“Shit, it’s late,” Loncey says.
“How late?” I ask.
“Twenty past midnight.”
I yawn. “Yeah, that’s pretty late.”
“I should drive you back to your hotel.”
“I’ll get a car. I’m not making you drive all that way and then back again.”
“I don’t mind,” they don’t stop stroking my back, “or you could stay here?”
I hold my breath. “I could?”
“You said your flight’s not until tomorrow night.”
“But that means sharing a bed,” I think out loud.
“Would that be a problem? I could get more creative with cushions if it is.”
I shake my head slightly. “No, it’s okay. I think… I think I’d like to share a bed with you.”
Loncey pulls back to look at me. “I think I’d like it too.”
“I’ll need that shower first, and do you…” I pause and allow myself to feel like the vain idiot I’m always so paranoid of being seen as. “Do you have make-up remover? And skincare? And maybe some clothes I could borrow, to sleep in?”
“I have all the above, and a spare silk bonnet too.” They smile at me, their teeth so white and straight.
“You have a beautiful smile, Loncey,” I tell them and their face falls. “Did I say the wrong thing?”
“No.” They look down. “I’m just… I’m just not used to compliments… like that.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you fecking kidding me? I bet you get a million compliments a day from a small army of Internet strangers.”
“But that’s it, isn’t it? They’re from strangers. Strangers that watch me to get themselves off. They’re all lust drunk or in a cum-coma or something.”
“A cum-coma?” I shudder. “That sounds messy.”
Loncey smiles. “What I mean is, I don’t always take compliments well.”
“I noticed that by the way you looked like you’d shat yourself when I said your smile was pretty.”
“You can talk. You bat away every single nice thing I say to you. Or kill it with comedy.”
I give them my best dazzling grin. “What can I say? It’s a talent that can’t be taught.”
They laugh under their breath then pull back even more, disentangling themself from me and getting up. I watch Loncey move around their space before they disappear into the bathroom. They finally return with a number of items which they throw down on the bed.
“A clean toothbrush, skincare you might like, a bonnet, and a bottle of water. And to sleep in,” they step to their chest ofdrawers, “would you like a T-shirt and shorts… or would you like the satin shorts that match that top?”
I look down at the camisole I’m wearing. “You have the matching bottoms?”
They don’t catch my eye as they open a drawer. “Somewhere in here.”
“Let me see what else is in this drawer of goodies,” I say, getting off the bed and coming to kneel beside Loncey. “Wow,” I put my hand in and pull out a handful of silk and satin negligee, “these are beautiful. Are they vintage?”
I swear I see a rush of colour bloom on Loncey’s cheeks. “Some of them. But others are new.”
