Confessions of a Greedy Girl

I grinned too. Not because I believed for a second that she’d even speak to the guy, let alone get him anywhere near a bedroom, but because Hattie deserved some fun. ‘Girl,’ I sighed. ‘If anything happens, you’d better spill, because I’m totally going to want to hear about it.’

Nathan picked me up at eight that night. He was sizzling in his night-time camos, and I could tell he was up for some serious fun. ‘Careful,’ I warned him. ‘If you keep turning up in all these costumes, I might forget what you normally dress like.’

‘Wait until you see the pimpy suit I’ve bought. Cabaret night is going to be mega hot. I was thinking of arranging it for next weekend. What do you think?’

‘Maybe. Let’s not decide yet.’ I still wasn’t sure about it. It sounded a little too sleazy for my tastes, although Nathan was clearly well into the idea. ‘You know I don’t dance, don’t you, before you go getting any ideas about me cavorting with a chair, or any other nonsense.’

I guessed from his pout that was exactly what he’d been envisaging. Sadly, I was no Liza Minnelli, and definitely no Dita Von Teese.

‘You’d put on a little show for me though, wouldn’t you, Lys?’

‘No,’ I insisted. ‘I don’t dance.’

We completed the first half of the journey through the evening traffic listening to the radio. It was only once we’d crossed from the suburbs out into the open countryside that we spoke again.

‘You’re moping,’ Nathan observed, though how he could tell I wasn’t sure. I’d been making a particular effort to not think about Victor or our earlier phone call. It only made my blood boil.

‘Want to tell me what about?’

‘Nope.’

‘Something at work?’

‘I said nope.’

‘Has that jerk phoned you?’

An enormous telling sigh, wormed its way out of my mouth. ‘Once.’ It was almost a relief to admit it, even though I was loath to discuss the ins and outs of the conversation. ‘Nothing of interest was said.’ A fact I remained disappointed by. Maybe Victor was a jerk, but he was a jerk who hit my pleasure centres like nuclear fuel. I’d had high hopes when he’d rung.

‘What the fuck were you thinking even giving him your number? When did you give him your number? Didn’t you notice the fact that he had fucking weirdo stamped across his forehead? You don’t give out personal information to guys like that.’

When Nathan ranted, he sounded exactly like my father, and if I’d taken his advice, the only men I’d ever have seen would have been the local vicar and the dentist.

‘I mean, come on, Lys. Who the hell hangs around to watch when they’ve just stumbled upon some folks having a good time? The decent thing to do would be to turn a blind eye, not ogle them.’

I defensively squished my hands between my thighs. All things considered, Victor probably only weighed up at five per cent weird, versus ninety-five per cent hot. As ratios went, that wasn’t a bad one. Shame then, that he’d been unable to accept the small things that were weird about me.

‘I didn’t actually. Sam did. And it’s irrelevant anyhow.’ We weren’t going to see each other again.

‘I suppose I ought to ask what happened after I left. He was still in the room, wasn’t he?’

‘Nothing,’ I mumbled. I felt no inclination whatsoever to share the details of what I’d done. It’d only lead to another lecture about not placing myself in danger and being especially wary of dark, handsome strangers. Nathan seemed to have forgotten that we’d met in a taxi rank, and bonked in the back of a cab only a few minutes later.

‘Really, nothing? Because Sam said you came down from the green room with him looking pretty cosy.’

‘Leave it will you, Nathan,’ I barked in irritation. ‘Nothing happened. He didn’t touch me. I’ve told you that already. We’ve had one conversation since. There won’t be anymore. If you want a reason for why I’m pissed off, why don’t you ask me how my birthday treat panned out? What was it I was promised – a night to remember? Yeah, I don’t think I’m ever going to forget being walked in on.’ I wasn’t being fair, but his prodding had made me tetchy. I just wanted him to drop the subject.

Shock, then sin widened his tawny eyes. ‘Shit, Lyssa! That was hardly my fault. See if I don’t make it up to you tonight. Hell, I can stop the car now and make amends, if you want.’

I didn’t want. A quickie in the backseat, parked up in a lay-by, wasn’t going to improve my mood. Thankfully, the road was so narrow and winding, that stopping was out of the question.

‘What did he phone you for?’ Nathan asked, after we’d travelled another half a mile.

‘A date.’

‘A what?’

He hit the accelerator in his surprise, throwing us both against our seats. Thank God, it wasn’t milking time at the local farm, because if there’d been anything in the road we’d have hit it. As it was we overshot the site entrance.

‘Nathan!’

He stepped hard on the brake, thus bringing us to a screeching halt just past the turning. It was marked with an arrow, but I’d learned to recognise it by the two stone pillars that stood either side of the driveway. They were crumbling beneath a dressing of ivy, and I suspect mourned the days when they were grand gateposts to some country estate.

Unapologetically, Nathan put the car into reverse and swung the car around. ‘And?’ he enquired, once we were safely headed in the right direction.

‘And nothing. I’ve already told you I won’t be seeing him again.’

‘You’ve said it, but I don’t quite believe you. You’re hot for him; I can hear it in your voice. So why aren’t you seeing him again? Not because of me, I’ll bet.’

‘We’re not together like that,’ I replied, adding a defensive huff. I didn’t appreciate how guilt-ridden he seemed intent on making me feel about this.

‘No. No, I’ve got it.’ Nathan gave a low whistle. ‘You told him that you’re already shagging three other guys, didn’t you?’

I hadn’t quite put it like that, but nor had I told any lies.

Nathan’s mirth exploded more fully, until he was almost choking on his laughter. If he hadn’t been driving, I swear I’d have clobbered him. ‘What!’ he laughed. ‘Did you honestly think he was going to accept that? Jump right into the mix and agree to only having you on Tuesdays and Thursdays?’

‘It’s what you and the other guys do.’

‘No, Lyssa, it isn’t. We’re mates. We’ve all known each other forever, and we all know the score. Everyone understands what the boundaries are, and the guys let me know about any wacky plans they have. Victor would never agree to that.’

I actually found it hard to fault Victor for that fact. Whenever Nathan summarised what was going on between us, he had this knack of making it sound sordid, and somehow exploitative. The reality wasn’t like that, but … Well, I guess it was just something about his tone, and the fact he made me sound like a convenience. I was just a nice simple way for them all to get their rocks off without having to moderate their behaviour in order to preserve a relationship. Well, for their information I’d have liked it if they had treated me like a proper date once in a while. And it might even have been nice to have them squabble over me, because, yes, while I loved sex – upside down, back to front, even standing on my head – that didn’t mean I didn’t crave a bit of old-fashioned affection from time to time. And it certainly didn’t mean I warranted any less respect than they’d give a proper girlfriend.

‘I suggest you shut up now, unless you want to turn round and take me home,’ I warned.

My expression must have been grim, for he promptly agreed.

‘I’m sorry, Lyssa. Laughing was unnecessary, but you should have realised things would never work out with him.’

I turned away from Nathan to watch the last of the scenery roll by. We’d entered the woodland now, and even the road was furrowed by tree roots. Maybe Nathan was speaking the truth, but that didn’t mean he had to labour the point.

When we reached the end of the track, we found a small group of guys and girls already assembled outside the base camp lodge. Most of them were dressed like Nathan in some form of camouflage. All of them were toting laser guns. Some were busy pulling on goggles and sensors.

Nathan reached across the gearstick once he’d stopped the car engine, and squeezed my thigh. ‘Forget him, Lys. Let’s not argue, and just have a good time.’

‘Sure.’ I got out of the car determined to do as he suggested. Victor meant nothing. The most sensible thing I could do was to write him off as a one-night stand. It wasn’t as if that was a new experience and hence something to dwell on.

The minute I got out of the car, my mood immediately improved. Two pairs of arms surrounded me, and I was lifted off my feet.