I bounce my way to the park to meet Brielle for our planned picnic lunch. We need to debrief each other on the success of our sexy dresses and underwear. For once, today I am hardly able to wait to report back to her.
I find her sitting in our favorite spot under the huge tree and I give her a wave as I make my way over. In the eight weeks I was away from Alastar, Brielle made a habit of coming and having lunch with me nearly every day. She packs us a picnic from her house as we are both too broke to buy much.
She sits cross-legged with her little picnic blanket spread out and our plates of sandwiches beside her. Chocolate slices sit in a Tupperware container for dessert.
I’m so grateful for the beautiful friendship we have. She has been so good to me throughout this whole Alastar disaster. “Hey, babe.” I take a seat and kiss her cheek.
She smiles as she sips her Coke. “You look happy.”
I grab her hand. “Oh, I am. I have had the most amazing weekend.”
She smiles. “Good. About time.” She passes me my plate of sandwiches.
“How did yours go?’ I take my first bite. “Damn, you make the best lunches.”
She pulls an unimpressed face. “Meh.”
I frown. “Meh? What happened?”
She throws her arms up in the air in frustration. “So… he comes to get me from my room—”
I cut her off. “Where were the kids?”
“They stayed at Grandma’s.”
I smile broadly. “Perfect.” She rolls her eyes. “You would think? So, he comes to get me from my room and his eyes drop down to my feet and back up again, and he’s all sexy eyes at me, I thought, yes, he might throw me on the bed right there and then.”
I smile. “I take it he liked the dress?” “It was all hot and bothery, and I thought to myself… Yep. It’s go time. We are so going to fuck.”
I smile as I listen.
“And then we got to the dinner and everyone there was old enough to be my grandparent.”
My face falls.
“And he talks all this intelligent crap with them.”
I screw up my face. “Sounds pretty dull.”
“And then this silly bitch—she works with him—was seated next to us and she asked him in front of me, Julian, I see you brought one of your daughter’s friends.”
My eyes widen. “She actually said that?”
“Yep.”
I giggle and put my hand over my mouth in shock. “How old was she?”
“Not very old. Maybe thirty-three or four. It was so obvious she was smitten with him.”
“Oh, man.” I keep eating.
“Then he seemed to get embarrassed and went all silent and uncomfortable.”
“What a bitch.” I sigh. “Some people.”
“I know.”
“What did he say when she said that?”
She shakes her head. “This was the clincher. Get this. He said, this is my children’s nanny, Brielle. He was embarrassed that he brought me.”
“Fuck off.”
“I swear.”
“Oh, crap. What an idiot.”
“I know. I asked him to take me home as soon as dessert was served.”
I take a sip of my Coke. This is a disaster date if ever I heard of one. “What happened when you got home?”
“He apologized and I told him not to bother asking me out again. I’m just the children’s nanny and it will stay that way from now on. He should go back to the party and enjoy himself with his stuffy friends.”
“Shit.” I frown. “Did he?”
She nods. “Yep, the asshole waited half an hour for me to fall asleep and then I heard the car drive off. And he obviously hooked up because he didn’t come home until he picked the kids up in the morning.”
I grab her hand in sympathy and she smiles a stupid smile. “God, men are such fucktards.”
I shake my head in disgust. “It’s true. They really are.”
I hesitate for a few moments. I don’t know how to say this.
“So Alastar turned up at the club on Saturday night.”
She looks at me blankly. “And?”
I bite my sandwich trying to think of the perfect wording. “And I may have gone home with him and spent the weekend at his house.” I fake a smile.
She rolls her eyes. “Ugh. This guy is so annoying. Why doesn’t he make up his damn mind?”
I shrug as I sip my Coke. “I just really like him, Brell, and unfortunately, I can’t turn it off.” She shakes her head and lies back to look at the sky until I join her, our heads touching as we stare at the clouds, both lost in our own thoughts.
I shake my head. “The sex is something else, and the way he makes me feel about my body, and his body…” I hesitate for a moment as I think. “You know, I thought I knew what an orgasm was before I arrived in London.”
She looks over at me and frowns.
“Alastar gives me orgasms so strong that my body lurches off the bed, or bench, floor, wherever we are.”
Brielle looks at me. “Maybe I should give Thomas a run around the block.”