Page 46 of Triple Trouble

“Certainly,” she said, and took us past the counter to the booths down the back, near the toilets. She gave them a less-than-impressed look.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Perfect,” I said, and slid into the seat that faced the back wall. Cora took the other one, and we scanned the menus the waitress gave us.

After weeks of eating takeaway and my own limited cooking menu, it all looked amazing: grilled fish, wood-fired pizza, a roast vegetable burger, a full bar, flavored coffees… everything I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. My mouth watered as I watched waiters bring out plates of food that they delivered to other tables, and when one of them brought out our entrees of seafood soup, I inhaled the aroma and realized how much I’d missed it.

And best of all? Even though I knew it was silly, I kept glancing back through the restaurant to make sure Nathan wasn’t there — and he wasn’t. Even though we were in a public place, I actually felt like I was safe.

“Thanks for getting me out of the house,” I said, as I stirred my soup.

“Isn’t that what friends are for?” Cora asked and gave me a wink.

The wall next to us was decorated with shells, fake seaweed, and an acrylic painting of kids paddling in the shallow tide. I ate a mouthful of soup and admired the artist’s talent: close up, the artwork looked like strokes of color. But when I leaned back, the whole thing came into focus.

“How have you been?” I asked Cora, as she picked pieces of cilantro from her bowl.

“Run off my feet at work,” she said. “The hospital’s been flat out; there’s a new strain of the flu taking out all the staff. But I love being busy.”

I smiled, knowing she wasn’t telling me the full story. Her skin was glowing and her blue eyes had a fresh gleam in them.

“And have you met a new man?”

“Maybe,” she said, although her smile told me that’s exactly what had happened. “He’s a paediatric surgeon, and honestly, he’s so gorgeous it should be illegal for him to wear a surgical mask.”

It was so good to see her happy, especially after I’d been the reason her last conquest had left.

Cora spooned a piece of fish into her mouth and chewed.

“What about you?” she asked. “You’re living with three of the hottest men I’ve ever seen. Please tell me you’ve taken advantage of that.”

I couldn’t hide my smile.

“Maybe,” I said, avoiding her excited eyes. “With the bald one.”

“And?”

“And it was great,” I admitted, keeping the details to myself. “But they’ve agreed not to make a move on me again. So it only happened once.”

Cora snorted.

“Just because they’ve agreed to that doesn’t meanyouneed to,” she said. “You liked it, yeah?”

I bit my lip, but it didn’t stop my smile from spreading.

“Obviously.”

Cora stared at me, her eyes intense.

“You want to do it again, yeah?” she asked.

I saw myself in the shower, the water streaming over me as I pleasured myself, and nodded.

“So… why not make it happen?” she asked, as though it were that simple.

I took a long sip of soup and rested the spoon carefully on the side of the bowl so it wouldn’t fall in.

“You know what happened with Nathan,” I said slowly. “What if they turn out to be the same?”

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