said, preparing to walk away. He took a step aside to let me pass, but I placed a hand on his shoulder on the way. Please, Lord, let this work. “Look, no hard feelings, I’m sure Rebecca will set me up with someone else at Explicit, she’s been trying hard enough.”
His eyebrows pitted, mouth clamping instantly. “You’re planning on going back to Explicit?”
I smiled. “Well, of course. I want to explore this new side of me... where else would I go? It seems pretty cool there, I like it. I guess I’ll see you around.” I took another step forwards but he pulled me back, pinning me to the side of the coffee stand.
“Don’t do this, Lydia, please.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t make this impossible for me.”
I stared him out. “Don’t make what impossible for you?”
“This. This sensibility. It won’t work if you’re at Explicit every weekend, it just won’t work.”
“I’m not going to ignore my fantasies, just because you don’t want to fuck me again. I’m going to Explicit, James, just as often as Rebecca will take me. It doesn’t have to be a problem. I’ll meet someone else, don’t worry about it.” I tried to make my way past him, but he blocked my route, barring me with the solid muscle wall of his chest. I could only imagine the chimera below his suit, taut over tight skin.
“Jesus Christ, Lydia, don’t you fucking get it?” he seethed. “I don’t fucking want you to meet someone else at Explicit. I can just about cope with seeing you in the office every fucking day, but this, this Explicit thing is totally unviable for me.”
“Well, what do you suggest then?” I snapped. “That I just totter off like a good girl and never darken your door again?”
“No, of course not.”
We stared at each other, both fiery and tense and seriously pissed off. Stalemate. I shrugged, lost for words. “I dunno what I can say.”
“Neither do I.”
Thoughts ticked by slowly, struggling for resolution. I decided to take my chances. “Ok, so let’s back up a bit. The work thing is bad, right, I get it. I agree with it. Fucking co-workers is a disaster waiting to happen. It couldn’t work.”
“Most certainly,” he said. “It’s not feasible.”
“Fine, so James and Lydia are no more, we keep it professional, we do our job, we keep things straight between us and get back to normal.”
“That was my thinking on it, yes,” he said, warily.
“But what about Masque and Cat?” I said. “What about their personal time?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going with this?”
“Just think about it a minute. We’re both private people, right? We both know how to keep our business to ourselves. So, what if Cat and Masque did their own thing, completely outside of our normal lives. No crossover, no awkwardness, no mention whatsoever of Explicit, not even the vaguest hint that there is anything extra-curricular about James and Lydia.”
“You propose Masque and Cat have an Explicit-only relationship? Is that what you’re saying?” I nodded. “And you really think that will work?”
“I think it might.”
“And Cat is really happy to fuck Masque in a public-only environment, is she? No strings, no late night cuddles, no in-bed sex with warm sheets and cosy pillows...”
“Cat’s happy to fuck Masque wherever she needs to.”
Seconds ticked by so slowly. I could see him weighing it up, running it through his mind. My heart pounded, waiting for his verdict.
“I guess Cat will have to speak with Masque when she sees him at Explicit, see what they can work out.”
I breathed out in relief, a smile blooming on my face. “Cat and Masque will have to wait a few weeks, until Rebecca can take a guest again.”
He cocked his head. “I think Cat might find herself on the guest list tomorrow night. Masque has platinum VIP membership, he can take a guest whenever he fucking wants.”
“Then Cat will be there.” I beamed.
I walked away before he could change his mind.
***
Chapter Eleven
James
“Ah, James! I was expecting your call. I wondered which one of you would get me first. How was Brighton? Good, I hope?”
“Cut the crap, Rebecca. Just what the hell have you been doing?”
She cackled so loudly I moved the handset from my ear. “Was three enough? I thought a twelve-pack may have been overkill.”
“We didn’t have any spare afterwards.”
“I should hope not. Our lovely Lydia deserved a good session of cock. Please tell me you managed to make her cry? She’s such a guarded little cookie, that one... no