Starting Over

Chapter 24

Three weeks later Ellen sat on the Eurostar zooming from London towards the tunnel that crossed under the channel to first France and then Belgium. Charlotte had arrived home the previous day from her whistle stop tour of the US, Ellen had explained to her via phone all that had happened, and she’d been swamped in hugs by her big sis before she dived out and hugged her beloved horse. Now free from responsibility, she was heading across to meet Jan. He’d called her every day, telling her all about his new work, asking after her and Arnold and Champagne. Despite all the arguing Ellen was missing him more than ever.

Emerging from the darkness of the tunnel, the train trundled through the flat landscape of the continent. It was quite hypnotic the ‘clack-clack’ of the rails, and she didn’t need much encouragement to fall asleep.

The announcement of the next station woke her from her snooze, and she started to gather her things. His home was in the countryside South of Brussels, but he was meeting her at the station in the City. She was glad she didn’t have to negotiate her way onto a local train service, she was shattered. Stepping down from the train she dragged her suitcase behind her. The last four months she’d virtually lived out of this case. She was like a nomadic traveller! Just as she was sighing at that realisation, she sensed Jan, and looking up she’d never been so glad to see him. Falling into his hug, she leaned into his body and let him wrap his arms around her, enjoying the moment of protection, the smell of him surrounding her, and even the kiss to the top of her head was a welcome sign.

When he finally let her go, she looked up at him, he was wearing a well cut expensive suit, a shirt and a loosened tie, his hair had been cut into a short neat style, the rebellious and very cute Mohawk was gone. She smiled, “you look rather...posh!”

Jan grinned, and suddenly he was familiar same old Jan again, “you made me go back to all this young lady!” With that he pulled the tie loose and unbuttoned the neck of the shirt. Grabbing her bags, he asked, “how was your trip?”

She groaned, “long...I’m knackered!”

He nodded, “you look fit to drop. It’s only half an hour to my house. Then you can sleep as much as you want!”

Ellen followed him to the car, happy to glance up every few moments and drink in the vision of him, how she’d missed him.

Jan knew the streets of Brussels like the back of his hand, but instead of the shortest most direct route, he decided to drive the most scenic route, at the end of the day he knew this was his chance to sell the city he loved to her. He wanted her to stay, and he knew that the city, the country, his home were all part of that. So as he drove he pointed out the various sights, the European parliament, museums, bohemian artist quarters, the university, restaurants, hotels, and the Atomium, the gigantic steel representation of an atom. He had reserved a table in the highest sphere, the restaurant in a few days time.

He smiled at the appreciation in Ellen’s eyes, as like a child at Christmas she absorbed everything with wide eyes. But as the cityscape gave way to countryside, flat fields full of various crops, she fell asleep. It was only a forty minute drive and he almost wished it was longer, she looked so peaceful.

The house was a converted mill though the water had long since dried up, in fact the mill wheel had been removed many years ago, and Jan had filled the space with an underground four car garage. As he got close he clicked a control on his dashboard and first the gates to the property, and then the garage opened to allow him to drive in. He glanced up at the terrace that sat outside the kitchen and was directly above the garage and noted that the sun was still bright, he planned for them to eat out with the view over the nearby lake. Parking the car next to his treasured motorbike, he gently shook Ellen awake.