The Long Weekend Read Free

better of it.
    Kat was pleased – right now, they needed to hit the road as they were already running behind schedule.
    “Are you finished packing?” Kat leant against Abby’s granite counter and sipped her cup of tea. She made a face: Abby had forgotten the sugar.
    “Sorry.” Abby turned to grab it.
    “You’d think you’d remember after six months.”
    Abby smiled. “You’d think you’d be sugar-free after all my nagging.”
    Kat took the bowl from Abby’s outstretched hand. “I am down to one.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I’m nearly finished – just need to bung in a hairdryer.”
    “I think they have them there.” Kat stirred her tea, took a sip and smiled this time.
    “Yeah, but it’s probably from the 1980s,” Abby said over her shoulder as she disappeared into the hallway and then the bedroom. Abby said something else but it got muffled as she was too far away.
    Kat picked up her tea and followed her.
    Kat had always particularly liked Abby’s cool, minimalist bedroom and remembered being impressed with its decor and vibe as much as its owner the first time she’d come back here. She leant on the white glossy doorframe and watched Abby zip up her suitcase, her cool, ultra-styled Afro bouncing as she did.
    “What’d you say?” Kat asked.
    “Huh?”
    “Just then, you shouted something through.”
    Abby screwed up her face and paused, before shaking her head. “Dunno, can’t remember.”
    She got out her iPhone and checked it, as was her habit. Abby got her work email directed to her phone so she had no escape. Beyond that, she was also a technology junkie who got shifty if she was away from a viable internet connection for more than five minutes. How she was going to cope this weekend in the Devon countryside – not known for its robust phone reception – was anyone’s guess.
    Abby walked over to Kat and slid her arms around her waist, rubbing her back as she did. Abby and Kat were around the same height although Abby’s hair could sometimes make her appear almost a foot taller.
    “Oooh, I remember now.” Abby leant in for a quick kiss – her lips were dry. “I was asking whether you’d seen where we’re going – did you have a look at the email?”
    Kat shook her head. “Nah, didn’t get a chance. But I trust Stevie – she’s a genius at this sort of stuff.”
    “The place looks absolutely amazing – the lounge especially looks out onto the sea. Can’t wait to see it in the flesh.”
    Kat ran her hand down the side of Abby’s face, amazed as she always was at the contrasting colour of her white skin to Abby’s deep Ghanaian black.
    “We’re going to have an amazing Easter weekend and you’ll love all my friends – promise, they’re ace.” She kissed her girlfriend slowly, gently.
    Abby deepened the kiss and ran a hand over Kat’s curved buttock – it was her favourite part of her body. They both pulled back a few minutes later, Abby’s eyes full of desire.
    “So do you think there’s time?” Abby lifted an eyebrow.
    Kat smiled, but already knew the answer. Since she’d started on the pills her libido had been flatlining and she was scared at her lack of interest in sex, it having always been a favourite pastime of hers.
    The beep of Abby’s phone broke the moment and Kat knew she’d been saved. Abby had been extremely patient, but their fledging relationship was being tested. After just six months you were still meant to be jumping each other’s bones at every chance you got.
    Abby fished her phone out of her back pocket, broke their hold and stepped back. She pressed her screen a few times, frowned, then cursed. Getting these two days off had been a bone of contention between the two of them, what with Abby’s work having a new appraisal system installed and her being head of HR. Abby was the queen of telling her staff to take their holiday within their entitlement time, but not so great at taking her own advice.
    “Sorry, I gotta respond to this. Can you