‘Luca, can I ask you something?’
‘Shoot.’
‘You know my— my, um… fanny?’
He smirked. ‘Yes, I am intimately acquainted with your fanny.’
‘Well, were you surprised when you first saw it?’
‘Surprised?’ He frowned at her, his lips twitching in amusement. Then he rubbed his chin, as if considering her question carefully. ‘No, I can’t honestly say I was surprised. I knew you were a girl, so I kind of guessed you’d have one.’
‘But were you surprised about… what it looked like?’
He laughed then, a deep, throaty sound. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I’d seen one before – more than one, actually.’
Claire frowned. This was embarrassing enough without him laughing at her.
‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Was it supposed to be a surprise?’
‘I know you’ve seen them before. But had you seen one – you know, like mine?’
‘They all look pretty much the same, you know, give or take.’ He leant his forehead on hers, grinning at her, his eyes dancing with merriment. ‘Oh, baby, all this talk of your twat is making me horny as hell. Let’s go to bed.’
She huffed, pushing him away. ‘But was there anything that you thought was… unusual about it?’ she persisted.
He frowned, looking at her quizzically. ‘No.’
‘It seemed normal to you?’
‘Is that what you’re worried about? Yes, it’s perfectly normal,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her. ‘But maybe I should take another look.’ He popped the button on her jeans as he spoke. His fingers began tugging down the zip and she slapped them away.
‘You have nothing to worry about,’ he said. ‘It’s beautiful. I’d like to paint it. If I was a poet, I’d write it an ode.’
‘And you don’t think it’s too…’
‘What?’
She took a deep breath. ‘Hairy,’ she mumbled, looking down at her hands.
‘Ah, so that’s what all this is about. Finally!’
‘So?’
‘No. It’s not too hairy.’
‘Is it unusual, though? I mean you’ve been with a lot of girls. Do most of them?—’
‘Yeah, a lot of them have barely anything. I don’t get it myself.’
‘You don’t mind… a full bush?’
‘No, I think it’s sexy, actually. It’s womanly – as opposed to girly. I don’t understand the obsession with making grown women look like pre-pubescent girls or sexless dolls.’
She should have known a bit of body hair wouldn’t faze Luca. But maybe he wasn’t the best person to ask. He was very earthy – which made him a great teacher: he was so matter-of-fact about sex and bodies, and she knew she could discuss anything with him. But it also meant he didn’t have a problem with things that other people might find off-putting. Plus, he was an artist – he saw beauty in all sorts of things that most people wouldn’t find beautiful at all.
‘Is it unusual, though? I just don’t know what a guy would expect.’
‘What this Mark dude will expect, you mean?’
