The Next Best Thing: Part II

Fifty-Two

Gaia and Kian showed us a good time to ring in the New Year, taking us to many places where I was introduced to many people, most of which were Eoin's former school mates.

They all seemed surprised that he was with me, let alone that he had a girlfriend. They just didn't see him with someone, apparently because he just wasn't the relationship type. He was my relationship type though. That's all I cared about.

We had a low key dinner at a sophisticated, upmarket restaurant before heading to somebody's cousin's lake house getaway outside London. That's where we continued with our festivities, complete with our own amateur fireworks display, music and laughter, skinny dipping in the inky freezing water.

A slow song was played, romantic and perfect for slow dancing; Eoin took my hand and twirled me around in front of everyone. I rested my head against his chest, his arms around my waist and mine around his.

We danced under the moonlight, the stars our own disco ball, reflecting on the water and creating a magical atmosphere. He held me close to his skin, creating his powerful protective barrier with his aura. I felt loved.

He loved me.

I wasn't about to let go of him, neither was he and it was perfectly clear between us.

The clock struck twelve while the others counted down around us, and each person grabbing their significant other. That is, with the exception of Eoin's friend, Tony Buchanan, a handsome raven-haired bachelor.

"Happy New Year!" I yelled enthusiastically into his ear. I kissed his stubbled cheek to make him feel better about his life decisions, and making Eoin a little jealous didn't hurt.

"I love you, Zoe!" he yelled back.

I broke into fits of laughter at Eoin's cool response: he grabbed my waist and kissed me breathless in front of Tony. My lips parted for his, our tongues interlocking and embracing in their own right, going all in with our extreme PDA; we kept it PG for the sake of everyone else.

"Happy New Year, baby. I love you, Zoe," he breathed onto my lips.

"I love you too, Eoin."

We spent a few more hours at the lake house, and Eoin eventually left my side for a bit to catch up with his friends. Tony took this as his cue to come and properly introduce himself to me, like a gentleman, polite and very nice.

"I see why he wouldn't let us meet you," Tony began.

They'd invited us out for lunch as soon as they heard we were in town, but he turned them down. "He said he'd just been apart from his girlfriend for almost a month and you two had a lot of catching up to do."

Catching up and then some. A small smile crept up on my face when I thought back about how little talking we'd done since we'd checked into our hotel, always holed up in our room.

It took a lot from us to accept housekeeping in to do their jobs, gaining us a befitting Gaelic nickname for two horny rabbits from the plump maid, Gwyneth.

"It means much, much worse," Eoin whispered to me when I told him what she'd said. "I don't blame her, though." Honestly, neither did I.

"He's a little obsessed with me," I joked, making Tony laugh.

"I can honestly say I don't blame the guy. You're beautiful, Zoe," he complimented me. "He's one lucky bastard, Eoin."

"Thank you, Tony," I blushed, surprised as his friends perceived me as too good for him. It was actually the opposite - he was too good for me and I didn't deserve him.

We talked about ourselves in general, getting acquainted with each other. I'd catch Eoin staring occasionally, checking up on me and making sure Tony hadn't run off with me. I blew him a kiss each time and he cracked a pretty smile, catching it and holding it close to his heart.

Tony was Eoin's age, and like everyone else who learnt of my youthfulness, fresh out of school, he asked me what I was doing with Eoin for the umpteenth time.

"He's almost thirty, Zoe!" he cried. "We're almost thirty. We should be married with kids right about now."

I was amused by the way he emphasised their maturity, but it didn't really bother me. I appreciated his genuine concern that I had too much to look forward to, but I could do that with Eoin by my side. I wasn't getting hitched anytime soon, and we were probably never going to be having kids so I wasn't bothered.

"He looks as young as ever. You, my friend, on the other hand look much, much closer to thirty," I grinned at Tony, punching his arm.

He took it in stride, brushing off his bruised ego and picking himself up. "You two are perfect for each other," he said, kindness ringing out in his voice. "Take care of him, okay? He's a great guy and I know he'll make you very happy. But if it doesn't work out, you know where to find me. I'm always available," he added with a wink.

I promised to take care of Eoin and I gave Tony a friendly hug as we left. I'd enjoyed his company and I learnt a lot from him. He opened up my eyes to a possibility of Eoin wanting to settle down early considering how much older he was than me. Maybe I wasn't ready for that yet.

But I was ready for our relationship and all the challenges we would face along the way, and the arguments we'd have because of that. Which couple didn't?