Page 14 of The Facilitator, Part 2

I woke to an empty bed. I didn’t think I’d had such a good night’s sleep in a while.

I was reminded of my previous evening, however, when I swung my legs too quickly over the side of the bed and felt a slight soreness between them.

I smiled at the memory, and then grimaced.

I was sure I would be able to think fondly of our escapades in the future, but until then, there would be a level of embarrassment at my complete abandonment to Mackenzie.

Forget the fact someone was masturbating while watching, if that was to be believed.

I laughed as I stood and felt for my slippers.

I could hear Mackenzie talking in the kitchen.

I hesitated in case he had company, and I doubted they would want to see me in my nightwear.

I had to remind myself I lived in the house.

If I wanted to walk around in my rather fetching fleecy PJs, I could.

I walked into the kitchen. Mackenzie was facing the French doors, looking out to the terrace.

He held his mobile to his ear. He turned as he heard my slippers slap against the tiled floor, and I watched him smile at me.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and he kissed the top of my head.

“I need to wrap this call up. My beautiful partner just walked in,” he said.

Without a goodbye, he disconnected the call.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I said, reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss him.

“Yes I did, boring old fucker wanted to talk business on a weekend,” he laughed.

“Says the man who worked seven days a week at one point.”

“That was before you, Lauren. Now, breakfast. I’m sure you must be famished.”

I wasn’t but I let him cook me pancakes. I piled berries on top and tucked in. In fairness, I was getting a lot of exercise, outside the gym; so a few pancakes shouldn’t make me pile on the pounds.

I had never been conscious of my weight, until Scott and his betrayal.

I could kick myself for letting his words affect me to the point I was bothered about my body for the very first time.

It was something Mackenzie was determined to fuck out of me , he’d tell me.

He got angry if he thought I was still affected, not with me, but with Scott, and he was right—I needed, I wanted—to get over it.

“Those were lovely,” I said, as I rested back. “I should go and get dressed.”

“How about a walk and then a late lunch somewhere?” Mackenzie asked.

“That would be nice, casual or dressy?”

“Casual. Let’s find a nice country pub someplace.”

I left him in the kitchen and headed to my closet. I selected jeans and a shirt; a pair of Converse completed the casual look. I pulled my hair into a messy top bun and added some bronzer and mascara to an otherwise unmade up face.

I bounded down the stairs with a thick jumper in my hand. I was ready for a nice walk in the fresh air.

“I have an idea,” he said. We left the house and headed to the garages.

“Red or black?”

“Black.”

A beep unlocked the Aston Martin and I climbed in while he held the door open for me.

“I’m going to take you someplace I’ve only visited a couple of times and loved.”

“I love a surprise trip.”

He reversed from the garage and we joined the London traffic.

We chatted about everything and nothing.

It was always so easy with Mackenzie, but I remembered a time when we’d been at cross purposes for so long.

This Mackenzie, the one who loved me was so easy-going.

Still a Jekyll and Hyde where work was concerned.

He would switch the charm on and off when necessary or required, of course.

Soon we were on the motorway leaving London far behind.

It was past lunchtime when we slowed and weaved our way through some narrow roads in a throng of cars trying to find somewhere to park.

“Maybe not the best idea,” he said, with a laugh.

We followed the signs to one of the car parks and eventually found a spot after an elderly couple left. I squeezed from the car, concerned for the paintwork as the door bashed the one beside.

The breeze along the coast was a little stronger than I expected, so I pulled my jumper over my head and threaded my arms through.

Mackenzie slung his arm over my shoulder and we walked along the beach.

It was a little busier than I would have liked, we had to dodge the odd football that had been kicked in the wrong direction, or a toddler running from a parent.

“There is a beach by my house in the States. I used to walk it every day, more so when my mom got sick. I want to take you there one day,” he said.

“Do you miss home?” I asked.

“Where you are is home. I miss the house and the beach, for sure.”

We walked in silence for a while, until we came to the end of the beach where it was a little secluded. We sat on the damp sand and just watched the sea, the boats bobbing about, and the sun began to lower. I shivered. Mackenzie pulled me into his side, warming me.

“I don't think I’ve done this. Just sit and be still. It’s nice, I like it,” he said.

“It’s all I could do for a while. Taking time to yourself is good for your mental health,” I said, quoting the therapist I’d seen one time.

“You are good for my mental health. I’m going to fuck you on a beach one day,” he said.

I laughed. “Is that on your list?”

“No, I just remembered something. You were the one who wanted the outdoor sex, the chance of getting caught.”

“And if I remember well, you made me come in my office with my staff just a few feet away, so I think we covered that one.”

“Mmm. We’ll see.”

“Can I ask you a question, a rather personal one?”

“Go on…”

“How did you get into this kind of sex?” I cringed as I spoke.

“This kind of sex?” Mackenzie laughed so loud; a couple walking past chuckled along with him.

“Shush, people are looking,” I said, trying not to laugh along with him.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I like sex; I get off from giving pleasure. I guess I’ve always wanted to be the dominant one in the bedroom and it developed from there.”

“I’m glad,” I whispered.

“I know, your body fucking screams that,” he said with a wink.

We lay back in the sand. “You’re not going to try and fuck me here, are you?” I said, laughing.

“I said a beach, not this beach.”

“Shame,” I whispered.

Not that I had any intention of doing anything on the public beach, but I did turn on my side. I wanted to kiss him. As I leaned over him, I heard my phone ring in my pocket.

“Shit, Jerry,” I said.

“Mystic Lauren! Am I going to make another million next week?”

“He added his personal ringtone to his number,” I said, rolling back and pulling the phone out.

“Hi,” I said, as I answered.

“Hi, you. I said I’d call and the weekend is nearly over, so I didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten. I’m sorry about the other day. Can we meet up? I really do need to talk to you,” Jerry said.

“Of course. I don’t have my diary, I’m out at the moment. How about I call you tomorrow morning?”

“That would be good. I’ll leave you with this, though…I’m in love, Lauren, and I mean properly in love, finally.”

He clicked off the call. I held the phone away from my ear and stared at it.

“Oh, fuck,” I said, turning to Mackenzie. “He just told me he’s in love, properly in love. You don’t think it’s with…” I didn’t want to say her name.

“No. He can’t...Jesus.”

Mackenzie stood and helped me to my feet. “Oh God, what do we do?” I asked, as we walked back to the car.

“We do nothing until we know for sure. You make a point of meeting up with him soon and see what he says. If it is Addison, this isn’t good, Lauren.”

“I know that,” I snapped. He picked up my hand and we walked in silence for a while. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. Could she be that dangerous for him?”

“Yes, I believe she could. But that’s me speaking. Talk to Gabriella.”

“I don’t need confirmation of what you say. I believe you.”

We arrived back at the car. The car park was mostly empty and I was dismayed to see a scratch down the side of the car. Mackenzie swore and ran his fingers over it.

“I’m sorry, did I do that?” I asked.

“No, I doubt it, that’s a key scratch. Never mind, it can be repaired. Come on, let’s go home and eat. I’ll cook for you.”

We had missed lunch and as the evening drew in, we fought the traffic back to London.

The journey home was longer than normal and a little fraught. Mackenzie wasn’t the most patient in traffic and he constantly swore at other drivers. I guessed Jerry’s news hadn’t helped his mood.

Addison was poison; I believed that. I hadn’t learned all there was to know about her, but to have sex with her cousin, to intend to pass that child off as Mackenzie’s…

She wasn’t the type I’d want for Jerry. He was a grown man, a man I’d known for years and my best friend, but still a grown man.

Did I have a right to interfere? Jerry was at a loss of what to do with his life.

He had wealth, he still had plenty of years left to enjoy that wealth, and he doted on his elderly mum, so I knew he wouldn’t be jetting off to the U.S.

anytime soon. Maybe he just needed to fuck her, have his fun, and when she was ready to leave, he’d get back to moping around.

Then there was the tiniest, rose-tinted, glass half-full part of me that wondered if maybe she’d changed.

If losing Mackenzie had been so devastating it had caused her to take a long hard look at herself. Maybe they both deserved a little love.

I shook the thought from my mind. When I dissected the one time I’d met her, it was clear to see how manipulative she could be.

Whether she thought there was anything between Mackenzie and me at that time—and it would have been hard to come to that conclusion as we didn’t even know—she still made a point to refer to herself as his wife.

She’d clung to him, deferred to him over food choices, telling me and Jerry he was hers.