Jonas is on reception. We both hand him our room cards and go through the usual questions.
When we confirm that we didn’t take anything from the minibar, Jonas says, ‘Guess you were too busy sightseeing and only used the room for sleeping.’
I can’t help looking sideways at Dominic and see that he is doing the exact same to me.
‘Very true,’ I reply. I’m speaking far too loudly and over-emphatically. It’s with difficulty that I stop myself from telling Jonas that we really did only sleep in the room andcertainlydidn’t use the bed for anything else.
I really don’t know why I’m behaving as though I have a guilty conscience. I have nothing whatsoever to feel guilty about. Two single adults can have sex if they want to. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
It’s Jed’s message. It’s making me feel guilty.
I should not feel guilty, though. I’m single and I can have as much sex as I like with whomever I like.
‘So the hotel is going to store your luggage until we leave for the airport at 6p.m.,’ Maxim tells us. ‘And until then you are extremely welcome to join me on a little tour round the city, or equally you might choose to explore by yourselves and be back here by five thirty, but in that case you’ll need to sign a waiver saying that if you miss the plane it’s on you.’
I look at Dominic and he looks at me, and then we both say that Maxim’s trip sounds great (Dominic), fabulous (me), but that we’d love to explore by ourselves.
Maxim says no problem, and then Mike begins to bear down on us.
Dominic looks at Mike, grabs my hand and whisks me towards the revolving doors calling over his shoulder to Maxim, ‘We’ll email the signed waivers over to you in a minute.’
Once we’re through the doors, we speed-walk round the corner of the hotel, where I have to beg Dominic to stop for a moment so that I can catch my breath.
We sit on a bench and I look at him. I’ve begun to feel that I know the bones of him incredibly well, but that at the same time I have lots to find out about him, and that Iwantto find all that stuff out.
He’s looking back at me with a lopsided smile on his face.
I feel like there might be a lot we have to say to each other at some point. Or maybe not. I mean, thishasbeen no-strings sex. That’s what we agreed. Maybe after an agreed no-strings thing you don’t talk. I wouldn’t actually know. I haven’t done one before, apart from with Dominic, in fact, all those years ago. Hmm. Wedidtalk after that, at his instigation, although to be fair we didn’t agree in advance that that was no-strings.
Well, I don’t know whether we will talk or not but now is not the time. Maybe we will at the airport, or on the plane. Now, though, we should make the most of Cape Town.
‘What shall we do today?’ I ask. ‘We have half a day left in this beautiful city on the other side of the world from home. We should use it wisely.’
Dominic raises an eyebrow and smirks slightly, which makes me smirk too.
‘Are your thoughts going in a smutty direction?’ he asks.
‘Yes, they are,’ I admit. ‘But weshouldsightsee.’
Dominic does an exaggerated sigh. ‘I suppose you’re right. Given the whole we’re-in-this-amazing-city-for-only-a-few-hours thing. Okay, so what about we google what the top attractions in Cape Town are and find one that’s local and popular?’ He checks his watch. Ilovehis wrists and forearms. And hands. He has very attractive hands. (Also verycapable.)
‘Good idea.’ I just want to ogleallthe parts of his body, not just his hands and arms. ‘Maybe something outside?’ We don’t really want to be stuck inside in a museum or similar on such a beautiful day when we’re returning tonight to the start of the British winter.
‘Good plan,’ he says, seeming distracted.
And then very suddenly we’re in each other’s arms kissing hard, like we did in the lift, almost desperately. Our bench is on the waterfront, and it’s busy, and people swirl round us while we carry on kissing, and we just ignore them.
I’m the first to draw back. ‘We havegotto sightsee,’ I say firmly. ‘Or at least wander around. What about we go for a nice walk and enjoy the views? To that viewpoint Maxim mentioned that’s an hour and a half each way? We have five hours, so there’ll be time for…’ For some al fresco stuff that I have never ever before really wanted to do. ‘For stopping to enjoy the sights.’
‘That sounds like a very good plan.’ Dominic points leftish over his shoulder. ‘I think we need to go that way.’
As we turn and begin to walk, our hands find each other and we link fingers and walk very close together, with our sides brushing.
It’s very nice.
Dominic insists that we must actually walk in the direction of the point we’re aiming for. I’m so all-consumed by lust that I can’t even remember the name of the viewpoint.
I agree happily to go in that direction. Today, I’d go anywhere with him.
