Way Down We Go

A Journey Of Discovery Part 2

"Driving is 100% an excuse to eat and smoke your way from start to finish." Ethan joked - his tongue was brilliantly blue from eating blueberry bon bons.
"Does that excuse apply to passengers too?" Izzie sparked up a cigarette, and lowered the window.
"Absolutely." Ethan winked at her.
Izzie forced herself not to blush.
They had been driving now for almost four hours, and had stopped twice to check the horses.

It was abnormally hot, and their conversation had faded out lightly as they drove further.
They stopped for food and to stretch their legs a little over an hour away from the port at which they would board the ferry.
The we're both a little weary as Ethan turned off the engine.
He rubbed his eyes and to Izzie's surprise, Ethan removed his golden wedding band, and placed it in the glove box.

He noticed Izzie looking and held her gaze wordlessly.
"Food?"
Izzie blinked, flushed and embarrassed at being caught staring. "Yeah! I'm starving!" She tucked her hair behind her ear and they climbed down from the Lorry and made their way towards the garage.
He paid for her food, and they sat - moments later, with their feet on the dashboard, laughing at something witty - and arguably offensive that Ethan had said.
Izzie snorted into her Fanta, and Ethan barked a loud laugh reaching across and handing her a tissue.
"Oh my god." Izzie chocked, running her hand through her washed out tie-dye hair.
"There's something wrong with you." She laughed, rolling up the tissue and throwing it at him.
"I don't see your point here?" Ethan threw one back and they chuckled at one another.
"Right, back on the road?" Ethan took his legs down - Izzie tried not to stare at the muscles on his calves.

He was tanned from a family holiday - his skin was beautifully toned and dark and Izzie had to stop herself from staring yet again.
She shook her head.
Why now? She had known Ethan since the was eighteen, and after a brief teenage infatuation, she had - at least she thought - gotten over it, and was quite content to just admire him from afar.
Yet now, given their proximity and the intoxicating smell of his after shave, the inside jokes they were beginning to enjoy, the deep - albeit cringe worth way he sang along unashamedly to the radio.
Izzie found herself watching him out of the corner of her eye more and more.

As they pulled back onto the motorway, Ethan swore under his breath.
"Fucking sun roof." He groaned as the wind whistled through it at an irritatingly loud state.
"You want me to grab it?"
"Can you?"
"I can try." Izzie laughed a little and removed her seat belt. There was a space between their seats which was pretty nifty for leaving munchies on, but now she had to stand on it.

In hindsight perhaps it wasn't her brightest idea.
Her legs shook lightly as she clambered to her seat.
The Lorry hit a bump in the road and Izzie squeaked.
She froze then as she felt a large warm hand incase her ankle.
"You okay?" Ethan's hand was on the bare skin of her leg and Izzie lost all sense of time and rationality.
"Iz?"
She shook her head quickly and snapped the sun roof shut.
"Sorry, I though I was going to fall." Izzie clambered back into her seat and threw her face towards the window. Trying to hide its redness.

She was too embarrassed to attempt to make more conversation and each time he spoke to her, she swore she could feel his hand on her leg.

Lost in thought, she barely registered as they drove onto the ferry.
"I'll check the horses." Izzie jumped from the lorry as quick as she could. Needing some form of distance from him.
"I'm going to grab a shower - I'll meet you by the bar?" Ethan called after her.
"Sure!" Izzie called out, not bothering to look back as she slipped into the jockey door of the Lorry, sliding into the area where the horses sniffed and shuffled upon hearing an intruder.

"Hey hey." Izzie greeted them with an air of relief.
Both horses were Ethan's, and were primed and ready to jump. Izzie had spent a lot of time working and prepping the two horses, one mare and one stallion, and the stallion - Othello - was her clear favorite.
She refilled their haynets and offered them water.
Izzie spent a few minutes standing by Othello, how placed his large warm muzzle against her cheek.

"What is wrong with me today buddy?" Izzie asked him.
Othello sighed a wordless answer and Izzie closed her eyes. She felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.
In the living compartment she grabbed her rug-sack.
A shower didn't sound like an altogether bad idea.

She made her way down from the Lorry and locked up, sticking the keys into her back pocket.
She pulled out her phone and saw two messages, one from Louise and one from Ethan.
She opened Louise's first - "Just checking in Hun! Hope all is okay! Lou x"
She send back a smiling emoji and two x's.
She paused over Ethan's.
"Room 309, key is at reception under my name. Have a shower and chill."

Her mouth ran dry.
She desperately wanted a shower but there was a level of familiarity and domestication that went along with sharing a room with someone, and Izzie wasn't entirely sure if she was ready for.

"On the way." She replied.