Page 37 of Time To Learn

8

Laura

“Trish,I need you to take me out tomorrow night,” I sigh to my best friend.

“Well, that’s not demanding or anything,” she chuckles in myear.

I clutch the phone tighter in myhand.

“Sorry,” I mutter, abashed. “If you have other plans, I understand.”

“Just teasing you, gawgeous! I’m positively dying for a girl’s night out. You’reon!”

Smiling, I sit down on my bed, drying my wet hair with a towel. I look out at the sunset, feeling happy with my decision to go out and live a little.

“Thank you. It’s Ailith’s big day tomorrow, but if all goes well, Mum has promised to take her out to dinner and a movie, just the two of them. So I’ll be ready about five-ish—is that good withyou?”

“Of course. Do you want me to come by, pick you up? Then we’ll hit the pubs, get something to eat, and I can tell you all about my new boy toy.” Trish cackles loudly, and I can’t help but chuckle at her girlish excitement.

Trish is my exact opposite, but come hell or high water, she’s always been there for me. Even when I pushed her away, her love for me didn’t waver.

“Are you sure my ears can handle more of your stories?” I tease her. “I still haven’t recovered from you telling me all about the swingers club the two of you wentto.”

“Oh, my gosh, Laura, you’re too young to act like a dried-up spinster whose muff has been sewn together.”

I gasp at her crudeness and push my palm over my mouth to cover itup.

“Of course you can handle it,” Trish goes on in a lower voice. “In fact, Charles told me one of his friends from the club is looking for a lady friend, and…”

“Don’t go there,” I interrupt her, my mellow mood taking a backseat. I don’t want to hearit.

“Laura, please hear me out,” she pleads softly. “He’s not looking for something permanent or anything like that. He just wants to get a steady, err, well, fuck buddy.”

I wince as dread of where this is headed settles in my belly.

“Charming, I’m sure. Look, Trish, let’s talk about that tomorrow, yeah? I have to go down and help Mum with the books.”

Her voice softens in myear.

“Okay, babe, but think about it, please? When’s the last time you got down on your knees and let a man fuck you into oblivion?”

“Don’t remember, and I don’t care. I’ve got my bullet to see to my needs.”

She huffs. “Hmm, well it’s not the same as a big, thick, hard –”

“Goodbye, Trish,” I sing into the phone.

“Fine, fine,” she sighs. “But this conversation isn’t over, Laura. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Mm-hmm,” I murmur, already half regretting the fact that I asked herout.

“I can’t wait to see you! Bye, darling,” she squeals in my ear. Before I get the chance to say anything else, the line goesdead.

“Well, crap,” I mutter, tossing the phone on mybed.

I get up from my bed and let the towel fall to my feet. Not in the mood to look at my body—to be assaulted with memories or the story it will tell—I avoid the floor-length mirror next to my bedroom door, turning my back to it. Quickly, I put on a sports bra, a black turtleneck, black yoga pants, and some woollen socks. Satisfied to be covered up, I turn to my nightstand, find a hair-tie and pull my hair back in a French braid.

“Kissme.”