I definitely needed to push my chair in farther and obscure the view. Daisy was sitting on my left, and I was just fine with her getting that view, but Obedience was on my right, and I was in serious trouble here. On the other hand, if I pushed my chair in, Daisy would take her foot away. It was a dilemma.
I stayed where I was.
“And that’s why,” Daisy said, “it’s a wee bit sexier, a bit more fun, not to show everything. Leave a little to the imagination, eh. At first, I loved being able to look pretty, I loved feeling pretty so much, I wore my skirts too short and my tops too small. I wanted all the pretty things, too. Black stockings that laced up the back. Corset tops. Little fingerless gloves. High heels. Leather trousers.” She laughed. “That was the worst. Too hot and too uncomfortable. And, of course, I had no money, because all Dorian and I had were our grants and housing support, and I was working nights as a cleaner at the hospital and going to high school during the day, trying to catch up on everything I’d missed, trying not to fall asleep in class. And still, when I had a day off, I’d go to the op shops. The Shop on Carroll …” She sighed. “It was brilliant. I’ll take you there tomorrow, if we have time.” She told me, “They chose their names. We searched on your phone while we were waiting. And—oh.” She took her foot off my thigh, which was sad, then got up and went for her bag. “Here,” she said, handing my phone back to me. “We can change back. Thanks for trading last night.”
Finally, I could scoot my chair in. I did, and wondered whether the room was really spinning or if it was just my sexual deprivation. I said, “No worries,” and went back to my meatballs like a man who hadn’t just practically performed a sex act on a woman’s foot at his dinner table. In front of her sisters. Fortunately, Obedience probably retained enough Mount Zion modesty not to look at my crotch. Fruitful would have been another story. Good thing she couldn’t see.
“Tell me about the names,” I said. There was a safe subject. Names.
What had that been, though, with the foot? With the sexy chat about silk stockings and ladies’ ankles and a man sliding his hand up her thigh?
Wait. She hadn’t said the thing about sliding his hand up her thigh. That had been me.
Obedience said, “We chose our names. Iris—Iris is amazing. She knows everything about organic gardening, and she said to think about using your same first initial, so I did. Fruitful was easier. She—”
Fruitful said, “Let me say. It’s my name.”
“Oh,” Obedience said. “OK.” And restrained herself. Barely.
Fruitful said, “Frankie. Frankie Kittredge. That’s my new name. And we made an appointment for tomorrow with the lawyer, so I can get a dissolution. We can’t change our names legally until we’re eighteen, so I can’t sign the papers with the new name, which is disappointing, but I can use it now, and I’m going to. From now on, I’m Frankie.”
“Frankie,” I said, and smiled. “I like it. That’s a woman with an attitude, one who knows her own mind. Congratulations. How about you, Obedience?”
“Not Obedience,” she said. “My name’s Oriana. There aren’t many ‘O’ names, but that’s one. It means ‘Sunrise.’”
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “Suits you, too.”
“We’re starting the process to get identity documents tomorrow,” Daisy said. “That’s going to take some time. Identity card, RealMe login, passport—in the old name for now, alas—and bank account. And then we can do all the rest of it. Applying for support, and then school.”
“My mum may be able to help you with that when she comes,” I said, “and anything else you need. Not much my mum can’t cope with.”
Daisy opened her mouth, then closed it, and I said, “Cheers for not telling me you don’t need any help.”
“It’s the time, that’s all,” she said. “Not enough hours to do everything, if you need to sleep as well. I should’ve asked for the four to midnight shift, maybe. Oh, well, day shift coming up in a few weeks.” She finally took another bite of her own meatballs, which she’d been a bit slow to get stuck into. Nerves, I thought. She’d done that thing with her foot, it had scared her to put herself out there, and