to see anyone else?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t either.”
“Whatever.” She smiled mischievously. “Guess you’ll just have to put up with adjusting the antenna.”
He stared at her. “Doing the what now?”
“You know. Clearing the snorkel. Buffing the banana. Five-knuckle shuffle.”
“Faith Hillman, for God’s sake, where on earth did you dredge those terms up?”
She laughed. “I did an article on masturbation.”
He shook his head, turned her around and slapped her bare backside. “Get in there and put the bath on. I’ll get the magazines.”
“Yes, sir .”
He muttered something under his breath and walked off. Grinning, she put in the plug and turned the taps on in the huge tub. What a great night this was turning out to be.
Wednesday evening was the first time she met Rusty again after their assignation at the motel. They’d all agreed to meet at the local wine bar, as they occasionally did halfway through the week. Faith walked in at about eight fifteen, a little late, and saw them all in their usual corner on the sofas, talking. She paused for a moment. Dan and Eve were on one sofa, Eve stretched out with her feet on the arm, leaning on Dan, his arm around her. Rusty and Toby were on the other. Usually she would have walked straight up and sat between them, but today…
Dan glanced over and saw her, and she waved as she walked to the bar and ordered herself a glass of wine. She didn’t look over while she waited, flicking instead through the bar menu, although she wasn’t hungry. She was nervous about striking the right casual note with all of them. They had always been affectionate as friends, exchanging hugs and kisses, and she’d never thought about it before, but suddenly she was very aware of any contact she had with them, and not just with Rusty, either. His comment about Toby being keen to get her into bed had shocked her, as had Rusty’s eagerness to volunteer himself. Perhaps she truly had been naive in thinking a man and a woman could be friends. There was a topic for another article there, somewhere.
She paid for the wine and carried it over to them, pausing for a brief moment as she debated whether to pull over a chair, but then Toby patted the sofa between him and Rusty, and she sighed and climbed over Rusty’s legs to sit between them.
Toby leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“Hey, Faith.” Rusty’s arm lay along the back of the sofa, but he dropped it now to squeeze her knee with a hand.
She leaned back and propped her feet on the low table in front of her. “Hey, guys.”
“You’re late.” Dan took a slug of his beer. “Been off with Beau, have we?”
Eve laughed. “No, she’s not seeing him until Saturday.” She waggled her eyebrows at Faith. “Ready for sin two?”
“I’ve just walked in the door. Can we talk about something else?”
“No,” said Toby. “Come on, dish the dirt. What was he like?”
“You’ll have to read the website.”
“I did.” Toby grinned at her shocked face.
Faith looked across at Dan. “Have you read it?”
“No. The last thing I want to know about is what you’re getting up to beneath the sheets.”
“It’s good reading,” said Toby. He winked at her. “Three times in one night, eh?”
Dan rolled his eyes. Faith giggled. “Don’t torture him.”
“I can’t believe you fell off the bed,” said Eve. “What would you have done if he’d been knocked out?”
“Made myself a cup of tea,” said Faith. “I’m sure he would have come around eventually.”
They all laughed. Faith risked a quick glance up at Rusty. His eyes were warm with amusement. “So you enjoyed yourself?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It was all right.”
Eve laughed. “I think that’s an understatement, judging by what you said on the website.” She looked mischievously at Toby and Rusty. “He sent her a Valentine’s Card.”
“Oh?” Toby raised an eyebrow. “What did it
“No.”
“Then I won’t either.”
“Whatever.” She smiled mischievously. “Guess you’ll just have to put up with adjusting the antenna.”
He stared at her. “Doing the what now?”
“You know. Clearing the snorkel. Buffing the banana. Five-knuckle shuffle.”
“Faith Hillman, for God’s sake, where on earth did you dredge those terms up?”
She laughed. “I did an article on masturbation.”
He shook his head, turned her around and slapped her bare backside. “Get in there and put the bath on. I’ll get the magazines.”
“Yes, sir .”
He muttered something under his breath and walked off. Grinning, she put in the plug and turned the taps on in the huge tub. What a great night this was turning out to be.
Wednesday evening was the first time she met Rusty again after their assignation at the motel. They’d all agreed to meet at the local wine bar, as they occasionally did halfway through the week. Faith walked in at about eight fifteen, a little late, and saw them all in their usual corner on the sofas, talking. She paused for a moment. Dan and Eve were on one sofa, Eve stretched out with her feet on the arm, leaning on Dan, his arm around her. Rusty and Toby were on the other. Usually she would have walked straight up and sat between them, but today…
Dan glanced over and saw her, and she waved as she walked to the bar and ordered herself a glass of wine. She didn’t look over while she waited, flicking instead through the bar menu, although she wasn’t hungry. She was nervous about striking the right casual note with all of them. They had always been affectionate as friends, exchanging hugs and kisses, and she’d never thought about it before, but suddenly she was very aware of any contact she had with them, and not just with Rusty, either. His comment about Toby being keen to get her into bed had shocked her, as had Rusty’s eagerness to volunteer himself. Perhaps she truly had been naive in thinking a man and a woman could be friends. There was a topic for another article there, somewhere.
She paid for the wine and carried it over to them, pausing for a brief moment as she debated whether to pull over a chair, but then Toby patted the sofa between him and Rusty, and she sighed and climbed over Rusty’s legs to sit between them.
Toby leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey, gorgeous.”
“Hey, Faith.” Rusty’s arm lay along the back of the sofa, but he dropped it now to squeeze her knee with a hand.
She leaned back and propped her feet on the low table in front of her. “Hey, guys.”
“You’re late.” Dan took a slug of his beer. “Been off with Beau, have we?”
Eve laughed. “No, she’s not seeing him until Saturday.” She waggled her eyebrows at Faith. “Ready for sin two?”
“I’ve just walked in the door. Can we talk about something else?”
“No,” said Toby. “Come on, dish the dirt. What was he like?”
“You’ll have to read the website.”
“I did.” Toby grinned at her shocked face.
Faith looked across at Dan. “Have you read it?”
“No. The last thing I want to know about is what you’re getting up to beneath the sheets.”
“It’s good reading,” said Toby. He winked at her. “Three times in one night, eh?”
Dan rolled his eyes. Faith giggled. “Don’t torture him.”
“I can’t believe you fell off the bed,” said Eve. “What would you have done if he’d been knocked out?”
“Made myself a cup of tea,” said Faith. “I’m sure he would have come around eventually.”
They all laughed. Faith risked a quick glance up at Rusty. His eyes were warm with amusement. “So you enjoyed yourself?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It was all right.”
Eve laughed. “I think that’s an understatement, judging by what you said on the website.” She looked mischievously at Toby and Rusty. “He sent her a Valentine’s Card.”
“Oh?” Toby raised an eyebrow. “What did it
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