Page 102 of Beneath the Quiet

She squeezes my hand, her eyes dancing with laughter.

“Try saying that sentence five times in a row.”

I look down at the ground, the need to avoid her probing eyes strong. How can I tell my friend that I’m already seeing Aidan in a way? That we just don’t want the hassle of dating but have headed straight to getting naked together instead?

“I’m not sure we’d be a good fit.”

She snorts. “Please. The two of you banter so hard whenever you’re together that you make everyone think you’ve already had sex at least a thousand times…OHHH!” She whirls around and points an accusing finger my way. “Oh my God! That’s the guy, isn’t it? You’re banging the sexy single dad farmer!”

“Keep your voice down!” I hiss, then pull her behind one of the stalls. I look right and left to make sure we’re out of earshot. Roísin claps a hand over her mouth to muffle her excited squeal.

“I’m right, though, aren’t I? You’ve been meeting up with Aidan to have sex every Tuesday!”

She dances on the spot.

“Shush! You’ll rat us out to the whole village if you keep this up.”

“Sorry. I’ll tone it down,” she garbles. I push her hand down. “But wow…Aidan Lynch.”

“I know.”

She grins up at me. “I hope you’re having fun with him.”

I squirm under her gaze, my blush deepening even more. “That’s one way of putting it.”

I only have to think about him and his clever mouth, and a heaviness settles between my legs.

Roísin chuckles. “Okay, from the look on your face right now, it’s more than fun.”

I open my mouth, then close it. “Please don’t. It’s supposed to be a secret.”

The light dims in her eyes.

“Hey, your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”

“I know, and I appreciate it, and…phew.” I fan my face. “What that man does to me is stuff you only ever read about, you know?”

“Mmm. That’s good, because you need all of that and more. And,” she pulls out her phone from her handbag, “we need to talk loads more about this when we don’t have to risk half the village eavesdropping on us.”

“I’d like that.”

“And I’m not talking about a quiet night in in Cloonmara. We need a spa day in Cork.”

“Really? Oh, I’m not sure…”

“Shush. It’s been ages since I treated myself to a massage, maybe even a mani-pedi. My cousin runs a fab place in the city, and she’ll give us a discount. Let me just check my calendar.”

I put a hand on her arm and push down until her gaze lifts from her phone and back to mine. “Text me some options, and I’ll check. But can we let it go now, just for today? I don’t think I can fully enjoy the festival if we keep talking about my sex life.”

She nods.

“Deal. But just one tiny detail before we go…”

I raise my eyebrows, waiting.

“I know you said that your ex never really got you off…Aidan pays attention to you? To what you need?”

My lips spread in in a cat, like the cat that got the cream. “Always. And multiple times before I return the favour.”