It had been so long since we had seen each other. The wonders of modern technology had meant we had kept in touch but so many years had passed since we had seen each other face to face.
So much had happened in that time. I drove down the road nervously, not knowing what the next 24 hours would bring. The hotel was easy enough to find, an old Victorian building in the middle of nowhere, her tastes showing through, no paper thin walled boxes allowed, expensive though not prohibitive. As I turned into the car park I wondered if she was there yet, not knowing what she drove now, probably a family car but of good make.
I parked and got out of the car, grabbing my overnight bag and wandering in, suddenly feeling very conspicuous in my sloppy trousers and comfortable polo shirt. Going to the desk, I gave my name and stood chewing my bottom lip as the receptionist looked my name up.
"Ah yes, here you are. You are in room 27 with Mrs Winter. Up the stairs and turn right." She smiled and handed me my key card as I cursed inwardly, I had a dreadful habit of loosing the damn things. I made my way up the stairs and wandered down the corridor, looking for room number 27.
Door successfully found, I slid my key in. A click and a green light told me that for once I had been successful in opening it first time. I wandered in and dropped my bag on the only bed I could see. With my back to everything I surveyed the room with an almost cursory glance. A large, very comfortable looking bed, big windows and a balcony, handy for the current humid weather we were having. I bent and unzipped my bag, pulling out my one and only dress, hoping it was not too creased. I walked over to the wardrobe and grabbed a hanger. Making my way to the bathroom, I reached to open the door. It opened before I got there and out she walked.
Five years showed on both of us. The mean side of me was glad. She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. I returned the hug and lost myself in her scent momentarily.
"My God woman, it's good to see you." Her voice was high and breathy with excitement. I stood and to my surprise found myself embarrassed and shy. While I stood blushing brightly, she laughed kindly.
"Oh for goodness sake, why are you blushing? Not that much has changed." She pondered her statement, "Well actually yes it has," she laughed. "Come and sit on the bed and let's talk."
We sat opposite each other our legs tucked up on the bed and just looked. She took my hands in hers and started talking. I wondered what she was thinking about me as I looked at her. Her beautiful long hair was the same as I remembered and her blue eyes were still sharp though in a more lined face. Her eyebrows went up quizzically as she looked at my bright pink and grey hair.
I laughed, "Call it my rebellious period," I said.
"What, another one?" She grinned.
"Well ok, a continuation then" I said.
She told me what was happening and what had gone on for the last five years: her cancer, her back operation that left her on her face for 4 months. As she told me about it all I found myself feeling like a stranger instead of someone who was supposed to be a best friend. In return I told her about my new husband of five years, the reason we started to drift apart. My beautiful child, who she last saw as a tiny baby. My life now was a far cry from the one I had then; both our lives were. We talked and talked, pausing only for bathroom stops and window opening. When we arrived at the present she looked at the clock, it was three hours later and the view from the balcony was a beautiful sun lowering in the sky.
I got up and walked across to my bag, pulling out a bottle of what I hoped was still her favourite wine, along with a corkscrew.
"Damn I forgot the glasses. Oh well, sophisticated teacups it is." I grinned and picked up a pair of white china teacups.
"There are glasses in the bathroom you nutcase," she laughed, getting up off the bed and crossing the room. A couple of seconds later she came back with two tooth glasses. "Who says we can't be posh?"
I filled both glasses up and handed her one. We sat in companionable silence while we drank, each lost in thought.
Finally I suggested we go and get something to eat as I was ravenous and, remembering her appetite, I knew she would be too. I grabbed my dress and went into the bathroom. She followed me with her own clothes, crossing the bathroom to start the shower. Hearing the loud roar, I turned to look and encountered the biggest shower I had seen in my life.
"Bloody Hell fire, that's not a shower, it's a jet wash!" I exclaimed. I smiled as I watched her strip off, seeing the scar down her perfect back, still red from the surgery all that time ago. She got in and sighed, the steam rising around her.
"Come on in, the waters lovely," she said. I smiled and shook my head. "The woman I left five years ago would never had said no to an invitation like that," she smiled.
"I left that woman behind a long time ago. She doesn't know where to start now," I said sadly.
"Come in and I'll show you where she is and how to start."
Hesitantly I stripped off my clothes, conscious of my sagging breasts and my own scars. I walked into the shower burning with shame and embarrassment and fighting tears I never knew existed.
She lightly touched my face and then cupped it in her hands. Bringing it closer to hers, her lips lightly touched mine, pulling back to look at me again. Still not knowing which side of me to listen to, I could not bring myself to look at her. She lifted my face until I had no choice but to look her in the eye.
"My feelings for you have never gone away and never changed," she said.
