I go and get in the shower so that I'm not tempted to call him. I call my spray tan lady and ask if she can squeeze me in sometime today. Deciding the only way to get through Friday without making that booty call will be to keep busy. It's already 9.15 and I can get my spray at 10.30. Perfect. I call the hairdressers in the village and book a wash and blow dry for later this arvo, Jemma is my usual hairdresser and does my hair for free but I have no car to get to her salon. I will draw some more money out of my emergency funds and enjoy a bit of pampering. Why not???
Vanessa, my mobile spray tan lady arrives bang on time, and after a quick catch up on both our worlds I get naked and browned. I sit around for the next couple of hours while my tan cooks. I catch up with some emails and read a bit of a book that I have read over five times already. And the passionate love story and the amazing sex being had in my e-book is doing nothing to strengthen my resolve about not calling Gabe and my only option in the end is to take another shower. I do my makeup carefully afterward so once my hair is done, I will be already to go. I feel great. Buoyant almost, as I walk down to the hairdressers. A few days of normality have done me good. Walking to the shops, buying groceries, getting my hair done. All nice normal everyday things that have been missing from my life of late.
I sit back and enjoy being pampered at the hair salon, it’s not where I usually go but without a mode of transport, I have no choice but to stay local and to be honest, I’m enjoying the anonymity, by the time the stylist is done, I feel relaxed and my hair is shining beautifully with big bouncy curls hanging below my shoulders, I love it.
Rather than walk back up the hill to Jo's, I message her and tell her to come and meet me at the little tapas bar above the shops we have been to a few times before once she's ready. I go ahead on my own and order a bottle of wine and sit and watch the world go by over the balcony. The shops below are busy with Friday evening shoppers and people grabbing a takeaway of some kind for their tea. Jo amazes me by arriving just a half hour after I message her. Looking gorgeous, Jo is a stunning looking woman, five feet eight, chestnut hair and big brown eyes. She has admitted to having a little work done over the past couple of years but you would never guess and I can’t help but smile as every head in the place turns and watches her as she walks to my table.
“Fuck Lauren! You look great, I'm glad I got my hair done at lunch time. I would have felt like a right dag, turning up and you looking like a million dollars. Who's all this on behalf of babe?”
“Thanks Hun. Just for me. I needed a diversion today and getting pampered did the trick.”
I pour her a wine as we talk and clink glasses.
“Cheers chicky. Here's to all the hot mamma’s everywhere, you look ahhh maze balls.”
“Thank you. And thank you for being there for me again this week. Another week of drama in my world. I'm getting too old for all this shit Jo. I feel like my life is just one big fuck up at the moment. I was more sane and sensible at fifteen than I am now.”
I feel a little tearful as I speak Jo moves to speak but stops as she sees I haven’t finished.
“I'm gonna call Gabe tomorrow, I've tried Jo. But I'm just so miserable without him. I love him, I just can't help it.”
“Well thank fuck for that. I thought you would never come to your senses. Like I've said more than once lately. You love him, he loves you. That's where you start. Forget your pasts and concentrate on building a future together. Fuck everyone else, don't let other people ruin this chance both of you have been given. And Lauren, I really need to say this to you darl and I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear but I actually don’t care, it needs to be said. You really need to sort yourself out, I know what you went through with Jason was tough but it isn’t Gabe’s fault, I know you are bound to have trust issues and yes what he did the other night was stupid but did you really need to move out, could you not have just talked to him about it? You’re a grown woman and I think you have handled this pretty immaturely these past few days, running away to punish him when he fucks up isn’t the answer, if that’s what you are going to do every time he puts a foot wrong, then you will be spending more time apart than together. And I think Gabe will soon get sick of it, I’m not saying become a doormat and let him walk all over you, just stay and front things out when they’re not going right between you; stop with the tears and believe him when he tells you he loves you and that you are what he wants, stop expecting it to all go wrong, he’s made his choice and he’s chosen you, no one else, accept that, along with his love and his complements, stop behaving like an insecure schoolgirl and start living your life, with a man at your side who clearly loves you and would do anything for you.”
Jesus, where did all that come from?
I go to speak, to argue my case, but Jo shushes me, “Lauren, I don’t want to hear any arguments, just take on board what I’ve said and take this second chance at love that you’ve been given and live your life. End of sermon, cheers.”