Ass(ets)

J

Ella and James are lying in bed at 3 am talking of everything and nothing as only lovers can do.

She is tracing his torso with a loose flowing finger. He is lying back against the numerous pillows with his eyes closed.

Her room has become a safe and tranquil heaven away from the outside world. They naturally gravitate towards each other until they hardly need anyone else. All Ella wants is in this very room. (Maybe except a well stocked fridge)

They're naming places they want to explore. They're naming parts of the world they hope they'll be destined to see. From beaches to mountains they leave not a corner of the globe untouched. They name extravagant and far off places because they can. As children they were taught they can do anything and some part of them still believes that.

"Mount Everest."

"Mm it's very big." Ella replied with an understatement probably bigger than Mt. Everest itself. "Hawaii is gorgeous. I've always dreamed of surfing there."

"Do you remember our surfing trip to Cornwall? It doesn't compare to Hawaii but the no sharks factor does trump England over Hawaii." James pauses a second before teasing "Well, we both know you have a certain affinity for sharks."

Ella whacks his chest lightly laughing.

They fall into a comfortable silence. The slow rise and fall of their chests being to only movements they make.

"Everything. I want to see everything with you." James says sleepily. He speaks as if the realisation of this came to him this very second.

"No you don't." Ella laughs.

"I do too." James retorts with a childlike mocking.

"No, we're each going to go off and have our own adventures. After that we'll come back to each other." Ella says decisively. Her plan is much too simple for life's twists and turns and they both know it, but they agree all the same.

"But what if you meet a hot lifeguard and never return?" James asks jokingly. But the question is loaded and stands for more than the words directly mean.

"I should hope I meet a sinfully hot lifeguard on my travels. But I'll come back to you. I'll always come back." Ella makes a wild promise that they both know in their hearts she's unlikely to keep.

"No chance exploring a nunnery is on your to do list?" James jokes bringing the tone to a lighter note.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you were jealous of the fictional lifeguard."

"You'd be right."

"Pablo does have better abs than you." Ella says with mock seriousness.

"Oh he has a name now does he? How can I ever compete with a figment of your imagination." James over dramatises.

"Speaking of names... after you hear this can you forget I ever told you? It's really embarrassing."

"What?" James asks amusedly at the thought of Ella's 3:36 am confession.

"You know that first night we met?"

James nods curiously.

"Well..."

"The anticipation is killing me here Ella."

"Patience young one."

"Ella." James reproaches teasingly.

"I forgot your name." Ella says in a quick rush.

"You forgot my name when we were hooking up?" When Ella nods James starts to laugh so hard she can feel him shake beneath her.

"It's not that funny." Ella whines but gives into laughter soon after. "Okay it is that funny. I could only remember the first letter. Do you know how awkward it was trying not to shout out the wrong name? I think I just called you 'J' the whole time."

James is laughing so hard he wipes a tear from his eye. "Looking back I did think that was a little strange."

"We're never mentioning this again." Ella warns and James simply sinks into a greater howling laughter.