"What are you doing here?" I walk across the dirt driveway and meet Ollie who is now grinning carrying his duffel bag over one shoulder and heading towards the front door.

He's dressed in grey sweatpants, all black tennis shoes, and a plain black t-shirt. And on top of his head is the worn black NY baseball cap I had worn in my walk through Notting Hill.

"I'm staying here." He chuckles.

"No..." I stop in my tracks and plant my hand on my hip. I don't want to come off rude or inconsiderate being this place technically belongs to his family, but I need this weekend. I've deserved it. "I'm staying here...by myself."

"Right..." Ollie spins and starts shuffling backward making his way to the mudroom door. "And are you going to fix the sink as well?"

"I- wait...you're going to fix it?"

He cocks his head and smirks pausing in front of the door, "Who do you reckon takes care of this place?".

I scoff impolitely because the Thomas's have more than enough money to pay for a caretaker to run this place. And on top of that Ollie can't fix anything. He doesn't have the patience for it and he sure as heck doesn't have the patience to read an instruction manual. "You're messing with me?"

"Afraid not, Murry."

He turns and for a moment I consider returning to London...

No. This is my weekend. I'm done making accommodations for other people. "Sorry, but I'm staying here, Ollie. Jane said I could stay here as long as I wanted."

Ollie turns back to face me and adjusts the duffel bag on his shoulder. The tendons in his wrist shift and he huffs out, "So stay here. There's plenty of rooms to pick from." He returns back to the door and opens it.

"But-" I stomp over a little afraid at the realization I just might be sharing this big house with him...alone.

Ollie abruptly stops and twists around. I jump back nearly walking straight into him, "Look, Murry, I've been coming here every weekend since I wrapped up with work. You're more than welcome to stay, as Mum said, but I'm here till' Sunday."

He's stern and short with me even causing me to tense up and suck onto the bottom of my lip. He was much less intimidating when we were younger and his voice wasn't so deep, and he didn't stand nearly a head taller than me.

He sighs and speaks softer. "I understand you want some solitude. I won't bother you while I'm here. You won't even know see me."

"No." I shake my head.

I know I'm being irrational but I made a plan and I didn't want anything to mess it up. And now, with Ollie here, the king of messing things up, the anxiety of what this relaxing mind- clearing weekend could turn into is scary.

The free strands of my ginger hair blow in front of my face so I quickly tuck them around my ears, "I'm sorry, I just had it in my mind that I'd be alone here. Jane made it sound like I'd just be by myself."

He removes his sunglasses and folds them into the collar of his grey t-shirt smiling and shaking his head, "Good Ol' Mum."

Yes. Good old Jane. I'm going to be calling her once I get cleaned up.

I hitch the basket of flowers to my hip and walk past Ollie into the mudroom setting the basket on the bench and using the toe of my boot to pry the heel of the other off.

"The bloody hell happened to you?"

"I fell a little," I say pulling as my foot springs free from one boot.

He laughs, "A lot, more like. It looks like you've done snow angels in it."

I remove the foot that is covered in mud and narrow my eyes at him over my shoulder. He's laughing to himself, his eyes wandering around up and down my backside. I'm sure he means it innocent, and I know I'm filthy but I feel the swish of the blood in veins and the prickle to my skin reacting to his eyes scanning me up and down.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up." I scamper off quickly afraid of the sudden charge of excitement in my body. Like every atom has sprung up and is now zipping around energized.

I grab a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt as well as underwear and a white bra and set them up on the countertop.  I peel the mud-covered clothes from my hot skin sending clumps of mud and grass crumbling to the tile floor.

My skin is still raised into sensitive goosebumps as if my skin has a mind of it's own wanting to reach out to be be close to him.

I initially thought my bizarre reactions to Ollie being around were because I haven't seen him in so long and maybe hidden in my subconscious I was thrilled to be around him again...And talk to him and laugh with him.

Once upon a time we were so close. We were two peas in a pod. Just like Gemma and Maggie, it was Ollie and I. For five amazing year's all I thought about was coming to England so Ollie and I could be together. Playing tag outside the house on Notting Hill or playing hide and seek in this huge house with it's many hiding places. When were together my eyes were in a constant state of happy tears and the muscles in my stomach were sore from laughter.

I smile day dreaming about my old hiding spot behind the curtains in the family room near the stone fireplace. I'm not sure if he purposely never checked that hiding a spot or if he just decided to let me win.

The hot water showers my lively skin and I hope the temperature relaxes the neediness of it.

The water roles down bringing with it the muddy brown dirt that pools around my toes until it swirls down the drain to disappear.

Tilting my head back the water pummels my scalp. After using my fingers to aid with removing the clumps of mud and grass I shampoo and lather it up covering my entire head to be sure the slight stink of stagnant mud is gone.

Suddenly, the water rinsing the shampoo from my hair cuts off and the pipes knock and moan loudly within the old walls.

"Uhhhhh." I say keeping my eyes locked shut because I have shampoo all over my forehead and eyes.

My exploring hand feels around for the handle of the shower and turn it on and off again.

Nothing

I raise a hand to touch the shower head unsure if it's been switched off. I flip the nozzle on and off, and again, the stream of water is gone.

"Umm." Using the towel hanging from the shower door I wipe my face clea of soap and look to the showerhead and knob.

I still have a head full of shampoo but climb out of the shower and wrap the towel around my body.

"Hey Ollie!" I call loudly from my refuge behind the cracked door to the en suite bathroom.

My ears listen for his deep voice to call back but there's nothing.

"Oliver!" I yell loudly my voice traveling out along the second story but again he doesn't respond.

Great.

I dress and even try the sink, but again. No water.

My hair is filled with soap. The crackles of popping suds is quite uncomfortable against my scalp so I make my way quickly downstairs to tell Ollie about the water issue.

"God damn, piece of fucking shit," Ollie's voice carries through the first floor. The long string of profanities continues so I follow it until I get to the kitchen.

"Fucking cunt." He growls followed quickly by a hard thump. He's somewhere in the kitchen but I don't see him from where I stand.

"Hey Ollie?"

"Yeah? What?" He asks from where ever he is, slightly agitated.

"Umm...okay...the shower isn't working."

The metal clanking of tools dropping to the tile floor fills the kitchen and he groans loudly as he stands from where he was buried under the sink, "Christ." His hardened features relax into a grin at the sight of me and my shampoo covered hair. "You look like Medusa." He adds laughing to himself.

"Wow, thanks Oliver. Could you unfix the sink so I can get this shampoo out of my hair."

He chuckles again and shakes his head, "The water shut off has nothing to do with me fixing the sink, Muriel. Nice attempt though on blaming me for your scary hair situation there. Come on, let's check round back."

He turns and I roll my eyes at the back of his head as he leads the way to the back door. He wears that old NY hat backwards so the bill is aiming down the back of his neck meanwhile the shoulders and bottom of his black t-shirt cling to his damp lower back. Giving me a little peek at the band of his Calvin Klien boxer briefs he's wearing beneath the grey sweatpants.

Ollie reaches the back door and opens it for me. I step out to the small back landing and wait for him to take the lead again, because I have no idea what I'm looking for.

We walk along the back of the house until we reach a box unit. "Hmm, that's odd." He says opening a metal hatch and flips a button. "Was the water hot when it was running?"

"Yeah." I shrug.

"The water was shut off for some reason. Anyways, it's on now."

I lift a brow and put my hands on my hips still pretty sure this was his fault, "You sure? Maybe we should call a plumber?"

"Ouch." He feigns and places a hand over his heart as if I've truly hurt his feelings. "Here, let's give it a go." He reaches for the faucet coming from the house that's connected to a coiled green hose.

Ollie twists it and the sound of clamping pipes echoes from the house and my lips can't help but twitch into a grin, "Yeah, let me go call a real plumber."

Suddenly, the hose spits violently, then a steady stream of water flows from the end.

"You were saying?" Ollie laughs and soaks a hand in the hose stream.

I bite my lip and give him a dramatic eye roll not wanting to admit defeat and cross my arms wishing he wasn't able to fix it just so I could tease him for-.

The air is sucked out of me when freezing water is sprayed across the front of me. I gasp loudly and realize I've been soaked to the bone.

My mouth drops open and I look down the front of me. My white shirt sticking to my breasts and stomach like a second layer of translucent skin while my jeans are darkened by the water.

"I can not believe you.-" I'm cut off again when another spray of freezing water coats me. "Ollie!" I yell and lunge at him grabbing for the hose.

He's in a constant fit of laughter while he pulls and maneuvers the hose all around drenching the top of my head, my back, even my butt while I'm fighting blind like an idiot because of the soap running down my face from my saturated hair.

This time I grab the slack of the hose while my eyes are tightly closed and pinch the line off by folding the hose over itself. "You are a jerk, Ollie Thomas. I can't see anything." I say loudly so he can hear me over his laughter.

"Here," He calms and then the material of cotton wipes my face gently, cleaning the shampoo from my eyes. When I open my eyes Ollie drops the bottom of his shirt, now an even darker black from the water where he had dried my face.

"Thanks." My lips spread wide and I top my thumb over the head of the hose creating a strong spray and aim it right at his face. Ollie somehow dodges it and runs off out of reach from my house laughing hard again.

"I knew you were going to do that the second you got the chance." He beams at me fixing his hat to face the front.

"Come over here." I giggle and adjust my thumb to try to accomplish a longer spray range.

"Put the hose down and I will."

"Are you afraid of getting a little wet, Ollie?" I tease him aiming the hose at him.

His smile drops and he looks taken aback, "Did Muriel Reazpoe just make a sex joke?"

"What?! No!" I laugh not even sure how that could have been construed as sexual.

The butterflies and laughter bubbling in my stomach brings me back to happier and easier days. Back when he was in my life.

"Come on, are you afraid of my big, long hose." This time I intentionally make the joke and stick my tongue out at him.

He gives me a thumbs down gesture letting me know my joke was awful so I add a little taunt for good measure, "I mean, I would be. It's definitely bigger than yours."

Ollie's eyes go wide and I break out into a fit of laughter just from the look of astonishment on his face.

Then he rushes me causing me to scream as he comes barreling towards me. I fumble with the hose and hardly get him with a spray before be scoops me over his shoulder and holds the back of my legs.

I pull the back of his collar and jam the hose down into the back of his shirt soaking I'm instantly.

The grey sweatpants darken to a charcoal color on his butt where the water has flowed down to his rear end. I can't help but laugh as he struggles with me on his shoulder and attempts to pull the hose out from his shirt.

I'm lifted from his shoulder and he reaches over his head to pull the hose out from it's shoved smiling ear to ear. "I'm impressed, Murry." He says brushing past and shuts the hose off.

I laugh and and shrug rather impressed with myself actually and twist the ends of my hair over my shoulder to ring the water out.

"There was a time that would have pissed you off." He adds grabbing the bottom of his shirt and lifts.

My eyes go wide and trail all along his now bare torso. His pecks, his abs, the V tucking into his sweatpants.

Oh boy.

I clear my throat and turn trying to find something to clean or pick up to keep my eyes off him.

"And, you even through in an insult to the size of my cock. I can assure you...it's defo' not as big as your well-endowed garden hose there."

I laugh nervously slightly mortified that we are on the topic of Ollie's penis.

"Umm, okay, so we should head back inside." I stammer and twist back around when there is nothing on the ground for me to pick up. "What are you doing?"

Ollie is bent over removing the wet sweat pants from his legs and tosses them over his shoulder to join the black t-shirt. "I'm not tracking in water inside. Come on, take your clothes off." He cracks a crooked smile nearly breaking into a mischievous laugh.

"I'm not taking my clothes off."

He shrugs and turns leaving me gawking again at his backside, now only covered by tight black boxer briefs.

"Then you can clean up the water you track in!"
______________________________________

Will Murry strip?
🤔🤔

Anyways this chapter was supposed to be longer but I want something else to happen and I don't want to write a 5k word chapter lol (you're welcome)

I just love playful couples!

Thanks for reading!