Page 39 of The Forbidden Fling

Luckily, Riley clapped her hands together, snapping Faye from her filthy daydreams.

“Well done, everyone. Now for our final pose.” She grinned, dimples popping in her cheeks. “You’ll have to trust me on this one.”

They lay on the floor, legs and arms extended by their sides in a position mirroring Faye’s existential crisis from her uni days. Afterwards, she stood with Quin in line, waiting to put their yoga mats back into the wooden cubbies.

Lying back on her mat, attempting to release the tension from her body, had only stirred her feelings up further.

You’re like a horny teenager, she chastised herself.

She shuffled forward in line, trying to ignore the sensation between her legs as Quin chatted away about Drew Barrymore films, ranked from worst to best.

“I can’t understand the hate on Charlie’s Angels. It’s shit, yeah, but it’s good shit, you know?”

“I’ve never seen it.”

“Dude!” Quin grabbed her arm. “That’s criminal. It’s like the fifth-best Drew Barrymore film.”

“Maybe we can have a movie night sometime. You can show me around Cornwall.”

“Oh my god, yes! We can make a list of every film that inspired all of this queer. Interestingly, Drew Barrymore features in a lot of them. Although…Drew Barrymore is banned in my dad’s house. So maybe we’d be better at yours in Manchester.”

Faye hoped Quin meant that. Her past tried to worm into her brain, promising that when the retreat was over, so was their friendship. She wanted to say this friendship with Quin was different, but she had to prepare for the worst.

Quin grabbed her again, eyes wide. “OMG, we can make a list of the best movie snacks, too. Popcorn is a classic, obvs, but Skittles are seriously underrated.”

Diana turned around, catching Faye’s eye, and something inside her snapped like an elastic band. Everything else fizzled out for a moment. Faye loved the movement of her mouth, how it turned up slightly at the corners. Loved how she had the privilege to notice such small changes in her expression. Then Diana brushed past her as she left, leaving a tingle where her warm fingers had traced her waist.

That should not be as arousing as it was. But the tingle sank low into Faye’s belly, filling up her senses until she could feel nothing but Diana.

“Uh, hello? Pringles or Maltesers for number three?” Quin slotted their blue mat into the cubby, then raised their dark eyebrows. “Well, well. What’s got you all hot and flustered? And I don’t think it’s Drew Barrymore.”

“I’m not flustered. It’s just hot.”

“Yeah…and me making my G.I. Joe’s scissor was just a phase.” They stepped out with Faye from under the shade and raised their arm to block out the morning sunlight. “Come on. What are you smiling about? Or should I say who? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you making eyes with Mrs Robinson over there.”

“Quin.” Faye laughed, her nonchalant demeanour cracked. “Diana is not Mrs Robinson.”

“Aha! So she does have a name…” When Faye shot them a look, they grinned. “Fine. But this isn’t over. Just make sure you don’t ditch me completely for the waterfall tour tomorrow.”

“I won’t.” Although the thought of seeing Diana in a bikini made Faye’s pulse quicken. Despite the fact she’d laid herself bare last night, Diana hadn’t so much as lifted her pretty yellow sundress. That drove her even wilder.

Yes, yes, taking it slow…I know…

But Faye itched to explore Diana’s body, to discover the smaller details and quirks that others hadn’t. Like the way she tousled her hair when she thought no one was watching, or how her eyes held so much emotion it felt like seeing right into her soul.

The intensity of it all. And this was only the beginning—they still had over two weeks to go. Faye couldn’t stop the smile stretching her face.

But then Molly stepped into view, cutting in front of Quin. “Can we talk?”

The light feeling filling her body fizzled dry like wet fingers on a hot flame. Not this again.

Quin wiggled their eyebrows behind her, mouthing, “And now Blondie too?”

She couldn’t compose herself to react. Panic set in, the earlier heat flooding to her face. What should she do? She could hardly run off again.

Molly was going to be at Sandy Springs the whole time she was, so she needed to do this sooner or later. Their sessions with the support counsellors started in thirty minutes, too, so at least there was an end in sight.

Harness that enigma.