Chapter 35 #2
“Right.” She patted at her curls—hopelessly, because she was pretty disheveled by this point—pulled her shirt down, took a breath, and said, “First. Georgia.”
“Georgia,” he agreed. “Georgia what?”
“Zane. Have you talked to her about moving her?”
“Oh. No. Not yet. I was going to do it after tea.”
“Oh. Tea. I’m sorry. I interrupted. Do you need to—”
“We’ll do this first. What about your own tea? Have you had it?”
“No. I asked Granddad to come eat with the kids tonight. Not sure he was best pleased, but—”
“But you needed him to,” Zane said. “Our grandparents have done heaps for us, yeh. Now they want to spread their wings. Fine. But it’s not wrong to ask a favor of your whanau.”
She rubbed her temples. “You’re right. Probably. Maybe.” She sighed, then. “Do you think this may just be too complicated? I mean, what are we doing here? I never asked that first time, with Michel, so—”
“Michel? Who the hell is Michel?”
“My professor. I didn’t tell you his name? Michel.”
“Sounds like a girl’s name.”
“It’s a French name.”
“Oh. Well, I hate it. I’m also glad we beat the French in Christchurch. What does he have to do with it, though?”
“I never asked him what we were doing, that’s what.
I was afraid to, like I’d pop the bubble.
The bubble popped anyway, as I may have mentioned, and I hope I learn from my mistakes.
What are we doing here, that we’re rearranging our lives like this?
I thought it was probably just once, but you seem to want to go on with it, and I apparently do too, as stupid an idea as it probably is, so …
is it an … an affair?” She grimaced. “Why am I so old-fashioned? A … situationship? Friends with benefits? I have to say, I’m not sure I can do that.
I think I must actually be old-fashioned.
If I’m sleeping with you, and seeing you in the papers at an awards night with some blonde model?
No. Doesn’t work for me. And that would be bad for the kids, too.
Too confusing. And yes, I know that’s how it’s done now, but—”
She stopped. That was because he had a hand over her mouth.
She glared at him, and he took the hand away.
“Sorry,” he said, “but what kind of road are you driving down here? Arriving at a pretty startling destination, if you ask me. We’re doing this thing, our kids know we’re doing it, apparently, you’re over here at my house at this very moment, being … ”
“Enmeshed,” she said.
“Thank you. Enmeshed with my whanau, and I’m over there being enmeshed with yours, and we’re having a situationship? What the hell is a situationship?”
“What you normally do, I imagine. Sleeping with somebody without commitment. Sleeping with them on an ongoing basis without commitment, I guess. I think that’s what it is, anyway. What do I know? I’ve only been married. Well, except for Michel.”
He ignored that. “I don’t do that. Hookups, is more like it.”
“Oh,” she said, “that makes me feel much better.”
He grinned, and so did she, so that was better. “But I’m not doing it now,” he said. “I’ve done it because I needed sex, and not to involve my kids, and because it’s easy. Being a sportsman and all.”
“Geez,” she said, “maybe try being a little less honest?”
“Why? You must’ve known that. I’m not going to lie about it.
I haven’t lied to anybody else, either. Some woman I meet in a bar in Melbourne after the match isn’t looking for her true love.
She’s looking to take a rugby player home for the night.
I give her a good time, she gives me one, and it’s back to the team hotel so I don’t miss the bus. ”
“So you don’t miss …”
“Timekeeping. Discipline. No excuse for missing the bus or the curfew.”
“Well,” she said, “now I know. I guess.”
She didn’t sound very convinced, did she?
He cast about for what to say next and came up with, “I didn’t cheat on Sam, if that’s the question, and I won’t cheat on you.
Sam was my high-school sweetheart. We had Scarlett at twenty-one and got married at twenty-two.
I don’t have a … a middle ground for this, between hookups and whatever you call this.
A relationship, I guess. Anyway, I’m rubbish at lying or keeping my story straight. And what would be the point?”
“Generally,” Skylar said a little dryly, “to massage your ego, give you the sexual novelty you clearly deserve, and make you feel like you’re leading an exciting and adventurous life. From what I know.”
“I’m an All Black,” he said. “I was just in an earthquake. I have an exciting and adventurous life, and my ego doesn’t need any massaging. I wouldn’t mind some sexual novelty, though, if you can see your way clear.”
She laughed, at least, so that was better. “Oh, am I the wrong person for that,” she said. “Haven’t you noticed? I have no idea how to … dunno. What do women do? Bend like pretzels? Wear costumes? Become domanatrixes? Dominatrices? What’s the plural? I don’t even know that.”
He was laughing too now. “So if we want sexual variety, I’ll need to provide it, that what you’re saying?”
“Well,” she said, “I could research, I suppose. But I’d probably feel really stupid if it didn’t work out.”
He gave her a kiss. How could he not? “I’ll get us started, then, until you build up your confidence.”
She sighed and rubbed her cheek over his chest. That right there was enough to give a man a pretty good thrill. “OK,” she said. “That could be a plan.”
“Good. Then let’s talk to Georgia and eat our tea. Lamb shanks with carrots and potatoes. Not too exciting, but it’s hot, and it fills the empty spots. And then …”
“And then,” she said, “I’ll go home and put my kids to bed, since they’re still a bit rocky after the quake and all, and Granddad will rush over here and make up for lost time. Our grandparents are getting so busy.” Laughing again. Looking warm, and happy, and alive.
“Bugger,” he said. “Especially as I have to be at the team hotel by eight.”
She squeaked. “Zane! It’s past six-thirty!”
“We’d better rattle our dags, then. Lucky I don’t have to go back to Welly, because of that quake damage, or I wouldn’t be here now. We’ll talk to Georgia while we eat our tea, how’s that? And Skylar?”
“Yes?” She was a little breathless, wasn’t she?
He smiled. “Come to the match on Saturday. Bring the kids. I asked you once, but maybe you didn’t think I meant it. We all missed the last one, but we can do this. It’s against Italy, and it’s here. Auckland.”
“I know that. Of course I do. I told you, I’m probably too excited by your job. Shallow of me, obviously, but there you are.”
Geez, she made him smile. “Good to know. But I suspect you won’t want me to buy the tickets, especially four of them.
I’d like you to be there, though, so see what you can do about those scruples, will you?
I have some days off after that before we start getting ready for the South Africa tour.
That’ll be a long one, so we’d better make good use of the time.
” He dropped another kiss on her mouth. “We’ll work on our sexual novelty.
And your confidence in your dominatrix skills. ”
She was still laughing when they climbed the stairs. Also, he was holding her hand.
Worked for him.