Frisky Business (23 page)

‘Well, he was shagging a stranger in a cupboard. It probably wasn’t his finest hour.’

‘I suppose. And besides …’

‘Yes?’

‘Well, I want us to have a chance to get to know each other again first, you know? I mean, I’d like to know how Kit feels without this being a factor. Then if something happened between us …’

Lesley perked up. ‘Do you think something’s going to happen?’ she asked eagerly.

Romy smiled. ‘I think it’s possible. I’d like it to, for Luke’s sake. But if it does – I’d like to know that it’s real and he really wants to be with us, and he’s not just facing up to his responsibilities and doing right by me because he’s Luke’s father. I don’t want him to feel trapped.’

‘But you do intend to tell him eventually?’

‘Of course. I just want to give things a chance first. Once I know how he feels, I’ll tell him either way.’

‘But what about you? Do you want to be with Kit for his sake or because he’s Luke’s father?’

Romy shrugged. ‘I honestly don’t know. The waters are already muddied for me. But I want to try, for Luke’s sake. We like each other a lot, so that’s a start. And he’s attractive …’

‘So, maybe your fake boyfriend will turn into the real thing,’ Lesley said. ‘You can fake it till you make it.’

‘That’s sort of what I was thinking.’ Romy smiled at her.

‘But are you sure you
want
to make it?’ Lesley asked, her face falling. ‘What about all the BDSM stuff?’

‘We
don’t even know he’s into that. You’ve built it up in your head based on a few random remarks. Although …’ she bit her lip.

‘What?’

‘Well, I did find something in his room yesterday that kind of

made me wonder.’

‘What?
God, don’t make me shine a light in your eyes.’ Romy sighed. ‘I found a butt plug.’

‘Oh my God!’ Lesley gasped, her eyes wide. ‘Well, there you are, then.’

‘Well, I thought that at first, but now I’m not so sure that’s what it means.’

‘Oh, come on. What more proof do you need? You had the evidence right there in your hands. Wait – you didn’t
actually
have it in your hands, did you?’ Lesley asked, screwing her face up.

‘Eew! No!’

‘I mean it’s not like you don’t know where it’s been.’

‘If only! No, it was in a box.’

‘That will have made a nice change for it,’ Lesley said, and they laughed.

‘But I’ve been thinking about it,’ Romy said, ‘and lots of people have anal sex, don’t they? It doesn’t mean he has to be an out-and-out kinkster.’

‘I suppose,’ Lesley conceded reluctantly.

‘He might just have tried it once or twice. We’ve no evidence he even tried it at all. Maybe he bought that thing and never used it. It
was
still in the box. Or it could have been a joke gift from a stag party or something.’ The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that there could be a perfectly innocent explanation for Kit owning a butt plug that didn’t involve him being into a BDSM lifestyle. Well, maybe
innocent
wasn’t the right word …

‘Hmm,’ Lesley said thoughtfully, sounding unconvinced. ‘The
thing is, though, lots of people have anal sex, but they don’t think of themselves as a community, do they?’

‘I guess not.’

‘It’s not like you join a club or something. It isn’t a whole way of life. I mean do they even have a group on Facebook?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Although that’s worth looking into,’ Lesley gasped, struck by her own brilliance. ‘You should look at Kit’s Facebook, see if he’s in any weird groups.’

‘Maybe.’ Romy turned back to the mirror to put on her earrings.

‘And what if you find out that he
is
into BDSM? What will you do?’

‘I can cross that bridge when I come to it –
if
I come to it. For now, I’m just going for a wholesome Thanksgiving dinner with his family.’

‘Doris Day would be proud of you.’

‘I know,’ Romy said, turning around and beaming delightedly. Doris Day was her heroine. She went over to the bed and sat on the other side to Lesley, laying back against the headboard with Luke between them, and started tickling him, making him giggle. Then she bent her head and blew raspberries on his belly until he was a wriggling, gurgling ball. ‘I don’t need any other guy when I’ve got you,’ she said to him, holding his tiny soft hands and peppering his face with butterfly kisses, loving his toothless smile, the adoring way his eyes fixed on her like she was the only person in the world. She could stay here and gaze at him all night. Who would have thought that just looking at someone, watching him sleep, touching his velvety skin could make you so happy and fulfilled? He really was very like Kit, she thought, as she gazed down at him. It was so glaringly obvious, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before.

‘At
least you have a boyfriend, even if he is fake,’ Lesley said, breaking into her reverie. ‘It’s so unfair. All the effort I put into dating, and I have nothing better to do than babysit on Thanksgiving, when everyone else is out gallivanting.’

‘Hardly,’ Romy said. ‘It’s not really Thanksgiving, and even if it was, it’s not exactly a major holiday in Ireland. And it’s a family dinner, not a date.’

‘So who else will be there, apart from Kit and his parents?’

‘His sister Hannah – and presumably her boyfriend.’ Romy sat up again. ‘As they’re getting married in a few weeks. And his younger brother, Ethan. He’s just got back from Haiti. He works for Médecins Sans Frontières.’

‘Ooh, what’s all this?’ Lesley said, perking up.

‘What?’

‘This brother – Ethan. Why are you telling me about him all of a sudden?’

‘It’s not all of a sudden. You asked me who was going to be there – I’m just telling you.’

‘Yes, but you said it in that mention-y way, trying to be casual. And you should see your face. You look all goofy and smitten.’

‘Don’t be daft.’

‘You like him, don’t you?’

‘No,’ Romy said, frowning, but still hardly able to wipe the smile off her face. ‘Don’t be silly. I don’t even know him.’

‘Oh, come on! You don’t have to know someone to fancy the pants off them. You don’t
know
Bradley Cooper. Doesn’t stop him turning up in your fantasies, though, does it?’

‘Well, Bradley Cooper is one thing. Ethan is …’ she paused, ‘way sexier actually,’ she said with a confiding grin.

‘Oh my God! I knew it!’

‘He’s absolutely gorgeous, okay? Sex on legs. Satisfied?’

‘Hardly. I’ll be satisfied when you tell me you’re going to do something about it.’

‘You’re
going to be frustrated, then, because that’s not going to happen.’

‘Why not?’

‘Well, for starters, he’s my fake boyfriend’s brother – not to mention Luke’s uncle.’

‘Oh yeah. That could be awkward.’

‘And besides, I told you – he’s knicker-droppingly gorgeous. Totally out of my league.’

‘Hey, don’t put yourself down.’

‘I’m not. I’m just being realistic. People get together with people of the same level of attractiveness – they’ve done studies. Ethan’s just on a different level to me. I know I’m attractive enough, but I’m no supermodel. And Ethan could get a supermodel.’

‘I’m sure there are exceptions.’

‘He’s too young for me anyway,’ Romy said.

‘How old is he?’

‘I guess he’d be … twenty-six, twenty-seven?’

‘Well, that’s not a huge age difference – four or five years. It doesn’t exactly make you Demi Moore to his Ashton Kutcher.’

‘It’s not a big age gap now, but it is when you’re sixteen. I guess in my head he’s still this kid who plays Nintendo and giggles when someone farts.’

‘I know some men in their thirties who still think farting is hilarious,’ Lesley huffed.

‘Anyway, he’s out of bounds, and that’s the end of it,’ Romy said. ‘I can’t be unfaithful to the father of my child with his own brother.’

‘It does sound like a bad soap opera.’

‘So, do you have any plans for the weekend?’ Romy asked, changing the subject. ‘Any dates lined up?’

‘Ugh, no. I’m taking the weekend off – just couldn’t face it. It’s like going to endless interviews and never getting the job –
not only not getting the job, but discovering you don’t even
want
the job when you get there.’

‘Well, come over tomorrow night, then. We’ll have a spinsters’ night in. Danny’s coming too. He needs cheering up.’

‘Here’s a tip. Inducting him into your spinsters’ club might not be the best way to cheer him up.’

‘It’ll be fun.’

‘I know it will. Believe me, it’ll be a whole world more fun than going on another bloody date with some wanker from that website.’

Just then the intercom buzzed. ‘That’ll be Kit with the cab,’ Romy said, standing up and smoothing down her dress. ‘Be good for your Auntie Lesley,’ she said, bending to kiss Luke. ‘Have fun,’ she said to Lesley.

‘Oh, I will. This guy is the best date I’ve had in ages,’ she said, picking Luke up and following Romy into the living room.

‘Bye,’ Romy said, giving Luke another kiss on the forehead, breathing in the delicious baby smell of him, before grabbing her coat and heading for the door.

‘Happy Thanksgiving!’ Lesley called after her.

‘Wow, you look great,’ Kit sad when they were in the cab.

‘Thanks.’ Romy felt very nervous as the taxi pulled off and she was alone with Kit. She hadn’t seen him properly since they had talked about what happened at David’s party, and she felt awkward with him now. She looked at him wonderingly, trying to get her head around the idea that they had had sex, that he was Luke’s father, but it all just seemed too amazing and unreal.

‘So
– ready for your first official outing as my girlfriend?’ Kit asked her.

‘We’re on now, are we?’

‘Well, I thought we should have a bit of a lead-up before the wedding – get everyone used to the idea.’

‘Don’t you think it’s a bit sudden?’

‘You swept me off my feet,’ he said, grinning and putting an arm around her. ‘What could I do?’

She smiled, snuggling into him as he pulled her closer, breathing in the sharp, citrusy tang of his aftershave.

‘Won’t your parents think it’s a bit strange, though?’

‘Not at all. They always thought I was crazy to let you get away. And maybe they were right.’

‘And will they approve of you going out with a single mum?’

‘Honestly, Mom will be thrilled. She’s dying to be a grandmother, and this is about as close as she’s going to come for quite a while. It’ll take the heat off me – and the rest of us.’

‘What about Ethan?’ Romy asked, aware that she was fishing, but she couldn’t help it.

Kit snorted. ‘No chance! She’d have more luck with me.’ ‘Why? Is he gay or something?’

‘No, definitely not. He’s quite the vagina enthusiast. But

he’s far too busy shagging his way around the world, dazzling the female population with his good looks and his good works.’

‘So he doesn’t have any steady girlfriend?’

‘No. Commitment isn’t really his thing. He likes his freedom. And to give credit where it’s due, he does make the most of it.’

‘Well, what about Hannah? She’s getting married soon …’

‘No way.’ Kit shook his head. ‘Hannah and Tank have made it very clear that they intend to enjoy a good five years of coupledom before they get sprogged up.’

‘Tank?’
She pulled back to look at him. ‘Your sister is marrying someone called
Tank?’

‘Well, that’s not his real name, obviously. It’s a nickname. He plays rugby,’ Kit added, as if that explained everything.

‘Why Tank?’

Kit shrugged. ‘Built like a tank, behaves like one – take your pick. It suits him. You’ll see.’