Page 22 of Swiping Right (and other disasters)

Chapter Sixteen

“I’m sorry, what? You have not only got laid, but you’ve done so with someone at work?” exclaimed Charlie in disbelief. “That is either ingenious or disastrous.”

“Does it really have to be one of those extremes?” said Kiera, with a chuckle. “I mean, it’s a massive hospital. Thousands of people work here. We’re not exactly going to be living in each other’s pockets.”

“Not yet,” said Charlie, raising his eyebrows and giving Kiera a hard stare. “I know how all this works. But anyway, I want all the sordid details, please.”

“You may want them, Charlie dear, but you aren’t getting them. We need to plan the next few engagement sessions and we’re on a deadline.”

Charlie sighed. “Slave driver.”

Lunch came round quickly. Kiera’s stomach was in knots, in spite of the extra time she’d taken with her clothes and her makeup. She felt more nervous than she had before she’d met Clodagh the first time, which seemed illogical.

“Fab top, babe, yellow suits you,” said Clodagh, sitting down without an ounce of nerves showing.

“Oh thanks,” replied Kiera, making a mental note to tell Lou her dressing strategy had been a success. She looked around. “I hardly ever come in here. I work in the old building a few minutes’ walk that way. Can I buy you some lunch?”

“Ah, yes, why not? I’d recommend sandwiches, though. You don’t want to know what they put in the soup here.” Kiera smiled and got up. The place wasn’t as bad as she’d expected, and the tomato soup actually looked tolerable, but she heeded the warning and picked up sandwiches and a salad for them both, along with some water and fruit.

“Thank you. How’s your day been?” asked Clodagh, attacking one of the sandwich packets.

“Busy, but I suspect more productive than I was yesterday. I had some rather intense recollections of our night together in the middle of a particularly important meeting. I’m fairly sure I missed something crucial which will cost me my job in the next few weeks.”

Clodagh laughed. “You’re funny. I’m not going to lie, I had a few of those moments too, although I tried to keep them to a minimum when I was with patients!” She ripped open the salad and pushed it towards Kiera, who was smiling broadly.

“I should think so. So, tell me about your job. I have a vague sense of what you do, but I don’t really know much about it,” said Kiera.

“Basically, it’s all about people, bodies and encouragement.”

“There’s got to be more to it than that,” prompted Kiera with a smile. Clodagh went on to tell Kiera what she’d been up to that day, and how she’d got into a heated debate with a surgeon. Their conversation flowed easily, and after a while Kiera realised she was feeling warm inside.

“So,” said Kiera, as they finished off the remaining food, “what are you doing next Friday? I wondered whether we could go out for dinner?”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” said Clodagh, grabbing her phone to check her calendar. “Ah, sorry, I’m seeing my boyfriend that night. How about Saturday?”

“Um, sorry, your what?” said Kiera, wondering if she was having some kind of neurological crisis.

“My boyfriend. Claude. We’re going to the cinema to see the new Marvel film. I’d invite you along, but he’s not into that sort of thing. So, Saturday?”

“No, we’re going to have to back up here. You have a boyfriend? But you’re seeing me? Or, at least, are you seeing me?” The warmth Kiera had been feeling froze over.

“Yes,” said Clodagh, looking confused. “I’ve not hidden that. I put ENM on my profile.”

“ENM?”

“Yeah, ethically non-monogamous.”

“Is that a thing?” asked Kiera, beginning to wonder how much else she had missed.

“Oh my God, you didn’t know? I’m so sorry,” said Clodagh, reaching out and placing her hand on top of Kiera’s. “I should have said something.”

“Well, um, it looks like you sort of did. I’m a bit new to this,” said Kiera, wanting to cry and trying not to. How had she got this so wrong? How could she be so out of date with dating?

“No, it’s my fault, I should have said. God, I’m an idiot. And you’re so nice.”

The fact that Clodagh at least felt a bit bad made Kiera felt marginally better. She tried to distance herself from the hurt she was feeling by exercising her curiosity. “How does it work?”

Clodagh explained that she and her boyfriend would also see other people. They were ‘polyamorous’. It was a word Chrissie had used before, and the recollection made Kiera shudder. She could feel a dropping sensation in her stomach, and the searing heat of disappointment.

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