‘You mean you want to see me again tonight?’ Alexa asked.

‘Why do you have plans?’ asked Helena, disappointment blatantly showing on her face.

‘No it’s just I didn’t want to presume and you never mentioned anything.’

‘Well in case you hadn’t noticed Alexa I kind of like you and plus there’s a jacuzzi in my suite begging to be tried out.  I hoped you might join me,’ said Helena.

 ‘Hmm…do I get to see you in a bikini?’ asked Alexa, whispering seductively in Helena’s ear.

‘Only if you promise to let me take yours off,’ said Helena, shifting her face to take Alexa’s lips sensuously.

‘Hmm..you’re worse than heroin you know that?’ said Alexa.

‘What?’ asked Helena, screwing up her nose cutely at the comparison.

‘You’re addictive, your lips, your body, even the way you talk, I can’t get enough of you,’ said Alexa.

‘Well now that’s cute,’ said Helena and kissed her quickly, ‘Likening me to the dirty drugs, not so much.’

Alexa laughed.  She loved that, the playful look in Helena’s eyes, the way they talked like they’d known each other for years, understood each other’s humour.  She couldn’t believe Helena had to leave tomorrow.  It had always been inevitable, she had assured Helena that she could deal with it and move on but it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought no matter how much they both tried to live in denial.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that day as Alexa enjoyed a room service dinner with Helena on the hotel terrace the conversation didn’t flow as naturally as it usually did.  They both felt a distinct air of sadness that they would be separated tomorrow but were unwilling to voice it, unsure how to show it.  They danced around the subject of Helena leaving, like Alexa’s shrimp danced around her plate, her fork tracing paths of its own.

‘So you all packed?’ Alexa asked, interrupting the silence.

‘Not really but I don’t have to leave until noon tomorrow,’ Helena answered.

‘Research centre all set up?’

‘Pretty much, I think the dean can take it from here on this site now.’

‘Successful trip then, tasks all accomplished?’

Helena took a sip of her wine and gulped it down.  She hated this, that they were distancing themselves from each other now to make it easier when they were separated, that were both pretending like it didn’t matter that she was leaving when it clearly did to them both.