Shoulder to Shoulder

The sunlight flooded through Elena’s window, making the young woman’s eyes flutter open in annoyance. Once again she’d forgotten to close her curtains before going to sleep. Without getting out of bed, she leaned over and pulled her curtains closed, she pumped her fist in triumph before dropping her head back onto the pillow. In her household, Boxing Day was always a day of rest; her family would hang out around the house, sometimes watch a film together and then eat leftovers in the evening.

Just as she was about to drift back off to sleep, her phone lit up beside her, knowing it was a message, she decided to check it in her semi-conscious state.

Buenas tardes, mi amor (Good morning my love)

Accompanying the message was a picture, and Elena couldn’t help but let a grin stretch across her face. The image was of a smiling Juan in a Christmas jumper with a Santa hat on. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow x his message ended.

You look so handsome all dressed up like Christmas! Can’t wait to see you either x

The smile on her face didn’t waver as she fell back asleep.

What felt like minutes, but was in fact a few hours later, Elena woke up once more. And this time she actually managed to get out of bed. It was midday, and she ventured downstairs to see her parents watching the telly, an old rerun of a 70s sitcom played on the screen.

They both offered warm smiles as she greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek. Walking into the kitchen, seeing her brother eating cereal, Elena grinned wide enough to make the corners of her eyes crinkle. The way he was sat at the counter, shovelling Crunchy Nut Cornflakes into his mouth reminded her of when they were younger.

She wrapped an arm around her brother’s shoulder and pulled him close, her curls flopping down and obscuring Dave’s vision. “Geroff,” he mumbled pushing her away. Elena nudged him in the side – it was exactly like when they were younger.

“How is Robin?” Elena asked, taking a pot of yoghurt out of the fridge.

Try as he might, Dan couldn’t stop the happiness that flooded his face. Robin was his girlfriend of 3 years; Elena had never seen her brother so much in love. Whenever he spoke of her, his eyes would light up, like she was the best thing that ever happened to him – and to be fair, she was.

“She’s okay thanks…” he trailed off and looked a bit guilty.

Elena jumped on the counter, softly banging her sock clad feet against the cupboard doors. “Come on Dan, what did you do?”

He looked from side to side, before beckoning her closer. “I’m going to ask her to marry me,” his voice coming out no louder than a whisper.

The air rushed into Elena’s lungs, as she breathed in, shocked. “Oh my God, Dan!” She said, whisper-shouting. “Congratulations! Oh I’m so happy for you. Do you know how you’re going to do it?”

Dan nodded slowly, pushing his now empty bowl away from him. “We’re going to Sydney for our 3 year anniversary in January, and I’m going to do it at some point while we’re there. I haven’t really decided on where exactly though.” Dan confided in his younger sister.

She threw her arms around him, squashing his large frame into a hug. “I’m so happy for you. You do know she’ll say yes, right?”

He blushed. “I hope so,” he said bashfully. “Don’t tell anyone, please,” his voice dropping back down to a whisper.

“You mean you haven’t told mum and dad yet?” Elena asked incredulously.

Dan shook his head, rubbing his hand over his hair. “You’re the only person who I’ve told. I don’t want to tell people in case she says no.”

Elena playfully slapped his shoulder. “She will say yes; she loves you so much, you idiot.” He grabbed her and tickled her sides. “But, I promise I won’t tell anyone, though you have to promise me something.”

She jabbed a finger into his chest, looking up at him seriously. “I have to be the first person you call when she agrees.”

A smile appeared on his lips and he hugged Elena again. “Of course, I promise.” He breathed into her hair.

Later on in the day, Elena made her way out of her house and on to the tube. Going on the tube the day after Christmas, the day that the sales start in Central London was something that Elena tended to avoid, but that year, she was going over to South West London to surprise her boyfriend.

Juan was going to return from the match against Norwich in the evening, and armed with her newly purchased Topshop bra and panties set, Elena was going to surprise him. He’d told her that he probably wouldn’t return home until around 10pm, and that he’d call her when he got home. So, she’d been able to watch the game at home with her dad and brother – Chelsea had won – before making her way to Juan’s flat.

She’d told her parents that she was going over to Lila’s, because who wants to tell their parents that they’re going over to their boyfriend’s house intent on surprising then in nothing but their underwear? No one, that’s who.

Upon arriving at Juan’s and finding his (terribly hidden) spare key, she let herself in. At this point it was around 7pm, so Elena had some time to kill before Juan was due to arrive home. Making herself at home, Elena turned on the television and began watching episodes of 30 Rock on Comedy Central.

It didn’t take long for her to get bored, so she went into Juan’s bedroom and changed into her new underwear. A couple of hours had passed while she watched the television, as she got ready, she wanted to listen to some music, but Juan’s sound system was unnecessarily confusing so she didn’t even bother using it. She used her old iPod shuffle and clipped it to her bra strap, dancing around Juan’s room listening to Beyoncé while applying her lipstick and eyeliner.

When she was satisfied that the flicks in black gel were equal, she put her makeup away and moved her shoes from the front room, not wanting to alert Juan to her presence as soon as he got back.

Making her way through all of Beyoncé’s hits, she was contently (and rather badly) doing the dance to Single Ladies, when she felt arms snake around her waist. The ear buds fell out of her ears as she let out a shriek. She heard Juan’s hearty chuckling in her ears, and felt the light tickle of his beard on her shoulder.

“Hello,” she said seductively, turning around to face him.

As she did so, he dropped his bag on the floor and kissed her lips softly, cupping her face in his hands. She asked his opinion on her new underwear, asking if he liked it, he didn’t respond verbally, he just nodded and pulled her in the direction of his bed.

Within seconds, he had stripped down to his underwear and was hovering over Elena, kissing her chest softly, moving down in between her breasts. She could feel him against her thigh and didn’t want to wait any longer. She hooked her fingers over the waistband of his boxers and pulled them down as far as she could, Juan taking them off the rest of the way. She then took of her own panties and threw them across the room.

Elena was about to ask about protection, but she didn’t need to as Juan leaned over to his bedside cabinet and pulled out a condom. Seconds later, after he’d put it on, he pushed into her gently, making her breath hitch in pleasure.

Later on, the two laid together, Juan’s arms wrapped around Elena’s shoulders. He leaned his cheek on the top of her head and asked, “Do you want to swap presents?”

She nodded enthusiastically and hopped out of bed, grabbing one of Juan’s t-shirts as she ran to get her handbag. Juan aslo got up out of the bed, pulling on his boxers before going to his wardrobe and pulling out what appeared to be a box. Producing two hand wrapped presents, Elena sat back down on the bed, snuggling under the cover, shielding herself from the cold of the room.

“Me first!” Juan said, passing over the box, and on closer inspection, Elena noticed that there was also an envelope on top. The first was an envelope that he told her to open first; she did so and out fell two tickets. As she read them, she couldn’t help but giggle in excitement, they were to Viva Forever, the new Spice Girls musical that was opening in the West End. Elena leant over and wrapped him in a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek too.

“Now open the second one!” he instructed, pushing it towards her. This one was bigger, and she had no idea what it was. Elena’s mouth fell open as she pushed the paper back, looking at what was inside. “You bought me a new MacBook?”

He nodded shyly, opening the box and pulling out the machine. Juan opened the lid, and the screen came to life, and the background was a picture of the two of them at a restaurant on the Southbank a few weeks earlier. He told her that there were more picture loaded onto the computer, and as she looked through the slideshow, there were so many, chronicling their relationship. From one of the coffee shop they went to the day after they met; them at the park; and various pictures they’d sent to one another via text message.

“Oh my god, thank you so much. You’re incredible, you know.”

“I kept hearing you complain about your other laptop, so I thought I should buy you a new one. It’s your final year of university, you need a laptop you can rely on.” He explained.

“My presents seem a bit rubbish now.” Elena said, pulling them away from Juan.

He took them out of her hands, “I bet they’re not.”

The first present was a beautiful, old, cloth bound edition of The Works of Rudyard Kipling – one of Juan’s favourite poets. “Elena, this is so beautiful. How could you think this was rubbish, I love it.”

“Really?” she asked, still not sure if he was just saying that to make her feel better.

“Really.” He kissed her lips and moved on to the second present. It was a framed picture of the two of them after Chelsea’s win against Tottenham, they were both pulling silly faces, and it was one of her favourite pictures of both of them.

“This is so nice.” He got up from the bed, taking Elena by the hand and leading her into the living room. Juan placed the picture in the centre of his mantle piece. “Perfect.” He declared angling it a little so the light from the windows didn’t glare off it.