didn't you see her? I just talked to her then. You know, after you buggered off without
waiting for me."
Janice ignored that. "So, is she on MySpace too? If
that's where all the cool people are. She's pretty cool, isn't she?"
"I don't know, I haven't looked," Dave said. This
was the truth; it hadn't occurred to him. Until now, the whole mysterious
world of online social networking had interested Dave not a jot. He felt in
his pocket for a cigarette.
"Outside," said Janice.
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot." Dave opened the
kitchen door and stood just outside, lighting his cigarette.
"Dave," Janice said.
"What?"
"Since - well, since you've not been living here - "
"Since you chucked me out, yes," Dave said. It was
getting cold; a sharp autumnal breeze blew across his face.
"Yes, well, okay." She looked at him. "What I wanted to
know is - since we've not been together, properly, I mean, have you been out
with anyone else?"
"No," he said. Well, it was the truth, wasn't it? He hadn't been out with anyone. He'd slept with a few girls, yes, but he
hadn't taken any of them out.
"Oh. I just wondered." He could see the relief
spread across her face. "Because I couldn't complain if you had, could I? I mean, we're officially on a break, aren't we?"
"A break that you instigated," Dave said. Come
on, he thought. "But no, I haven't."
"You'd tell me, though, if you started seeing anyone,
wouldn't you?"
"Yeah. Course. But you and H are the most
important things in my life." He knew she didn't mean that about not being
able to complain. She'd go ape-shit.
Still, she'd said it, hadn't she? They were
officially on a break, so he could officially do what he wanted.
As long as he didn't think about being in bed with
her, when it felt, to both of them, as if he was back to stay.
But you couldn't chuck someone out then expect them
to remain faithful, could you?
Driving home, later on, he reasoned with himself
that maybe he should go and see Ariel, after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
One of the things that made Dave so sexy was the
very fact that he was nice, Ariel decided. He felt guilty about Janice,
which he had every right not to do, considering the fact that she'd forced a
split he hadn't wanted. He cared about Janice, he loved his son - and seemed
to really care about her, too, not just want to have sex with her. He
listened when she talked, really took an interest in all the frustrations she'd
experienced over the years. He was a down to earth nice guy - without being a
wimp. Oh no, Dave Bentley was no wimp; well, hey, he was a Viking, wasn't he? She laughed to herself as she watched him moving around the room, lighting a
fag, pulling on his clothes; band practice beckoned.
"When do I get to see you again?" he said, gazing
at her as he pulled his white t-shirt down over his lean, hard torso. Decidedly
edible. He'd just made her come three times and she still wanted him. "We're
playing in The Romany on Saturday; will you be there?"
Ariel sat up in bed and pulled the duvet around her. It was cold in Dave's bedroom; she'd only just noticed, having been pretty hot
and sweaty for the past couple of hours. "I'm working the next two nights,"
she said, "but yeah, I'm free on Saturday, I'll come along."
"You going to bring Melodie? Shane keeps hassling
me about her because he hasn't scored there yet," Dave said, and laughed.
"I think she's cottoned on to that one!" said
Ariel. "Okay, okay, we'll be there!" She laughed, too. "Not that it'll do
Shane any good. Melodie's saving herself for bigger fish!"
"He's such a twat," Dave said, and sat down on the side of
the bed.
"The trouble with Shane," Ariel said, "is that he's such a
daft slapper that no woman's going to take him seriously. I mean, who the
hell wants to be just another notch on his bedpost?"
"Yeah, I know, it's time he grew up." He stroked
her face and they cuddled for a moment. "It's lovely being with you again,"
he said.
"Yes." She smiled. She felt confused
waiting for me."
Janice ignored that. "So, is she on MySpace too? If
that's where all the cool people are. She's pretty cool, isn't she?"
"I don't know, I haven't looked," Dave said. This
was the truth; it hadn't occurred to him. Until now, the whole mysterious
world of online social networking had interested Dave not a jot. He felt in
his pocket for a cigarette.
"Outside," said Janice.
"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot." Dave opened the
kitchen door and stood just outside, lighting his cigarette.
"Dave," Janice said.
"What?"
"Since - well, since you've not been living here - "
"Since you chucked me out, yes," Dave said. It was
getting cold; a sharp autumnal breeze blew across his face.
"Yes, well, okay." She looked at him. "What I wanted to
know is - since we've not been together, properly, I mean, have you been out
with anyone else?"
"No," he said. Well, it was the truth, wasn't it? He hadn't been out with anyone. He'd slept with a few girls, yes, but he
hadn't taken any of them out.
"Oh. I just wondered." He could see the relief
spread across her face. "Because I couldn't complain if you had, could I? I mean, we're officially on a break, aren't we?"
"A break that you instigated," Dave said. Come
on, he thought. "But no, I haven't."
"You'd tell me, though, if you started seeing anyone,
wouldn't you?"
"Yeah. Course. But you and H are the most
important things in my life." He knew she didn't mean that about not being
able to complain. She'd go ape-shit.
Still, she'd said it, hadn't she? They were
officially on a break, so he could officially do what he wanted.
As long as he didn't think about being in bed with
her, when it felt, to both of them, as if he was back to stay.
But you couldn't chuck someone out then expect them
to remain faithful, could you?
Driving home, later on, he reasoned with himself
that maybe he should go and see Ariel, after all.
CHAPTER FIVE
One of the things that made Dave so sexy was the
very fact that he was nice, Ariel decided. He felt guilty about Janice,
which he had every right not to do, considering the fact that she'd forced a
split he hadn't wanted. He cared about Janice, he loved his son - and seemed
to really care about her, too, not just want to have sex with her. He
listened when she talked, really took an interest in all the frustrations she'd
experienced over the years. He was a down to earth nice guy - without being a
wimp. Oh no, Dave Bentley was no wimp; well, hey, he was a Viking, wasn't he? She laughed to herself as she watched him moving around the room, lighting a
fag, pulling on his clothes; band practice beckoned.
"When do I get to see you again?" he said, gazing
at her as he pulled his white t-shirt down over his lean, hard torso. Decidedly
edible. He'd just made her come three times and she still wanted him. "We're
playing in The Romany on Saturday; will you be there?"
Ariel sat up in bed and pulled the duvet around her. It was cold in Dave's bedroom; she'd only just noticed, having been pretty hot
and sweaty for the past couple of hours. "I'm working the next two nights,"
she said, "but yeah, I'm free on Saturday, I'll come along."
"You going to bring Melodie? Shane keeps hassling
me about her because he hasn't scored there yet," Dave said, and laughed.
"I think she's cottoned on to that one!" said
Ariel. "Okay, okay, we'll be there!" She laughed, too. "Not that it'll do
Shane any good. Melodie's saving herself for bigger fish!"
"He's such a twat," Dave said, and sat down on the side of
the bed.
"The trouble with Shane," Ariel said, "is that he's such a
daft slapper that no woman's going to take him seriously. I mean, who the
hell wants to be just another notch on his bedpost?"
"Yeah, I know, it's time he grew up." He stroked
her face and they cuddled for a moment. "It's lovely being with you again,"
he said.
"Yes." She smiled. She felt confused
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