Before transitioning from Nottingham to Liverpool, we decided to tour the city while we got the chance. When was the next time we would find ourselves this far from home? My guess was never again, so I wanted to make the most of the city while my feet were submerged in its soil.
In order to get to the Chinese market, which we could smell from the shopping centre, we had to pass a row of shops, which towered over a dusty, cobbled path. The first one was Lush, which smelt like a massive soap bar for everybody to enjoy. Another one was McDonald's, which contained most of the shoppers. Another was Footlocker, which, as always, was a ghost town. On the corner were a busking duo, with a small paper sign set out in front of them. Open and ready to eat our change, an empty guitar case laid open in front of a massive speaker. Attached to it was a microphone, which one of the duo was using on a stand. The players were both men with a substantial amount of facial hair, bushy eyebrows and a lot of passion for music. The one singing was performing a medley of the Only Fools and Horses theme tune and Wonderwall by Oasis, while passionately strumming his guitar and shaking his beanie-covered head. His casual attire matched the type of songs they were playing -- I was getting indie vibes. Every so often he would make woo-hoo noises, like he was at a gig; playing to thousands. You could close your eyes -- and you were right there with him. The lights of the stage. The fans. It was all there. You believed it... Until you opened your eyes and saw that everyone was too busy walking to notice raw, pure talent. Sad really.
The second man looked slightly smarter, with glasses and a brown, turtleneck jumper. I'd never seen this before, but he was sat on a box. Not just any box you could pick up off the street -- it was some kind of drum. I was fascinated. As he tapped in time with the singer, he would shake the tambourine that was fastened to his shoe.
The two songs, and the style they were played it, went together perfectly. As all of us watched in awe, the duo carried on playing like nobody was watching. Well, nobody was watching. It was high street rush hour, about midday, and people were too distracted by other things. Clearly, they didn't care. They were in their element. Of course, the odd person dropped a few coins into their guitar case every so often. The singer would break mid song to thank them and then resume playing -- as if nothing happened. Maybe they needed money. Or, maybe, they just wanted an audience that wouldn't actually listen. So when they fuck up, thousands of people weren't waiting to shout at them.
Swiftly, after Deion and Harvey donated some of their spare change, we shifted through the mid-day rush of shoppers. The duo's music was a great way to postpone having to dodge in and out of the busy people -- who would probably just get under our feet -- but we had to get a move on. The area surrounding the market was less packed with people; only a few people surrounding the stalls. As we approached, red flags with golden outlines of dragons were instantly noticeable. With the summer breeze, the smell of Chinese food nibbled at my nose, causing me to dribble in excitement.
Marching forward, we linked arms and began giggling. Max, of course, blushed profusely when Abby willingly hooked their arms together. It was so sweet that it made me feel sick. Quite literally. But I'm positive that it was just the pregnancy, not the fact Max had a mahoouuusive crush on Abby.
Once we got the stands, the even stronger smell of the Chinese food caused my nausea to dissolve into saliva of desire. Hunger. I wanted to eat absolutely everything. Each of us lined up against the stalls, all dressed nicely with red and gold table cloths. Every new stall that approached had traditional Chinese dishes on them -- those in which I couldn't pronounce. Since our McDonald's breakfast was still lining our stomachs, everybody chose to eat light. Not me. Like a savage beast, my eyes grew wider as I piled my plate. What? I was eating for two, as they say.
Once we began eating, questionable sounds came from our direction. The chow Mein dish melted in my mouth, coating my taste buds in a rich, barbecue sensation. It left me licking my lips and begging for more, but by the time we had all finished, Abby wanted to go window-shopping. By the time we had finished trailing the shopping centre for something remotely exciting, Max was complaining that their feet were aching, Harvey was so close to holding my hand in public, and Deion was subtly ushering us back to the car, like the true father figure that he was. Getting back into the car was a task with my babies -- my actual baby, and my food one. I even had to unbutton my jeans to allow myself to actually breathe, otherwise I would have suffocated.
Although it was supposed to only be a two hour journey to Liverpool, it quickly escalated as the traffic grew around us. Ordinary traffic jams weren't the best to be stuck in, but motorway traffic jams? They were the worst. My legs were screaming for mercy, begging to be stretched. Surely my hips were locked into place. Honestly, when we finally pulled up at the last hotel destination that Harvey could afford, I was surprised that my legs still worked. Like Bambi on ice, I stumbled out of the car and into the hotel lobby. Again, it was nothing fancy. Just a small, average hotel that would do nicely just for one night.
As our eyes darted back and forth, trying to find our room, we noticed a Victorian theme, which continued throughout the rest of the hotel. Obviously, the hotel was older than the one we visited in Bristol. Every time we moved, just an inch, the floor boards would practically scream from beneath our feet. White wallpaper was flaking from the walls, like tiny flakes of snow. That shit was hard to get off your hands.
"Okay, I'm warning you now," Harvey announced, holding onto the door handle and preparing to open it. "I booked this room for Eleanor and me, I didn't account for all of you."
"Just open the door," Max snickered to Abby, who also chuckled along. "We know that you originally planned a romantic getaway and got a gang bang."
Taking it on the chin, Harvey laughed and pushed the door open.
"Oh my gosh," Abby cursed, clapping her hand to her open mouth.
Everyone was perfectly silent and parted, making room for me -- as if I was the bride at my wedding, and Harvey was the groom. He ducked his head, still leaning on the wall next to the door frame, and went red in the face as I saw the room. My eyes began to well up as more of it was revealed. Yeah it was small, it kind of smelled like cheese and the wallpaper was a disgusting colour -- but there was a double bed, with rose petals scattered on top of the duvet, lit candles on the (ugly) bed side tables, with a pack of matches so that we could blow them out and relight them again (wink wink), and mini love-heart chocolates. Looking at him, my heart melted at the candlelight reflecting on his face.
"We're going to go to the pool," Deion coughed, ushering the others from the doorway.
As they got further and further from us, I heard Max or Abby yell "But there is no pool!", and then disappear down the hallway, passing the rest of the Victorian styled walls.
Fixing his hair, Harvey instantly went into defence mode. "Eleanor, I'm sorry. I didn't book this to take advantage of you. Or ask you to do anything. The couple rooms are cheaper than singles here and I thought you would be more comfortable, I just wanted this to be perfect and-"
In order to shut him up, I kissed him. Although the movement was so sudden that we almost bumped heads, the whole world stopped when our lips met again. It was like they had been searching for each other this whole time -- and they had finally rediscovered one another. We stayed so close to each other that I could feel his jumping pulse, embracing each other's bodies and the initial moment. Our heads never parted as they moved together in a romantic rhythm, and I even found myself tugging at the bottom of his shirt. Although he protested and didn't take it off, he cupped my cheek, causing my entire body to be washed over by goose bumps.
His lips were oxygen. And I kissed him like I was unable to breathe.
YOU ARE READING
The Man on the Moon (The Man Duology)
Teen Fiction"If the man stayed on the sun for the entirety of his life and completely ignored the moon -- his happiness would soon burn out. If the man stayed on the moon and ignored the sun, his life would be dark and full of craters. However, if the man was t...
