Hey there!

It’s been a long and difficult week for me and my family. I totally underestimated things. That means I wasn’t able to work on part 17 for most of the week. There will likely be no early (audio) access to this episode :/

I do have an excerpt of the script for you, though ^^ While you read that, I’ll start recording 😉

See you soon!

Sigrid

Hannah’s heart was hammering in her chest. Feeling the fabric of her towel rub against her skin was almost too much to bear. The air around her seemed to crackle with electricity. She had never felt so alive – or so nervous.

 

She gave Milly a furtive glance. Milly was in the middle of pulling her shorts up. Her movements seemed shaky and hasty. Hannah admired the lines of Milly’s back and shoulders. God, she was so beautiful. Hannah’s vision went a bit hazy. The drums in her ears quickened.

 

They hadn’t said a word to each other these last minutes. Back in the pool, Milly had dropped her arms and had started to swim away. Hannah had followed – speechless. Hannah had wanted to say something. She had wanted to ask if Milly would join her upstairs.

 

It had taken Hannah every ounce of strength to stop kissing Milly. She just wished she had been a bit more specific when she had told Milly why. She had meant ‘let’s go to my hotel room’. But her brain had only managed to produce the most basic expression of her thoughts. “Not here.”

 

Hannah finished towelling off, looked for her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. She stepped into her new flip flops. What if Milly had misunderstood? Did Milly think Hannah wanted her to stop – completely? Was that why she was in such a hurry? Was she leaving?

 

Hannah really didn’t want her to leave. But she also couldn’t bring herself to ask Milly to stay. She wasn’t asking Milly over for a friendly lunch after all. Hannah was usually pretty confident – even with women – but this was so much more than a game of ‘catch me if you can’.

 

She looked up at Milly. Milly had put on her shorts, T- shirt and sneakers again. Her bag hung over her shoulder and she was holding the wet towel in her hand. Hannah watched the drops of water rolling down from Milly’s hair. Milly’s dark strands were stil soaking wet. Her skin was radiant.

 

Hannah met two dark eyes that were fixed on her. The fire in them was unmistakeable. A surge of desire made Hannah close her own eyes and gulp for air. When she opened them again, Milly had turned around. The fabric of her T-shirt stuck to her back. She was walking in the direction of the iron fence.

 

Hannah followed as fast as she could on her silly flip flops. Milly’s stride was quick and purposeful. At the fence, she waited for Hannah to catch up and held the gate for her.

 

*fence gate closes*

 

Since Hannah was now walking ahead of Milly, it was up to her to decide which way to go. She could walk into the lobby and head for the parking lot. It was the safest option. Nothing irreversible would happen.

 

Milly would probably get into her car, quietly, and go home. Maybe they could pretend nothing had happened. Or…Hannah could walk to the elevators and hope Milly would follow her. There would be no way back once they stepped into that elevator – that much she knew.

 

Hannah listened to Milly’s footsteps behind her. Her senses were so focused on Milly, and Milly alone, she only noticed they had walked into the hotel lobby because the sound of Milly’s steps had changed.

 

Hannah tightened her grip on the towel in her hand. Her heart was racing so fast, the world around her was starting to spin. In front of her, the entrance of the hotel beckoned. It seemed almost majestic because of the bright light shining through its glass doors.

 

On her right, several people were waiting in the check out line. Their luggage neatly stacked on carts behind them. Hannah looked at the elevators on her left. She would have to change direction now or she would walk past them.

 

Hannah glanced back at the hotel entrance. Her chest was tight. Her palms sweaty. She frowned. She was too scared to do what she wanted to do. And so, she kept putting one foot in front of the other…towards the parking lot.