found a jar of Lotus crunchy biscuit spread, four cheese scones and a tub of teacakes – the fancy ones from Marks & Spencer.
‘Were you spying into my head?’ she demanded.
He shrugged and laughed. ‘You actually told me your favourite food. I paid attention. What can I say? I’m obsessed with you.’
‘No, don’t say that.’
‘I’ve liked you – is that acceptable? – yeah, liked you for a while. I’m interested in what you like. Not just food.’
She yanked open the freezer, to find two tubs of stem ginger ice-cream. ‘Is there anything for you to eat?’
‘Are you not giving me any of yours?’
She insisted on making him Ryvita, peanut butter and Nutella ‘open sandwiches’. ‘Do you totally love it?’ She watched him.
‘Totally.’
‘Ha-ha. I’m not so sure you do. This is going to sound like the worst question but … is there Wi-Fi?’
‘No.’ Then, ‘You’ll be feeling panicky now. It’ll go.’
‘Ah, I’m grand.’ She had felt a whoosh of fear.
‘The panic will come back, maybe like once an hour. It got me that way this morning when I realized. But you’ll get through this.’
‘So no Wi-Fi, no Netflix, what are we going to do all evening?
‘Joking!’ she said, as his eyes flared with shock. ‘This couldn’t be more amazing!’
She surveyed the array of goodies she’d lined up on the table. ‘Where do I start? I’ll have you.’ She selected the teacakes. ‘And you.’ A bag of Tangfastics. ‘You.’ A box of Lindt balls. ‘And you, obviously.’ She pointed at Ferdia. ‘Let’s go.’
Back in bed, sitting up and eating, Ferdia said, ‘Tell me why you do your job.’
‘I’d love to! Hah. I think I’m on a sugar-and-carb well-being buzz.’
‘Nah. Probably just because you’re with me.’
He was being funny but, with a plunge of fear, she thought he could be right. She felt ridiculously happy.
‘So I try to create feelings – the set has to convey the emotion of the piece. It usually plays out as a series of challenges. I try to produce creative solutions. Some just don’t work, others I have to compromise on, usually because of money. Sometimes health and safety. That’s frustrating. But on the opening night, when I see what I’ve designed and built becoming part of the whole, supporting the play, then I feel …’ she caught the way Ferdia was looking at her and immediately felt shy ‘… proud. So! Tell me how you’re getting on with your stuff.’
‘I will afterwards.’
‘After what?’
‘After you take off your pyjamas.’
‘First show me what you’ve got.’
He shrugged and popped the top button on his trousers. The head of his erection peeped out.
‘That was quick,’ she said.
He rolled his eyes. ‘It’s been there for, like, the last forty minutes.’
She laughed with delight. ‘Well, let’s not keep it waiting any longer.’
‘We need to make sure you’re ready.’
‘Oh, I’m ready.’
‘Yeaah, I’m not sure you are.’
‘I am –’
He wound his hands through her hair and kissed her. She tried to push him off and go straight to business but into her ear, he said, ‘Wait a little while.’
She almost howled. ‘You’ve been riding-ready for the last forty minutes! I want it now.’
But he wouldn’t do as she asked. Tender though his touch was, it was also a kind of agony. He played with her expectations, sometimes sliding himself a little way in, but always retreating.
When, after a long time spent suspended in deferred pleasure, he finally filled her, she thought she might die from the intensity of sensation.
‘Told you,’ he growled into her ear. ‘I’m a man.’
Wednesday
Ed was in Liam’s kitchen, buttering toast, when he heard the front door open.
It was Johnny.
‘It’s half seven in the morning,’ Ed said. ‘You dirty stop-out. You want coffee?’
‘No, I’m grand.’ Johnny disappeared into Violet’s bedroom and Ed followed him. Johnny was unplugging his chargers and flinging them into a bag.
‘What’s going on?’ Ed asked.
Johnny whipped three shirts from the wardrobe and threw them into the bag too. ‘I’m forgiven. I’m out of here.’ He gave a big smile. ‘Going home to my wife.’
‘Nice one.’
‘Something you should do too.’
‘Stop.’
‘Seriously. Cop on. Go home to your wife.’
Ed kept his mouth shut. Johnny didn’t get it. Almost nobody got it.
The only other person who understood was Cara.
Ed wasn’t going home to his wife. Not today. Not tomorrow.
Not ever.
‘Ferdia, I need to leave in about an hour.’
Sadness flashed across his face, then he smiled. ‘Let’s have a bath.’
Right at the top of the house a big tub overlooked the waves.
‘Look at the sea,’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s so fabulously dour.’