The days went into weeks and the sun was still beaming down on her body. It allowed her core to be warmed to feel the entirety of herself again. It was warm here, blazing heat blinding her vision most evenings but allowing her body to be submerged in the warmth it craved. The coldness of grief was transformed into the meaningfulness of life because she was living. Maybe her husband didnt matter to her as much as she thought. Flicking her sunglasses so hard they fell off her head, she cursed in annoyance at them hitting the floor beside the sun lounger she was currently lounging on. Huffing in exhaustion from bathing in the heat as if she was some cold-blooded animal, she blindly, without moving her comfortable position, tried to find her sunglasses but yelped in pain and shot up from her position scowling menacingly at the shadow over her body.
"Sorry"
"Sorry?" she raises her eyebrows, challenging him with her steely glare "No, sorry is when you accidentally do something to offend me-"
"That is something that would accidentally offend you, mind you with a pretty head like yours, you probably wouldn't see it that way-"
"Oh shut up Liam go and get me a margarita or summat" she waves her hand around, he scoffs refusing to do what he was told, "Well go on then-"
"This holiday wasn't about you ordering me around-"
"You needed a person to fill the extra ticket, Michelle had to work so you're stuck with yours truly-"
"Ha yeah...definitely pulled the short straw there-"
"Oh go and get me a drink for crying out loud, you can rub some more of that sun cream into my back as well so I dont get burnt to a crisp"
"Nope"
"No?" she splutters, sitting up and glaring at him, he glares at her, both of them mirroring the gaze they were holding "Ok then if I get burnt I blame you, you'll have to deal with the whining"
"You're so annoying-"
"Not as annoying as you Leebugs" she quips before humming thoughtfully "What is it that Paul used to say? Michelle for that matter-"
"Well, they used to say Liam and not call me the childish equivalent in the form of Leebugs-"
"Aww, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, mind you, from whatever pretty blonde you were seeing at the time you always seemed to, ongoing trend-"
"Shut up Carla, go and get ready we're going out"
"Oh where!" she looks up hopeful of something fancy, she wanted the best and Liam just raised his eyebrows "Actually I dont want to know...surprise me"
"Trust me, I intend to. Now how long shall I set the timer for? Will I be allowed an hour in the bathroom tonight or will you be hogging it for a solid four hours so we'll never actually get out of the door-"
"Which dress?" she hums raising up two contenders ignoring his jibe, Liam groans in annoyance knowing this happened every night, the indecisiveness and the constant complication of what he saw as a simplicity to a night out
"Look I'm not doing this again!" he responds getting highly annoyed at the entire thing, why on earth did he choose to come here with her again "I swear you're doing it to wind me up-"
"I could wear the black one...or maybe the red one; Liam pick one"
"The red-"
"I wore that yesterday" she scowls, Liam sighs wondering why she decided to show it to him in the first place or even pick it up, maybe it was another one of her highly irritating 'tests' "Are you trying to make me look bad Liam?"
"No, thats not what I meant-"
"Ok then" she chirps heading into the bathroom with the black dress, Liam raises his eyebrows wondering what the point of that was, he hears the door shut and lock so he heads to the wardrobe pulling out something that was smart yet casual
"Can you pass us the hair gel-"
"Sure!" Carla calls navigating around the bathroom, she locates the gel and smirks to herself, she reaches for his aftershave and smells the nozzle before humming in content "Here!"
"Ow!" Liam shrieks and Carla giggles poking her head around the door, the majority of her body hidden by the door so he couldnt see her apart from her black hair swinging in the air "Dont lob them at me!"
"Tough, you annoyed me so count that as even" she tilts her head "Anyway, things to do Liam, get ready, chop-chop"
"Gosh you are so demanding, I dont know how Paul put up with you-"
"He didnt" she rolls her eyes poking her head around the door once more, her eyes narrowing "He was sleeping with scantily clad women in between sex with me at home-"
"Too much information" Liam grimaces and Carla shrugs "I guess it's what I deserve"
"Exactly" she smirks before shutting the door and locking it again, she slides the dress onto her body before trying to reach up behind her; crap, she couldnt do it up no matter how hard she tried "Liam!"
"What now?!" he groans tilting his head back in exasperation, she steps out of the bathroom scowling at him "Are you done now?"
"Do my dress up then it will be a done deal" she responds looking at him, he chuckles and watches her collect her hair in her hands "If your hands wander there will be hell to pay"
"Is that ok?" he questions, she turns around and looks at him, gently she slaps his cheek a couple of times
"That'll do" she smirks before sighing and collecting her clutch purse "Bathroom's all yours, be quick though, wouldn't want to be late"
"Says the one who-"
"Button it, I dont want to hear it, Liam, now get ready before I have to do away with ya for being too slow, anyone would think you're turning sixty"
"I am so youthful even more so than you-"
"Ha yeah right, nice grandad jeans" she points out, Liam whips her with the damp towel in the bathroom "Oi ruin the dress and I will ruin you, dont think I'm kidding either"
"Oh dont worry, I wouldn't dare think that, especially after everything with Kasia-"
"Oi!" she snaps as Liam smirks at her, she grabs his hair gel and flicks some of it at him "That was not my fault-"
"Thinking about it now, Paul was being a bit of a-"
"Tell me about it! That was my money, to start my own business, something that was mine, all mine" she seethes and Liam just laughs at her uptight and angry expression
"I'm saying nothing-"
"Well you wouldn't would you? I mean you got your own business didnt you?" she rolls her eyes lying back on the bed, she breathes out checking the time on her phone "Shame you took so long Liam, we've missed our booking time"
"Have we?!" he exclaims taking his phone and checking "Dammit, thats your fault that is"
"Hardly Mr. Gel My Hair Three Times Over, you were as bad" she points out, he rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically "Now what?"
"Well I dont know do I? Do you want me to get my crystal ball out?"
"Nope I want you to go to the shops"
"Huh?"
"Get whatever alcohol you can and we can have a night of it here, talking about the past and all that sentimental and serotonin filled stuff, you know what they say-"
"The good times-"
"Mainly the bad on the estate we grew up on" she smirks and Liam nods grabbing his wallet not wanting to push her any further "Oh and also!"
"What" he places his hand on the door handle to their hotel room, looking at her lithe body strapped in the black material of her dress
"Get me anything that equates to red wine, you name it get it, anything with that deep red colour purchase it"
"Yes, boss lady-"
"Now thats more like it, apart from the lady bit...thats cringe-worthy" she shakes her head in disgust and Liam just chuckles leaving the hotel room, she sighs in content closing her eyes, gingerly she reaches out and locates the bottle of aftershave giving it another sniff...