Again, chapters 7 and 8 are short, so I've put them up together for you entertainment. I'm too nice you know. Far too nice lol
Chapter 7
"AND?"
"And what Eff?"
"And what happened? It's 7pm on a Thursday evening and I'm just finding this out now. Actually scratch that. I'm just finding out nothing right now. Dish. Tell your Aunty Effy all. What the fuck happened with this girl Naoms?"
Oops. Effy swearing at me. Not a good thing. It was Thursday evening and I was telling (or not telling) her what had happened the evening before with Emily. I stretched out on the couch and smiled and then realised Effy couldn't see me smiling.
"Well, after she gave me her card I did my work out like a good little police officer. Every so often I'd look over and see her watching me or looking at me. It was pretty damn mutual, I was doing the same thing. She came over a couple of times to correct what I was doing with little touches. Jesus. Every time she came over she was in my face in a good way you know?" I heard Effy chuckle.
"Did she put her tits in your face then tiger?"
"Yeah." I sighed. "And fuck me she smells nice." The chuckle turned into an all out scream of laughter.
"So, she flirts with you, gives you her card with phone number, undresses you with her eyes, flirts with you some more after she catches you doing the same, shoves her tits in your face AND?"
"Well, as she was going and I finished my work out she told me to call her if I wanted any personal tuition, or anything else I might think I need." I flipped the business card over in my hand repeatedly smiling and recalling the look in her eyes as she invaded my personal space and ran her hand up my arm as she was leaving. Smokey, smouldering, interested, all of the above? "I'm thinking that maybe she likes me."
I heard Effy snort and choke on her laughter now. "No shit Sherlock. You sure you're a detective Naoms? I've not met the girl and I'm SURE she likes you"
I laughed along with Effy and then sighed.
"I'm worried, what if she hates me when she finds out what I do? They mostly do. You know how hard it is for me to trust people when they all accuse me of lying to them. And they're right aren't they? I DO lie to them initially, I have to. God I hate my fucking job at times."
Effy stopped laughing and sighed right back at me before going quiet for a few moments. "Is that what's stopping you calling her then? Cause I'm really going out on a limb here and saying you haven't and it's a day later babe".
I nodded and remembered (again) that Effy couldn't see me. "Yeah." Fucking great place to be, my head with its well hidden insecurities. I normally hold it all together. I mean I have to. I have to be someone else when I'm undercover, adopt a new character and sometimes personality. The silence was broken by Effys gentle voice, all laughter now gone.
"Ring her Naomi. She obviously wants you to. From the sounds of it you were fucking each other with your eyes for Christ's sake. You're the bravest person I know. Be brave now and ring or text her, but do something. Don't die wondering huh? You deserve a bit of happiness, and if not that, then maybe some fun and frolics for a while." She paused for a moment. "She's a personal trainer Naoms. I bet she's flexible and bendy in all the right places."
I burst out laughing. Fucking bitch. Couldn't help myself. I told you Effy was the best straight girl a gay girl could know. She sure as hell could make me smile when I got all melancholy and grouchy about life. After making her think she had to encourage me to call for a few more minutes, I agreed to text or call Emily and finished my call to the pervert previously known as Effy.
Mobile in one hand, business card and Emily's number in the other. I sat and pondered my newly acquired chicken shit status. My phone buzzed. I picked it up and looked at the text.
"Call her you pussy"
Fucking charming.
I went for the slightly pussy approach and wrote her a text. I sat, wrote and deleted and wrote and deleted and wrote and deleted. You ever sat and tried to send someone you really fancy a text? Yeah? Well, you know how I feel then yeah? Yes, I KNOW she flirted and gave me her number, and yes I KNOW that logically she was interested and wouldn't knock me back. But still, that small little doubt was nagging back there. Roaming around and killing my self-confidence.
I took some timeout to go even more pussy and give Tony a ring. I made the major mistake of telling him about the Emily situation. I guess it was fair to say he agreed with his sister. Called me a fucking wimpy mother fucker and told me I needed to get laid. Jesus, they might have tried to deny it at times, but they were alike those two. All my fucking friends were picking on me. I'd show them. Yeah right I would.
Ah, shit. I sat, wrote "Hi Emily, it's Naomi, from the gym yesterday? Was wondering if you fancied meeting up for a drink with me sometime soon?" Pressed the send button before I could back out again. It wasn't the most eloquent text in the world, but it'd do for starters. I sent a copy to Effy, as she wouldn't get off the phone until I'd promised to, and I'm nothing if not a well trained and obedient friend.
I was in the kitchen making a coffee when I heard my phone play its funky text alert. It was a reasonable observation to say I kinda ran for my phone. Picked it up and went and sat on my bed. Fuck knows why. I just did. I decided to revert to being a kid again. You know when you think there's a monster or ghost in your room when you're 6 years old and you think it's ok and safer to look with one eye instead of two? Cause like, it can't see you like that and all? Yeah? You do? Well, that was me. 5 foot 9 inches of wibbling stupid idiot looking at my phones screen with one eyeball and my face screwed up with tension.
I opened the text, and then decided to face my destiny. I opened my other eye.
"Hi Naomi. Wow, yes please, thank God you texted me! I thought I'd read things wrong and you wasn't going to call me. Let me know when and where's best for you and I'll be there with knobs on. Ems."
Fuck me. I was going to get dragged shopping for clothes again wasn't I?