Chapter Five
Kelly moved to hug Shelly, and Dean stepped away from the doorway, where he had been shamelessly listening, after being stopped and captivated by the unexpected sight of Shelly sitting in a damp towel that barely covered anything of her delightful curves.
He had been rooted to the spot as he had stared like a love-struck teenager - gazing hopelessly at the object of his affections.
She was to put it simply - stunning.
He had listened to the affection in her voice, as she had encouraged her parent to abandon Shelly, in pursuit of her own happiness.
The love and pure joy that Shelly seemed to have for her mother; who at this very moment might be embarking on a new adventure. She had not an ounce of jealousy or doubt for her parent.
Shelly appeared to be a beautiful woman, both inside and out, he had spent the entire afternoon and evening with her, and not once been bored or annoyed by her. Even when drunk she had been fun but with a natural dignity which would always keep her in good stead. Dean thought that with just a little more time and encouragement then he might be in serious danger of falling in love with her - she was so much like the fantasy woman, which he had always dreamt that he would one day marry.
Thankfully Brian had mentioned her recent breakup, and so he figured that she would be running shy of men for the moment, and by the time she was perhaps ready to start another relationship, then he would more than likely be long gone.
He was not sure that he was ready to commit just yet to a permanent relationship, and he felt sure that if he got involved with Shelly, then it would evolve of its volition. In short he felt that too much time with Shelly would never be enough - he would be in danger of becoming obsessed - addicted to her.
He shook his head regretfully as he strolled silently down the stairs, where he sat down at the table and nursed the mug of coffee, which he had poured for himself.
Kelly's kitchen was a long and narrow affair at the utensils end, but the top end opened up to a nice square section, which was big enough to comfortably accommodate a table and four chairs.
He sat lost in thought, as he tried to dislodge the image of Shelly in that little skimpy bath towel or the image of Shelly as she had turned in his arms last night and told him that she wanted his kiss - a lot.
He remembered the very first moment that he had laid eyes on her - just yesterday afternoon and how the world had swayed and then stalled and for a single moment in time, it was as if she was the only other person in the room, the building or even on the entire planet.
He remembered Shelly sitting on that chair with that towel wrapped around her body, but showing off the slender length of her thighs, and the little trail of water which he was just itching to wipe away...
"Good morning." Kelly came ghosting into the kitchen a short time later, and interrupted his reverie.
She gave him a bright enquiring smile. "Did you sleep okay? Good, and I am glad that you found the coffee pot, would you like some breakfast... or more aptly what would you like for breakfast, eggs, bacon?" she breezed on cheerfully as she began to pull eggs and bacon from her refrigerator and dumped them on the side.
Dean wondered if she was normally this cheerful or whether she was making a special effort just for him... either way he wished that she would just stop it!
"Good morning!"
Dean winced at the loud and jovial greeting, and turned to glare at his employee.
Brian looked a little green around the gills this morning, and his bright smile was about as forced as Dean had ever seen, from this usually cheerful man.
He grinned back maliciously. "Good morning to you too, how about a light breakfast, and then we go out for a run - to get the blood flowing again."
Brian's complexion turned grey, and he looked positively sick at the mere thought of going for a run.
"Aye, that might be just what the doctor ordered," he said weakly.
Dean chuckled as he sipped at his cooling coffee.
"Never mind," he said lightly. "I've no more stomach for it than you have."
Brian's shoulders sagged with relief, but he didn't say anything as Kelly placed a plate of hot food in front of Dean.
He was tucking enthusiastically into the very well-cooked breakfast that Kelly had produced for him, when Shelly made her entrance.
"Good morning," she said quietly as she sat down across from him.
He swallowed the food, and smiled at her. "Good morning, Shelly, can I pour you a cup of coffee - or anything?" he put his knife and fork down on his plate, and prepared to stand.
"No, oh please no, you finish your breakfast - I can quite happily take care of myself," she spluttered anxiously.
"There is no need for either of you to move though," Kelly cut in as she placed a mug in front of Shelly. "Breakfast will be five minutes hun," she said to Shelly with a little smile.
"Thank you," Shelly grinned back at her from a still pale face, and picked up the mug to sip the coffee.
It seemed that they were all feeling the after effects of the night before - and suffering with it.
Whilst the men finished demolishing their breakfast, Kelly served up two more plates, for Shelly and herself, and then joined them at the table.
She ate a couple of forkfuls of food, and after swallowing it down with coffee, she looked at Shelly.
"So, we will have to get together at some point soon, to organise ourselves for Christmas," she said brightly, "I know it's still a couple of months away - but if we start early, we can make it a good one."
"Why, what are you doing for Christmas?" Brian asked with interest.
Shelly glanced quickly at Dean, but since he was busy finishing his breakfast, she concentrated on her cousin instead.
"As you know, Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill are going off on their cruise soon - which will take them away until after the New Year."
"Yes, I had heard something about that from someone... everyone thought that since Kelly would be safely married by then, it would all be fine."
"Well, anyway, my mum has also gone away, and isn't likely to be back until after the New Year as well."
"Your mum? But she was there last night? I saw her - I spoke to her?" he frowned in confusion.
Shelly grinned. "Yes it was all a bit last minute... Uncle Pete had to go abroad - something to do with business I guess, and he invited mum to travel with him for a bit... it was all a very last minute, whim sort of thing, but she is even as we speak, on her way to the airport with him."
"Ah!" Brian said with a returning grin. "That will be good news for the family... we have all been wondering for a while now, what was keeping him from making a commitment to your mum, we all knew that she had become quite reliant on him after your dad died, emotionally I mean. We were worried about how your mum might react if he decided to go off on his travels again - I mean to lose your dad and then Pete as well..."
"Mum is stronger than the family might give her credit for!" Shelly snapped at his condescending remarks. "I am sorry that you all seem to have such a low opinion of mum that you all might feel that she can't function without a man to hang on to."
A dull colour came to Brian's cheeks, and Shelly felt the guilt rushing through her, he had not meant anything demeaning by his comments, and she knew that, but she just hated the opinion of her mother that Brian might be giving to Dean.
"No one thinks like that about Aunt Maureen," Brian protested heatedly. "We all love her to bits, and we all worry for her - after all we know how much she loved your dad, how utterly devastated she was, when he died."
A tear welled up in Shelly's eye, but she brushed it away irritably. "Well it looks like she might finally be getting over it, and picking up her life again, but..." she fixed a smoky blue eye on her cousin. "I would really appreciate it if you did not go around shouting about it, to all and sundry - I don't think that would help anyone!"
"Brian wouldn't do that," Kelly said patting his arm soothingly, as his lips tightened in offence. "We won't say anything to anyone - we promise, but if anyone does ask where she is - which they soon will; what should we say?"
"I don't know," Shelly shrugged, "I'm still getting my head around it myself - I hadn't gotten as far as announcing it to the family!"
"So maybe we should just tell them the truth - or a bit of the truth," Kelly offered. "That Uncle Pete had to go travelling for a bit and he invited your mum along, because he thought it would be good for her... if we all keep it casual then everyone else will keep it casual as well."
"They will still speculate though."
"Well that much is a given, but if all that we know, is that they are travelling together; then we cannot say anything else - and no one can pester us for more information, can they?" she said pointedly to Brian.
"Me, I really do know nothing - as usual!" Brian shook his head irritably.
He sounded so petulant about it, that Kelly giggled, and Dean chuckled, and as the tension in the room lifted, Shelly and Brian looked at each other and laughed as well.
"I'm sorry for snapping at you like that!" Shelly offered. "I guess I am still reeling a bit from yesterday and last night."
"Well you - all three of you seemed to mean business," Dean grinned. "I don't think I have ever seen a trio on such a mission, but I can't remember though, the last time I had quite so much fun."
Brian looked almost relieved, and Shelly wondered why; surely, he wasn't that worried about his friend's opinion of him?
"Any way back to the original point," Kelly said after eating some more of her breakfast. "Me and Shelly are both on our own this year, and so we thought that we might as well spend Christmas together."
"Ah," Brian said with a little grin, as he pushed his empty plate away and picked up his mug. "I don't suppose you fancy taking pity on your poor cousin here and inviting me to your festivities?"
Kelly and Shelly both looked surprised. "I thought that you would spend it with your mum or dad - like you usually do?"
Brian sighed. "Since their divorce, it's difficult, if I spend it with one then I am betraying the other... and since they are both in new relationships this year, then I would not be missed at either of their houses - not really anyway."
He looked so hopeful, that neither Shelly nor Kelly could deny him - and anyway Brian could always be counted on for the fun factor.
They both grinned at each other.
"Three it is then!" they said in unison.
"Unless you would care to take pity on a fourth lonely soul," Dean's mouth said before his brain could stop him.
