The Exchange

Chapter 27- The Note

Hi,
I hope you guys are enjoying so far :) I hope the story isn't developing too slow/ too fast. Because this is my first story I am aware that the progression of the characters & plotline might not be the best- Let me know if you have any comments about this... 
I thought I'd give you my favourite quote from the novel 'Dangerous Liaisons' as I refer to it later in this chapter (the book was written by a french author and it is really good, I highly recommend!!): 

'Love, hatred, you have only to choose; they all sleep under the same roof; you can double your existence, caress with one hand and strike with the other'

----

Sasha lay in her bed reading her latest novel, 'Far From the Madding Crowd' by Thomas Hardy. Bathsheba Everdene (the female protagonist from the book) was just the kind of woman she wanted to be; independent, motivated and kind. She turned a page imaging herself riding a horse sidesaddle in a suffocating dress. It sounded impossible.

The lamp on her bedside table had illuminated a blurry spotlight which encased her hunched form and created a shadow on the wall behind. It was late at night, and everyone else in the house had already gone to bed but Sasha wasn't tired. She still felt bothered about Cass and Polly's angry messages, and her worried state wasn't allowing sleep to come.

The faint noise of footsteps sounded in the hall, causing her to glance up from her book. Then it went quiet again.

'Probably Ben just going to the toilet' she thought, focusing her attention back on her current page.

A quiet rustling sound came from the crack underneath her bedroom door and a folded note was pushed through. Sasha eyed it, waiting to see if anything else was going to happen but she was met only with silence. 

Placing her book on the side Sasha grabbed the piece of paper and opened it up, reading the message inside:

'Stay with me tonight? I'll wait for you downstairs in my room'

Julien.

His handwriting was bold with fat, squished letters. Holding it to her mouth, Sasha made a muffeled squeal as her stomach began to stir. Another whole night spent in Julien's arms- nothing could compare. Her heart was flipping about in her chest which pushed a bright grin onto her face.

The sudden thought of her mother just down the hall from her, asleep in her room, entered Sasha's mind and she dropped her head. She could just imagine how Annette would react if she learnt that her daughter had been tip-toeing about the house late at night cramming her with guilt. It filled her right to the brim, forcing her to clench her jaw shut so she wouldn't gush all over the floor making puddles of self-pity. 

But even with her mothers angry voice in her head, Sasha couldn't resist. Julien was the pied piper, playing his enticing music that both seduced her and tempted her to follow him wherever he went. She couldn't say no. She didn't want to say no.

She glanced down at her burgundy silk pjama's, which consisted of a button up shirt and matching shorts with lace detailing. Biting her thumb she wondered if it was too revealing. They were her special pjama's for when she wanted to feel sexy but also comfortable at the same time. But were they too much?

Fiddling with the drawstring in the shorts Sasha smiled faintly to herself thinking about Julien's reaction. 

'Fuck it', she told herself, 'stop being such a worry wart'.

----

Sasha tapped quietly on the door of the guest bedroom, careful not too wake anyone up. There was no reply. She knocked again, this time a little louder but was still met with silence. Where had Julien gone? Had she read the note wrong? Did he mean another night? Or had he just forgotten and fallen asleep?