I didn’t care to know the rules of the games they played. Entertainment of their type was not for me, I didn’t have it in my nature to mess with people for fun. Simple, I wanted simple, and maybe now I could find it. No responsibilities, no anxiety. Just me. I liked the sound of that very much. I rarely indulged in loneliness, I had plenty to occupy me and cold sheets at night had never bothered me before. They wouldn’t now - hot water bottles and electric blankets were substitutes of worth.
Still, the cheeky prick stole every spare thought I had through the rest of my shift until I ended up sick of myself all over again. A fucking business card! The cheek of it was like a slap in the face and a reminder a shag was just a shag. His bedside manner needed some serious polishing if he thought a laminated card absolved him of anything.
With the bar empty and clean up done, I got changed, said goodnight, and relished the fact I’d be home in a few Tube stops with not a switch in sight. Yeah, just me, I was totally fine with that.
Coming out of the side door and onto the street, I took a few steps, then groaned when I saw Yannick’s car at the kerb. Taking a closer look, I saw it wasn’t Yannick, but Sandir, in the driver’s seat. The man himself was standing at the back of the car and when he noticed me, he quickly made his way over.
“Jolie, let me apologise, please?”
“It’s been a long night. I need to get home.” He could save his breath, I wasn’t interested in getting into it with him in the street. Yannick thwarted my intention to stalk off when his hand closed around my wrist.
“Please. I handled this all wrong.”
“Listen, Yannick,” I sighed. “No apologies required, seriously. You don’t need to salve my ego and make me feel better about being a notch on your belt while you piss off your wife. Leave me alone.”
“Fuck. I can’t.”
“Go home to Mrs Ischmova.” I glanced back at Sandir who was smirking, and it just pissed me off even more.
“Just a coffee, please?”
“I’ve nothing to say to you. A coffee would be a waste of my time and your money.”
He let go of my wrist, stepping away, straightening up. “What are you so afraid of?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe falling into a pit of snakes.”
Nodding, Yannick looked around the street, then back to me. “I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you.”
It was a strange thing to say, he’d gone from not letting himself hurt me to not letting anyone else hurt me and that made me even more wary. Until he stepped back in front of me and wrapped an arm around my waist, swooping down to kiss me. Every argument I had fell to the wayside as I pushed closer to him and reciprocated, eager to feel him worship me with his mouth exactly like he had in the hotel room. I was crazy, this was not how this was meant to go, not where my mind should stray, yet all I could think of was the way he’d masterfully played my body like he’d already mapped every inch and would worship forever. Fickle, I was so damn fickle, I couldn’t make up my mind and stick to it.
When we pulled apart, he swore softly. “Shit. I shouldn’t have done that out here. Could we go for a coffee? I just want to talk to you, that’s all.”
“Can you take me home?” I didn’t want coffee but maybe twenty minutes in the car was enough time to smooth things over and for us both to be on our separate ways. I’d never been one to hold grudges, they made me lose sleep, and I’d lost enough over him.
“Come on.” With a hand to my back, he ushered me into the rear of the car, climbing in beside me.
Sandir turned in his seat and grinned. “Hey, Bunny. Where’s all your lovely pink hair, darling?”
“Fancied a change,” I shrugged, unwilling to get into the why of it. I liked Sandir, always respectful, and it had never crossed my mind to be concerned he could probably crush me with one hand if he had a mind to. He was a dangerous sight, yet he didn’t pose a threat to me.
“Where to, beautiful?” When I rattled off the address, he quirked an eyebrow at me. “Acton? You moved?”
“Nicer area, closer to work too.”
“Good. Didn’t much like you on those Tubes. Bemerton’s a rough place.” Oh, he was a softie for sure.
Very little time passed before we were outside my block of flats, Yannick chewing on his lip as Sandir pulled in to park. “Would it be all right if Sandir came up too? Saves him sitting in the car.” I saw no harm in it, agreeing. “It’s all right, this new place?”
“Better,” was all I commented, not quite mellowed enough toward him yet.
“Really shit thing that happened with your mother, Bunny. Sorry, girl.”
“Yeah, well. She was an alcoholic, they don’t end up anything other than a sob story, right?”
Once up the communal stairs, I let the men in and waved them in the direction of the living area while I switched on a couple of lamps. Stepping out of my trainers, both men shrugged out of their jackets, Sandir taking a seat on my tiny couch, Yannick
