Monday, 25 October 2021

The Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa – All Saints’ Day

 

The beautiful Downshire village of Clerembeax St Giles was situated to the west of Abbeyvale located between Grace Hill and Bushy Down and on the outskirts was the Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa and it was the location of a Halloween Ball, which was primarily a fancy-dress affair and late in the evening Kelvin Templar was sat in the Hotels lounge bar, dressed as Julius Caesar, and wishing he had chosen a less cumbersome costume, when she walked in.

He didn’t recognise her at first, in her flapper dress, and he had to do a bit of double take, but she was still as beautiful as ever, but her lustrous brown hair that once flowed in waves over her narrow shoulders was now cut in a bob, it was his ex-wife Paula.

Kelvin and Paula Templar were married for fifteen years and had been divorced for five.

They were nicknamed the Saints by her grandfather as a nod towards the popular TV series from the 60’s “The Saint” in which the main character was called Simon Templar.

She looked so different from the last time he’d seen her five years earlier when her eyes were red and her cheeks tearstained.

There was no double take for Paula, she recognised him instantly and she beamed a broad smile at him and he realized as she walked towards him in a powder blue flapper dress, that he was still in love with her.

“Kelvin” she said “What a surprise”

She wasn’t tall but even in her high heeled shoes she had to stand on tip toes and he had to stoop so they could embrace properly. 

“Trust you to pick such am impractical costume” she said 

“It seemed like a good idea at the time” he said and laughed

“Would you like a drink?”

“I’d love one” she replied and tried unsuccessfully to get her bum on the stool.

“Here let me give you a hand shorty” Kelvin said offering his hand which she accepted

“Thanks Julius” she retorted   

“What brings you here?” she asked “it’s not really your kind of thing is it”

“Rugby club” he replied and then asked, “and you?”

“I’m here with my sister Celia”

He couldn’t believe how releived he was to hear that she wasn’t there with another man, but he couldn’t hide that relief in his expression and demeanor and it didn’t go unnoticed by her, and his reaction pleased her.

“Really?”

“Yes, she just broke up with Carl, again” she elaborated and raised her eyebrows

“You look lovely by the way” he said

“Thank you” she responded a little self consciously

 

As they sat at the bar and drank they talked about the old days and the people they both knew and how both their lives and careers were going. 

However what Kelvin really wanted was to talk about was, her, the personal stuff, what she had been up to in her life over the five years, since he broke them.

“So, what about you?” he asked

“What do you mean?”

“Well Celia is here because of a break up, so what about you?” he repeated

“Oh, I see, well there’s no one for me to break up with” she replied, “and is there a significant other in your life?”

“Do you really think I would be dressed like this if there was” he said and laughed

“Good point” she agreed

“Do you want another?” he asked as he drained his glass

“I’d rather have a dance” she replied, “if you think you can manage to dance in that outfit?”

“I’ll give it a go”

 

 

“Letting you go was the worst thing I ever did” he said “it’s my greatest regret”

“Mine too” she whispered in reply

It was stupid pride that ended their marriage, which he had never been able to forgive himself for, it all began when she told him one day that she had been offered a job in Manchester, a promotion, with more money than he was earning and a more prestigious job in several ways.

She was thrilled with the offer and just wanted to share her news with him, it was never her intention to take the job, she just wanted him to celebrate the news with her, but instead he poured scorn on it and behaved childishly and as a result he lost her.

“I’m sorry” he said and then he kissed her

“I’ve missed your kiss” she said when their lips parted

“But what does this mean?”

“It means I’ve missed it too and I want you back” he replied “I want you to forgive me and take me back”

“Truly?”

“Yes”

“It’s what I’ve dreamed of” she said and kissed him again

 

After the kiss and the song had finished Paula took his hand and said

“Come on General you’ve pulled”

And then she walked him off the dance floor and they walked hand in hand to the door of her room where they kissed again.

The kissing continued once they had crossed the threshold into her room late on Thursday night, or more precisely early Friday Morning and they grew in passionate intensity until Kelvin began to make inroads into her clothing and she called a halt

“No, I’ll do it myself”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, now turn your back,” she said

“Why?” he asked        

“So, I can get undressed”

“But I’ve already seen everything”

“That was when we were married” she corrected him

“This is different, it’s been five years”

“Ok” he said and turned his back to her

“And no peeking” she said

“Ok”

He thought it was rather cute that even after the fifteen years of married intimacy she wanted to preserve her modesty, she had never been shy in the bedroom when they were together.

“You can look now” she said and when he turned around she was divested of the powder blue flapper dress and was ensconced beneath the covers.

“Oh, have you left anything for me” he asked

“Well you’d better get under here and find out” she said

 

Later that same morning as they lay beneath the duvet he asked

“Why didn’t you want me to undress you last night?”

“Because it wasn’t all me under that dress” Paula said

“There were garments and devices to make me look my best”

“You look perfect to me right now” he said as he peeked beneath the covers

“Then you had better take me right now”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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