coming up tomorrow. Brianden is tiny, but the three of them – Emily, Harry and Alice – fit perfectly. The house feels just the right size, and Alice is nervous that Joe’s arrival will cause the house to shrink, will give her the sense of claustrophobia that she feels so often these days.
And she knows Joe won’t be comfortable. He’ll moan about the lack of a shower, the shared bathroom, the bed, the everything . She knows he’ll want to move, will try to convince her to come up with some excuse and go to a swish hotel on Saturday night, but, she determines now as she lies here, she will not be swayed. For once she will do what she wants to do.
Downstairs, Emily and Harry are lying on the sofa, smiling at one another as they gently kiss.
‘So what do you think of Alice?’ Emily strokes his cheek as she marvels at finding such a lovely man in such an unlikely place.
Harry smiles. ‘She’s not what I expected,’ he says. ‘She’s really down to earth and sweet.’
‘She is, isn’t she?’
‘What’s her husband like?’
Emily frowns. ‘I like him but I think he’s probably a bit of a bastard. You kind of have to like him, he’s incredibly charming, but also very controlling with Alice, and I’m sure he’s unfaithful.’
‘Why would anyone want to be unfaithful if they were married to someone like Alice?’ Harry is confused.
‘I know. Alice swears he’s just an old flirt and would never do anything, but I’m not so sure. But the Alice you met today is the real Alice, just incredibly loving and natural and playful, and you’ll see how she changes when Joe’ around.’
‘In what way?’
‘She’s much quieter, she allows Joe to be the centre of attention, and she’s much more careful.’
‘Do you think they’re happily married?’
‘Oh God. I don’t know. I know that I would never have expected her to marry someone like Joe, or live the life she’s living with Joe, but who really knows what goes on behind closed doors?’
Harry leans forward and kisses Emily again. ‘That’s enough about Alice. I’m far more interested in you right now.’
‘Oh good.’ Emily shivers as Harry lifts her hair and softly kisses her neck. ‘I was hoping you would say that.’
The cab takes a hard right round a corner, causing Josie to slide sharply into Joe.
There’s an intimate silence in the cab. Josie is wondering whether she should have stopped drinking Cosmopolitans a few hours ago, while Joe is wondering whether they should go to her place or his. Have to be hers, he decides. However much of a bastard he is, he’s too careful to bring anyone back to the house, you never know what they might accidentally on purpose leave behind.
‘Just here on the left.’ Josie leans forward, gathering her coat and bag as Joe starts to rise. Josie turns to him, knowing what she has to do. The air is filled with promise, she is so attracted to him and he to her, and it would be so easy for her to go to bed with him tonight, but it would be a mistake.
She knows absolutely it would be a mistake.
‘Don’t get up,’ she says brusquely. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Ah. That means I’m not getting invited in for coffee, doesn’t it?’ Joe sits back, disappointed but not deterred. If not tonight, another night. He knows he’ll get there in the end.
‘You’re not getting invited in for coffee,’ Josie smiles, and Joe leans forward just at that moment, and in the darkness of the cab he kisses her. Once, twice. Three soft kisses on her lips. No tongues, nothing overtly sexual, but a guarantee that he will not settle for friendship, that it may not happen tonight, but it will happen. Of that he is absolutely sure.
8
Alice yawns as she tiptoes down the stairs trying not to wake anyone, rubbing her neck and shoulder as she groans.
The bed was not as bad as she remembered, it was worse. She had slept fantastically for three hours, then spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, eventually waking
And she knows Joe won’t be comfortable. He’ll moan about the lack of a shower, the shared bathroom, the bed, the everything . She knows he’ll want to move, will try to convince her to come up with some excuse and go to a swish hotel on Saturday night, but, she determines now as she lies here, she will not be swayed. For once she will do what she wants to do.
Downstairs, Emily and Harry are lying on the sofa, smiling at one another as they gently kiss.
‘So what do you think of Alice?’ Emily strokes his cheek as she marvels at finding such a lovely man in such an unlikely place.
Harry smiles. ‘She’s not what I expected,’ he says. ‘She’s really down to earth and sweet.’
‘She is, isn’t she?’
‘What’s her husband like?’
Emily frowns. ‘I like him but I think he’s probably a bit of a bastard. You kind of have to like him, he’s incredibly charming, but also very controlling with Alice, and I’m sure he’s unfaithful.’
‘Why would anyone want to be unfaithful if they were married to someone like Alice?’ Harry is confused.
‘I know. Alice swears he’s just an old flirt and would never do anything, but I’m not so sure. But the Alice you met today is the real Alice, just incredibly loving and natural and playful, and you’ll see how she changes when Joe’ around.’
‘In what way?’
‘She’s much quieter, she allows Joe to be the centre of attention, and she’s much more careful.’
‘Do you think they’re happily married?’
‘Oh God. I don’t know. I know that I would never have expected her to marry someone like Joe, or live the life she’s living with Joe, but who really knows what goes on behind closed doors?’
Harry leans forward and kisses Emily again. ‘That’s enough about Alice. I’m far more interested in you right now.’
‘Oh good.’ Emily shivers as Harry lifts her hair and softly kisses her neck. ‘I was hoping you would say that.’
The cab takes a hard right round a corner, causing Josie to slide sharply into Joe.
There’s an intimate silence in the cab. Josie is wondering whether she should have stopped drinking Cosmopolitans a few hours ago, while Joe is wondering whether they should go to her place or his. Have to be hers, he decides. However much of a bastard he is, he’s too careful to bring anyone back to the house, you never know what they might accidentally on purpose leave behind.
‘Just here on the left.’ Josie leans forward, gathering her coat and bag as Joe starts to rise. Josie turns to him, knowing what she has to do. The air is filled with promise, she is so attracted to him and he to her, and it would be so easy for her to go to bed with him tonight, but it would be a mistake.
She knows absolutely it would be a mistake.
‘Don’t get up,’ she says brusquely. ‘I’ll be fine.’
‘Ah. That means I’m not getting invited in for coffee, doesn’t it?’ Joe sits back, disappointed but not deterred. If not tonight, another night. He knows he’ll get there in the end.
‘You’re not getting invited in for coffee,’ Josie smiles, and Joe leans forward just at that moment, and in the darkness of the cab he kisses her. Once, twice. Three soft kisses on her lips. No tongues, nothing overtly sexual, but a guarantee that he will not settle for friendship, that it may not happen tonight, but it will happen. Of that he is absolutely sure.
8
Alice yawns as she tiptoes down the stairs trying not to wake anyone, rubbing her neck and shoulder as she groans.
The bed was not as bad as she remembered, it was worse. She had slept fantastically for three hours, then spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, eventually waking
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