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‘I work for every penny too, Caleb – and, besides, money isn’t everything.’
‘Obviously not, or you’d be cosying up to good ol’ Jasper right now,’ I joke.
She looks like I have just slapped her. ‘That hurt, Caleb.’
‘I’m sorry. I know you have rich people’s problems, like wanting to find yourself etcetera, but was it so bad? He seems like a nice chap, thinks the world of you and, even though he could use more of a sense of humour and a bit less of the booze, he’s all right. I only met him for thirty seconds, and evenIknow he adores you and will look after you.’
‘I know, I adore him too; but being looked after isn’t enough.’
‘Maybe, but what more could you possibly need in addition to bags of money and mind-blowing sex?’
‘I’m not even sure I was having that…’
She mutters the aborted line under her breath, but I hear it and I try to contain my glee. Did she just say Indiana Jones is crap in bed? This is going to be juicy.
‘Mason. Spill. The. Beans. Now!’
‘You’re such a gossip. I shouldn’t be discussing this with you.’ She gives me a dirty look, hesitant to share.
‘Oh, come on, this place has more satisfied women coming and going than a Christmas sale. You’d be consulting with an expert.’ I tug one of her pigtails playfully before I run to the fridge and grab two more bottles.
‘I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?’
‘You probably are, but don’t let that stop you.’
She eyes the empty beer bottles piling up before she looks out of the window towards the setting sun, deciding whether or not to spill. I sit still. If I poke her again, she might shut down, so I give her space. She takes a deep breath in, exhaling voluminously.
‘I’m just not sure we had great sex. It was nice, but I’m not entirely sure I enjoyed it the way I’m supposed to. Last night, before you found us in my room, he behaved a little differently. Like he couldn’t control himself when he touched me. I felt…desired, you know? And I liked feeling that way.’
‘You’ve never felt like that before?’
‘No. I know he loves me, but being intimate with Jasper felt…dutiful. Like brushing your teeth or something. When he kissed me last night, it felt…exciting.’
‘I turned up and ruined everything, didn’t I?’
‘No, he stopped himself before you came up.’
‘Jasper has some serious self-control. When I clapped eyes on you yesterday, I had to remind myself not to hit on you.’
She jokily punches me. ‘Caleb, you wouldn’t have hit on me. I’m not your type.’
‘I would’ve, in that dress. You almost gave me a heart attack when I realised it was you.’ It’s true – but I don’t want to give her the wrong impression. ‘But it’s worth noting that I want to jump almost anyone in a dress, so you’re not in any particular danger. Plus, you’re back to normal now, putting the probability of you getting jumped, back down to zero.’
‘Thank goodness for that. I don’t want to imagine where you’ve been and with who.’ She wrinkles her nose and hides her deep-brown eyes behind her palms. Such a prude.
‘Anyway, back to him. You must’ve had some kind of sexual chemistry when you first got together? Did that just fade?’
‘I think it was there, but making love every Sunday night at nine thirty after we’d both showered didn’t feel normal.’
No, Ariella, that definitely is not normal, I want to tell her, but I keep it to myself. I wonder if she has actually ever had an orgasm. It would be hardly surprising if she—
‘If I’m totally honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had an orgasm.’
I immediately start to choke on my beer. She springs into action, patting my back. This is much more than I was expecting. What the hell am I supposed to say to that? I try my best.
‘Trust me, if you’d had one, you’d know. What about your other boyfriends?’
‘Jasper’s the only person I’ve been intimate with.’
