wasn’t happy about it, so I had to twist her arm. I don’t think she likes me anymore.’
‘Oh!’ A nervous giggle escaped my mouth. I could guess what sort of persuasion he’d used. ‘But you wouldn’t really have exposed her,’ I said, as I ducked out of sight behind one of the display racks.
It was Victor’s turn to laugh. ‘As what – a woman with a sex life? Come on, I’m equally, if not more, guilty of public lewdness than she is.’
‘You didn’t take any clothes off,’ I reminded him. He hadn’t done anything besides watch, much to my chagrin. I wanted to ask him why, but the moment didn’t feel right. I was too curious to learn why he’d phoned to risk him hanging up.
‘You know –’ I could practically imagine him ticking one of his long elegant fingers at me ‘– I’m not sure that would weigh much in my defence, given the view from where I was standing.’
‘My view was pretty good too.’
‘Was it?’
Damn, now I was blushing. I held my breath, waiting to hear why he’d called.
‘Can we meet?’ he asked.
Yes! Yes, we most certainly could. ‘When?’ I gasped, so urgently I probably sounded like a slavering beast.
‘How about tonight?’
Argh! It was Friday. I already had arrangements for tonight. I danced about from one foot to the other. To anyone walking past I probably looked like a toddler desperate for a pee. Ultimately though, there was only one answer I could give, despite how little I wanted to give it. ‘I’m sorry, Victor. I can’t. I’d love to. It’s just I have something on.’
‘You mean you’re seeing someone else.’
It was a standing arrangement that I met the guys on a Friday night. We had fun. We got inventive. This evening’s entertainment had been planned for weeks. ‘We’re playing laser tag. Nathan’s picking me up.’
‘Excuse me?’ His disbelief whistled out of the speaker.
‘It’s where you chase around and try to zap one another.’ We didn’t only meet up for sex. OK, maybe we did, but at least we tried to be original about it.
‘I know what it is, Lyssa. Humour me; I’m trying to picture you in combat boots and camos. Do you have one of those little green vest tops?’
‘Maybe,’ I teased. ‘I guess you’ll have to come along to find out.’ Play things right and he’d also get to discover what I wore beneath it. Mentally, I began picking out my best underwear. Of course, if Victor was going to be joining us, I’d have to warn Nathan in advance. He’d been a bit off since Wednesday night, but as he’d never had any problems with me playing with other guys before, I’d largely put that down to his plans being disrupted, rather than suspicions about what I’d done after he’d left.
‘I don’t know. It’s not really my scene.’
The first time I’d taken part, I hadn’t anticipated it being my scene either. Determined not to let him off the hook – he might not make another offer, and so far he hadn’t suggested an alternative date – I rambled on for a few more minutes, trying to persuade him to come along, and giving him directions to the site. The grounds were in an area of private woodland, a mile or two outside of town. Nathan knew the site owners. He even refereed for them occasionally, hence on nights like tonight we got the place to ourselves.
‘How many guys, Lyssa?’
‘I’m not sure. Some of them bunk off home early.’ His soft cough told me I’d missed his meaning.
‘How many do you play late with?’
It wasn’t as if I was admitting to anything he didn’t already know, but I still put off giving an answer until the silence between us grew awkward. ‘Five – but only three of them will be along tonight.’ David and Sam avoided the out-of-doors, and they only ever really watched anyway.
‘Uh-huh.’ Disappointment threaded the two syllables. His disapproval cut me up. I wanted him, you see, and I’d convinced myself it wasn’t the fact I was involved with several other guys that had put him off the other night. ‘It’s just I’m not altogether sure I want to be number six.’
I refrained from swearing, but only just. ‘Then why did you phone?’ I hung up.
I’d heard it all before, about how I was a slut with extra-loose morals and a slack pussy, about how I was a user and whore. I’d taken it from former friends and strangers, but I wasn’t going to listen to it again from him. Since he’d known there were other men in my life, why the hell had he even bothered to call?
He probably thought he was the guy who could save me. That he’d fill me up with his magical dick and then I’d never need anyone else in my hoo-hah. Well, I didn’t believe in magic dicks, and my pussy liked being kissed by multiple men.
I switched my phone over to aeroplane mode and shoved it deep into my pocket.
Hattie joined me about two seconds later, carrying a box of assorted greetings cards. ‘I thought we could have a bit of a swap around.’ I didn’t hide my irritation quickly enough, causing her to frown. ‘Is everything all right? Nothing’s up with you and Nathan, is there? That’s who you were talking to, right?’
‘Nothing’s wrong. We were just sorting out arrangements for tonight.’ I hated lying to her; really I did, but it was easier and less risky than presenting the truth.
‘Again. You’re always out. He must really love you, Lyssa. He’s always taking you places. Hey, you never told me what he got you for your birthday?’
‘Ah, yes. It was just some bits and bobs I asked for.’ In fact, he’d bought me fishnets, a garter and a whip, and suggested a bit of role-playing one night. I was to be a wannabe cabaret star, and he’d be the club manager, with whoever else wanted to join in acting as club patrons. It wasn’t clear to me where the whip came in. I suspected he’d bought it to use on me, rather than the other way around.
‘No fun for me tonight,’ Hattie complained. ‘Not that there’s anyone offering to take me anywhere.’
‘How come? You’re in now. You can’t be down for the late as well.’
‘Val wanted the time off to go to her cousin’s wedding reception. I’m the saint that volunteered to cover for her.’ That was Hattie, always the one to help out, even if it inconvenienced herself. ‘There is a plus side. I’m not wholly selfless.’
There was never a plus side to working the late shift on a Friday night. It was the worst shift of the week. Nevertheless, I waited to hear the supposed positive.
‘It means I’ll be around when you-know-who gets off for the night.’
And like that Leif Haralsson slipped back into the conversation. ‘Wonderful,’ I agreed, refusing to dampen Hattie’s romantic dream. ‘You can totally use that time to charm his socks off.’
‘Maybe.’ Hattie gave a girlish chuckle, and then she sashayed around the edge of the card rack performing her best sexy wiggle. To give her credit, it was a pretty fantastic wiggle. ‘Although,’ she mused, ‘I’d rather charm something else off him.’
‘Hattie!’
‘What?’ She pressed her lips together, trying to look innocent despite an enormous smirk. ‘Maybe, I’ll even tell you about it afterwards.’
I grinned too. Not because I believed for a second that she’d even speak to the guy, let alone get him anywhere near a bedroom, but because Hattie deserved some fun. ‘Girl,’ I sighed. ‘If anything happens, you’d better spill, because I’m totally going to want to hear about it.’
Nathan picked me up at eight that night. He was sizzling in his night-time camos, and I could tell he was up for some