Playground Cool

by Sinclair, Jamie

  ‘You want to see me? Tonight? Won’t your new little friend be a bit pissed off with you disappearing to your ex’s after work; or is she even more stupid than I am for speaking to you?’ Despite herself, Katie was excited by the prospect of seeing Dave so unexpectedly, but there was no way she was going to let him know that.

  ‘I know it’s a bad idea, but I thought it would give us a chance to clear the air. At least you could let me say sorry for being such a git to you. I won’t stay long. Promise.’

  She could hardly believe what she was about to say and, as she spoke, she could picture the despairing look on Jen’s face.

  ‘Alright then, but I have to work in the morning so you’ll have to be quick. You’d better be very, very nice to me when you get here or you can fuck straight off.’

  ‘I will be,’ he sounded like he was smiling, ‘I told you, I’m sorry I was such a shit to you.’

  ‘Don’t be too surprised if I throw things at you when you arrive, or try to stab you or something. After all, you do deserve it.’

  ‘Can’t wait. I’ll see you after twelve then.’

  Katie hung up and dropped the phone on to the bed. What the hell was she playing at? Letting The Tosser come round to her flat after everything he’d done. Her favourite line from Pretty Woman leapt into her head, the one where Julia Roberts is standing in the clothes shop where the assistants were mean to her. ‘Big mistake,’ she thought, ‘Huge.’

  A second later she jumped to her feet and ran to the shower. In spite of telling herself nothing was going to happen, she shaved her legs and made sure she was squeaky clean all over. Then she threw on her bathrobe and ran around the flat tidying up.

  Katie loved her flat. It was part of a development on Timber Wharf, and her balcony overlooked the canal. Formerly a warehouse, it had very high ceilings crossed with steel girders, and tall windows, the frames stripped to the bare metal. It was wildly expensive, and only had one, very large, bedroom, but it was brand new and everyone who saw it was impressed by how modern and stylish it was.

  By half past ten she’d made the flat look better than it had for weeks and had dashed to the off-licence for a bottle of wine to put in the fridge. By ten past eleven she’d changed her clothes three times and was sitting on her bed trying to decide what best gave the impression that she wasn’t making an effort but still made her look great. Deciding that she possessed no such clothing, Katie settled on a new black mesh g-string and a little white t-shirt that barely covered her bottom. That way she could make out that she was going to bed any minute and still make sure Dave could see exactly what he was missing out on.

  At half past eleven she applied the finishing touches to her make-up. Just a hint of eye shadow and a pale lip-gloss to give her that natural, I-always-look-like-this-just-before-bed appearance. A few squirts of her wildly expensive Tigi hair straightening gel and some shining spray; a quick blow dry and she was all set for his arrival.

  When the doorbell rang Katie counted to ten before answering so as not to look as if she’d been waiting by the door. He was dressed in one of his work suits and a pair of gorgeous black shoes in a dull leather finish. Heartbreaker he may have been, but he certainly knew how to dress for maximum effect.

  ‘Hello,’ she said in her best off-hand tone, ‘you’d best come in to start your crawling.’

  ‘You look great,’ he said, looking her up and down before handing her the wine he was carrying.

  ‘Yeah? I don’t know why, I’ve been like this all night. I’m going to bed shortly.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I won’t stay long. When you’ve had enough of me apologising to you, just chuck me out.’ He smiled and watched as she opened the bottle.

  ‘That won’t be a problem,’ she replied frostily, handing him a glass. ‘I owe you no favours.’

  She positioned herself in the big armchair next to the couch so that he couldn’t sit next to her. He sat at the far end of the couch and rested his drink on the arm as she’d seen him do so many times when they were together.

  ‘So have you been away? You’re looking a bit brown.’

  ‘No. Sunbed. We go a couple of times a week and…’

  ‘We!’ Katie interrupted. ‘How sweet. Does she prefer you with a healthy jaundiced tinge as opposed to the pasty offering I got?’

  ‘You really are pissed off at me aren’t you?’ He sounded like he’d only just grasped the concept.

  ‘Funny that,’ she shot back, ‘The bloke I live with and have fallen for, collars me one night after work and casually informs that he’s ‘very sorry’, but could I pack my stuff and please fuck off because I wasn’t awake for you to shag when you came in from fucking work!’ Her voice became louder throughout the outburst and she had to take a deep breath as she finished.

  ‘That’s not how it was and you know it,’ he began angrily, stopping as he realised he wasn’t in a position to claim any high ground.

  Dave put his drink down and walked over to sit on the arm of her chair. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said gently. ‘Really.’

  Katie said nothing, allowing her head to rest against the side of his body, breathing heavily. She was angry, but not just at him. She was mad with herself for wanting him so much. Even now as she sat there, she couldn’t help but notice the smell, his smell, that she still found so familiar.

  She stood up to pour herself another glass of wine and found him sat on the couch again when she returned. She sat down at the opposite end of the couch and turned herself to face him as she spoke.

  ‘So tell me about my replacement then,’ she asked, ‘I assume she’s blonde?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  She smiled at his answer. ‘Go on. I’m interested.’

  ‘It’s pointless. She’s gone.’ He looked down at his drink.

  ‘So that’s why you’re here. Nobody to play with. Now I feel extra special.’

  He said nothing and continued to play with his wineglass. In spite of herself, she searched for something to ease the tension.

  ‘I’m sorry about the lock thing,’ she said finally. ‘Jen’s idea.’

  ‘They cost me a bloody fortune to sort out, you bitch.’

  ‘I was so upset when we went to pack my stuff that I just went along with it. Though, let’s face it, you deserved it.’ She looked up to see if he would contest her statement.

  ‘It’s a bloody good job Jen didn’t suggest anything else then isn’t?’ He said and finished the last of his wine.

  After a few more minutes of increasingly easy conversation Dave rose to leave. Katie felt a pang of disappointment as they headed for the door and found herself wishing the evening could continue.

  ‘Thanks for not throwing things at me,’ he said, standing in the doorway.

  ‘Bugger,’ she said, tapping the ball of her hand against her forehead, ‘I knew there was something.’

  ‘Would you mind if I kept in touch?’

  ‘Not at all. If you’re up to the effort.’

  ‘Right, I’ll clear off and let you get to bed. Do I get goodnight kiss?

  ‘You’re pushing your luck a bit. I let you in, don’t attack you, at least not physically, and now you want a kiss?’ She tried to look indignant and failed.

  He moved towards her and put a hand loosely on to her arm.

  ‘Stop me when I offend you,’ he said quietly and kissed her quickly on the lips.

  ‘You’ve offended me enough already.’ Her face flushed with anticipation. ‘Start making it up to me.’

  * * * * * *

  Katie was forced to surface from sleep by the desperate wail of the buzzer on her radio alarm clock. She reached out her arm automatically and pressed the slumber button to buy herself a few minutes reprieve. As she lay there the events of the previous night quickly flooded her mind and she sat up with a start.

  Dave wasn’t next to her, although her disappointment lasted only a fraction of a secon
d as she heard the sound of the shower running. A few moments later he appeared at the doorway, dripping on to the floor and wrapped in a small towel.

  ‘Morning you,’ he said brightly, moving quickly around the bed to kiss her.

  She lay back on her pillow and watched as he dried himself in front of her. As he dressed, he turned and pointed out the time to her.

  ‘Oh,’ she moaned, ‘I don’t want to go in today.’

  ‘Tough. Come on, I’ve made you some breakfast.’

  He disappeared from the room and she took this opportunity to climb from her bed. She looked around for her pyjamas and realised that she hadn’t worn them last night. The t-shirt must still be in the hallway where it had been removed. Smiling at the recollection, she picked up a towel and went for a shower. She returned to find a cup of coffee waiting on the bedside table. She took a sip and began to dry herself.

  A moment later he walked in carrying a tray full of bacon, eggs and toast. He stopped, staring appreciatively at the sight of her naked in front of him. She pulled the towel to herself in embarrassed surprise and he laughed.

  ‘You’re shy all of a sudden. It must be well hidden if I haven’t seen it.’

  He placed the tray on a chest of drawers and walked over to her. He placed his hands inside the towel and she let it drop to the floor as they kissed. He lay her on the bed and began to work his way down her still wet body, kissing her lightly as he moved. Katie closed her eyes as he flicked at her with his tongue, slowly working a finger inside her. She let out small gasps of pleasure and squeezed her thighs around his head, pushing herself towards him, the too unfamiliar tingling sensation building faster and faster.

  ‘Don’t stop,’ she insisted breathlessly, ‘Don’t you dare fucking stop.’

  He teased, licked, kissed and probed, faster then slower, harder and softer as she moved on the bed. The sensation grew inside her until she couldn’t stand anymore, then; the most intense, back-arching start to the day she’d enjoyed for weeks.

  ‘Your breakfasts getting cold.’

  ‘Breakfast?’ Katie replied, fully stretched out on the bed, the spasms of pleasure dulling inside her, ‘Fuck breakfast.’

  Chapter Eleven

  After tossing and turning on the couch for hours Rhia finally gave up on getting any sleep. She’d been foolish to come to the house where she’d been sleeping with Ben’s best friend. She sat up, put on her shoes and quietly left through the front door. She climbed into her car and drove back to her sister’s house which was, like all the other houses on the street at this hour, in total darkness. Turning the key slowly so as not to make a noise, she crept upstairs, removed her clothes and collapsed into bed. Her head ached and she still had no idea how she was going to explain what she’d done to either her sister or Ben. In fact, laying in the darkness, she knew that before she could even think about telling anybody else, she’d have to come to terms with it herself.

  * * * * * *

  Ben stared at his computer screen, looking at the words he’d typed but unable to make his eyes read them. He’d arrived at work early, due in large part to the fact that he couldn’t sleep for worrying about where Rhia was and why she’d gone. Finally giving up on ever falling asleep, he’d showered and put on one of his two Calvin Klein suits which made him feel like he looked good, even when he looked atrocious.

  He’d been one of the first to arrive at the office and had completed more than he had for days, by the time he would normally have been arriving. Except that in the last five minutes, his lack of sleep had caught up with him. His eyes suddenly felt so heavy that it was an effort to keep them open. Each time his eyelids drifted together, his head would wobble slightly and then suddenly slump forward; causing him to jerk it back up and bring himself back to consciousness.

  After fighting the battle of the drooping eyelids for about ten minutes, Em came over to see if he was all right.

  ‘Here, I’ve brought you a coffee,’ she said, offering him the cup.

  ‘Oh, nice one Em,’ he replied, swallowing a mouthful. ‘Christ, it’s a bit bloody strong!’

  ‘You’ve spent the last few minutes looking like you were bobbing for apples; aren’t you sleeping?’ She sat down on the edge of his desk.

  Ben explained how he’d been worried by Rhia’s disappearance and had decided to distract himself by coming in to work early.

  ‘So why the flash suit then?’

  ‘I was planning on trying another visit to her sister’s this afternoon and I thought I’d make an effort. Rhia bought the suit you see so I reckon she’d probably notice if I wore it.’

  ‘Right,’ said Em, pityingly. ‘Do you think that just because you’re wearing a nice suit she’s gonna come running back? That’s not how it works you know.’

  Ben had no reply to her logic and chose to go back to staring, bleary-eyed, at his monitor.

  ‘Tell you what,’ she suggested brightly, ‘why not phone her sister’s to see if she’s there and if not you can come over to the pub with me for a bit. Cheer you up.’

  ‘I think I’d rather go round, if she is there I want to see her.’

  ‘How impressed do you think she’ll be to see you looking like that? At least you’ll know she’s okay if you phone. Then you could arrange to meet her somewhere.’

  ‘Full of good ideas today aren’t we?’ He replied sarcastically, ‘But what if she still won’t speak to me?’

  ‘Only one way to find out,’ she said, ‘let me know what the plan is later.’

  Ben got up and went to the toilet to inspect himself in the full-length mirror. Em was right; he looked like he’d been taking part in some kind of sleep deprivation experiment, or like he was taking a lot of drugs. Perhaps it would be best to telephone first after all. It was a great suit though.

  ‘I thought I told you not to start hassling her with calls straight away?’ Fran’s familiarly hostile voice crackled out of the telephone’s receiver.

  ‘I know, but I’m worried about her Fran. I haven’t slept all night, the least you can do is let me bloody talk to her for a minute.’ He was beginning to wish he’d just turned up on the doorstep as planned.

  There was a pause at the other end of the line and when she spoke again her tone was softer.

  ‘Look, she is here, but she’s in bed.’

  ‘Then let me…’

  ‘Hang on a minute before you start shouting the odds. She’s in bed, but when she gets up I’ll tell her you rang and I’ll try and get her to phone you.’

  ‘No you bloody won’t!’ Ben shouted.

  ‘If you carry on like that, then no, I bloody well won’t. I said I’d get her to ring you, now don’t push it. If you do speak her to her though, don’t go flaming upsetting her.’

  ‘I don’t want to upset her, I want to know she’s alright,’ he insisted.

  ‘I know you do. I know I’ve made it hard for you since she left you, but I thought you must have done something to her.’

  ‘Well I didn’t. She went in the middle of the friggin’ night. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since and it’s driving me mad. I just want to talk to her.’ Ben felt very tired and suddenly close to tears.

  After the call, he went over to tell Em what had happened.

  ‘That’s a turn up then. I thought her sister hated you?’

  ‘She always has, but perhaps she’s finally realised I’m not the lunatic she thought I was.’

  ‘Celebratory drink over the road?’ Em offered.

  ‘Fuck it. Why not? Just a quick one though. I don’t want to be slurring down my mobile if Rhia rings.’

  They grabbed their coats and left the office. Minutes later they were sitting at their usual table in a corner of the Ape and Apple, where they’d been coming on a regular basis over the past few weeks. Ben placed his mobile phone on the table to make sure the signal was as good as possible to be sure he heard it ringing over the pub noise.

  After three pints and an hour of small talk, he was becoming incr
easingly frustrated that Rhia had not called him.

  ‘Get a grip. It’s still early. Besides, she might not feel up to ringing you yet.’ Em said, getting up to go to the toilet.

  ‘I know, I know. Maybe I should ring her?’

  ‘You’ll only annoy her sister again. Leave it. She’ll ring eventually.’

  While Em was gone Ben went to the bar and got himself another drink. Another hour passed and his lack of sleep was combining with the lack of food to make him feel very drunk.

  ‘Come on, fucking phone me you bitch!’

  ‘Shouting at your phone won’t help matters. Neither will being legless.’

  ‘I’m not pissed. I’m just knackered,’ he slurred defensively.

  ‘Yeah yeah,’ said Em, smiling, ‘I think you ought to get home and hit the sack. You’ll feel miles better if you do.’

  ‘I’m not that tired now actually,’ he said, suddenly jumping up from his stool. ‘Do you want another?’

  ‘No, I’m fine with this.’ She shook her head as he wobbled to the bar.

  A few minutes later, Ben returned with another pint and a whiskey chaser.

  ‘You’re great you know,’ he said, taking a long drink of his pint, ‘I wish Rhia was more like you. We never fall out do we Em?’

  ‘No. But only because I’m a saint and you’re my boss.’

  ‘Fuck off. You’re a diamond and you know it. At least you take an interest in me. Rhia won’t even speak to me. She blatantly doesn’t give a fuck about me.’ Ben reached across the table to run his hand down her arm as he spoke.

  ‘Give over. She does care, she’s obviously just not very happy. Getting plastered at every opportunity isn’t helping though is it?’

  ‘Why don’t we go back to mine for a drink. I’ve got plenty in. Go on, you’ve never seen my house,’ he suggested, still rubbing her arm.

  ‘I’ll phone a taxi, you’re in no state to drive,’ she said, looking in her bag for her mobile.