Enzo surprised me this morning with a couples spa day at Glowing Beauty Baths & Spa, who are a new beauty salon in the area, close by to his parent's house. It's a real pamper day. I'm having a facial, massage and nail treatments. Enzo is going for a decongesting facial because he's been suffering from a few stress spots from work. Next is a deep tissue massage which I know he'll love. I always make sure to treat him to a back and leg massage on a Friday, but I'm not skilled enough to get into every nook and cranny.
"Enzo, you really should get a manicure. Your cuticles are all dry and always bleed when you knock them on something," I say, turning my head to the side to look at him while Ronnie pushes her elbow into his back.
We are both laid on beds with tiny holes at the end where our faces can rest. It's romantic with the scent of the jasmine oils and whale music. The perfect honeymoon activity.
Enzo doesn't lift his head, but I hear the annoyance in his voice. "Am, can you keep quiet for two minutes? I'm supposed to be enjoying the massage and all the while I've had you bickering down my ear."
I scrunch up my nose and kick my legs up, quickly apologising to the therapist who was kneading oil into my feet. "You don't have to be so grumpy."
"You don't have to be so loud," Enzo replies.
"Fine," I roll my eyes. "I'll shut up."
Enzo laughs. "Good, that's all I want."
I keep my eyes closed and listen to the echoing sounds of whale calls, while my body relaxes into a pool of mush. Enzo lets out a loud groan which causes my eyes to spring open and then another comes out of him. Geesh. Looks like he's enjoying himself. Sex noises are what it sounds like to me.
I turn my head to see what Ronnie is doing to my husband and find her halfway leant across his back, her knee digging into his side. I doubt I'm flexible enough to do that to him, but I could give it a go.
"Yes, right there," Enzo says, his breath hitching into a long satisfied groan.
Ronnie hums at the back of her throat. "Hmm, you are very tense here. Do you lift weights?"
"Um-hm. Three times a week," Enzo nods.
Ronnie begins to lift his arm in the air to massage his shoulder. "You should be getting a massage at least once a month. We can book you in if you like?"
"Okay," Enzo sighs.
"Erm, we don't live here," I reply, my cheeks flaming when Enzo purposely ignores me.
We don't blooming live here!
Ronnie moves away from him to oil her hands. "Do you see a chiropractor?"
"Yes, both Ambrosia and I see them every three months," Enzo says, then lifts his head to smile at me, but I quickly put my face back down in the comfortable circle and keep it there until the end.
Enzo pulls his wallet out to find some notes to pay and I lean over the counter to gain Ronnie's attention as she rings our bill up.
I get out my card. "Excuse me. We'll be paying separately."
"No," Enzo puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes in reassurance. "It's my treat, sweetheart."
I ignore him because I'm feeling childish, secretly wanting him to know how it feels. "How much is mine, please?"
Ronnie taps away on her calculator and then scribbles it down on a notepad. "Seventy-six pounds and fifty-two pence."
I give her the card. "I'll use this to pay, please."
"Okay, did you enjoy your treatments?" she sets up the card machine.
I nod. "Yes, thank you."
Ronnie smiles. "I'm thrilled you did. I love the colour nail varnish you went for today."
It's a coral with a sprinkle of silver glitter on the cuticles. My toes match, and I can't wait to wear my diamond encrusted sandals tomorrow. Although, apart from today we've done nothing but sit around at Enzo's parent's house while he discusses animal rights with Violet, and I let Janet teach me how to cook.
I hold my fingers out in front of me and see them sparkle in the light. "It's very summery, isn't it."
"You're right the colour is a perfect summer shade," she hands over the card machine for me to type in my PIN number.
Enzo steps forward to pay for his with the cash he brought with him, and I use the time to look at all the face care products they have on sale. I move closer to look at the cleansers and see the cabinet move to the side, making me stumble to the left, my hand dragging down the chair near me.
"Am, you okay?" Enzo rushes over with Ronnie close to his side.
I shake my head seeing a few stars in my vision. "Yes, I just lost my footing a bit there."
Enzo helps me up to my feet and rubs his fingers over my cheeks and jaw. "It might be your blood sugar. You haven't eaten a lot today."
It's true. I only managed half a banana and a pot of Tomás's homemade thick blueberry yoghurt. The excitement of our beauty trip too much for me to stomach much else.
"Do you need some water? You can dehydrate when having a facial too," Ronnie says, looking slightly concerned.
"No, thanks. I just want to get home."
In truth, I'm incredibly embarrassed by the whole ordeal.
"Let me finish paying, then I'll help you out," Enzo says, his eyes holding so much worry.
I nod, taking a seat near the door where a tiny bit of air circulates to keep me cool. My stomach turns and tumbles, warning me that I could be sick at any moment.
"Come on, Am. You're looking pale," he says, helping me up to wander over to the Beatle.
Enzo helps me to get strapped into the seat, kissing my temple before he closes the door to dash around to the driver's side. The engine starts, and he looks over at me. "I do wish you'd eat more."
I shrug. "I'm not always that hungry."
The car starts, and he begins to drive out of the car park and onto the country roads. I feel ten times better with the nausea having settled down and the dizziness gone. It was incredibly warm in there, and it wouldn't surprise me if I overheated.
We arrive at Enzo's parent's house ten minutes later, and I'm feeling like myself again. Enzo tells me to wait where I am, going to open my door for me, but it's unnecessary. We head for the front door, and I feel my skin tingle as the breeze hits us, telling me my facial worked in getting my pores clean.
"Did you have fun?" Janet says, popping out of the rose bushes with a pair of choppers in her hands.
We jump back, not expecting her to be there. Enzo places his hand on my back. "Ambrosia collapsed."
"What?" Janet drops the choppers on the ground and rushes over to me. "Goodness, are you okay? You should be sat down."
I glare at Enzo. "I did not collapse. I got dizzy is all."
"Come inside and rest," she grabs onto my arm and tugs me inside.
I laugh. "I feel totally fine."
Enzo disappears into the kitchen while Janet guides me towards the living room, making me sit down on the sofa to watch a little television. I push my back into the large cushions and get ready to watch Deal Or No Deal.
"You'd tell me if you were feeling poorly, wouldn't you?" Janet says, coming to sit next to me on the sofa.
I knew she'd worry as soon as Enzo told her I collapsed.
My hand rests on her knees, and my eyes stare into hers, so she knows I'm telling the truth. "You know I would. The salon was hot and I overheated."
Enzo comes back with a glass of ice water and a piece of flapjack. "I think you should eat something, Am, sweetheart."
I take it from his hands and gulp down the water. "My mouth is so dry."
Janet pulls the neck of her top away from her skin and waves the material back and forth. "It is boiling out there today. I'm glad I sent Tomás out on the farm with a five-litre water bottle."
I nod. "I'm sure he'll need it."
Enzo sits on the arm of the sofa, studying me in a statue pose. "I guess it is extra warm today. Just be careful all right?"
"Us Brits aren't used to the hot weather," I laugh.
Janet wipes her dirty hands on her dirty trousers. "You're telling me. Drink up, Am."
I do as she says, and finish the rest of my drink giving the empty glass to Enzo as he passes over my flapjack at the same time. Teamwork. I bite into the oat treat and enjoy the sweet taste, visualising it rotting my teeth already.
"Can you teach me how to make these sometime?" I ask, looking at Janet who nods enthusiastically.
"You bet. It's super easy."
I lift up my feet to rest them on the coffee table and watch the television. "Did you get much writing done today?"
"No," she pulls out a tissue from the Kleenex box to attempt to clean her hands better. "It's my day off writing today. Although, I did discuss book covers with my publisher."
I forget about the television and give all my attention to my mother-in-law. "I need deets! Can I come to the shoot?"
Janet laughs. "It doesn't work like that, I'm afraid."
I stick out my bottom lip. "I wish it did," I turn to Enzo with the best idea. "Can we have a photoshoot in the back garden? We can pretend we're models for an hour."
Janet stamps her feet. "What a lovely idea. You can pose under the grape vines."
I feel a sudden bout of energy, and I'm not sure whether I should put it down to the sugary sweet treat or the thought of Enzo posing for the camera.
"Yes, at sunset. Imagine how beautiful the shadows will be," I say, already plotting it in my head.
Enzo shakes his head, trying to hide the smile behind his stern mouth. "I married my mother. You two are the same person."
I beam at him. "Do you think so? That's so cool!"
Enzo laughs. "You must be feeling better?"
I nod. "I said I was fine. You're just a worry wart."
"I can't help it. You need looking after," he replies, resting his chin on the arm resting on his bent knee.
I blow him a kiss. "I can look after myself."
"Okay then," he laughs with sparkling eyes.
...
I'm laid on the oak garden bench with my arm draped over the side; leg bent, so my very expensive dress falls elegantly down past my foot. It's six o'clock in the evening, and we are taking polaroids for the honeymoon scrapbook. Enzo is knelt on the floor a few feet away from me, speaking to me in Spanish while I try to act like I understand what he means.
My language lessons never did pay off.
I'm useless.
"Is this angle right?" I say, shielding my eyes from the setting sun to try and see what Enzo is doing.
I hear his voice instead of seeing him. "You look like those models in Vogue."
I smile. "How would you know what the models in Vogue look like? You never read them."
Enzo comes to a step closer. "Humour me, love."
"I want pictures of us together too," I reply, not able to pull the happy smile from my face.
Enzo gets up from his position on the floor to come over to me. "We should do a selfie with the backdrop of the fields behind us."
"Perfect," I jump to my feet and drag him across the garden to where it slopes on a hill, showing the green and vibrant yellow in the land. "Can you take the picture? Your arms are longer than mine."
Enzo puts the camera out in front of us and pushes his temple against mine, curling his fingers around my waist. "Smile."
The photograph filters out of the top of the camera and I pick it out, waving it back and forth to speed the process up. We both gaze down at the picture, and I see Enzo's tongue touching his nose. The sod ruined it.
I turn and hit his side with my hand and the picture. "You are incredibly annoying."
"I couldn't resist. I'll take a better one next time," he says, looking up at the sky when it rumbles with thunder.
I follow his gaze and see the grey clouds covering the blue sky. "Do you think there will be a storm?"
Enzo puts his palm out flat to feel the air. "I'm not too sure. It did forecast heavy showers tonight."
"Have you put the Beatle undercover in the garage yet?"
Enzo frowns. "Not yet. I'm using it to drive to the Animal Rights protest meeting tonight."
I shake my head. "No, you can go in your mum's car."
I don't want it getting damaged if a storm does hit. I can't believe mum let us out in the vehicle in the first place. My dad lived and breathed the car.
"That's fine. I can do that, Am. No need to get stressed," he says, watching me with caution.
I ball my hands into fists. "You need to be a little more considerate. The Beatle meant a lot to my dad."
Enzo gives me a kind smile. "I know it did. I wouldn't do anything to damage it, you know that."
I can feel my throat stinging, and I know it isn't the pollen. I'm going to blooming cry. I blink several times and try to change the subject. "You're leaving me tonight then?"
"Yes," he pulls a face that says he's unsure of my reaction. Good. "It's only for a few hours."
Yes, but those two hours soon add up when it's every night. It's a good job I love my in-laws as much as I do because it would be incredibly awkward if I didn't with the amount of time I'm spending with them.
"Don't worry. I'm busy tonight anyway," I reply, checking for dirt under my newly painted nails.
"Are you doing something with mum and dad?" he says, stepping closer to me.
I start to move inside when I feel a spot of rain hit my cheek. "No, I'm going up to Leeds to visit a few Uni friends."
When I checked in on Facebook, they saw and messaged me asking if I was free for a catch-up while they were staying in Leeds for work. I, of course, accepted thinking Enzo would tag along too, but it looks like I'll be on my own as he creates his life here.
"Leeds? How will you get there?"
I smile, seeing the worry creep into his features. "Train. It's only a forty-minute journey from Harrogate."
Enzo takes off his shoes at the door, holding onto my arm in case I escape. "Who will be there?"
"Gregory and Daisy from my English Lit class. You remember them, right?"
I feel Enzo's hand hold onto my arm extra tight. "Yes. I remember them."
I frown. "What's wrong? You don't want me to go?"
"It's not that I don't want you to go. It's that I worry when you aren't near me," Enzo replies, stroking his fingers over the top of my head.
I laugh. "You worry far too much. I'll be fine."
"Are you staying the night in a hotel?"
I hadn't planned that far ahead as I expected for Enzo to come with me and he always takes care of all the sleeping arrangements.
I shrug. "I'll probably sleep over at one of their apartments."
"I guess they will be house sharing if your friends are there for business?" Enzo says, showing how much he doesn't want me to go in his expression.
"Probably," I shrug.
I have to admit the thought of sleeping on a sofa where thousands of bottoms have sat gives me a severe case of the nerves. But, I won't let Enzo know that as he'll use it as an excuse to talk me out of going. I was a free spirit before getting married. Nothing has to change because I have a ring on my finger.
Enzo gets his phone out of his pocket and starts to tap away on the screen. "Let me book you a last minute hotel. They have loads of free rooms in the city ones."
I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. "No, I've got this covered."
"You'll hate it."
I tip up my nose. "Thank you for your opinion, but, I happen to think I'll do just fine."
Enzo laughs. "Fair enough."
Yes, I'll show him!
...
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