“Why would he do that?” I ask.
“Because you’re his…” Blake catches his lower lip between his teeth and dips his chin.
“His…?”
“Boyfriend,” Blake mumbles.
“You think Cal and I are a couple?” I ask.
He nods.
“We’re just friends.”
Blake’s eyes become a little brighter, which probably means he fancies Cal. Who wouldn’t? My friend is gorgeous.
“UnMentionable is a male lingerie company.” He says it casually without lowering his voice at all.
The woman at the next table glances at him, a slightly shocked expression on her face. If Blake notices, he doesn’t react at all. He just carries on talking.
“Calvin said you’re always on the lookout for models?”
I nod. “Yes. As I mentioned on the phone last night, I’m a shibari artist. Do you know what that is?”
“No.” His blush deepens. “I guess I should have looked it up, huh?”
I shrug. “I’m happy to explain. Shibari means ‘tying’. It’s a form of rope bondage, which originated in Japan.”
Blake’s eyes go wide.
Now the woman at the adjacent table is utterly incensed. She shakes her head, picks up her things, and moves to a different table. Blake watches her go, his lips parted and upturned at the corners.
Once she’s sat down, he fixes his stare on me again. “Is that where you learnt how to do it? Japan?”
I laugh. “I wish. I’d love to go to Japan someday. Perhaps during cherry blossom season,” I muse out loud before smiling and fixing my attention on Blake again. “I learnt from a fellow Dom a few years ago, before I moved to London.”
“You’re not from around here?”
“I was born and bred in Sheffield.” I hesitate. “You don’t want to know my life’s history. I was telling you about my artwork.”
“Go on.”
“I tie ropes around models in intricate patterns to form works of art.”
He catches his breath, and his pupils shrink slightly. I pause to smile at his obvious interest before carrying on.
“Cal photographs my work, and then I sell the prints for people to hang on their walls.”
“Calvin?” Blake sounds a little breathy, confirming my theory that he fancies my friend.
“Yes. He’s a very talented photographer.”
“Yeah, I know.” Blake looks away. “He’s also hot.” He clears his throat and stares at me for several long seconds, making me blush under his scrutiny.
“Would you like to see some of my work?” I ask, cutting into the silence.
Blake nods eagerly. I pull up some pictures on my phone and hand it to him.
He scrolls through them slowly, his eyes growing wider. “These are beautiful.”
