He'd wandered up and down he corridor for half an hour hoping she would come out ..forgive him and invite him to spend the night.
His ego could not take the possibility that this would not be the case.
Simon listened....... listened hard..he could hear her voice...... she was moaning ...
What the fuck was happening...... she said his name.....
Simon screwed up his eyes hoping to block out all other stimulae in order to hear more clearly.
He heard a name..not his name..not 'Simon'...just..... Nick........ Nick
His whisper dripped with sarcasm "Phone sex...very classy Nick"
At the sound of the footsteps along the corridor Simon straightened himself and stared at the ceiling pretending for all the world that he was studying the cracks in the plastered walls.
The maid asked if he was ok ...he gave her a tight smile and nodded . "Just waiting for a friend"
The maid looked at her watch and eyed him suspiciously
Simon reached into his pocket and pulled out some money.... he shoved it into the girls hand and jerked his head in the direction of the elevator.
Her eyes registered the amount of money in her hand and she vanished into the next corridor.
Inside the room Heather eased her fingers from inside her wet panties...
She was still breathing .......just barely.
On the other end of the phone she could hear Nick .......a deep groaning breath.
"Baby are you there?......"
Nick answered...... his voice hoarse with emotion "Oh yeah......I was there babygirl"
Heather giggled and as usual Nick melted ........ he loved that sound
"Will you be able to sleep now baby?"
Nick sunk into the pillows a little farther and pulled the quilt up around him
"I'll try but I may just lie awake .......thinking about you sleeping"
Heather sighed "You get some sleep baby" ......
"What time tomorrow do you leave for the' mud hut'?"
"First thing about 7am"
"And when will I hear from you again?"
"As soon as I get everything set up..I will try to be in touch with you"
"You promise "
"Yeah Nick I promise..now go to sleep"
They said their "I love yous"..dragging out the 'goodnight' for as long as possible.
Their first night apart since they had met.
Simon looked down ..his eyes caught the soft glow coming from under her door as it dissappeared. He stared at the door his eyes resting on he black lettering of her room number...15. Slowly and silently he pressed his hand to the door and whispered "You'll be easy baby.......real easy".
Heather woke to her alarm clock at 5am...she had wanted to be awake in plenty of time.
He realisation that she was alone and not curled up in Nicks safe arms took her by surprise and for several minutes she struggled to prevent that realisation turning
to floods of tears. She lost the struggle.
Simon had slept fitfully...his own private struggle being the fact that a girl he cared for and once loved was now deeply involved with another man. He cursed silently. Unable to shake the nagging idea that if this assignment had been just a few weeks earlier he wouldn't have had to deal with this "Nick" situation. Thoughts of his wife and family troubled him briefly but they were far away in Italy. He sighed and pulled his watch from the nightstand...5.30am. His head fell back onto the rough pillow.
Heather had showered and recovered a little...the temptation to call Nick had been fought and won. her excuse that she could not 'run to Nick all the time'...satisfied her for now .
Besides she thought...'he will be asleep'
Heather surveyed her belongings on the bed and carefully checked her photographic equipment. She picked up the camera and attached the zoom lens putting it to her
eye as she had done thousands of times ...she adjusted the focus training it on the
mirrored wardrobe door...
A gasp caught in her throat as through the lens smiling at her was Nick
Heather did well not to drop the camera...
Her body shook as she looked again with her own eyes ......not distorted by any lenses
He was gone....All she saw was a scared woman. Heather scanned the room ..a cold , creepy feeling came over her....this was the second time this had happened.
Quickly she packed the camera away and gathered her bags together.
She did not look at the mirror again ..she dared not.
Simon sat up suddenly to the sharp rapping knock on his door.He rubbed his eyes checked his watch.. "Shit...damn "
It was now 6.30am he had fallen asleep again
The knock came again
"Alright for christs sake .......jesus give me time to get out of bed"
He yanked the door open and instantly calmed...
It was Heather...
"Simon I've been waiting downstairs for you...did you oversleep?"
Her voice calm and soft..nothing like the 'tone' she had used on him the previous evening.
He much preferred this 'tone'
"Yeah...I didn't sleep real well guess it just caught up with me"
"You have to hurry the jeep will be here soon.......to take us to the airfield"
"Jeez I'd forgotten about the helicopter trip"
Heather laughed .. "Don't tell me you still get 'airsick?"
Simon stuck his tongue out at her..."Smartass ..only on Helicopters"
"Awwww don't be frightened Simon ..mommy will hold your hand"
Her eyes flashed at him
This was the girl he knew and loved..the fiesty Heather..the one with the quick smartalec replies...the one that could turn him on with a flash of those wild blue eyes.
"Come on Simon look lively we haven't got all damn day..stop daydreaming"
She grabbed some of his smaller bags and left the room calling after her..
"See you downstairs!"
Simon grinned reached into his boxers and tried to adjust his stiff aching erection.
He closed his eyes and daydreamed for a few moments more about just how sweet this conquest would be