Page 11 of Commitment Issues
“Depends. I’ve got a couple of hours to get them done, or mostly, before I start my shift at the supermarket later on.”
“What’s the subject matter you’re marking? Viking pottery-making techniques, by any chance, or salmon curing?” he says, his face deadpan.
Oh, very funny, Elliot Hendricks.I can play at this, too.
“Not this week. The subject’s Dildo Production in the Reign of Eggnog the Bad. There was a technological innovation that proved to be transformative. They’d previously been made of reindeer bladders, stuffed with moss, but they tended to be floppy, and a floppy dildo’s not much good to anybody. So they began using wood, which was often carved with intricate patterns. But we’ve evidence to suggest that early versions tended to result in splinters.”
“Splinters…?” Elliot swallows. He’s gone pale, and I burst out laughing.
“Touché,” he says, shaking his head. “You almost had me for a second. Almost, but not quite.”
“Almost? You sure about that?”
“Of course, because what use is a floppy dildo?”
“Err…” How can I answerthat? So much for thinking I’d got him.
“Seriously, what’s the subject matter?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Of course I do, I wouldn’t be asking otherwise.”
Wow, that’s a first. A man being interested in my niche little subject.
Unbidden and unwelcome, an image of Paul fills my head, with his glazed eyes and barely held back yawns whenever I mentioned my studies. So, I soon learned to stop mentioning them. A major part of my life, swept out of sight as though it didn’t matter, and it didn’t, not to him. But Elliot’s waiting for me to answer, his stare intense, and I know, because I just do, that he really wants to know.
“Nothing as interesting as Viking dildos, unfortunately. It’s on early shipbuilding techniques.” Which I honestly am interested in, even though it can’t claim to be as exciting as Viking sex toys. “The Norse were highly skilled and innovative, ahead of their times when it came to sailing.”
He’s nodding his head, a tiny frown wrinkling his brow, as though he’s considering what I’ve just said.
“Yes, I saw a documentary about a group who built a longship from scratch, using the tools and techniques of the time, and then sailed to Newfoundland. It was fascinating.”
Have I just died and gone to heaven? Elliot, as hot as they come, really nice, and interested in my quirky subject. It’s not fair, not when I’ll be out of his life and him out of mine in just a few short seconds.
“And after marking the essays, shelf stacking, eh? It’s very important to ensure the nation gets its supply of tinned goods. But really, wouldn’t you rather come to France with me?”
