The Girl in the Locket

Chapter Twenty Two

James splashed some cologne onto his neck and fingered through his short hair in the mirror. I watched him nervously, knowing tonight I would have to leave Bea and Clark with the nanny service. I really didn't want to. James would expect my full attention on him, he had a right to I was his wife after all and I loved him. How could I just go out and forget my daughters were with a stranger though. I knew I would be pining all night and it wasn't going to be as sexy as James had hoped, but I would try.

I pushed James playfully out of the bathroom and took my dress inside to get changed. I had bought the dress in Colorado especially for our date night. It was sexy but not so much that I looked like an escort, and not so straight and modest that it was labelled a mom dress. I gently pulled it up over my freshly waxed legs, they felt smooth as I lifted the dress up and tried pulling the zip. It wouldn't budge. I couldn't reach it.

"James will you do me up" I shouted over my shoulder.

"Coming beautiful" He whistled.

"Whoa" He observed. "You look amazing"

He ran his fingers down my back, tracing my spine and my curves. I felt his lips against the nape of my neck as he kissed me there. His fingers traced the lace of my underwear under my navel.

"James later" I pleaded, knowing Clark was awake in the next room.

"Okay, but I don't know how long I can wait."

He pulled up my zip. The dress fit like a glove, all these new curves I had got from pregnancy had made my somewhat skinny body become defined in a new way. I liked that my figure had changed. I was no longer the girl with the sharp edges. I felt different. My breasts had doubled in size. Only a C but no longer a small cup. My stomach was still as tight as a twenty something should be by the laws of nature after a baby, but I had matured with curves on my hips. I brushed my hair and let the waves naturally flow through it. I licked mascara through my eyelashes and applied my eye shadow gently. I almost didn't recognise the woman staring back at me. It had been a long time I had glammed up for James or even myself. The dress was cream, it hugged my figure, and it was cute for the most part.

"Okay, I think I'm ready" I said, turning to James and kissing his cheek.

"Oh honey you look so sexy. I love that colour on you"

"Thank you" I replied shyly, heading for the bed and placing Beas onesie and her bottles in a bag for the night nanny. Clark had already placed her favourite book, non-spill sippy cup of juice and three packets of animal crackers on our bed next to Beas bag.

"Clark, you won't be eating these tonight" I told her, taking the crackers and putting them back into the bedside drawer. She entered from her room that's attached to ours with her newly favoured toys from the theme park pressed into her small arms, and the strut of a fifteen year old. I could read her expression before she even opened her little mouth. "Momma I need them don't take them away. I will be so sad later that you are leaving us Momma" Her plump bottom lip wobbles just like I predicted it would. It matched her tone, that of an abused and lonely child. The fact my eldest daughter had picked up on my emotional eating habits didn't surprise me. She knew at four that if Mom is sad she heads for the refrigerator. The thing with Clark was that she didn't miss a thing, she could emotionally blackmail you with the best of them.

James picks her up in his arms and tickles her belly as the toys all fall to the floor from her released grip. "Your daddy needs time with Mom tonight Clarkie girl. Can I borrow her for a few hours?" he asks as he swings her upside down.

Her little face turns pink as she giggles and her fair hair falls over her face. "No daddy you cant take her" she squeals in delight. Clark's favourite game was winding up James and ending up with something that she wanted but couldn't get out of me.

"What if I take Momma out and in return you get a bag of animal crackers" James asks playfully, lifting Clark onto his shoulders.

Here we go.

"And ice cream" Clark adds. It was a given she would add to her requests when James was desperate for her to do something.

"And sprinkles and sauce" she adds with excited breaths.

"Sure" James gives in, placing her back down onto her feet. She retrieves her toys and skips into her room.

"She just hustled you in two seconds flat" I told him, shaking my head from side to side and covering Bea in her travel crib with her blanket.

"I need this night out with you more than I need to give my child a healthy snack right now"

...

The night nanny arrived promptly at Nine. "Both Bea and Clark are sleeping" I whisper to her as she enters the room.

Clark went down after three books and a bag of crackers that topped an ice cream Sunday a grown man would consume and be full on. Bea though had slept for the last two hours. The night nanny checked on them and then read my care sheet as I observed her critically. James finally pulled me away when he realised there wasn't an end to my questions on her previous experience. "Let's get going honey she knows her job" he pleaded, with a hand to my back.

...

As we hit the lobby we noticed how quiet it was. I could feel myself wanting to turn around and head back to the room. I never left the girls with a stranger, and the whole thing felt wrong to me. I was comforted by the nanny's obvious gentle nature but still I was fighting the instinct to run back to them. James marched us into the lobby and held my waist, keeping me moving forward to the bar knowing very well I would turn back if allowed

"Come on sweetheart, let's get a drink" he suggested, as we entered the hotel bar.

The place was packed, this explained where everyone had gone. There was a crowd formed by the long wooden topped bar. I peeked over everyone to see what the commotion was. There were two girls kissing, neither cared at the attention that it was causing or perhaps they hadn't noticed. I noted that the dark haired girl was the girl from the pool. I smiled remembering her and her girlfriend had fought yesterday, make ups were always fun. Her girlfriend wasn't how I expected her to be, her face was partly covered by Marie but she was obviously beautiful. I loved her hair it was like liquid waves of caramel running down her back. James started to laugh.

"Oh my god what the hell are they doing" he said, getting a good look.

"They are having fun" I observed with a smile.

"Come on lets go out to get dinner then we can visit the bar before we head up to bed" he suggested.

"Okay" I replied, as we headed back out the door.

My eyes were still firmly on Marie and her girlfriend as he lead me away.