‘And you’re right,’ she added. ‘He’s not so wee. So I probably won’t need these.’ One packet at a time, she lifted the regular-sized condoms out of the basket, piling them into a phallic-shaped tower on the counter.
Elaine, now utterly perplexed, scanned through every box of extra-large, large and durable condoms, and packed them into a bag. The total price was eye-watering, but it was so worth it to see their faces almost collapse in on themselves.
After swiping her Visa card, Cherry peered at the women’s name badges as if she hadn’t already clocked who they were. ‘It was lovely to meet you…Elaine…Shona. I’ll tell Sean you were talking about… I mean, asking for him.’
And before they had time to reply, Cherry had spun away and left the shop.
In the street, she stopped and realised how intensely her heart was beating. The rush of reckless energy. Fuck! Some people thought life in a small town was boring, but who needed to visit the Taj Mahal or sleep with a Canadian Mountie for kicks when you could confront the local Scottish gossips?
Of course, she had completely gone against Sean’s request not to engage with them, and it was more than evident why he wanted to maintain the pretence of a flawless marriage. She could imagine the speed of the tongues and the damage to his reputation if they knew the truth. Well, she had protected him in that respect. No way was she having people talk about her marriage like that. About her husband.
Soon to be ex.
Until that annulment comes through, he’s still my husband, and I will defend him as a wife should.
Whether Sean would be keen on everyone knowing that his defensive new wife had bought a truckload of condoms in a fit of pique was another issue altogether.
Chapter 9
Cherry
Cherry should have known news would travel as fast as it did. When Sean arrived home from the cooperage, he already knew about the incident in the shop.
‘Evening.’ He threw his bag down by the door and moved into the house. She lifted her head from her poker game and immediately registered her hand as lost.
Fuck!
This husband of hers.
He was standing there in battered work boots, dirty denim jeans, an equally ragged and filthy blue polo shirt with grime and oil stains on it, tattoos creeping out from under the sleeves onto his forearms. He filled the space between them with his energy. My God, he was absolute, edible, masculine drive incarnate. If not for the annulment, she’d be up there in an instant, tearing her hands through his mussed-up hair and kissing the face off him, sweat, grease and all.
‘What’s up, Paradise? I hear you’ve had quitethe day.’ Sean’s voice was rough, but there was a matching spark in his emerald eyes.
‘What have you heard exactly?’
Play it innocent. You don’t know what he knows.
‘I thought you could tell me.’ Sean toed off his boots, sights on her the whole time, before taking a step into the room. When she didn’t answer, he looked over to the kitchen island, where the mountain of condoms sat next to the pasta ingredients.
For what felt like forever, he examined them as if he were counting each packet. Cherry was back at school, waiting to see what the teacher’s reaction to her misbehaviour would be. Usually, a turning the other way. She’d heard the whispers.‘Such a shame her father dying like that; she’ll never get those A-grades now.’Well, she’d raised them that challenge, won, then gone and become a poker player. Her dad would be smiling.
Walking towards the island, Sean sunk his hands in his pockets, biceps pulsing, stirring something deep inside her.
‘That’s a lot of condoms,’ he said.
‘It is.’
‘And I see you’ve got all the types. Large, ribbed, glow in the dark, fucking candy floss flavoured. All except regular size, right?’ His mouth lifted ever so slightly.
He knew it all! Oh, Jesus. Was he amused? She couldn’t say for certain. ‘How did…? How did you know?’
‘It’s a small village, Cher. Very small. And if you draw attention to yourself, everyone is going to know about it by teatime – including your husband.’
Cherry glanced at her poker game. Her new hand was seven-two offsuit, the worst pairing in the deck, the flop making it even more of a goner. She cashed out and closed the laptop. This needed her full attention.
‘You know,’ Sean picked up a packet from the condom pile. ‘Anyone would think that you were trying to send your husband a giant hint.’ He flicked the packet with his finger like a nurse flicking a syringe they were about to inject you with. It was a disarmingly sexy gesture.
‘I was trying to teach the women in the shop a lesson. They were talking about us – you – and…’
