CHECKERED FLAG - c.l [2]

BELOW YOU

The taste of blood trickled down the back of my throat as I lean my head back, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Fucking hell," I throw another piece of tissue into the toilet, flushing it along with the other clump of blood dampened pieces.

"Jesus you must be stressed about something," Dee mumbles as she brushes my hair away from my face as I close the lid to the toilet, sitting down on top of it with a humph.

"What can you be stressed about? You just won Monaco for the second year in a row," she laughs, dabbing at my nose with a wet cloth.

I swat her hand away, groaning as I stand, my back aching from sitting in the car all day long.

"I'm stressed because I'm exhausted and you're forcing me to go out and celebrate my birthday when I already told you to cancel for me."

"I would be a terrible friend if I cancelled your own birthday party for you," she raises an eyebrow at me through the reflection of the mirror as I try to wipe off all the dried blood on my face.

The red satin dress was hanging from the back of the bathroom door, almost taunting me as I look at it in the mirror.

My hair was already curled as Dee has insisted on doing it as soon as I got out of the shower when we had arrived home.

The bathroom door swings open, Dee and I both jumping at the sound of it smacking against the wall behind; George and Lewis stood in the door way, both grinning ear to ear.

"Ready?" George says as Dee and I both stare back at him in silence.

I look down at the pile of bloody tissues in the sink and turn to face him, "do I fucking look ready George?" I sneer at him.

He holds his hands up in defence, backing out of the bathroom, leaving Lewis stood there gawking at Dee who was already dressed to go, "you're a vision," he says to her and I audibly gag.

She smacks my arm, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Get dressed." Is all she says before leaving the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her so I'm left on my own.

I sigh, pulling my makeup bag out from under the sink and begin to plaster my face so I looked appropriate.

After doing so, I slip into the dress, attempting to do it up on my own, but having no hope, "George!" I call out through the closed door, hoping he was near by.

Within seconds the door swings open again and he looks back at me in the reflection of the mirror with my hands behind my back, holding the dress up so it didn't fall down.

I don't have to say anything before he's helping me do it up, his hands warm against my bare back, the sound of the zip doing up was the other noise in the bathroom as I watch him concentrate, the wrinkles on his head tensing as he moved my hair over my shoulder.

He places his hands on my waist, standing tall behind me before bending down to my naked shoulder, placing a kiss on my skin.

I thank him with my eyes, giving him a soft smile as I turn in his hold.

"You look smart," I say, adjusting his tie a little bit. He looks behind me into the mirror before shuffling his shirt around in the hem of his trouser so there weren't any creases.

"You look beautiful Madeline," he says as he kisses my forehead.

His lips linger there for a moment as I close my eyes, my hands against his chest. I could feel his heart beating softly through his shirt and I smile, patting him gently so he moved back.