Page 24 of Secret Paths

Heat moves through me before I have even finished reading the whole message.

Me

I said several sensible things. You will need to narrow it down.

Peter

Your assessment of my kitchen skills.

I lean against the counter.

Me

You mean your ego.

Peter

I mean the part where you admitted you had thought about my dick.

There it is.

Direct, ridiculous and very Peter.

Me

You asked a stupid question.

Peter

And you gave me an excellent answer.

I should leave it there but I can’t help myself.

Me

Do not get carried away.

The three dots appear almost at once.

Peter

Would you like a repeat?

No joke after it. No attempt to turn it into something clever.

Just a question.

I look around the kitchen. The washing-up from yesterday is still in the rack. A stack of unopened letters sits beside the fruit bowl. My jumper is hanging over the back of a chair because I took it off earlier and couldn’t be bothered to carry it upstairs.

My home. My mess. My quiet.

Letting Peter in for one evening does not hand any of it over.

He wants a repeat.

So do I.

Me