‘It’s called meconium,’ I croak, mid chuckle. ‘And it’s potentially dangerous to the babe.’
‘It’s shit, and you know it.’
‘My life is a bit shit, that I do know.’
‘It’ll get better,’ Mel says, reaching out and covering my hand with hers, making me shrug and smile up at her. ‘Starting tonight.’
‘Right, this is my round.’ Sliding open my clutch, I pull a couple of twenties out and push them in her direction. ‘Anotherpinotfor me, I say, sliding from my stool and making my way to the ladies’ room while trying to stop myself from second-guessing how to approach this thing with Ben. Not that I don’t have a plan on how I can continue things with him because I do. And despite what I’d said earlier, I’m beginning to think Mel might have the right idea in setting realistic goals. So here are mine.
Keep it casual.
Explore—have wild monkey sex
Make it only about sex.
See #1. He’s not planning on sticking around.
But how do I approach things with Mel? I don’t want to keep it a secret from her, but I don’t know how to tell her. And while alcohol is often the cause of problems, it’s never the solution. Tonight, however, it might also be just what the doctor orders.
Chapter 12
BEN
‘What are you doing here?’ I pretend not to notice the gleam in Nell’s eye. ‘And in my seat, too?’
‘You snooze you lose.’
‘Ben, if you’re going to crash our girly night, the least you can do is have a day off from being a tit.’
‘Ever the diplomat, Mel,’ I say, moving from the barstool. It’s not like I was going to make her stand. I was just keeping up the show. Nell was pretty insistent in her plan to keep what happened between us from Melody, which suits me. I could do without her bending my ear anytime soon.
Nell hops up onto the stool I vacate, and I take my position between the pair, keeping my hand on the back of Nell’s seat, fully intending to take advantage of the position. I manage to bite back a small smile as I feel her shiver as I trail my thumb across the silk of her blouse.
‘Are you cold?’
‘Quite the opposite,’ she mutters, grasping her glass from the bar. As she brings the rim to her berry-painted lips, she lowers it again.
‘Not thirsty?’
‘I’m just wondering why my phone isn’t in my clutch.’ Her narrows in my direction as she picks it up, examining it as though I’d tampered with it.
‘I haven’t touched it,’ I say, holding out my hands as though that alone was proof.
‘Hmph.’ Nell closes her purse, popping her phone on top. ‘You’d better not have, if you know what’s good for you.’
Ah, so that’s the way we’re playing it. Like we’re kids again.
‘Why would I touch your phone? I’m not interested in your collection of cock shots.’ Next to me, my sister splutters around the straw of her drink.
‘Ben! Leave her alone. Penny doesn’t have cock shots on her phone.’
‘Doesn’t she?’ My eyes move to Nell’s dark and complicit ones. She thinks she knows what’s going through my head. Yeah, so I am going to fix that for her—what man wouldn’t? Especially when she’s giving me that look. Like she’s daring me to do it. But also, I’m thinking about furniture. I am! Sitting on the high stool, Nell’s gaze is almost level with mine. Her kitchen has a breakfast bar but no stools. I think I might need to remedy that, especially as I’d like to fuck her from this vantage point.
‘You’re more likely to find images of weird X-rays and stuff on her phone.’
‘Yeah?’
Nell nods.
