Page 69 of Forever Mr Black

The dynamic in the room shifts.

Tara bats her eyelashes, clearly loving it. “No,” she mutters breathlessly.

“On your knees.”

She obediently kneels and looks up at him expectantly, waiting for her next order.

“I’ve heard a few rumours.” Art folds his arms and walks around her. “I’ve heard you’ve been seeing a guy here. Theo.”

She looks confused by the question.

“Well, have you?”

She nods. “Yes.”

“How did you meet him?”

“I was drinking in the bar one night, and he came in and started chatting me up.”

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“The last month.” Her eyes light up. “Are you jealous?”

Art gives her a stern look. “You know the score, Tara. I ask the questions. Do you understand?”

She bows her head and sticks out her bottom lip, sulking. “Yes.”

“How many times have you seen him?”

“Four.”

“What do you know about him?”

Tara pulls a face. “He’s quite a talker. Most of the time, we fuck, but last time, he was a bit weird and just wanted to talk.”

“What do you talk about?”

She rolls her eyes at the memory. “His ex mainly.”

I hold my breath.

Art rubs a hand across his jaw, considering what to say next. “Do you know his ex?”

Tara suspiciously narrows her eyes and scans him up and down. “What’s going on, Art? Do you want to fuck me, or have you just come to talk as well?”

“Do you know his ex?”

She gets to her feet. “If I remember rightly, we didn’t do much talking at all when we used to come here.”

“Tara. Do you know Theo’s ex?” he demands.

She folds her arms, pushing her cleavage up, and huffs in frustration. “Bloody hell. Why the sudden interest in Theo? I’ve no bloody clue who his sodding ex is, and quite frankly, I couldn’t give a shit. Whoever she is, he’s clearly not over her.”

I briefly close my eyes as the full extent of her words sinks in. Tara doesn’t know I’m his ex. She hasn’t made the link between me and Theo. We’ve got it wrong.

Shit.

Art glances in the direction of the cupboard, where I’m hidden. He realises something’s amiss too. “Why do you say that?”

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