From Friends to Lovers

We drove back up the next morning after another leisurely breakfast, and the rest of the day was spent sitting on the swing in the summerhouse, talking and enjoying the early autumn sunshine. "Now we've got all the measurements, we can confirm to the decorators and the carpet guy," Beth nodded, making a note.

"They'll need someone to be there, to let them in if nothing else," I mused. "But I don't think we're quite ready to move down more or less permanently, are we? Until the furniture's delivered, we don't have anywhere to put anything, and boxes and stuff would just be in the way."

"Sarah's back from New York this week," Beth remembered. "And she did say she'd give us a hand if we needed her to."

"That'll really help," I agreed. "But probably we - or one of us, at least - should look in fairly often, make sure we're happy with everything."

Beth threw me a grin. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were angling to get the lovely Sarah by herself in that big empty house. That kitchen table?"

I must have looked shocked, and her expression softened. "Tim, I trust you. I know you love me, and the last few weeks have only put that further beyond any doubt. You don't ever need to be afraid to tell me that you think somebody's attractive."

She reached to touch my hand. "If you do find yourself on your own with Sarah, and - what was it Grandad said about Henry IV? - then do your best to make her happy, and tell me all about it afterwards."

Beth grinned again. "Probably all that'll happen is I'll want to tear your clothes off right there and then, and let you do the same to me."

She fanned her face. "Phew - d'you think it's a bit warm in here?"

"The grass is still lovely and cool," I hinted, and she nodded. "Maybe your turn to pick leaves out of your hair, though..."

***

The next day we made phone calls, then in the afternoon Beth rang Sarah. "How was New York?" she queried, throwing me a grin.

She listened to Sarah's reply, and her eyebrows rose. "Oh, yes, I've heard of that place. Gosh, Sarah, that's really thoughtful - I can't wait to see what you got me."

I gave her a questioning glance, and Beth covered the phone for a moment. "My secret - well, for now at least," she teased.

She looked at her notebook. "Are you still OK to open up and stuff, Sarah? We've worked it out so the decorators go from top to bottom, then the carpet guy follows - they say they can get it done in a week."

Sarah's response was obviously positive, and Beth looked relieved. "We'll come down on - Thursday night OK, Tim?"

I nodded. "And we'll definitely treat her to dinner on Friday as a thank-you."

"Did you catch that?" Beth asked Sarah. "OK - see you then - and thanks again."

Beth put her phone back in her bag. "That's great. We can even take some of our stuff with us when we go, they'll definitely have finished our bedroom by Thursday."

We spent the next couple of days packing, Beth checking progress with Sarah a couple of times. "She says everything's fine, she thinks the colours we picked really work."

Finally Thursday afternoon came, and I folded the back seats of the car down, Beth helping me to jigsaw boxes and bags into the space. "It really feels like you're going," my father ventured.

"Only for a long weekend," Beth promised. "Most of the furniture isn't coming till this time next week."

She grinned at me. "Then Tim has to spend the weekend after that doing flatpack, mostly."

"I like it," I shrugged.

We set off, the car feeling distinctly heavier to drive, and Beth looked at me with obvious anticipation in her face. "I just know it'll look exactly how we imagined it."

We stopped off at a supermarket to pick up groceries - "I fancy Chinese," Beth ventured as she picked up a 'meal-for-two' from the shelf - and by the time we reached the house, it was late afternoon. "We can unpack the car later," Beth decided. "Just drop the shopping in the hall."

She turned the key to open the door, and closed her eyes, breathing in. "Oh, I love the smell - new carpet, just a hint of fresh paint. Come on, let's go upstairs."

The carpets were already in place on the stairs and landing, and Beth kicked off her shoes. "Mm, this feels gorgeous."

I followed her to the master bedroom, and stopped in the doorway. "Wow..."

The afternoon sun slanted in through the windows, creating bright rectangles on the carpet, and the still air was warm. The walls glowed with the yellow we'd chosen, the dark colour of the woodwork making a gleaming primary contrast.

Beth came into my arms. "It's beautiful."

"You're more beautiful," I murmured, my face buried in her hair.

She slipped out of my arms again. "I just can't resist."

I watched as she shed clothes, sprawling half-in, half-out of one of the patches of light. "Come on - when stuff's in here it won't feel the same," she grinned.

I quickly undressed and joined her. "I know," she said, pillowing her head on my chest, "we can bring the mattress down from the attic, sleep in here."

"Sounds perfect."

I kissed her hair. "Hungry yet?"

"Mm, yes, actually."

We went down to the kitchen, and Beth busied herself unpacking bags while I looked at the instructions on our Chinese meal. "Twenty minutes," I estimated.

I slid trays into the Aga, then put the kettle on. "Coffee?"

"Mm, please."

We sat at the kitchen table. "So the carpets will be finished tomorrow," Beth made a tick in her notebook.

"Means we actually have to put some clothes on in the morning," I teased.

"OK," she chuckled. "And for Sarah, too. What shall we make her for dinner? Or did you want to go out?"

I shook my head. "In's good. We got steak, potatoes, some peas and stuff, didn't we. And I picked up a couple of bottles of wine."

"Don't forget the chocolate ice cream," Beth grinned.

I checked the oven. "Think this is ready. You wanted the sweet and sour, didn't you."

I piled our food onto plates, and Beth chewed thoughtfully. "We won't have much to sort out this weekend, will we - do you want to go out or something on Saturday?"

"We could," I mused. "I'll take a look later, see what's around."

We finished our meal, and Beth grinned at me. "Want me to get dressed again so I can help with the stuff?"

I shook my head. "It's fine, it won't take me long. After that you can give me a hand with the mattress, though."

I retrieved my clothes from the bedroom and made short work of unloading the car, Beth sitting on the stairs and directing. "Um, kitchen, and that other one's for the bedroom?"

Finally everything was in, and Beth tilted her face up for a kiss. "Now, lover, let's get our bed sorted out."

We wrestled the mattress down the attic stairs into the bedroom, then Beth unfolded a sheet, tucking the corners in neatly. "I brought a couple of pillows and a double duvet."

"Perfect," I nodded. "Do you want a bath before we call it a day?"

Beth's eyes held a teasing look. "Maybe. But you definitely need one, getting all hot moving our stuff."

I refused to rise to the bait. "OK, we'll share a bath. But you'd better go in first if I'm as sweaty as you say. Did you bring the bath oil?"

Beth nodded, reaching into a box. She took off the lid, breathing in, and her eyes closed for a moment as the scent evoked the last time we'd used the fragrant oil. "Mm."

I walked through to the en suite, shedding my clothes in an untidy pile and turning on the water. "Come and pour a little in, then."

Beth tipped the bottle, fragrant steam rising from the water, then closed it, putting it on a shelf. "Definitely one for special occasions."

I made sure the temperature was just right, then smiled at her. "It's all yours."

I watched as she slid into the water. "We still didn't bring any candles," I remembered. "But you can still relax as much as you want."

Beth smiled knowingly. "Maybe not the same as last time... I'm looking forward too much to what you might have in mind for me when we're in bed."

I watched as she ran her hands over her body, fingers dipping only briefly between her thighs. She slid down to wet her hair, surfacing with water streaming from her face. "I think that'll do."

She got to her feet, and again I handed her a towel. "Doesn't matter if the sheet gets a little damp, though."

I took her place in the water, ducking below the surface to wash dust out of my hair, then sat up. "Clean enough?" I teased.

"No doubt," Beth grinned.

I stood up, and she passed me the towel, watching me pat myself more or less dry. I followed her back to the bedroom, cool moonlight now replacing the sun slanting through the windows. "We don't actually have to close the curtains, even when we've got them up," mused Beth.

I looked at the bed thoughtfully. "It's not quite our super-duper king size - we still have that to come - but it's ours, and in our own bedroom for the first time. That's kind of special, isn't it?"

Beth was in my arms, and I thought I felt her trembling slightly. "You cold?"

She shook her head. "It's special, like you said. Show me...?"

Afterwards, we lay peacefully in the dark for a long time, Beth's still-damp hair spread across my chest, her lips pressing softly against my skin every once in a while. "So much to look forward to," she whispered.

***

We were up in plenty of time the next morning - "Don't want to startle the carpet guy," Beth grinned - and when the expected knock at the door came, Beth opened it, smiling. "You must be Gary - good to finally meet you."

I came out of the kitchen, and Gary raised a hand in greeting. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "I hope I'm not speaking out of turn... you both look very young to be doing up a place like this. Are you, what, Internet millionaires or something?"

Beth glanced at me and shook her head, laughing. "Nothing as exciting, sorry. I guess you could call it a legacy of sorts, though Grandad is still very much alive."

"We should visit him before we come down for good," I remembered.

Gary nodded. "Right you are. Anyway, me and the lad'll make a start, if that's OK - just the three rooms downstairs now, isn't it."

"Yep," I confirmed. "I'll put the kettle on, Sarah told us how you have your tea -" Gary looked impressed - "and we got some biscuits. Beth and I will be in the conservatory if you need us."

I made the tea, and Gary and his apprentice sipped gratefully. "Now, don't eat the whole lot at once, lad," Gary cautioned, grinning at me.

I went back through to the conservatory, finding Beth flipping through a glossy magazine that must have been left behind. "You look the very picture of Homes and Gardens," I teased, bending to kiss her fragrant hair.

"Hardly," she smirked. "Come and sit down."

I joined her on the wicker recliner, just able to hear the muffled thumps and bangs as Gary got started.

We were absorbed in the magazine when Gary tapped on the door. "We're going to break for lunch now, we'll just be in the van."

I followed Beth through to the hall, and we stood in the doorway of the dining room. "It looks amazing," she breathed.

The lounge was still only half-done, gripper rods and pieces of spare carpet strewn around. "I can't wait till we can get a good blaze going in the fireplace," I enthused.

Beth chuckled. "What is it with men and fire?"

She rested her head on my shoulder. "But yes, it'll be wonderful to lie naked on the rug with you, just the firelight flickering on our skin as you reach for me..."

I couldn't help my quiet gasp. "If I didn't know we'd be interrupted, I'd show you right now how that makes me feel, fire or not."

Beth chuckled. "Well, we could go upstairs, couldn't we - everything's done up there."

"Be patient," I smiled softly. "Come on - we should get our own lunch."

Beth made sandwiches, and more tea for Gary and his apprentice. "We don't need to start cooking until about six, do we - let's just walk in the garden for a while," she suggested when we'd finished eating.

Bees were buzzing in the lavender as we explored the garden, and Beth pointed. "Would you call that a gazebo, or...?"

I looked at the six-sided wooden feature, just big enough for two chairs and a low table. "I guess. Shall we try it?"

The view from the gazebo was across the rest of the lawn and into the woods, and Beth relaxed in her seat. "But we should replace these with something we can sit in together..."

We watched the bees for a while, then in the distance we heard what sounded like a vacuum cleaner. "I guess that means Gary's finished," Beth ventured.

We walked back to the house, finding Gary packing his van. "All done," he confirmed. "I'll send you an invoice in the post."

"You've done a brilliant job," smiled Beth. "We'll definitely recommend you to anyone who asks."

We stood on the doorstep as the van drove off, then I glanced at my watch. "Right - time we got busy."

We detoured to admire the finished carpets, then returned to the kitchen. Beth started to pull pans and utensils from their boxes, and I looked at her, raising my eyebrows. "What?" she queried. "My turn to wash up," I chuckled, "and it looks like you plan to use everything we brought."

She rolled her eyes, grinning. "Well, I plan to cook up a storm for you and Sarah."

We got on with the cooking - despite my teasing, Beth and I were a good team in the kitchen - and after a while, an appetising smell filled the air. "Right," said Beth, "you keep an eye on things while I go and change."

I stirred when it seemed necessary, and after a few minutes Beth returned in her blue dress, her hair brushed straight and gleaming. "Now all we need is our guest."

As if on cue, the dark blue Mini pulled up the drive, and Sarah got out. It was Beth's turn to voice her appreciation, with "Wow - that's not 'office casual', is it?"

Sarah was wearing a long dress in a dark fabric, elaborately embroidered and with delicate lace fringing the top. A pendant with a glittering stone rested at her throat, and her hair was caught back in a gold clasp. In her hand she carried what looked like a gift bag, and she smiled, waving, as she caught sight of us through the window.

I went through to the hall, opening the door, and Sarah stepped inside, accepting a hug, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "You smell gorgeous," I said without thinking, and she threw me a warm smile.

I let her precede me into the kitchen, and Beth met her, embracing her warmly. "Thank you so much for inviting me," Sarah offered. "I brought wine, I hope I picked right."

Beth smiled. "We should thank you - everything's perfect, and we couldn't have done it without your help."

She glanced at the bottle that Sarah slipped out of the bag. "That'll be great - Tim, grab the corkscrew?"

I opened the bottle, poured for us. "Mm, this is good."

"'Fraid we'll have to use the kitchen table," Beth ventured. "Basically there's nothing in the rest of the house yet."

Sarah smiled. "It's cosy in here, anyway."

Beth lifted the lids from pans. "I think this is just ready."

I sat opposite Sarah, getting another warm smile, and Beth served, putting plates in front of us then taking her own seat. "Tuck in."

Sarah lifted her fork, taking a bite. "Wow - I love steak, and the way you've simmered it in this sauce is great."

"So tell us more about New York," I encouraged her.

"Oh, it was amazing. The shops, and I went to see a show on Broadway."

I hesitated. "There's nobody you would have shared the trip with...?"

Sarah shook her head. "Everything's been a bit of a whirl - I joined the office from school, typing up particulars, and I've put all my effort into working my way up to having my own portfolio."

She grinned. "Your deal was my first big one, really got me points with the partners."

"I'm really glad," nodded Beth. "A bit more steak? There's plenty."

Sarah accepted another spoonful of sauce. "How about you two?"

"We'll be down here for uni from the autumn," Beth explained. "And some time next year we'll be getting married."

"Oh, congratulations," Sarah enthused. "There are some lovely places - I'll send you some names, maybe you have time to look around before your term starts."

We chatted while we worked our way through the steak, and finally Sarah put her fork down. "That was fantastic."

"More wine?" I offered.

"Well, maybe just half, then."

"Dessert's only ice cream," Beth said, "but it is chocolate with real bits in."

"You'll not hear any complaints from me," chuckled Sarah.

Coffee followed ice cream, and we went through to the conservatory to carry on talking. Finally Sarah glanced at her watch. "I'd better get going, really," she said regretfully.

"OK," smiled Beth. "But why don't we have you again next Friday? We'll have the furniture in by then, you can see things really starting to come together."

Sarah nodded. "I'd really like that. And I can bring you your gift, Beth - sorry, it totally slipped my mind as I was coming out today."

She leaned over to whisper briefly in Beth's ear, and I saw Beth's eyes widen, then a grin. "Oh, definitely."

We walked to the door with Sarah, and again I got a hug, soft lips against my cheek. "See you next week, then."

The lights of the Mini disappeared down the drive, and Beth slipped her arm around my waist. "I think you're on a promise there," she teased.

I smiled at her curiously. "What exactly did Sarah whisper to you back there?" I queried.

"Oh, you'll find out," Beth grinned. "Suffice it to say I don't think you'll have any complaints."

She glanced towards the kitchen. "We can clear up tomorrow - right now the only place I want to be is back in bed with you..."