I have a new Vicbourne fic for you, probably to be called Riding Out, not quite as full-on (well, I say that ...) as Revelation. I’ll be posting in the next day or so, probably both on AO3 and ffnet. It’s a little two hander which I have adored writing, set shortly after her second baby and after Melbourne’s resignation as Prime Minister. New paths have been forged but deep affection will always remain.
Angst, longing, memories, conversation ... and eventually something else.
Here’s a sneaky peek to (hopefully) whet your appetite. Melbourne is paying Victoria an increasingly rare visit.
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‘Albert is in Carlisle.’ There was a terse edge to her voice he should ignore.
‘Carlisle, Ma’am?’
‘There is a new railway and some dispute over the gauge to be used. It is most tedious, I must say, yet he seems to find it utterly fascinating. I daresay, being a man, you probably find it so too.’
He pouted a little, his hands still clasped before him with relaxed ease. ‘No, Ma’am. I am not certain that being a man requires an interest in railways.’
‘Well, Peel is as riveted by the blasted things as Albert.’
He took steady paces towards her. ‘I am not Robert Peel, Ma’am. I had hoped that, despite doing the same job, you had noticed that it is a different person now going through the dispatch box with you each day.’
She laughed again and he adored it. ‘Oh, Lord M, you know how profoundly I notice the difference between you and Robert Peel!’ She let her laugh rise beyond her before continuing, softly and sincerely, ‘We had good conversation, did we not?’
He paused a moment and held her eyes deliberately before saying, ‘Yes, Ma’am.’
‘We were good friends.’
Something caught in his chest and he swallowed to ease it. ‘Indeed.’
The tropical air and temperature was a perfect combo for the kind of vacation one should spend poolside. ‘Should’ being the key word of that sentence. The subpar air conditioning of the taxi Sakura had thrown herself into only magnified the fact that she would not be spending her week off lounging in the sunshine.
Sure, the conference was all expenses paid, which is why she’d chosen to save on gas and taxi to the resort across town. But the scheduling of an urgent seminar, on the same week she’d been planning some much needed rest and relaxation, was still vexing. And she’d been looking forward to that rest through six whole months of night shifts and overtime.
The car deposited Sakura and her luggage at the elaborate entrance. Immediately she was attended to by the bellhop, wheeling the suitcase away while she was ushered inside.
It wasn’t particularly unusual for her to go to a hotel for a conference like this, it was however, peculiar for it to be in such a lavish setting. This resort pulled no punches. Three onsite restaurants, a spa facility, two bars and a gym.
Sakura waited at the ornate front desk, drumming her fingers on the marble while looking around the sizeable room. A large fountain behind her, a dazzling chandelier above, it did not look like the usual shady motel conference room at all. Two clerks were taking great care to make sure she needn’t lift a finger for the duration of the five day seminar. Which was some small compensation, to her at least, for losing her week off at home in front of the television.
“Here is your room key, Doctor Haruno, and your suite is on the third floor. Room number 306.”
Suite? Had she heard that right?
“Thank you.”
Sakura took the key card, staring at it for a few seconds before registering that someone else was speaking to her.
“Feel free to enjoy one or all of our lovely restaurants at any time while you’re here with us. You only need to swipe your key card. Or if you prefer we can cater directly to your suite.”
She found herself blinking very harshly, doubting her surroundings like they were some kind of trauma or exhaustion induced illusion. This state of bewilderment continued until she found herself standing at the doorway to room number 306. It's gold plated handle opened up to an elaborate foyer, green leather couches, exquisite flowers in elegant vases.
An archway led to the bedroom, Sakura’s eyes widening at the sheer size of the bed itself. Her luggage already placed inside the room, the covers turned down was an inviting sight, as was the hot tub she could spy in the adjoining bathroom.
This was just excessive.
Her first instinct was to flop onto the massive expanse of mattress, turn on the flat screen and gorge herself on chocolate and sparkling wine. It was with a heavy sigh that she retreated to the living area, actively forcing herself back into some modicum of professionalism.
Waiting for her on the table was the programme outlining the weeks seminar and activities. A reminder that she was there to work, highlighted by her name emboldened on the cover as keynote speaker.
So maybe this wasn’t exactly a normal conference.
It was nerve wracking, to say the least, that this would be her first time as speaker. The hospital director, her former teacher no less, had seen fit that she would be comfortable however. Sakura smirked. It was too late now to be questioning the budget for all of this, but it had been a short notice thing after all. That had probably been the old woman’s excuse.
Briefly Sakura’s eyes wandered over the resort brochures lined up along the tables long mahogany surface. All the things she wouldn’t be able to enjoy fully… but perhaps she could indulge just a little.
It wouldn’t be today unfortunately.
A beeping sound from her satchel alerted her to an email. Likely a patient follow up or something else just as urgent. In an instant she set her laptop up on the table, casting aside any pamphlets and programmes, and got to work.
There was so much she had to prepare for. If this all went without a hitch it could be a great boost for her career, her research even the hospital.
It was a lot of pressure. So much in fact that it made the muscles around her neck tight as she poured over her notes for the seminar. She turned her head a few times in an attempt to loosen up. It didn’t help that she was only now noticing that she would be the only female speaker in a group of old men. Nothing she couldn’t handle by any means, Tsunade had taught her well enough how to deal with that particular ilk, but it didn’t make it any less stressful.
The minutes got away from her, Sakura glanced at the clock while putting a hand to her stiff neck. It was about time for the orientation speech which promised to be every bit as boring as it sounded.
But then there was the introductory cocktail hour.
Normally she wouldn’t bother with such a thing, hightailing it back to her room and television. But this was a nice place. And it was all expenses paid. It was just lucky that she’d packed one of the few nicer dresses from her meagre collection. She felt decidedly uncomfortable slipping on the black lacey thing which was so far removed from her usual attire. But she didn’t want to look too out of place in the high class surroundings.
The sleeves were black sheer lace, the rest fitting snugly to her body as the hem stopped just above her knee. Not the most revealing in her arsenal but it certainly showed off her voluptuous assets in a classy kind of way.
Before she left the suite she threw a coat on anyway. Losing her nerve just a fraction. Nothing that liquid courage couldn’t bring back to life come cocktail hour.
Later on Sakura wasn’t sure if it was the uncomfortable way she’d been sitting during the orientation speech, or the byproduct of awkward sleep through her night shift stint, but the tightness around her neck and shoulders was worse. As a doctor she was certain it couldn’t have been caused by painful boredom but it was an unexplored realm of possibility.
By the time she finally escaped the dark conference room, with the painfully bright projector screen, the bar had lost some of it’s earlier appeal. A dull headache was beginning to burn, emanating from the tension building in her shoulders. It actually physically hurt to shimmy out of her coat.
All the while she made pleasantries, shook hands, engaged in the shared marvel at just how elaborate and lavish the furnishings were in this bar.
They had chosen the larger of the two watering holes on offer. The establishment taking great pains to see that all the seminar guests were well lubricated and plied with as much alcohol as they would accept. Sakura guessed whoever was footing the bill for this thing had no cap on what was on offer, the thought made her smirk into her glass, maybe she would indulge a little more than she had first thought.
Sitting at the counter she was unaware that her smirk had caught the attention of another guest until her eyes lifted, catching the wandering gaze of a man seated across the bar. When their eyes met her cheeks warmed. She hadn’t been seeking his regard, or anyones for that matter, and she instantly regretted her choice of outfit. All it took was one not-so-subtle quirk of his brow for Sakura to know exactly what was on his mind.
She turned away and rolled her eyes. An indecent urge to stick her tongue out at him formed, bubbling up from some long forgotten childhood habit. It wasn’t that he was unattractive, on the contrary, what she could see in the dull chandelier light was very pleasing. And at the tender age of twenty five Sakura was certainly no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh. But there was something about a man who obviously knew he was attractive that instantly turned her off. Call it arrogance or whatever, she'd been with a few pretty ones to know that sometimes it wasn't worth it.
Besides, she was irritable enough with this dull agony across her shoulders. Once this drink was finished with she would be calling it a night.
In a moment of curiosity, and a strange feeling like someone was watching her, Sakura turned slightly to see if the attractive stranger was still regarding her with that crooked brow. She almost felt disappointment that he was gone.
Too bad.
It wasn’t why she’d come here in the first place. Pity though, he had been nice to look at, admiring the view wouldn't have gotten her into too much trouble either. That dark glint in his eyes that had promised to take her other places… the upturn of his lips which begged to be kissed. She must be frustrated in a few ways to be even entertaining the notion of fantasizing about a stranger. But it had been a while.
Sakura refused to regret making her career her main priority. But damned if it wasn’t lonely.
She felt a pang of self loathing at her automatic and blatant refusal to even acknowledge the handsome stranger.
It was short lived.
“This seat taken?”
A deep voice in her ear caused her to jerk suddenly, the pain shooting across and up her neck making it difficult to move and nod in reply. Absentmindedly she ran a hand along the tender muscle.
Close up he was definitely handsome. Absurdly so. In that rugged kind of way that made it seem as if it required little to no effort on his part. The silver hair messily pointing in all directions which could almost be considered intentionally fashionable. Even the scar running down his left eye could be deemed attractive in a dangerous kind of way.
Sakura knew for certain, this one was trouble.
“So, you here for the big conference?”
There was something about that dulcet tone of his that made him sound almost bored by having to engage in small talk. There was no doubt in her mind that all he cared about was getting down to business. The smugness oozing off of him irritated her in an instant.
“Yeah.” Sakura answered cooly before feeling regrettably curious. “You?”
“Not exactly. I'm here for pleasure more than business.”
There it was, that subtle quirk of his brow as the word pleasure practically dripped off his tongue. Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes again, only just managing to contain the automatic response by taking another draught of wine. Her restraint causing another jolt of discomfort down her neck. Sakura rolled her shoulder in an attempt to ease the tension, catching the attentions of the closet pervert seated next to her.
“If you've got a kink there, I can help work it out for you.”
Sakura almost choked on her drink. Turning her whole body to regard him fully in a show of, what was hoped was obvious disgust. The sight of his smirk reigniting her fury. While it was attractive enough to send tingles of anticipation through her before, right now it only served to add to her misery.
Abruptly she stood, ignoring the niggle of pain that accompanied it, glass still in hand. Her eyes flicking from the crimson liquid to the face of the rogue gentleman and back again.
He caught the hint and his smirk vanished.
Sakura lifted the glass in an elaborate show, but just as quickly raised her own brow at his sudden fear, and threw it back down her throat instead. She restrained the urge to wince at the taste.
He visibly gulped much to her satisfaction.
“Wouldn’t want to stain that pretty hair of yours now would we?”
She commented, placing the glass at the counter with a nod to the barman. Sakura indulged at one last look at the good looking pervert while collecting her coat.
Unfortunately his face was impassive.
It might have been the alcohol muddling her brain but she swore there was a bead of sweat running down his forehead. She took that as a small victory before sashaying her way out the bar, giving him an eye full of her assets, even though she couldn't be sure he was looking. She didn't care.
There was a king size mattress waiting for her, and if she was really desperate she could work out her own kinks.
