A Festive Affair Ch. 05-08

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.

"Well of course," Shelly said lightly. "I think the more the merrier!"

Chapter Six

"Dean said that he would drop you off, if that's okay with you?" Kelly said as she walked into the living room.

"What? Yes, that's fine, that's very kind of him." Shelly replied as she glanced up from the magazine she was flicking through.

The guys had volunteered to wash the pots, and so Kelly used the time to go upstairs and freshen up.

Feeling like she was just getting in the way, Shelly had wandered into the living room, and picked up Kelly's Woman magazine.

"He's making a fresh pot of coffee, and we thought we could sit down for ten minutes, and make a few tentative plans for Christmas... you're not in a rush to get home, are you?"

"Me, no I am not in any rush at all." Shelly thought about the empty house that she was going back to and felt a sense of despondency, which she wallowed in for a full five seconds before shrugging it off determinedly. She sat forward and smiled brightly at her cousin. "Let's go and talk about Christmas then!" she said throwing aside the magazine.

The discussion was a fairly simple one, which lasted for as long as the coffee in the end.

"I think my place will be good for it," Kelly said brightly. "You have all been here and know the layout, so you will know exactly what to expect."

"It might be a bit cramped around this table, though?" Dean murmured almost apologetically.

Kelly grinned. "This place is full of little secrets," she said standing up and pushing at the wall behind Dean.

There was a hollow clicking sound and then the wall fell back a little and then slid away to open the room into the corridor between the kitchen and the utility room.

"Nifty," Dean grinned.

Kelly laughed. "It's not a huge addition to the space but it does allow the table to expand so that it will easily seat six or even eight people... although I only have two more chairs to make it six seats."

"Which is more than enough for the four of us, and leave us room to breathe." he agreed.

"I can come over first thing, and give you a hand with everything?" Shelly offered.

"You could come and spend the night if you like, and then we can chill out with a glass or two of wine - or walk over to the pub... whatever you fancy?"

"I will have to go and see both mum and dad," Brian added before the girls could get side-tracked with Christmas Eve. "So, I won't get here until late morning - or lunch time - I'm afraid."

"That's fine," Kelly told him brightly. "It will keep you out from underfoot, whilst we are busy with the dinner."

"I could come early if you need me to, but if not then it would give me a chance to take care of a couple of obligations, as well," Dean said as Brian looked offended by Kelly's teasing.

"No, you go and do your own thing for the morning, and try to get here for say... twelve thirty - to one... ish?"

"Yes, that would be perfect for me," Dean nodded with a smile.

"Good, that's sorted that then," Kelly said as Brian nodded his agreement as well. "So, the only other thing would be; do you both want to sleep over again, so that you can have a drink and not worry about it."

"I pretty much assumed that I would be camping out on your sofa any way," Brian chuckled.

"Yes, I would appreciate that, and can even come up with a foldaway bed - or a couple of sleeping bags - if needed." Dean said with a grin, and he glanced quickly across at Shelly.

"That might actually be useful," Shelly nodded at him with a warm smile.

The conversation seemed to have run its course, for now, and Brian stood up.

"If I think of anything else then Brian will let you know, Dean," Kelly said as they all stood up too.

"Okay..." He looked again at Shelly. "Are you ready to go home now, Shelly?" he asked huskily.

**

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Dean asked as he looked across at the house, which he had just parked outside of.

Shelly also looked at the cold empty looking place, and felt a sense of despondency settle over her, she sighed forlornly, before shaking her head irritably. Her mother had only been gone for a couple of hours - for crying out loud, the heating would be on and so the last thing it would be, was cold or empty.

She smiled at Dean. "No, that's okay thank you... unless of course you would like to come in - for a coffee?"

He looked pleased at the idea, and he even began to nod, but then he pulled a little face, and sighed.

"Thank you but I had better not. I am still in yesterday's clothes here and..." he paused to rub his hand across his stubbly chin. "I desperately need a shower and a shave."

"Yes, I suppose you do," Shelly grinned as her eyes fixed on his chin, and then moved to his lips, those very lips that had been fixed so firmly on hers last night..."

Dean watched as her eyes softened and her lips parted on a soft pant, and she leaned fractionally closer.

He could not resist such a blatant invitation, as he reached across to gently tilt her chin, and then closed the tiny distance between them.

His lips fastened on to hers again and just as it had last night, the world around them simply vanished away.

Shelly felt the roughness of his stubble as it brushed against her skin, chafing and scratching, his lips were firm, and his breath was warm, and his tongue when it dipped into her mouth, it was as if he was coming home to her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tighter to him, so that he could deepen the kiss even more, and Shelly's heartbeat went into super speed, and her breathing increased tenfold.

It was a car going by, which rocked Dean's vehicle, and the sounds of the world around them, all came back into sharp focus.

He pulled back with a regretful sigh, and looked down into her smoky blue eyes; those come to bed eyes that seemed to keep begging him to hold, and kiss her, and make love to her.

"Can I take a rain check on that offer of coffee?" he asked her gruffly.

Shelly nodded vaguely. "Yes, of course... when... when would you like to come round?"

He smiled slowly. "How about two o'clock - ish?"

She looked at him blankly for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Two o'clock - this afternoon?"

"Yes, if you are not busy?"

She shook her head almost eagerly. "No... not at all... no, I think that two o'clock - ish, would be perfect."

"Good," Dean grinned, feeling almost like a teenager arranging his first date. "I'll let you get inside then, and will come back later, but stay put so that I can help you out now."

He climbed out of the car and walked around to open her door for her, and Shelly was reminded of uncle Pete, and the way that he had always made her and her mum feel cherished, mostly by simple little acts like opening a door for a lady, and helping her into and out of a car, just as Dean was doing for her right now.

She gave him a rather dreamy smile, and a warm thank you, that had his heart rocketing in his chest, and the blood surging through his veins.

He blinked his dark eyes at her, and with a soft groan he leaned in for a quick hard kiss, that left her breathless and shaking.

"Later," he almost snapped as he strode determinedly away from her.

"I can't wait," Shelly whispered as she stood on the pavement and waved to him, as he started his car and then drove away.

She waited until he reached the end of the road, and then turned the corner, and then with a little sigh, she walked down the path of her mum's garden and let herself into her mum's house.

The first thing she saw was a pile of cards and envelopes, all blank but ready to be written out, and some money on top of it with a note stuck to it.

"Thank heavens we thought to get the cards on that deal!" her mum had scrawled. "If we are not back in time, can you buy some stamps and send them out at some point in early December, please? I have left the names and addresses list under the cards - but then you will know who to post and who to deliver personally. I will talk to you soon, love mum xx."

Shelly smiled, as she read the note, trust her mother to be planning ahead - even in the midst of being swept off her feet. She looked around the place.

The heating was on, and it was as warm and neat and tidy as it always was, but she could already feel the absence of her parent.

The house somehow seemed less than it was before.

She gave a little shiver, despite the warmth, and then with a shrug she headed for the kitchen, to make herself a warm comforting drink.

She took her hot coffee with her upstairs and left it in her bedroom whilst she went and had a shower.

True she had showered once already this morning but putting on yesterday's undies had left her feeling - unclean.

And whilst she was showering, she made use of a razor, to shave her already smooth legs, and she used a liberal amount of soap and body moisturiser as well - while she was at it.

She wrapped the thick fluffy towel around her and walked through to her bedroom, where she sat and sipped her cooling coffee, whilst she mentally reviewed her wardrobe.