The Goodbye Girl (23 page)

“You’ve done it,” Jan stated, watching her closely.

“Not me.”  Bree shook her head.  “Someone I knew did.  Regularly.”  Her mother, in fact.  Hmm, maybe it wasn’t the best subject to bring up.  Thinking of her mother and anal sex at the same time was…erk, no one should think of their parents and sex of any kind at the same time. 

Everyone knew their parents didn’t have sex.  Their kids just popped up out of the cabbage patch or stork or
whatever you wanted to believe.  Definitely not from their parents doing ‘the deed.’  It didn’t happen.

“You for or against anal sex?” Sarah asked.

“I’m neither.  Each to their own, I say.”  Bree started cleaning up her work trolley.

“And what’s yours?” Margie queried.

Bree looked up to find all five watching her curiously.  “Ladies, for me personally, the backdoor is for outgoing, not incoming.”

“Oh my God!”  Bella covered her ears.  “Bree!”

Michelle laughed.

Margie nodded.  “Yeah, me too.”

Jan shrugged.  “I like it.”

“Since we’re on this fascinating subject,”
Bella said, “what’s everyone’s favourite sex position?”

Bree used cleaning the work
trolley as an excuse to bow out of the conversation and go out the back.  The phone ringing kept her occupied, and she listened to the gales of laughter and surprisingly intense conversation coming from the work area.

This was one subject she was better off not trying to pretend she knew.  Sure, she could talk about sex positions, her mother had kept some pretty risqué magazines around, and the talk
s between her mother and her latest lover had never been quiet, so Bree wasn’t stupid.  But she’d never had sex, so to talk of favourite positions…

She wondered about Nick’s favourite position.  Was he into anal?  Doggy style?  Missionary?

As she tidied the magazines on the little table in the wait area, she found herself getting just a little hot and bothered.  Was Nick an easy-going lover?  Intense?  She imagined he could be pretty intense if he set his mind to it.

Bree ran a finger around the neckline of her shirt, straightening to glance out the window.

Speak of the sexy bloke, there he was, ambling down the street with his hands in his jeans.  Or ambling as much as he could amble, the same for Alex who walked beside him.  They were in step, backs straight, gazes flicking around them unconsciously, she’d bet, looking for trouble as they enjoyed the day.  So used to living in dangerous zones.  It wasn’t hard to imagine them in uniform, weapons ready, on alert.

Alex said something and Nick laughed.  Man, he was a sight.  Folding her arms, she watched
him.  The watery sunlight caught the natural golden highlights in his hair, his profile strong - jaw line, nose, forehead.  Body tall and muscular.  No way could she blame women for fantasising about him, but he was
her
soldier boy.

Her g
aze wandered over him.  Those brawny shoulders, those big hands, those long, strong legs.  That tight arse.  The man had the best arse.  She never knew she was an arse woman until she saw his.  Maybe she was becoming a bit obsessed about that tight bum.  Was that healthy?  Bree grinned.  Hell if she knew, hell if she cared.  He was her boyfriend, she’d ogle him all she liked.

Boyfriend
.  That had a nice ring to it.  She’d had a few boyfriends in her travels, but none with whom she’d ever gotten serious.  Certainly not serious enough to wonder what he’d be like in bed.  To actually contemplate what it’d be like to have him above her, the sensation of his hands running over her naked body…the sensation of Nick’s naked skin against her own.

Man, was it hot in the salon or what?  Bree eased the bottom of her jumper away from her hips and flapped it around a little.

Nick sliding inside her…

Cripes
, Bella had better look at her ventilation problem.  Bree took a deep breath, watching Nick and Alex cross the road.

Deep, deep inside her, his gaze
on her as he started moving…

Nick and Alex disappeared into the panel beater’s garage.

“Bella?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to open the door for awhile, let some cool air in.”

“Sure.”

The breeze hit Bree as soon as she propped the glass door open, cooling her hot cheeks.

Shame it couldn’t cool the heat coiling low inside her.

Ah.  So it wasn’t the ventilation.  Stupid fantasies.

~*~

“Those sheilas in the hairdressers are a raunchy mob.”  Paul entered the shell of the room they were building.

Nick looked up from where he was holding a board while
Smithy secured it with a nail gun.  “What?”

“Let’s break for arvo tea.”  Paul jerked his thumb to the doorway.  “Maryanne has coffee and biccies for us out back.”

Straightening his knees, Nick rolled his shoulders.  “What’s that about a raunchy bunch of sheilas?”

“Never mind that.” 
Smithy strode past him.  “I heard coffee.”

“I heard raunchy hairdressers.”

Paul leered.  “Figured you’d latch onto the ‘hairdresser’ bit.”

Follow
ing him outside, Nick said over his shoulder to Alex, “I heard ‘raunchy hairdresser’.  Is that a crime?”

“Considering who you’re dating, I think not.”

On the tailgate sat a box of steaming to-go cups, along with a plate of Tim Tams.  The men got their cups and a couple of biccies each, then perched wherever they could.  Paul and Smithy claimed the tailgate, Mack took the empty drum of oil, Alex sat on a pallet and Nick leaned against the front of Smithy’s old Holden Commodore.

Inhaling
the steam from the hot coffee, Paul narrowed his eyes.  “So.  Those women over at the hairdresser’s were talking about sex this morning.”

Smithy
didn’t pause in his chewing of the Tim Tam.  “Women and sex.  What’s surprising about that combination?”

“Women always talk about sex, don’t they?”  Mack took a
tentative sip of the coffee.  “Shit.  Hot.”

“Bloody genius,” Paul
remarked.

“What were the hairdressers saying?” Nick asked.

“Don’t you mean one in particular?’  Mack winked.  “Trying to fathom out what to do next to impress her?”

“Unlike some drongos here,
I
know what to do.  I’m just curious.”

“Look, they read all those romances and shit.  Got a skewed idea
about sex.”  Mack thrust his hips out hard.  “This is how you give it to ‘em.”  Another thrust.  “Just give it to ‘em.”

“And he wonders why he’s single,” Alex remarked.

“Let me tell you, ” Paul pointed a half eaten Tim Tam at Mack, “you try that shit on a good woman and you’ll get a ringing in your ears from her hand.”

“Nah.  Some women like it hard.”

“And some don’t.”  Smithy blew on the steam coming from the cup.  “You just gotta know what they’re in the mood for.”

Alex and Paul exchanged glances. 
Amusement was clear in Alex’s eyes, derision in Paul’s.

“Dumb
bastard,” Paul said.

Alex nodded.  “I hear you.”

Mack looked at Nick.  “
These silly pricks are under the thumbs of their wives.  You’re single, Nick, you know what I’m talking about.”

“
Trust me, if all men came at women the way you apparently do, then we’d all be living in one-sex only communions with artificial insemination the only way to procreate.”

“I’d be your boyfriend,” Smithy told Mack.

“Not friggin’ likely.”

“Not liking the direction this is going.”  Paul took a sip of coffee.  “
Damn, Maryanne can make a beaut coffee.  So anyway, at the hairdressers this morning the fairer sex was talking about taking it up the backdoor.”

Nick choked on his Tim Tam, the crumbs sp
raying out as he tried to cough it up out of his bronchial tubes.  By the time he caught his breath and the blokes had stopped laughing, he glared at Paul.  “Jesus, man, give some warning!”

“Hey, that’s what I told Becky when I ducked home to get that folder I’d forgotten.
I nearly choked to death.”

Shaking
his head, Nick wiped his mouth along the sleeve of his flannel shirt.

“Never mind the dying shit, tell us about
this backdoor stuff,” Mack demanded.

“I thought you’d tried everything.”  Paul
widened his eyes in mock shock.  “Oh, dearie me, has Mackie never knocked on the backdoor?”

“Hey, I’ve
done that plenty of times.  I’m just wanting to know what the women are on about.”

“Scared you scarred your previous lovers for life?” Smithy
yawned.  “Don’t sweat it.  Your wanger's so small I doubt it’d have even dented the door frame.”

Nick and Alex grinned while Mack flipped Smithy the bird.
   

“L
adies, please.”  Paul took a  dainty bite of Tim Tam, his little finger artfully crooked.  “I’m trying to impart knowledge.”

“Gossip, you mean.”  Nick snorted.  “You gossip like an old man.”

“Knowledge.  I impart knowledge.”  Paul paused.  “Becky thinks I gossip.”  He looked at Alex.  “Do you think I gossip?”

“Never.” 
Alex’s face was perfectly serious. “Now tell us what you heard on the grapevine.”

“I think you’re mocking me.”

“I’d never do that.”  Alex looked at Nick.  “Would I do that?”

“
Not to his face.”

“See?  Nothing to worry about,
Paul.”

“
Bastards.”  Paul waved around his biscuit.  “Now, the women were talking about backdoor jobs.  Seriously, who does - oh yeah, Mack.  Okay, skipping over that stomach-churning image of Mack knocking on anyone’s backdoor, what do you all think?”

Nick raised his eyebrows.  “
Seriously?”

“Yeah.  Seriously.  What do you think?”

“You want to know if
I
do it?”

“No, dummy. 
Shit, no.”  Paul made a gagging motion.  “Hearing Mack’s confession was bad enough.”

“Then what are you asking? 
‘Cause I have to say, I’m getting a little confused.”

“I’m asking what you
think
.”

“Of anal sex?”

“Am I surrounded by morons?”  Paul flung up his hands, paused, thought about it.  “Oh, wait…dumb question.”  He sighed deeply.  “What do you think of the
women
talking about it?  Man, it’s like pulling teeth.”

Nick couldn’t help it.  “Is that your experience of anal sex?  Sounds painful.”

“I have a nail gun, Nick.  Now
that
can be painful.”

Nick laughed.

“Come on, you mugs.  What do you think about the women talking about backdoor jobs?”

Alex shrugged.  “Never thought about it.”

“I know, that’s why I’m asking!” Exasperated, Paul rolled his eyes.

“Don’t care,
” Smithy replied.  “I mean about the women.  They can say what they want, think what they want.”

“Oh, woman hater on the left.
  I forgot about your divorce.”

Smithy
just eyed him sourly.

Paul looked at Alex.  “What do you think?”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

Nick nodded
, but he had to admit the thought of Bree discussing it was intriguing.  What had she said?

“Huh.”  Paul looked thoughtful.  “
Then they started talking about sex positions.  Their favourites.”

Mack took a mouthful of coffee.  “And they say all men
can think about is sex.”

“
Yeah.”  Paul scratched his head thoughtfully.  “Apparently doggie style got a good vote.”

Nick’s eyebrows rose.  Really?  He wondered what Bree had added to that conversation.  She’d told him she’d not slept with anyone, so…vibrator?  He’d heard some women
used those things, the old fake dick with or without batteries.  Had she?

Not that she could
use it while contorting herself in different positions.  He guessed.  He’d never really studied a vibrator, but she had to hold it, so that would have to take some of the fun out of it.  Not being able to let herself go…  Maybe he’d ask her.

He grinned widely.  Yeah, he could just imagine her face
if he asked that, she’d go all pink.  He loved it when she got flustered but tried to hide it.

“
Missionary position was also popular.” Paul interrupted his thoughts.  “Because of all that closeness stuff.”

“Closeness,” Mack echoed.

“Looking into each other’s eyes, that kind of stuff.  You know, romantic shit.”