Frisky Business

by Clodagh Murphy

  But once they were in the car, Danny’s buoyant mood seemed to evaporate, and he sat gazing out the windscreen, seemingly lost in thought. ‘I don’t know how James could say there was nothing worth taking from Paul’s place,’ he said sadly. ‘I’d put a lot of work into that garden, and we’d spent a fortune on it. It was really beautiful.’ He turned to Kit with big mournful eyes.

  ‘I’m sure it was.’

  ‘I mean, maybe it wasn’t cool or “funky”, but Paul isn’t a cool, funky kind of guy, you know?’

  ‘I can tell.’ Kit sighed. ‘Look, clearly Paul doesn’t know a good thing when he has it. If he could throw you away, what would it cost him to get rid of a few trees and plants? You deserve better than him,’ he said, touching Danny’s cheek with the back of a finger.

  Danny recoiled instantly. ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ His eyes were filled with confusion.

  ‘Sorry, I just—’ Kit’s eyes flicked to the window behind Danny. ‘It’s just that Paul’s there, looking right at us.’

  ‘He is?’

  Kit nodded, glancing towards the window again. ‘Why don’t we really give him something to look at?’ he said before bending his head and pressing his lips to Danny’s in a soft, innocent kiss. He felt Danny stiffen in surprise, his lips remaining rigid, and he pulled back slightly. ‘Only if you want to,’ he said, searching Danny’s eyes, watching the conflicting emotions that passed across his face as he hesitated. Finally, he gave a barely perceptible nod, and Kit kissed him again, stroking the short hair at the nape of his neck until he felt him relax, his eyes fluttering closed. This time Danny’s lips were soft and yielding and they started to move tentatively under his as he started to kiss Kit back. His eyes were still closed when Kit finally pulled away. Then they fluttered open, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he blinked at Kit.

  ‘Wow, that was …’ He shook his head. He looked confused, scared and happy all at once, which was pretty much exactly how Kit was feeling himself. He really shouldn’t have done that. And yet he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret it.

  ‘It was nice. You’re a good kisser,’ he said to Danny.

  ‘Um … thanks. So are you. I mean, I know it’s not what you’re into – kissing blokes, but …’

  Kit shrugged. ‘A kiss is a kiss. It’s like flirting. It’s nice whoever you do it with.’

  Danny smiled, seeming a little reassured. Then he turned to look out his window. ‘I don’t see Paul,’ he said.

  Kit followed his gaze. ‘Oh, he’s gone now. They just drove away. But believe me, he saw every second of that. He couldn’t take his eyes off us.’

  ‘Really?’ Danny grinned.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Kit smiled back, as Danny started up the car. ‘And if you thought he looked sick before …’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Had developing always been this knackering or had she just forgotten, Romy wondered, several days later as she leaned wearily against the worktop of the gate lodge kitchen and gazed out the window into the darkness of the morning. She flicked on the radio while she waited for the coffee to brew, and ‘Fairytale of New York’ was playing, an unwelcome reminder that Christmas was fast approaching. She was usually prepared weeks in advance for Christmas, but this year she had nothing organised and the thought of it just made her feel even more overwhelmed.

  The work had always been tiring, but in a satisfying way that left her feeling content and guaranteed a restful, refreshing sleep. She had missed the physicality of it, the satisfaction of doing something practical and seeing real, concrete results for your efforts. But they were only three days into the project and she was so exhausted she felt physically sick – and work had barely begun. Perhaps she had been away from developing for too long and had gone soft. She couldn’t seem to summon her old energy, and she couldn’t remember feeling this bone-aching weariness before. But then, she hadn’t had a small baby to look after in those days. Maybe she had been naive to think she could just go back to her old routine and expect everything to be the same now that she had Luke.

  It was probably just lack of sleep, she told herself, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Luke had been peevish the previous night and had woken up several times. She had only just got him back to sleep about half an hour ago. However, despite her exhaustion, she had been unable to fall back asleep herself. These dark winter days didn’t help either; it was almost eight o’clock and there was only the merest hint of light creeping across the sky. It was hard to feel energetic when it was so gloomy all the time.

  At the start of the week, she had moved down to the gate lodge with Kit and Ethan, and together they began to do what work they could on the house while waiting for planning permission. At the moment, it mainly consisted of gutting the place of all its junk and old furniture, stripping walls and laying bare foundations, while Romy lined up contractors and sourced materials. The roofers were due to start tomorrow, so at least they should be able to get something major accomplished before Christmas.

  Having Ethan staying with them meant that Romy and Kit had to keep up the pretence that they were together, and share the double bed she had installed in one of the bedrooms along with a cot for Luke. But it didn’t feel awkward now that sex had been taken out of the equation and she knew they would never be more than platonic friends – and she enjoyed the giggly, whispered conversations they had in the dark. Besides, she was glad to have Ethan there. As well as being hard-working and energetic, he was great with Luke. Kit always showed willing and tried his best to do the dad thing, but Ethan was a natural. It was good having him around as long as she didn’t let herself dwell on how much she’d rather be sharing a bed with him than Kit.

  She was just pouring herself a mug of coffee when the door opened and Ethan came in, bringing a blast of cold air with him. She looked up in surprise. ‘I didn’t think anyone else was up.’

  ‘Yeah, I went out for a run,’ he said, still panting slightly. He was dressed in light grey sweats and he looked energised and vital, his cheeks flushed and his eyes bright. She could practically feel the energy rolling off him and she felt a little stab of envy.

  ‘Coffee?’ she offered.

  ‘Yes please.’ He rubbed his hands together.

  ‘It must be freezing out,’ she said, handing him a mug.

  ‘Yeah, but it feels good when you get going.’ He cupped his hands around the mug, warming them.

  She knew just how that felt – lungs bursting with cold, crisp air, heart pumping, the sheer animal energy of it. ‘God, I miss that,’ she said as they sat at the table together.

  ‘Miss what?’

  ‘Running.’

  ‘You run?’

  ‘Well, I used to. I stopped when I was pregnant, and since Luke was born, it’s all I can do to have a shower.’

  ‘I’ll watch him, if you want to go out.’

  ‘You would?’

  ‘Sure.’

  Despite how tired she felt, the thought of running was appealing. She knew how invigorating it could be. Maybe if she started running, she could get back to the right kind of tired. ‘Thanks. I might take you up on it tomorrow.’

  ‘You look tired,’ he said, his eyes raking over her.

  ‘I’m knackered,’ she said, rubbing her hair. ‘Luke didn’t sleep much last night.’

  ‘Yeah, I heard him.’

  ‘Sorry. I hope he didn’t wake you.’

  ‘Not so that I couldn’t get back to sleep. Did Kit get up with him at all?’

  ‘Oh, yes. He takes his fatherly duties very seriously,’ she said with a wry smile.

  ‘He does.’ Ethan laughed softly.

  ‘Sometimes I think he’s almost convinced himself that he’s really Luke’s father – which he’s not, by the way,’ she added.

  ‘I know he’s not.’

  ‘I don’t know why he feels he has to act like he is. It’s almost like he thinks it’s expected of him or something.’

  ‘I think Mom’s largely to blame
for that,’ Ethan said. ‘I’ve heard her lecturing him on the responsibility that comes with going out with a single mother. He’s had dire warnings about being good to Luke and not messing you around.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘You can put him in with me tonight, if you like – since his dad won’t be around.’

  Kit had been contacted out of the blue by one of the companies he’d sent his CV to when he first returned to Ireland and was going back to Dublin later that day to get ready for an interview early tomorrow morning. Romy was already feeling jittery at the thought of being left alone with Ethan for the night. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt for him, and what really killed her was that it seemed to be mutual. She hadn’t admitted it to Lesley, but, like everyone else, she knew when someone fancied her, and she was fairly certain that if Kit wasn’t in the way, something would happen with Ethan. Just her luck that when she finally felt that spark again, it was with someone she couldn’t have.

  ‘That’s really sweet of you, but I’m hoping last night was a once-off. He’s usually a really good sleeper.’

  ‘You’re not talking about this guy, I take it?’ Kit said, striding into the kitchen carrying a wide-awake Luke and handing him to Romy.

  ‘What are you doing up again, Mister?’ Romy chided.

  Luke stared back at her with the face of a Zen master, inscrutable and all-knowing.

  ‘I think he needs changing. I’d do it, but I’m heading off.’

  ‘Already? You’re not even going to have any breakfast?’

  ‘No, I’m meeting Mark, a guy I know who works at this company. He’s going to give me some coaching for the interview,’ he said, shrugging on his jacket. ‘Then I have to sort out a suit, and try to find a shirt Mom hasn’t put through the wash.’

  ‘At least you’ll get a decent night’s sleep tonight. Well, good luck.’

  ‘Thanks.’ He bent and kissed her, and then planted a soft kiss on Luke’s forehead. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  ‘Knock ’em dead,’ Ethan called after him.

  And then there were two, Romy thought, suddenly very aware of being alone in the house with Ethan.

  ‘So, alone at last,’ Ethan said with a cheeky grin, echoing her thoughts. She tried not to let it rattle her. After all, it was only for one night. Kit was coming straight back down tomorrow as soon as the interview was over. Nothing could happen in one night …

  That evening as she and Ethan ate dinner, Romy felt quite pleased with herself. She had worked companionably with Ethan all day and she had managed to play it cool and not act like an infatuated idiot. Luke was back to his smiley, happy self and she was grateful for the focus he provided as they ate. In a couple of hours, they could go to bed – separately – and tomorrow Kit would be back, and everything would return to normal. She was almost there. Then something caught her eye through the window and her heart sank.

  ‘Oh, no – that’s all we need,’ she groaned, jumping up and going to the window. Snow was falling thickly, fat swirling flakes dancing in the light from the kitchen.

  ‘Maybe it won’t stick,’ Ethan said, coming to join her at the window.

  But Romy knew there wasn’t much chance of that. It had been freezing hard for the past week, it hadn’t rained in ages, and the snow was falling so heavily. Even as they watched, it settled on the grass in a dense layer. ‘It’s already sticking,’ she said.

  When Romy woke the next morning, she sprang out of bed and opened the curtains, hoping that by some miracle the snow might have melted in the night. Her hopes were dashed as she looked out at the Christmas card scene before her. Everywhere was covered in a thick white icing, the boughs of the trees bending under the weight of it, the deep forest green of small shrubs peeking through the frosting like the decorations on top of a Christmas cake. That special snowy silence had descended, like someone had pressed the mute button. Bright sunlight glinted on snow-laden branches and fat heavy flakes were still falling from the leaden sky. It was very beautiful – and an absolute bugger.

  ‘Shit, shit, shit!’ she cursed. There was no way the roofers could work today, even if they were able to get here, which was highly unlikely. The snow would bring everything to a grinding halt – for who knew how long? Not only that, but she was now stuck here alone with Ethan. How could she ignore him if she had no work to occupy her all day? She would just have to find something she could do to keep herself busy. She checked on Luke, but he was still sleeping soundly. She pulled on a big thick cardigan and a pair of Uggs and made her way downstairs. The smell of frying bacon told her Ethan was already up before she got to the kitchen. He was standing by the cooker watching over bacon and sausages that hissed and spat in a pan.

  ‘Morning!’ He turned and grinned at her. He looked rugged and utterly delicious, dressed in a thick wool jumper, faded jeans and chunky hiking boots. ‘You’re just in time,’ he said, indicating the pan. ‘Fried egg?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ she said, flicking the switch on the kettle as she went to stand beside him. ‘Well, this is a bit of a disaster,’ she said, nodding out the window.

  ‘I know. And according to the weather forecast, it’s set to last all week.’

  ‘Oh God!’ Romy groaned in anguish, leaning on the worktop as she waited for the kettle to boil. ‘We’re not going to be able to get on with anything. Maybe we should just go back to Dublin.’

  ‘No chance of that,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’ve been out. The roads are completely impassable. Even if we could make it, it’d take about two days to get there.’

  ‘So Kit won’t be able to get back down either.’

  ‘No. According to the radio, it’s bad everywhere. The whole country seems to have ground to a halt.’

  Christ, she was stuck here on her own with Ethan for God knows how long – no way out and no way in for anyone else who could act as a buffer. And no work she could focus her energies on. This was a nightmare. She made the tea, and Ethan finished cooking the breakfast in silence, placing two plates on the table.

  ‘So, you’ve been out?’ she asked him as they sat down to eat.

  ‘Yeah. It’s a beautiful day. I chopped some more logs for the fire.’

  ‘Oh. Good. Thanks.’ Gah! The thought of Ethan chopping logs was making her go all funny. It was ridiculous – could he get any more hunter/gatherer? She tried not to picture him cutting wood, looking all manly and outdoorsy in his thick jumper and stompy boots, the muscles shifting in his arms as he swung the axe— ‘Well, there must be something we can do today,’ she said.

  ‘We could make a snowman.’

  ‘Yeah, great suggestion,’ she smiled. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘It could add a lot of value to the house. We could make it a feature.’

  ‘I was thinking I might get on with choosing the bathrooms and doing some ordering.’

  ‘Or we could have a snowball fight.’

  Oh God, a snowball fight – was he trying to kill her? She imagined them wrestling on the ground, wriggling around in the snow, his icy hand on her skin as he tried to stuff a snowball down her top … Her nipples hardened just thinking about it.

  ‘Um … yeah, I think I’ll get on with choosing the bathrooms. This is great, by the way,’ she said, indicating her plate. ‘Thanks.’

  ‘No problem.’ He smiled at her. ‘Well,’ he sighed, ‘if you’re not up for a snowball fight, I suppose I could get on with stripping out the old kitchen.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea,’ she said, pushing her plate away. ‘Right, I’m going to hop in the shower and get going. See you later.’

  ‘Okay. See you.’

  The steps up to Romy’s house were treacherous, and Kit clung to the rail as he climbed, his body rigid with the effort of staying upright. His good shoes had no grip, but he didn’t feel he could turn up for an interview in Wellingtons. When he finally made it into the house, he bounded up the stairs and knocked on May’s door.

  ‘Oh, hello, Kit!’ She smiled at him as sh
e opened the door. ‘You look very smart!’

  ‘I’m going to an interview this morning.’ He had been relieved when they had phoned to tell him it would still go ahead, though a little later than originally planned because of the traffic difficulties. ‘Anyway, I was just wondering if you wanted me to get you anything while I’m out.’

  ‘Oh, that’s very thoughtful of you. Yes, I could do with a few things and we haven’t been able to get out. Come in for a moment – unless you’re in a hurry?’

  ‘No, I have plenty of time.’ He had booked a cab so far in advance that even if the taxi driver crawled there on his hands and knees with Kit on his back, they would still make it with time to spare.

  She brought him in and sat him down at the kitchen table while she made a list.

  ‘We could do with more milk,’ she said, thinking aloud as she wrote, ‘and might as well get more bread. We can always freeze it, and who knows how long this weather will last. Better get some fresh fruit too – don’t want us getting rickets, do we?’ She paused in her writing and looked up at him. ‘Is there any chance you’d be passing a chemist?’

  ‘Sure,’ Kit said with a shrug. ‘I can go to a chemist if you like.’

  ‘I think Frank’s out of his ointment. Let me go and check.’ She stood and left the room, coming back shortly afterwards with a tube of cream. ‘I’ll just write down the name,’ she said, adding it to the list. ‘And if you could get us a few boxes of condoms too?’

  Kit gulped and nodded.

  ‘If you could get an assortment, it’d be great. Some ribbed ones, and a few boxes of flavoured ones as well,’ she said, writing again. ‘I’m doing a Tantric sex workshop next week, and I like to have plenty of condoms to hand out. I do try to promote safe sex, and if you can make it fun, that’s half the battle isn’t it?’ she said. ‘So, if you see any novelty ones – glow in the dark or whatever – you could pick those up too.’