A Shaw Way To Love

Chapter Four

The following chapters contain adult material. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

Chapter Four

Kate

Why had I thought it would be a good idea to redecorate my living room? I love painting, of any kind. Just the smell of paint alone is enough to take me to my happy place, but today I’m just not feeling it. I sigh heavily as I stand on top of the step ladder and look around the bomb site which was once my lovely tidy front room. I had somehow managed to pull and push all the furniture into the middle of the room and had covered them with dust sheets and had also covered the entire floor surface, which irritatingly kept getting tangled in my feet when I walked on it. I’d decided to redecorate two days ago much to my regret. Decorating is one of those things that once you start, there’s no turning back; you have to finish. I just wish it was finished already. I’ve had enough.

Four days ago, I had been full of anticipation and excitement. The day after my incredibly successful opening night at the gallery, I was still buzzing. The evening had ended somewhat disappointingly though with Alex’s hasty departure, but the next day I had woken up with a smile on my face. Not only was I suddenly richer than I had ever been in my life but I was also on cloud nine from the memory of Alex. The way he had looked at me, danced with me, touched me and the things he’d said to me. I couldn’t wait to see him again. Lying in bed that morning I’d shivered when I’d remembered his hands on my back and his warm breath in my ear. Christ, how was it possible to be this attracted to someone with this much longing after only a few hours together.

I had been on tenterhooks all Sunday. Even though Alex hadn’t asked for my number, I was suddenly sure he would contact me. He was a friend of Billy’s after all, so it would be easy for him to get my number. I was excited at the prospect of speaking to Alex again, but I was also nervous. What would I say? I had a tendency to make a twat of myself when I was nervous. I jumped every time the phone had rang, thinking it would be him. But every time, it had been a family member wanting to know how the rest of the evening at the gallery had gone and almost screaming their congratulations down the phone when I had told them exactly how well it had gone. I had been convinced he was going to call me but as the day wore on it became increasingly clear that he was not going to call. What the hell had I been thinking? Who was I kidding...what would an amazingly beautiful and successful man like Alex want with me? I must have just been his muse for the evening. He probably had super model type women throwing themselves at him all the time. What chance did I have? I don’t even know him for God’s sake, so why the hell I am pining for him.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him. He just kept popping in my head; no matter what I was doing, Alex would be there, touching my skin, holding my waist, my hips, saying my name in his deep seductive voice. Christ, why the hell hadn’t he called? So much for “I want you Kate”. I was slowly driving myself crazy. I had to get my mind off Alex. So on Monday I had had the dumbest brainwave I’d had in while...I’d decided to redecorate. The worst of it was that it had not helped in the slightest to get my mind off Alex. Instead I now had the added headache of finishing this bloody painting. It was Wednesday now and I wasn’t any nearer to finishing than I had been yesterday. It probably doesn’t help that after only a few strokes of the paint brush I stop and stare into space‒like I’m doing right now‒thinking thoughts of Alex. God you are so pathetic Kate.

I sigh again as I dip the paint brush into the tin of paint and attack the wall with it. I’ve chosen a soft lilac for my feature wall and the rest of the walls are cream. The whole effect when finished I’m hoping will be warm, calming and cosy. I’m trying to reach the top right corner of the wall with some difficulty. I need a bit more height and I should reposition the ladder a bit more to the right also, but I can’t be bothered. If I stand on the top step of the ladder, I think I’ll be able to reach the corner with no problem. The paint tin however is perched on the top step of the ladder, not leaving much room for my feet but I think if I’m careful I can just about squeeze my feet on either side of the paint tin. There really isn’t enough room for my feet and I’m forced to almost tip toe in order to stay on the step. I gingerly bend down and put more paint on the brush and when I reach back up to continue painting I realise just how precarious this is because I actually start to wobble a bit. Shit. I bend down a bit and hold the top arch of the ladder but this makes the ladder wobble even more. Shit, shit. I try to steady the ladder by keeping as still as I can but at that precise moment the door bell rings making me turn suddenly ‒ an involuntary action which makes me completely loose my balance.