“Thanks.”
“You’ll need something to put him in,” Rory says.
“I figured I’d buy a travel cot if it comes to it. Niamh might not want me to have him overnight.” I rub my hands together and breathe in deeply. “Do you still want to practice wax play?”
Rory nods.
“Shall we?” I’m surprised I still have the nerve to offer myself as his model. Is that the right word?
Rory looks to Stefan.
"We'll need your candles and a sheet to catch the drips," Stefan says. "Where would you feel most comfortable doing it?" I realise he’s talking to me.
"I don't know. What are the options?"
"The sofas are big enough to lie on, but it would be awkward for Rory. The floor would be easier, if a little uncomfortable. A bed would be best, but only if that's not strange for you."
I shift my attention from Stefan to Rory. I don't fancy lying on the floor, but a bed feels oddly intimate. I know it wouldn't be, not with Stefan and Rory there, but it still feels strange.
"I'll manage if you want to lie on the sofa," Rory says.
I keep staring at him. Will it be relaxing if I know that it's awkward for him? It's not like a bed is any different from a sofa.
“A bed is fine." I try to ignore the lump in my throat and how dry my mouth has become.
Rory's mouth quivers in an unspoken question.
“It is,” I say in a more confident tone.
"You should decide on your safe words," Stefan says. "And then get the things you need. Do you want to use your bed, Rory, or Callan's?"
Rory gestures to me, giving me the power.
"Yours," I say to him.
I don’t say it will give me a place to retreat if I freak out. Not that I intend to freak out, but this isn't something I've ever done before, so I have no idea how I'll react.
"I'll go and get things ready," Rory says. "Come up in about ten minutes."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Stefan asks.
Rory smacks his forehead. "Safe words."
Stefan nods.
"I tend to use traffic lights," Rory says. "They're easy, and everybody knows what the colour code means."
"Green means go?" I ask.
"Aye. Amber means slow down, and red is stop."
"That's easy enough."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
I chuckle. "Are you trying to talk me out of it?"
"No. Not at all. I want you to be sure." Rory's stare bores into mine.
