There was a final hiss in the darkness, like gas escaping from a pipe, and then a voice.
‘Well done guys, great job.’
Ceiling lights flickered on over their heads and the room was suddenly lit up as bright as day.
‘Oh my fucking goodness,’ said Amy. ‘Are you kidding me?’
The door at the far end opened and in walked the old man.
‘That was fantastic, well done to you all. If you could follow me out this way, watch your footing? We’ll need to start resetting for the next booking. If you need to take a minute there’s a little room up ahead, and if you want to buy the tape of your adventure it’s just twenty pounds per copy.’
Emilia was still shell-shocked and shaking.
‘I’m never going to sleep again,’ she said, and started laughing.
Her laughter caused the other’s to smile and in turn, they began to laugh too.
Amy walked over to her and hugged her tightly, and Emilia hugged her back, squeezing her hard as though she might run away. They both felt like they had been through some sort of battle and come out the other side, stronger for it.
‘Good work, mate,’ said Mark to Cassian, slapping him on the shoulder. ‘You’d have made a good soldier.’
They started to make their way towards the door, Amy holding Emilia’s hand. In the next room were four cups of herbal tea, freshly made and steaming. A young lady appeared at the threshold and invited them to settle themselves down and take a moment to breathe and relax and enjoy the brew. ‘It’s all part of the experience,’ she said as she left them alone.
‘That was too scary,’ said Emilia after a sip of the tea.
‘I have never been so scared in all my life,’ said Amy.
‘I’ve had worse moments,’ said Mark. ‘But not many.’
‘Shit, I think I understand what you used to talk about now,’ said Amy. ‘About going through a firefight with someone, how you bond with them. I feel like we all just went through an intense shared experience and we’re now bonded for life.’ She laughed, but there was a part of her that meant it. Everything had seemed much too real, right up until the moment the lights went on.
‘Thank you,’ said Emilia, reaching out her hand for Amy’s again. ‘You really looked after me in there.’
‘I wasn’t looking after you, I was petrified and you were my crutch,’ she laughed. ‘I would have sacrificed you without a second thought, if that fucking doll got any closer.’
Emilia feigned shock and laughed.
‘Fine, I would've missed you terribly,’ said Amy winking.
‘Cass was a badass,’ said Mark and Cassian was visibly humbled by this suggestion.
‘Thanks, mate. It was fun.’
‘Fun? Fun?’ said Emilia. ‘I don’t even know you right now, who are you?’
‘Shall we get going? I’m hungry,’ said Amy, standing up. ‘Table’s booked for eight so we should start walking.’
‘I’m not sure I can eat food after that,’ said Emilia. ‘But let’s give it a shot.’
*
The restaurant was a fifteen minute walk from the escape room, but it felt like further after what they had all been through. Emilia was edgier than usual and was clinging to Cassian’s arm as they walked up to the entrance of Picollito’s, a small Italian pizzeria that Mark had chosen and booked for them.
A pretty young waitress greeted them at the door and led them to a circular table overlooking the plaza outside. Cassian pulled out two chairs for the two girls and then he and Mark settled down next to them.
‘Mark, I have no idea how you managed to not drop-kick that little-shit puppet, Annie out of the fucking shop? I mean what kind of bodyguard are you if you can’t keep me safe from a possessed porcelain doll?’
The waitress raised her eyebrows in confusion and left the table swiftly, leaving them with one less menu than intended, resulting in Amy and Emilia having to share.
‘So where do you guys live?’ said Amy as she perused the menu.
‘South of the city, on the new estate.’
‘The one near the motorway?’
‘That’s the one,’ said Emilia, smiling.
‘You’re a physiotherapist and he’s in marketing? You guys must be raking it in.’
‘We’re saving,’ said Cassian.
‘For kids?’
Emilia nodded. ’So how did you get started making shit art?’
Amy laughed hard, throwing her head back. Emilia watched as her long red hair fell gracefully around her neck.
‘You’re such a bitch,’ she said. ‘Honestly? It was an accident. I was working at a gallery in Switzerland, eight years ago. There was an exhibition on about mundanity, all that rubbish about focusing on the mundane objects that surround us and elevating them to be observed thereby creating some sort of paradox. Well I was told to go mop the gallery floor one night by our manager. As they were closing up, one of the last tourists had shit their pants. I don’t know the full story, but next thing I knew, I was given a mop and bucket and told to go clean up. As I was walking through this gallery of shit art, I decided right then and there, that I was done. I kicked the bucket of water onto the poo, threw the mop on top, went and found a marker pen and wrote “The Life of Amy Hamilton” on the floor and threw the pen aside. The next day it was in the newspaper. One of the local press critics had a late night viewing and the curator just assumed I’d cleaned up the turd, but the critic loved it. So to answer your question, I got started making shit art, by making shit art.’
‘That is amazing,’ said Emilia. ‘If you ever write a biography, that should be your opening paragraph.’
Amy raised her middle finger at Emilia as they laughed.
’So now you know my dark past, and that I’m literally full of shit,’ said Amy. ‘Tell me about you guys. Every time I’ve asked, you’ve managed to avoid the question, I’m starting to wonder if you’re fugitives, or spies or in witness protection or something.’
‘You’re right, we should tell them the truth, Emilia,’ said Cassian, feigning suspicion and looking around nervously.
‘No, you promised me you wouldn’t,’ laughed his wife, pretending to admonish him. ‘We can’t tell them, their lives would be in danger.’
‘Not with me around,’ said Mark, calmly. Cassian had noticed that he had positioned himself facing the door and his chair was angled slightly toward the fire exit. He had also shifted the table a few inches when they sat down. He had wondered if this was conscious or just such an ingrained part of Mark’s life that he did it everywhere he went.
‘You have no excuse now,’ said Amy, drumming the table with her fingers. ‘Spill, what’s the dark secret?’
Emilia glanced over at Cassian who nodded.
‘It’s nothing exciting I’m afraid, we just met at school.’
‘How old are you guys?’ said Amy.
Mark frowned and coughed. ‘As I’m sure you’re aware by now, Amy doesn’t know how to ask polite questions.’
‘So you’ve been together since you were teenagers?’ said Amy.
Emilia nodded, a little nervously. She hadn’t really wanted this to come up.
‘That’s so lovely,’ said Amy.
Cassian squeezed Emilia’s hand across the table.
‘So have you ever been with anyone else?’ said Amy.
Mark looked over at her, disapprovingly and Emilia looked over to Cassian, a little uncomfortably.
‘No,’ said Cassian. ‘Just each other.’
There was a brief silence around the table, which Amy broke.
‘That’s so romantic.’
Emilia relaxed a little.
‘I can’t imagine that,’ she said and was about to say something else, but the waitress interrupted them to ask for their order and Amy forgot for the time being, what she was going to say. By the time they had finished their mains, there had been so many other conversations, that Emilia felt they were reasonably safe from the usual probing comments.
‘We need to have pudding,’ said Amy, a little tipsy after her third glass of wine. ‘You have to try the lemon sorbet, it’s literally the best I’ve ever had.’
‘Lemon sorbet?’ said Emilia.
‘I know, but honestly, they must have some secret ingredient here that elevates it to a different level.’
‘Okay,’ said Emilia, smiling. ‘I trust you.’
A short while later, the waitress brought over a large bowl of sorbet, topped with ice cream, coated with whipped cream, and sprinkled with chocolate and then laid out four spoons.
‘Hang on, wait,’ said Amy to Emilia, grabbing one of the spoons. ‘Try the sorbet first.’
She leaned forward and dug into the depths of the bowl and came back with a small spoon of glistening yellow ice and then brought it up to Emilia’s lips.
‘Go on, try it.’
Emilia opened her mouth and Amy slipped the spoon inside, the sorbet melting onto her tastebuds, and then she wiped the corner of Emilia’s mouth with her thumb.
Amy was right, the sorbet was amazing, but the delivery was heaven.
*
The two girls stumbled out of the restaurant, holding hands and laughing and almost falling into the street.
‘Careful love,’ said a passing man as Amy nearly knocked him over.
‘Sorry,’ she called after him as he walked on past, then she burst into laughter again. It had started to rain since finishing their meal, and the street was slick with water.
‘Oh my goodness, I have had the best night, Em. Can I call you, Em? Oh, you’re like that miserable woman in those spy films. Em. Em.’
Emilia laughed and held her friend upright, putting one arm around her waist and the other on her shoulder.
‘You are so fucking beautiful, Emily. Emilia. I could just kiss you.’
‘Go on then,’ she said, daring her.
The men came out behind them, closing the door and joining their wives in the street and they all started to walk in the direction of their cars.
‘I have had such an amazing night with you guys,’ said Amy, now walking hand in hand with Emilia again. ‘It was the most terrifying night of my life, and I’m going to have to sleep with the light on for the next six months, and burn all of my dolls, but it was amazing.’
‘You have dolls?’ said Emilia.
‘Don’t ask,’ said Amy. ‘I won’t after tonight in any case.’
Amy slipped her hand up Emilia’s arm and hooked it over her elbow.
‘We must do this again soon,’ she said. ‘Not the Doll’s House, I’m never setting foot in there again. But going out together, and not in a We must do this again soon, but not really way, but actually very soon, we should go out again together and have some more fun. Maybe bowling or wine tasting. You know, something that doesn’t involve being scarred for life.’
‘We should, it’s been really nice,’ said Emilia, smiling at their new friends.
‘There’s one question I still have about you and Cass, though,’ said Amy, and Emilia cringed waiting to hear it. ’Haven’t you ever wanted to sleep with anyone else?’
‘That’s enough,’ said Mark.
‘No I’m just curious,’ she said. ‘I’m not being mean. I just, like, how do you know it’s good? You know, fucking? If you haven’t shagged anyone else but each other?’
‘Come back to ours then,’ said Emilia, suddenly and seriously.
Amy stopped walking. Mark and Cassian walked past and then stopped a few paces further on. For a moment, Amy laughed, and then her expression changed. She looked at Emilia and frowned.
‘You’re serious aren’t you?’
Emilia didn’t respond. Mark looked over at Cassian and back towards the girls, but said nothing.
‘No, of course I'm not serious,’ said Emilia, feigning laughter. She looked nervously at Cassian, begging him to back her up.
‘You are serious, and you're a shit liar. Is this what tonight was about for you guys? Make friends and then try and see if you can get us into bed?’
Emilia looked petrified under Amy’s ire.
Cassian walked up behind his wife and put an arm on her back gently.
‘No, I just-’ said Emilia, deflated and confused.
‘Mark, I think we need to go now,’ said Amy and she turned to cross the street. A car honked its horn and swerved around her as it drove by, a fine mist of water spraying up from its tyres.
Emilia looked on as the rain came down, watching as Amy’s heels clicked away across the road. Mark stood awkwardly and then turned to Cassian.
‘It was great to see you guys again, sorry,’ he said, setting off after his wife and turning back briefly. ‘Thanks.’
He continued after her at a slow jog, his feet splashing in the surface water as he went. Emilia watched as they got into their car, pulled out and drove off down the street. Amy turned her face away as they went past.
Cassian put his arm around his wife and held her kindly as she stood still, her eyes wide and hurt, as Mark and Amy’s car drove around the corner and disappeared from sight.
‘Come on Em, you’re getting soaked. Let’s go home.’
*
‘Cass I’m so sorry,’ said Emilia. ‘I fucked up so bad.’
‘Yes you did,’ he said, putting the car into first gear and pulling away from the curb.
‘Should I text her?’
‘No, definitely not.’
‘Oh gosh, I feel sick.’
‘Don’t be sick in the car,’ he said, slowing down.
Emilia had leaned forward, her head in her hands. She started crying.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I should’ve listened to you.’
‘It’s fine Em, you said something stupid in the heat of the moment, after a few too many drinks. You didn’t mean it. We can square this away. It’s fine.’
‘It’s not fine though, I like her and I like him. I feel like I’m fifteen again, I’ve got butterflies in my tummy and I feel like I just asked out my crush and they said no. I really like her. I’m going to text them.’
‘Don’t, not yet.’
‘Why not?’
‘Just leave it for now. Leave them alone,’ he said. ‘Planned or not, you’ve put the idea out there now. If the shoe was on the other foot, then we might be upset at first, but then we might talk about it.’
‘Do you think?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Are you just saying this to cheer me up?’
‘Yes and no. Just leave them to think about it. Mark approached me in the toilets of the mansion and started up a conversation because he’d caught me checking out his wife.’
‘You didn’t tell me that before,’ said Emilia, wiping tears from her eyes.
‘The point is, they might walk away and think about it and wonder if we were serious,’ he said, turning onto the motorway, dull yellow lights fading in and out across the dashboard as they passed under the lamps. ‘And if you text them now and apologise and say you were joking or whatever, then it shuts it down for good. Just leave them alone.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Emilia again.
‘It’s fine, we’re fine. I love you.’
‘I love you too,’ she said, leaning across and placing her hand on top of his.
‘I had a nice time tonight,’ she said.
‘Me too.’
By the time they got home, Emilia had fallen asleep, so Cassian picked her up and carried her inside the house and up the stairs to bed.
He took off her shoes and caressed her feet, and then unzipped her dress and slipped it off from around her shoulders. Then he lifted her up and helped her underneath the covers, kissing her on the forehead and tucking her in.
Then Cassian undressed himself and gradually shut down the house, hanging up Emilia’s dress, turning out the lights (with a slight shiver of fear), doing his teeth, and straightening out his jacket.
By the time he got into bed, Emilia
was awake again, her cheeks wet with tears.
‘Will you make love to me?’ she said, softly.
‘Of course,’ he said and kissed her on the lips.
*
CHAPTER FOUR
EMILIA SPENT THE following day trying to keep herself busy, although she could barely concentrate. She kept replaying the conversation over and over again in her head, exploring different ways it might have gone. Picturing scenarios where Amy kissed her in the rain like a scene from a movie, and others where they argued and never spoke again.
She spent time thinking about what she would say if they were to see each other, and how that might play out, with her persuading Amy and Mark to just give it a try, with no pressure. She was so inside her own head it took her a few minutes to realise that she had gone into the kitchen three times to pour herself a glass of water and had forgotten to do so on each attempt.
Cassian had gone into work and Emilia envied him, he was better at dealing with anxiety and he was out, doing his job, distracted and focused. Maybe she could swap shifts with someone, but then she ran the risk of bursting into tears at work.
Every now and again she felt her heart ache inside her chest, as though it was heavy with sadness or loss. At other times she felt overcome with a heightened sense of awareness and nervousness and would frequently check her phone. She even began to hear phantom text messages noises, she was so desperate to hear something from them.
Having cleaned the house, vacuumed, mopped, wiped the mirrors and scrubbed all the bathrooms (in case they came round), she decided she should sit down and read, to try and take her mind away to another place. But after six or seven failed attempts to even finish a single page, she sat and cried.
She had got too excited too quickly. Why had she even thought this would work out? The first couple they’d met? She still wasn’t really sure if this was what Cassian wanted either. Had she really thought that meeting another couple with the same mindset as them would be so simple?
Be With Us: An Urban Foursome Love Story (Erotic Swingers Book 1) Page 7