Page 64 of The Facilitator, Part 2

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It was nearly middaywhen Mackenzie shook me awake. He sat dressed in jeans and a white shirt on the edge of the bed. I smiled when I sawhim.

“I made you tea, some time ago, so it’s probably cold,” hesaid.

I pushed myself into a sitting position and looked at mywatch.

“Jesus, why didn’t you wake me earlier?” Iasked.

“Because you looked so beautiful, and you needed thesleep.”

He stood and picked up the cup and saucer. “How about I make you a freshone?”

“I’ll get dressed and then be down,” Ireplied.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and was amazed at how sprightly and refreshed I felt. I expected to ache like mad, what with horse riding and Mackenzieriding.

I took a quick shower and then pulled on some underwear and a red sundress. I found some flip-flops in my case, which was yet to be unpacked, and walked down the stairs. Mackenzie was in the kitchen and I smiled as he made me another cup of tea. I imagined he’d either brought the tea bags from home or had someone scour for Twinings English Tea. I doubted the local store stockedit.

“Thank you,” I said, as he handed me thecup.

“Come and sit outside,” hesaid.

I followed him back to the table and chairs we’d sat at the previous evening. He sipped from a mug already filled with blackcoffee.

“How do you feel?” he asked, staring atme.

“You often ask me that question,” I said,deflecting.

“Because it’s important to me,” he smiled. “And I got thedeflection.”

I chuckled and took a deep breath. “I feel like something changed last night. I felt such a deeper connection with you, Mackenzie; it overwhelmed me. I wanted to cry, I got fearful for a fewseconds.”

“Fearful ofwhat?”

“That you’ll leave me one day and I have to say, that will destroy me,” Iwhispered.

He didn’t answer but I knew he felt the same. I didn’t need his words; I just needed to see the expression on his face. It told me all I needed toknow.

“I think, only now, you understand exactly how much I love you,” hesaid.

“I get it,” I said, as I wiped a tear from my cheek. “What are we like, huh?” Ichuckled.

“Are you hungry?” heasked.

“No, funnily enough. What plans do we havetoday?”

“We’ll go and see my dad when you’re ready. I said we’d take him, and Sandra, for an early dinner. He likes to eat late afternoon, if that’sokay?”

“Perfectly okay. Am I okay dressed likethis?”

“Sure. It’s getting hot, you’ll appreciate the lightness of thatdress.”

Before he could say anymore, his mobile rang. It had been sitting on the table, alongside a jug of coffee. He picked it up and before he placed it to his ear, he showed me thescreen.

“Hey, Jerry, how are you?” hesaid.

I couldn’t hear what was being said, but Mackenzie seemed to frown quite a lot. He cocked his head to one side as he refreshed his mug from the jug and sipped on the warmcoffee.