He had tried bragging about what else she’d let him do a few days later, so I did hit him and offered a few hints about what would happen if he said anything like that about her or any other girl again. She didn’t know about that.
“Peer pressure.”
“So you do kiss men you’re not attracted to?” I sat back, lightly tapping the table. “Are you not attracted to me then?”
“Don’t ask stupid questions, Carter.”
“It isn’t a stupid question. You’ve raised a concern that you think we might not be compatible in bed, and you don’t mean snoring. You’ve told me that you have kissed men you’re not attracted to, so now I’m taking that to mean you’re not attracted to me.” This was the most fun I’d had for a couple of days.
“You know I don’t not find you attractive.”
“That’s really terrible grammar. I’m surprised, coming from you.”
“You’re being really irritating.”
“I wonder why.”
She kicked me under the table, catching my shin. “That actually hurt.”
“I’d apologise, but I’m not sorry. You’re dismissing my concerns, so I’m now wondering whether you’re also worried that we might lack steam in the bedroom, mainly because you clearly lack confidence in that area.” She straightened her back and shifted into mock psychologist mode.
I’d seen this before.
“Really? What evidence do you have to say I lack confidence?” I was trying to exude confidence right now, although it was catching up with me, the fact that Rose and I had never talked about sex like this.
There had been conversations, chats about a boyfriend she’d been seeing, or her getting vague details about an encounter on my side, but never any real details. Some teasing, which maybe had been flirting, but nothing at this level.
Rose had been stunning as long as I’d known her, dark red hair, tall and pretty when she was younger. Now she had curves, ones that my hands had checked out thoroughly, and she wasn’tjust pretty anymore. I’d had thoughts about her like that since I was twenty, and I thought about her at times when I figured I shouldn’t. She was my friend, the person I always sought out when I had news, however good or bad. She was the first person I wanted to tell when I found something out, so did that mean I couldn’t think about what it’d be like if she was in my bed.
My head went there in the middle of the staff canteen.
“You, you – I don’t have any. Maybe it’s me, and I lack confidence.” She gestured wildly with her hands.
“I have enough for both of us.” There was no bragging in my tone. I’d studied the human body both through textbooks and practically, in a multitude of situations. I’d never had any complaints and there had been requests for repeat encounters.
“But this will be different.”
“How?”
“Because it’s me and we’ve known each other for nearly two decades. All of those things you have to do to get to know someone, we can skip. I already know you snore, I know you’re scared of spiders – irrationally so – and that you passed your driving test on the third time. Don’t you think that will make it different?” She looked worried. “I even know how you lost your virginity.”
I couldn’t help but find it funny.
“Stop laughing, Carter, I’m being serious.”
“I know. That’s why I’m laughing. Rose, being friends for so long isn’t going to be a bad thing, at least I don’t see how. I know all your bad habits already and it hasn’t made me find you repulsive.”
“You’re being too convincing.” She sipped at the tea and pulled a face.
“Are you going out for Anne-Marie’s birthday tonight?” It was almost a whole hospital event. Unless you were working or had childcare commitments, you attended Anne-Marie’sbirthday. Not going was punishable by something, although no one was sure what.
Anne-Marie was in her sixties and worked on the main hospital reception. She’d apparently been there since before the invention of penicillin, so she would tell anyone who listened, although that would make her in her seventies at least. So I suspected hyperbole. Every few weeks she threatened to retire, and when her boss’ boss didn’t try to persuade her otherwise, she threatened to beat the Guinness World Record for the NHS’ longest serving employee.
Her retirement party would one day close the hospital, of that I was sure.
This year she’d rented out the Working Men’s Club round the corner, and the day had seen numerous deliveries of alcohol; beer, whisky, gin, a few mixers and a palette of diet coke, and a truck that looked like it’d been recently involved in an armed robbery. The night would end with at least one person being admitted with alcohol poisoning, and probably the results of a fight, as well as a dozen new legends that would torment the big wigs at the top of the food chain.
“That was a change of topic.” She eyed me suspiciously. “I said I’d go for a couple of hours. Are you?”
