It’s annoying how sexy it is.
‘Afraid not. We’ll have to wait until Ella comes up. Well, unless you can get through those bars.’ He points towards the metal bars over the windows. I knew those bars would end