‘No more bringing my milkshake to the yard.’
‘Cherry!’
‘Sorry.’
‘You have to stop.’
‘Would it help if I moved out?’
‘Would it…? No, it wouldn’t. Because that wouldn’t make sense. Stay here. We’re both adults.’
‘Alright, but it really does take two, so you need to keep your t-shirt on. I don’t need any more x-rated stimulus material to help me act nuts about you in public. Keep that body hidden, for the love of God.’
Sean grinned. It was nice to know she also found him hard to resist and might be struggling like he was. He’d give her a chance to admit it.
‘Aye, alright, that’s fair enough. You know, we could give in to temptation and if you really don’t want to stay married to me, we can get a divorce. You’d enjoy yourself.’
‘Oh, the confidence. But I know you’re right, and that’s where the problems would start. I don’t think I could walk away after sex with you, Sean. And you being the ride of the century isn’t a good enough reason to fuck up your future.’
Ride of the century.God, she made him laugh. ‘Jesus, okay.’ He rapped his fingers on the table and decided to play along with her nonsense ‘What if I’m not the ride of the century? What if I’m mediocre at best?’
This appeared to be no deterrent to Cherry.
‘Sean, even if you had a micro penis and the style of an otter trying to escape a sack, I know I’d love being in bed with you. We’ll both need to exercise restraint, for the sake of the bigger picture.’
Sean was too stunned to even laugh properly, despite a strong urge. ‘Fine, you win,’ he said and pincered a baby potato with his fork. ‘By the way, there’s a nice wee boutique on the High Street called Nan Gracie. You could think about getting yourself some below-the-knee floral dresses from there. And some comfy shoes. I’ll give you an allowance to cover a new wardrobe.’
‘Shut the front door, Butler!’
‘Ha! Thought you’d be keen.’
‘Yeah. You’re funny.’ But the warmth in her smile suggested she meant it.
The feeling was mutual. For all the back-and-forth with Cherry and the tension she was creating, having her around brought a dimension to Sean’s life that was sorely lacking – the company of a vibrant and funny woman. His two sisters were as close as he got and a) they lived in Edinburgh, and b) they were his sisters.
‘How’s the planning for the charity tourney coming along?’ He decided a change to a neutral subject was a good idea.
And it seemed to soften the tension in her frame. ‘Really good. I’ve ordered a bunch of stuff to turn the distillery into a casino. Tablecloths, lamps, etcetera. And I’ve found some locals to be dealers.’
‘That’s brilliant, Cher. Thanks so much.’ Sean loved how she was putting her heart into this project, like it meant as much to her as it did to him. ‘If you’re not working Friday, then the lads at work want to have a poker night with you as the star guest. I think they’re hoping you’llcoach them for the pro-am.’ He wouldn’t mind a little coaching himself and, he wouldn’t lie, he wanted front row seats for his wife’s thrashing of his gallus workmates.
‘Oh, are they now?’ Cherry’s voice was laced with mischievous intrigue. ‘I don’t give away my secrets, you know. But sure, I’ll play them. You’re going to be there, right?’
‘Aye, I’ll be there.’ As if they were getting anywhere near his wife in a darkened space without his being present. ‘Cheers. They’re living in some la-la land, thinking they’ll learn from youandbeat you.’
‘You never know what will happen. But I’m not bringing down my game for your wee pals, so they’ll need to up theirs.’
‘I wouldn’t expect you to. Can’t wait to play with you.’
Her eyes rounded.
‘You know what I mean, you wee minx. Behave yourself.’
‘Could say the same about you.’
Jesus, were the next two months going to be like this? Neither of them seemed able to help themselves, and feeling like he might sexually combust was becoming a very frustrating part of Sean’s daily existence. ‘Oh, before I forget,’ he said, it not being likely this would slip his mind, ‘my mum wants us to come for dinner at the house. There’s no getting out of it, I’m afraid.’
Cherry swallowed so hard he wondered if she’d let a baby potato go down the wrong way. But he knew how she felt. He wasn’t especially excited about this dinner either.
