Way Down We Go

That Awkward Moment

Izzie was standing outside of the room for several moments before building up the courage to swipe the key.
"Hey Iz. You okay?"

She shut the door behind her and found Ethan strewn across one of the two single beds, one of his arms behind his head and the other holding his iPhone above his head.
The smell of his body wash and aftershave was upsettingly distracting.
"Yeah I'm good."
"Horses alright?" Ethan asked.
Izzie nodded silently, and stood a little awkwardly in the door way.
"Shower is through there." Ethan continued, seeming not to notice her wariness.
Izzie chewed her bottom lip and then slip into the bathroom, sharply locking the door behind her.
Stop it. Stop it. Stop it!
She swore at herself in her own head and turned the shower on.
After six hours of traveling in the heat it was sheer bliss.
They had three hours to kill on the ferry, and Izzie was not entirely convinced she would prefer to be anywhere except the shower.
She had time so she washed her long hair and ran her razor along her pale legs.
After the shower, she pulled on some leggings and a tank top, rolling her hair into a loose French plait and dabbing just enough makeup on to hide the growing bags under her eyes.

She must have been in the shower room longer than she realized.
When she walked back into the bedroom she was greeted by Ethan's soft snores. He was fast asleep on his bed.

Izzie desperately wanted to sleep, but thought that distancing herself from him was the right thing to do.
Slipping out of the room, Izzie shifted her bag on her shoulders and pushed her headphones into her ear.
Izzie turned the music up to its highest point to block out the sounds around her. She needed her music to distract her.
Following the sign posts, Izzie made her way to the upper deck and out into the night air.
The wind whipped her hair around her. It was much cooler, and Izzie had stupidly left her hoodie in the Lorry.
She found a corner where the wind was lower and shook her way through a cigarette.

She avoided the room for the remaining two hours, though bed was all she craved, she knew that she would not sleep that close to Ethan.
Instead she walked, from top to bottom of the ship, checking the horses again, and forcing down two cans of Red Bull.
When the announcer came over the speaker to inform everyone that they would be docking shortly, and to begin making their way towards their vehicles, Izzie felt a sharp pang of exhilaration.
She was actually looking forward to seeing him again.
They had barely been apart for 2hrs!
She slipped into the nearest bathroom, fixing her hair and make-up because god forbid she would actually look tired at 3:40am.

Her phone rang.
"Hey Iz, where you gone lady?"  Why did he have to sound hot when he was sleepy?!
"Oh I couldn't sleep! Meet you by the Lorry?"
"Where are you?"
Izzie faltered, "I'm outside the bathrooms on Deck C."
"That's not too far. Stay where you are, I'll come get you." She could here the smile in his voice and groaned internally.
Focus Iz. She reprimanded herself.
She was his groom. He was her boss.
He was married for Christ Sake!

She had two horses to care for while they travelled and make sure they were at the top of their games for the show. She did not have time for school girl crushes and silly infatuations.

She tried not to stare as he walked towards her, she tried not to blush when he spotted her and winked, grinned broadly - though still sleepily.
His hair was messy, black with flecks of grey a quiet little voice in the back of her head asked her if his hair looked like that after he fucked.

She almost choked on her own thoughts and had to shake her head.
"You okay Iz?" He asked as he caught up.
"Headache." She squeaked.
"I've got painkillers in the truck, c'mon." He turned on his heels and strode off. Izzie hurried after him. Following him down several iron stairwells to the lower depths of the ship where the Lorry sat snuggly.
She peaked in at the horses, both content with a hind leg cocked, dozing happily.

"Welcome to Wales!" Ethan smiled as Izzie clambered into the cab and drew her seatbelt across her.
The sirens wailed as the ramp was lowered and Izzie felt the movement of the two horses in the back. They had felt the engine roar to life and readied themselves for the next leg of he journey.

Izzie was utterly exhausted, but excitement had reared its head.
It was her first time in the U.K. Izzie stared wildly out of the windows, looking at the place names and signs as they drove past, her awkwardness around Ethan had seemed to dissipate and he roared with laughter as she attempted to pronounce the Welsh names of the villages they drove past.

"Didn't you say you made a playlist?" Ethan asked an hour or so later. When her excitement had waned and a silence had grown between them.
"Hmm? Oh yeah!" Izzie dug into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. "Here-" she handed Ethan her phone and he plugged it into the radio controls.
She had spent quite a while on her little playlist.

Though she would never admit it, Izzie had a habit of remembering seemingly menial things people told her about themselves.
She remembered all the times over the last few years that she had sat in the local bar with Ethan and Louise. Usually by the end of the night after Ethan had destroyed her at pool, she had gravitated towards the juke box in the corner.
Ethan usually followed her over. And it was there they would argue over music, eventually finding something they both agreed on.

She had sat down with her phone and Spotify a few nights before they left, and pieced together a playlist that they would both enjoy.

Ethan nodded approvingly as he shuffled through the playlist.
"Good music busy Izzie."

Izzie was glad the cab was dark enough to hide her blush.