Dianne sipped from her glass of white wine and placed it back on the side table beside the large, wood-fired, cedar hot tub that she was luxuriating in. Behind her was the two bedroom log-cabin style chalet that she’d hired in a resort that bordered the Thy National Park in Denmark. Above her was nothing but blue skies flecked with clouds and all around was acres and acres of pine forest. The location was incredibly remote – the closest civilisation was a small town called Tolbøl, and that had been a decent drive away.
As she looked about, Dianne shaded her eyes from the sun as it tracked down towards the distant hills and tinted the thin clouds with pink. The air had enough nip in it to make the hot tub just that little bit more enjoyable and from the looks of things it would be a crystal clear sky tonight. Feeling very content with life in general, Dianne sank neck-deep into the steaming water, knots of tension she wasn’t even aware of starting to unkink in her shoulders.
Something as rustic and isolated as this cabin wasn’t normally her style – she liked the vibrancy of cities – but after the hectic three months they’d had, the chance to disconnect from modern life really was exactly what she needed right now.
brrrt-brrrt
“Well, almost disconnect.”
Dianne shifted and sat up, drying her hands on the towel she’d left hanging off a nearby chair before picking up her phone from the table. She checked the caller ID, smiled, and answered the call. “Hello, Penny, how are you? Oh, yes, this hideaway is simply perfect!” She listened for a moment, smiled and reclaimed her wine glass. “That sounds like a marvellous idea, he’ll love it. Lonely? Oh no, not at all.” Dianne’s smile turned mischievous and she dropped her tone to a conspiratorial one. “I befriended a wild man from the woods today, he’s keeping me company,” she revealed, then giggled at her friend’s response to that – she could all but hear the blush. “Yes, it’s Paul. He wanted time in nature but I insisted on indoor plumbing, so we compromised. He started on the other end of the valley five days ago and hiked across, I spent five days in Aarhus and arrived at the chalet mid-morning and Paul turned up not long after. We’re here for three days and then heading back.”
“Teasing Penny, are you?” Paul asked as he emerged from the chalet and onto the patio that held the hot tub, dressed in jeans and a wine red tee-shirt, but barefoot. He had a glass of beer in one hand, a plate of snacks in the other and a towel over his shoulder. After a shower, a nap and a change of clothes he was looking a lot more civilised than the ‘wild man from the woods’ that had come out of the trees, but he hadn’t shaved yet and the beginnings of a beard that he was sporting did give him a roguish look.
“Teasing? Me? Perish the thought.” Her deadpan delivery was somewhat spoiled by the twinkle in her eye, then she turned back to the phone. “Sorry, Penny, I have to go. I’ll call you later. Yes, of course! Goodbye.” She put the phone on silent and put it back on the table. “There, no interruptions.” Dianne smiled at him.
“Much better,” Paul approved as he put down the towel, arranged his drink and snacks on the table, then added another chunk of wood to the tub’s firebox.
“Actually, ‘much better’ would be you getting out of those clothes and into this hot tub,” Dianne corrected with a smile, taking another sip of wine and giving Paul a long, appraising look.
“Yes, ma’am,” Paul grinned as he brushed off his hands and reached for the hem of his shirt.