Nervously, Tasha waited for a response. She knew he was likely to take exception to her not charging her shopping but it didn’t feel right. It made her feel uncomfortable so maybe they could discuss that when they discussed money at the weekend. She hadn’t even considered how long she could claim to be refusing to discuss marriage and anything related to it when his response arrived.
So, whilst she was thinking of discussing money and how she wanted to spend her own money and not feel as though she was being procured as some kind of kept woman he was intent on discussing marriage, a marriage that would see her more kept than anything else.
“Bastard,” Tasha muttered to herself as she realised her playing, tormenting and goading had backfired in spectacular style and if anything, all she had done was torment and tease herself into something of a frenzied ball of arousal. Friday really was going to seem like a lifetime away.
She went back to the same shop she’d visited the previous week and picked up the items Jim had asked for and threw in a couple of other items too.
When she got home, she dropped her bags in her bedroom and called Pippa. She still felt guilty that Pippa was with their grandparents because Tasha really felt that she should be there, with her, her and Dan. They were both her responsibility, always had been, her younger siblings. She did however understand her grandparents and Pippa’s decision to have chosen an alternative; Tasha was busy and hoped to develop her career, she also wanted her relationship with Jim to progress and gain some permanent normality, and she would have been forced to have found somewhere bigger to live if Dan and Pippa were with her permanently. Pippa sounded happy, safe and settled, which was how she should always have felt, they all should have felt that way. She shuddered as she thought of her life at home.
“Hi, Tash,” cried Lucy as she flew into the lounge.
Tasha smiled at her big grin. “Good day?”
“The best. I have the lead on design and selection for some English actress, Natasha, somebody, and Ryan would love to move in here with me.”
“Well congratulations, and congratulations again. Be careful with the actress though, they can be complete divas.”
“Should we celebrate? We could go dancing and drinking,” suggested Lucy.
“Tonight?”
“Yes,” laughed Lucy.
“I dunno. Jim may not be too thrilled about it,” said Tasha.
“Don’t tell him then.”
Tasha laughed, but shook her head. “That is not even worth thinking of. He would find out and flip big style. He hates being lied to, even lies of omission,” she said, quoting his own phrase.
“Then text him and if he’s not too keen we could bring the party here.”
“Okay.” Cautiously, Tasha selected Jim from her contacts and wrote the message very carefully and hoped this wasn’t going to become an issue. Surely one night out, or a party night in wouldn’t bother him, would it?
Chapter 36
That really didn’t bode well, but Tasha was in no way surprised by his reaction.
