Roman picked up his watch from the dresser. He found his hand reaching down and tugging at the first drawer. He was surprised when it opened. He went to shut it when he looked inside. She had brought the identity discs here out of the way so that they wouldn't confront him at home. He didn't know whether he was relieved or upset to find out how sneaky she was and then grinned, as he was now looking in the one drawer she'd asked him not to go in. He pulled them out and put them in his pocket with a wry smile on his face and then saw a moth eaten teddy bear. He chuckled softly as he recognised it. Travel Bear. The bear had been around the world with her since she was little and had sat on the pillow of her bunk in her tent in Afghanistan. Her brother had teased her about it and how she took it everywhere. Well everywhere except Summer Bay, he acknowledged slowly. Was that a good omen? He pushed the drawer closed and went out to join her in the lounge.
"Ready to see my studio?" she asked him.
He smiled but felt his shoulders had tensed up and it was his fault for being nosy.
"Yes." He told her and bent down to kiss her.
She held out her hands and he helped her to her feet. She was once again barefoot and her hair was loose around her shoulders. He liked the way she was looking. Exactly the same as she dressed and looked in Summer Bay. He couldn't help making the analogy. He had never been unsure about any relationship, not even the drama with Martha. But this was different.
She stepped forward and pressed herself close to him for a kiss and he obliged. She tugged on his hand and led him downstairs to the studio.
Along one wall she had a row of lockers, similar to those found in a school and she opened a couple and pulled out some albums.
"These are where I have most of my prints." She told gesturing to the expanse. She pointed out to metal shelving on the other wall, where storage boxes were stacked.
"I have bigger shots over there. And behind you a fireproof safe that holds discs and memory cards."
He was impressed with the set up he had to admit. She looked proud of her work. He looked through the albums commenting on the odd photo.
"What's the matter?" she asked him after a few minutes.
"Nothing." He pinned a smile on his face hoping that she wouldn't notice that it was false.
"Uh huh." She said. "Come on."
She dragged him over to a platform.
"Right, take your T shirt off." She instructed.
"What?" he asked puzzled.
"I'm going to take your photo and I want you t shirt off and also your shoes. I want you barefoot."
"El" he protested but looked at her face.
She put her hands on her hips and just looked at him.
He stripped off the top in a fluid movement and slipped out of his trainers and pealed off the socks too. She guided him to the spot she wanted him and reached down and undid the top button of his jeans.
"El?" he questioned.
"Trust me." She told him. "Right put your hands in your pockets." She instructed.
He did so encountering the Identification discs, a guilty expression crept on his face and he frowned.
"No none of that. I want you to smoulder. Imagine I've just left wet towels on the floor" she told him and he laughed.
"Uh huh." She said.
She walked over and picked up one of her cameras, checking the battery and settings for a moment. A click of a switch put on a couple of the studio lights and she moved him slightly.
"Ok, Smoulder!" she instructed, "Think wet towels, burnt toast " she told him.
He laughed.
"I can't." he said.
"What my leaving piles of clothes on the floor doesn't tick you off?" she asked.
He laughed again, unaware she had clicked a number of shots.
"No not anymore." He admitted reluctantly.
She laughed and walked over to him pressing a kiss to his lips.
"Do you do that with all your models?" he asked.
"Maybe!" she told him with a quick grin. "Why are you jealous? I have lots of male models come through this place." She told him with a wicked cat got the cream look on her face.
Roman looked over at her and pulled her towards him.
"Uh huh." He said and kissed her long and hard.
She lowered her hand and caressed him, running her hand over his chest and stomach before quickly stepping away.
He looked over at her and watched as she quickly raised her camera. She took a quick half a dozen shots.
"Thanks!" she told him.
"What, is that it?" he asked.
"Almost." She said. She walked over to her laptop and opened it up. She connected the camera to it and after it powered up she clicked through a number of options and he saw his image spread out on the display screen in front of him. He'd assumed it was just a bench top.
"It's hooked up to my laptop so I can view the photos in more detail." She explained.
She pressed though another few options and he saw himself displayed in black and white. And she was right he did smoulder, he thought proudly.
"Wow! I'm so impressed right now." He told her.
"Really?" she asked. She typed a few more commands into the laptop and suddenly he appeared taller and model thin with bigger muscles.
"Uh huh." He said.
She looked over at him and smiled before typing something else into the laptop and suddenly he looked down at a rather well endowed image of himself.
"Now is that wishful thinking on your part?" he asked folding his arms across his bare chest.
She laughed even as she shook her head.
"I rather like what you've got now." She admitted.
He put his arms around her and pulled her against him, resting his head on top of her shoulder.
"Thank you for sharing this with me." He said softly.
She turned in his arms and kissed him.
"Its not a sacrifice." She told him. "I still have this."
"How did you know that is part of what I was thinking?" he asked.
"I'm a witch and I can read your thoughts." She said.
"Oh yeah! What am I thinking now?" he asked.
"You're thinking if I can make that." She began pointing to a certain part on the picture. "Any bigger so you can print it off and show Miles." She said.
"Hey!" he muttered. He had thought that …briefly.
"And now you are thinking how long is this going to take because you want to make love to me again."
He laughed and picked her up carrying her up the stairs.
"You can show me the rest later." He said softly.
"Put me down I have to sort out my equipment." she said with a husky laugh.
"I know the feeling and I'm hoping you can give me a hand with it." he said grinning.
She burst out laughing as he carried her through to the bedroom.
"You do realise that we won't be able to do this next week." She said to him.
"What make like bunny rabbits?" he asked grinning.
She laughed and pushed at his shoulders.
"Yes!" she said. "And I really do need to sort out my camera." She pouted.
He placed her gently on her feet and smiled at her.
"Go on then." He followed her back downstairs and watched as she cleared the photo on the top and chose a couple of him to print off. She pointed to the printer and he collected the prints while she powered down the laptop and stored the camera back on the shelf unit.
He saw a door the other side of the studio.
"What's that?" he asked.
"My darkroom for when I go old school." She told him. She placed a hand on her belly. "Sorry I can't show you I don't know what chemicals are ok."
He smiled at her being protective.
"Speaking of the baby did I hear you in the bathroom this morning?" he asked. "In fact the past few mornings?"
She nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.
"Because I still feel ok and I'm eating. If it were anything serious I would have done. But this has been like our honeymoon and I wanted to enjoy it." she told him.
He looked over at her.
She met his gaze evenly.
"I believe you." He said. "And yes this has been like our honeymoon. I can't keep my hands off you!" he grinned.
"I had noticed." She said softly. "There all done." She told him and started towards the stairs.
"How about we go out for a bit?" he suggested, despite the fact he wanted to whisk her straight upstairs.
She laughed.
"How about a cup of really fattening hot chocolate, a soppy romantic film and then snuggling on the sofa?" she suggested.
"I think I could manage that!" he told her.
He walked over and collected his shoes and top and walked up the stairs with her. She led him into the kitchen and showed him how she made her chocolate. Somehow it involved lots of cuddles and kisses and the first pan boiled over on the cooker.
"What's up?" he asked her halfway through the film.
"Text message from Ruby." She told him. "She got my number from Nic's phone. Said Nic is having a crisis. She's cleaning."
Roman's head shot up.
"Nicole cleaning?" he asked.
"Yes." She confirmed.
"My daughter Nicole?" Roman asked.
"Do you know any other Nicoles?" she asked him lifting an eyebrow.
Roman blushed when he realised that he may have done at some point.
"Er no." he said his voice lacking conviction. "So she's cleaning?"
"Yes. Is this a bad thing?" Ella asked him.
"Well lets see you've been in her bedroom." He told her.
"Perhaps we ought to go home?" Ella suggested.
Roman looked torn.
"Maybe we should just ring and check she's ok." He provided an alternative.
She handed him her phone.
He handed it back.
"Might be better coming from another woman." He said to her.
"Coward." She told him with a laugh. She pressed a quick kiss on his lips before going into the bedroom to ring Nicole.
She dialled her number and waited.
"Ella!" Nic said.
"Hi Daughter! I was just thinking about you and thought I'd give you a call!" El said into the phone. "Is that the vacuum in the background?" she asked.
"Wait, hang on. Just a sec." Nic said with a trace of panic in her voice.
The background noise eased.
"Ella it's all too much I have no idea what I'm doing." Nic said finally.
"Well do you think you could stop whispering Nic?" Ella asked.
"I can't. Because they will know that I'm talking to you and I'm trying to be good and not let them know I'm having a meltdown." Nic said quickly. "I'm hiding in my bedroom right now because they keep talking about the wedding and I can't do it."
Nic paused.
"I can't find a caterer and the material for the bridesmaids and I kissed Aden. And it's all too much. How was I going to know that the date would be brought up?" Nic started crying. "And I want you home so you can help me. But that is really selfish."
"Ok Nicole, take a breath. First off I'll sort the caterer. There is a market here that does wonderful material. Why don't you Annie and Ruby come here for the weekend? Travel here Friday morning and we'll show you around and leave you to it. You can go out and have some fun and relax for a bit."
"Ella I can't. It wouldn't be fair on you or Dad." Nic said softly.
"Well we have to leave on Friday to go pick up Mike from school for the weekend anyway." She said logically. "Tell Annie and Ruby and see what they think. And it is my idea Nic, you didn't contact me!" she told the girl.
"I'll let you know." Nicole whispered. "Anyway what are you and Dad doing with yourselves?" she asked then laughed. "Forget I asked."
Ella laughed.
"At the moment I have so totally Notebooked your Father!" she said to the girl.
"You didn't?" Nic laughed.
"I told him that it was set during the Second World War and he fell for it thinking he was going to be watching some scenes of violence!" Ella laughed.
"Every time I think you can't get any sneakier you always manage to impress me!" Nicole laughed.
"Thank you daughter! Anyway I better get back to him." Ella said.
"Wait. El, I need, no never mind." Nic said.
"What?" Ella said quickly.
"A photographer for the wedding." Nicole said finally. "I was going to ring round but I wondered if you knew of anyone who could help."
Ella laughed.
"My assistant Yannis could do it easily." She told her. "What else?" she asked Nic.
"Flowers." She said. "I forgot flowers. I thought about cakes and dresses and suits and asking Amy-Belle and Brett and invitations and I forgot flowers. We'll need to decorate the church and the hotel." Her voice rose as she went through the monologue.
"Nic breath. We'll sort those out next week. The hotel should have an idea of who to use and if the church is doing more weddings that day it will have lots of flowers anyway. Speak to the Pastor." Ella said logically. "Speak to Ruby and Annie it'll do you good to get away for a bit!" she told her. "I'll speak to you soon."
"Bye El. Thank you Step-mama!" Nic said.
"Bye daughter." She said and hung up.
She walked back into the lounge with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Hey how is she?" Roman asked.
"Panicking I think is the right term to use." El told him.
"Do we need to go home?" He asked.
She walked over and sat next to him snuggling up to him. He put his arm around her and kissed her softly.
"No I've suggested that she comes here on Friday with the girls for a mini break. If she says yes I'll organise a pamper session for them." El told him.
He reached for the remote and restarted the film.
"I have to say I'm not seeing a lot of action in this movie." He commented. "I thought you said it was a war movie?"
She chuckled.
"I believe I said that it was set during the second world war." She told him.
"For about 30 minutes!" he grumbled.
"Yes." She looked up at him and reached for a throw off the back of the sofa, pulling it around her. "I didn't go into specifics!"
"Yes and now I know why!" he muttered.
He pulled her to him.
"Hey you feel cold." He said.
"I know. It's a good job you are hot stuff." She told him with a smile.
"That would explain why you keep warming your feet on me!" he griped.
She looked at him again.
"You are a big tough guy you can handle it!" she said.
He put a pillow across his lap and she lay her head on it and he put his arm around her.
"Are you feeling rough?" he asked quickly.
"No darling I'm just worn out." She confirmed. She reached for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Why don't you go lay down?" he suggested.
"I will soon but first I want to snuggle some more." She yawned. "And if I suggest you come to bed for a snuggle I don't think we will get much rest!"
He laughed.
"True!" he confessed. He moved the throw so that it covered her and noted that within minutes she had fallen asleep. He stroked her hair and dropped a kiss on her temple.