Going Up - Now On Amazon

Chapter Seven

I just nodded, praying that she didn’t ask me anything about Nick.

I put my case on the bed and followed her out, down the hallway and into the kitchen.

My prayers were not answered because as soon as I sat down at the table and Janie flicked on the jug she turned and looked at me.

“So. You and Nick” She asked, cocking her head

“What do you mean?” I replied playing dumb

“He’s called you in to his office twice in 24 hours, for extended periods of time. I can’t think of much else… Granted I’m probably just gutter minded”

“oh”

I couldn’t think what to say, lying seemed futile. Janie was at the front lines of Nicks office. She knew exactly how long I had spent in his office.

“I’m not just over thinking am I!” Janie exclaimed, clearly shocked by her own discovery. She poured the hot coffee into the mugs and then walked over to the table.

“It doesn’t matter. I guess it only happened because he missed his fiancée, and I let it happen because I am trying to escape my past.” I said sipping on the coffee Janie had placed in front of me.

“You don’t understand, Nick isn’t like that. He’s a one girl type of guy. Something major had to have happened for that to happen” Janie replied

“Either way, his fiancée is coming back early.”

“You’re not bothered?” She asked

“Not in the slightest. Like I said, it only happened because I wanted to escape my past, make sure I am capable of intimacy. So it’s fine. He can get married and be happy” I smiled, although it was a fake smile, designed to hide the fact everything I’d just said was a complete lie.

“scandalous”

“I’d prefer if we didn’t talk about it though, if you don’t mind”

Janie and I changed the subject and instead she told me all about Marc. They’d been “friends with benefits” for two years. It was clear to me that Janie felt more for Marc by the way she spoke about him though and I wondered how successful such an arrangement could be if one of the participating parties fell in love. The way she explained it, they weren’t exclusive, so they would go on dates with other people, but if sexual relationships were started with other people, Marc and Janie would stop. It all seemed awfully complicated, but refreshing at the same time.

I imagined doing something similar, to take control of my own body and shut the doors on the past, when my own body had been used as a tool of torture against me.

Finding a part time lover could be kind of ideal.

Around 7pm Marc and Joshua walked in the door with Chinese food.

“Hope you two are hungry we bought a banquet” Josh said placing two plastic bags on the table. Marc added another and then walked into the kitchen to grab some plates.

The four of us ate dinner and talked about work, and the weekends.

Afterward I headed to bed, exhausted.

I slept well, the bed was comfortable and it felt homely. When I woke up the sun peered in through the blinds as the alarm on my phone blared loudly.

I got up and walked out of my bedroom and down to the kitchen.

“Morning” Janie  yawned as she sipped on a coffee