‘Purchasing journey!’ Poppy beams.

After we’ve eaten, and Lila is asleep, Poppy and I spend a while taking a look at outfits on-line earlier than she pronounces she has coursework to do, sitting cross-legged in the lounge to do it.

I potter round the home for a bit, eager about how I had invited Joe to the marriage and feeling more and more grumpy about his lack of communication once more. I’d thought we had been getting again on observe after our meal out however he’s gone quiet and it’s bugging me a lot I might burst. Will he even nonetheless need to come to the marriage? I might message him however then he might ignore me once more and out of the blue, I discover myself itching to confront him about it. It’s nonetheless fairly early so I ask Poppy if she minds if I pop over to Joe’s to talk about one thing. She’s preoccupied with work and calls out a ‘certain’ so I reclaim my Birkenstocks, and slip my cellphone into the again pocket of my shorts.

‘Don’t be too lengthy! Only a quickie WINK WINK,’ Poppy calls after me as I’m leaving.

Probability can be a superb factor, I believe.

Wait, no, cease that, Sophie! Joe’s your FRIEND.

Or is he even that lately?

It’s a balmy June night time so regardless that it’s not a protracted stroll I’m somewhat too sizzling once I get to Joe’s. I ring the bell and absent-mindedly scoop my hair up in my fist, letting the light breeze cool my neck.

The door opens and there stands Joe, bare however for a towel wrapped round his waist.

I swallow exhausting. His taut physique remains to be damp from a bathe. The towel sits low on his hips and my eyes observe from his stomach button down in the direction of—

‘I wasn’t anticipating you,’ Joe says, interrupting my ideas.

Eyes entrance, Sophie.

‘Err … yep. I do know, I simply … wished to ask you one thing!’ I say, letting go of my hair and giving him a considerably pointless wave.

He stands again to let me in and as I squeeze previous I can really feel the heat coming from him. I’m overwhelmed with an urge to press myself towards him. The wave of want is so robust that I’m virtually paralysed by it.

The entrance door shuts behind me.

‘You’ve obtained a …’ Joe’s fingers are on the again of my neck and I freeze, the texture of his contact searing by me.

I spin spherical to face him.

‘Label,’ he says. ‘Your label was poking out.’

‘I purchased beer!’ I say, lifting up a 4 pack of his favorite that I picked up from the nook store on the way in which over. ‘Why don’t I open us one when you end up getting bare. DRESSED. I meant dressed. Put some garments on, Joe, for goodness sake ha ha!’

That was an excessive amount of. Joe seems startled. I’m an enormous pool of cringe.

‘I’ll do this,’ he says, his voice thick, and he jogs again upstairs.

My respiratory steadies as I open the beers. That was … unlucky. However nothing else. Simply to be anticipated? He’s a handsome man and it’s not like I’m a nun, I’m sure to expertise the odd flash of want when Joe’s round being all bare. It’s pure, I reassure myself. And it’s how I cope with it that counts.

Simply keep on with the plan.

All of a sudden Mum’s story about Auntie Belinda and her pal with advantages pings into my thoughts. May Joe and I strive that? Name it a palate cleanser?

The considered sleeping with Joe is so interesting on this second that I’ve to go over to the sink and run chilly water over my pulse factors simply to try to settle down. I stand on the sink for ages, ideas of Joe in his towel and of our kiss unhelpfully flashing by my thoughts. The truth that I apparently discover him divine to have a look at is changing into an issue. The way in which his hair flops down over his eyes in disobedient increments. The flash of fireside when he seems at me …

Jesus! What has gotten into me?

I’ve in all probability run down all of the reservoirs in Bristol by the point I come up with myself and switch off the chilly faucet.

When Joe comes again he’s sporting shorts and a T-shirt.

He nonetheless seems good, moist hair now pushed again from his face, however mercifully much less bare.

‘So, what did you need to ask me?’ he asks as he grabs a beer.

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