I fumbled around in my coat pocket, found my phone, and peered at the screen. The colors on my screen seemed so bright. Strange but I couldn’t remember his number. Finally, I managed to
locate it in my phone. I hit the call button and missed. That seemed funny and I giggled and tried again.
Yes. Result.
But it rang out.
I put my phone back into my pocket and looked up at the sky. Wow! Psychedelic man! I lay back on the soft snow and smiled.
‘You missed out, Ivan,’ I said into the silent air, and nearly jumped out of my skin when my phone suddenly rang.
‘Shit,’ I exclaimed, sitting up and grabbing my phone.
‘Hello,’ I said.
‘You called,’ Ivan said. His voice made me feel really happy.
‘I think you have a really, really, really sexy mouth,’ I told him.
For a few seconds there was pure silence and a quick intake of breath. Then his voice came down the line, as mad as a wet hen. ‘You dragged me out of a meeting to tell me that?’
‘I just wanted you to know. Just in case you didn’t,’ I sang, oblivious to his irritation.
‘Tawny?’ he said quietly.
‘Yes?’
‘Where are you?’ His voice was cautious.
‘I think I might be about five minutes away from Jupiter house.’
This time the silence stretched even longer.
‘Robert told me all about your tree house,’ I explained.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Well, I think someone at the house spiked my drink with ecstasy, and I’m totally off my cake, but otherwise I am just fantastic.’
‘What?’ he barked suddenly in the receiver.
I jerked the phone away. Whoa, his voice had been like a mini explosion just outside my ear. ‘It’s all right,’ I said with a laugh. ‘I have popped a pill once before so I’m not
frightened or anything.’
‘Tawny, are you dressed warmly?’ he asked urgently.
‘Oh yes,’ I said confidently.
‘Good. Do you think you could last out there for another hour?’
‘Sure. I was thinking of walking back to the house.’
‘No,’ he said urgently. ‘Listen to me. Don’t go back to the house. Can you see the tree house from where you are?’
‘Yup.’
‘Can you make it there?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be able to?’
‘Good. Can you go there, close the little trapdoor and wait for me?’
‘Yeah, I can do that.’
‘Great. You will be out of the elements. Call me when you reach it, OK?’
‘OK,’ I said breezily.
‘Be careful,’ he said.
‘I will.’
‘Go on. Get moving.’
I stood up unsteadily. ‘Whoa.’
‘What?’ he growled.
‘Nothing. Just gravity problems.’ And that seemed funny to me and I began to laugh uproariously.
‘Fucking hell, Tawny. Get a hold of yourself.’
‘OK, OK. No need to shout. I’m on my way,’ I said, wanting to feel grumpy, but totally unable to. He was sweet that Ivan. Real sweet. I could eat him. I smiled to myself. He didn’t know
that I had a thing for him. I stopped short. Did I? Nah. He was not for me. He should be with a woman, what was her name again. Oh yeah, Chloe. I bet she read Robbs Report every month. I
know Rosalind reads it. Robert said he never wanted me to read such a magazine.
‘It’s for snobs who want to find out the most snobbish way of spending their money,’ he used to say.
I trudged through the snow, falling a few times, until I reached the tree house. My ears were numb and the bitter cold had seeped into my gloves, numbing my fingers until they were so
thick and stiff I could not bend them properly.
How I climbed the tree was a miracle in itself. But somehow, despite my shaky legs, I managed to get to it. Using my already frigid hands, I scooped the snow drift away from the rough
wooden door and used my body to wedge it open. I crawled in and closed the door. I curled up in the opposite corner and, although there was a draft that oozed in from under the door, it
was much warmer inside Jupiter. I must have dozed off again because the next thing I knew someone was calling my name.
‘Here,’ I called. ‘I’m here.’
And then Ivan was there. He was scowling, but I looked at his lips and I wanted to kiss him. I reached out and, hooking my hand around his neck, pulled him down until his mouth was
inches from mine.
‘My, my, what a lovely boy you are, but one kiss, and I could turn you into a man,’ I whispered.
I saw his eyes darken.
‘One kiss … and oh, oh, you’ll never want to leave.’
Then I kissed him. His lips were full of magic, a warm curse, that is until he grabbed my forearms and pushed me away, but oh, boy, oh boy, that was the best and most incredible kiss of
my entire life.
I stared up at him in wonder. ‘You’re such a great kisser. Are you from New Orleans?’ I asked in a hushed awed voice, as if I was imparting some great cosmic secret to him.