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‘Christ,’ Kier interjects. ‘When did you two get married? It’s not a fucking guessing game. Tell him what he’s done to piss you off, man.’
‘Because if you hadn’t gone and fallen in love, I’d still have my wingman and I wouldn’t have gone and joined a fucking sex club!’
‘Wanna say that a bit louder?’ Mac asks. ‘I think ’yon fella playing pool did’nae quite hear.’
Despite the evenness of his tone, Mac looks shocked. Meanwhile, Keir places his elbows on the bar next to me, dragging his hands down his face muttering something that sounds like,for fuck sakes.
‘What happened,’ he asks evenly. ‘Have you gotten into strife wi’ a married woman or something?’
I’m grateful he doesn’t ask about the club, but rather how it affects me. I knew he wouldn’t be impressed and I suppose that’s why I never mentioned it.That and possibly a little shame.Keir and Mac are such stand up, solid blokes. They have families. People depending on them. Values and morals. They’re not fucked up skirt chasers like me. And while Keir would be unimpressed to learn of the tens of thousands of pounds I pay for my annual membership, Mac would likely punch me. Keir is wealthy beyond most people’s ken, while Mac is just canny with his money.Like lots of Scotsmen.
‘Give me some credit,’ I mumble. ‘Anyway, the married ones usually come with their other halves.’
‘Are they just exhibitionists, then?’ To my right, Mac leans his elbow on the bar looking genuinely confused.
‘What? That’s not what I meant; if members are married, they attend with their partner’s consent, whether they come with them or not. Whether theycumwith them or not.’
‘Now I’m confused,’ says Keir. I turn my head back to look at him. ‘Not about who comes on or with who,’ he qualifies. I manage to refrain from correcting him.Who comes on whom. ‘But why has joining a dungeon to get your rocks off got you in a temper?’
‘Sadie.’ I say her name with a sigh. ‘And it’s not a dungeon, fucker. It has a very exclusive clientele.’
‘Can’t be that flash if they let you in.’ This is one of the things I love about my friends; they both know of my blue-blooded background. And they both give zero fucks about the whole thing.
‘Did you meet the lassie there?’ interjects Mac, sort of horrified.
‘What do you think,’ I shoot flatly back.
‘Me? Well, I think the quiet ones are always the worst.’
‘And I’ll remind you that Ella would fall very comfortably into that category,’ I answer immediately. Maybe nastily.
‘I swear to God,’ he growls. ‘If you’re imagining her in feathers—’
‘Aye, aye,’ placates Keir wearily. ‘You’ll pull both our eyes out and piss in the bloody holes.’ Ella, bless her curves, once flashed Keir and I—and about eighty other people—more flesh than Mac would readily approved. ‘Now tell us what the fuck is going on.’
So I do. I tell them about Julian. About our dealings, past and present. About my weekend with his sister. I tell them about Sadie and how I want to protect her from an issue I appear to have caused, though what or how, who the fuck knows. What I don’t tell them about is my thoughts of holding our baby in my arms. Because that’s pure fairy-tale; bullshit rolled in glitter then sprinkled in magical dust.
‘Only one thing for it,’ Mac says with a sniff. ‘Go find the fella. Fuck him up.’
‘What he means to say,’ Keir adds with his hand on my shoulder, ‘is that you need to find out exactly what this is about. Men can be very territorial about the women they love. And that includes sisters.’
‘And wives,’ Mac growls. ‘After you meet with him, you might need to be prepared to take your lumps.’
‘That’s not gonna happen,’ I reply darkly. ‘I’ll need more than a lump of sugar to helpthatkind of medicine go down.’
‘It’s a spoonful of sugar, you uncultured fuckwit,’ Mac replies.
Yes, because the Sound of Music is the height of sophistication.
‘He’ll keep on sniffin’ around your girl,’ Keir in turn says. ‘And who knows, she might even fall for his bullshit. Where will you be then?’
‘Up shit creek and fuckin’ paddling,’ replies Mac. ‘And we’ve all been there.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
WILL
It’s late when I leave the pub, Keir and Mac having long since left for home. My car is still at the hospital, so I flag down a cab to take me to The Den.
