Page 29 of Oyster

She did, her mouth growing in confidence.

“The verdict?”

“I think I might be interested. Maybe one more check.”

Putain,this could go on indefinitely. I wasn’t complaining, but I had a job to go to. With reluctance, I disentangled us.

“I’m afraid I have to go,girlfriend. Oysters don’t farm themselves. They tend to swim off.”

“Come over after work. I’m only here until tomorrow afternoon. Then I have to get back to Paris for a charity thing I can’t miss. And training.”

“It will be late. Eleven perhaps.”

She pulled a face. “And? Your point is?”

Where did I start?That, until today, I have never considered my heart as anything more than an efficient muscle, pumping blood from A to B? That concepts like love and I have never been more than passing acquaintances, yet if I kissed you again, we could develop into firm friends? Even though I hardly know you and we’ve only just met?

“I’ll see you at eleven.”

CHAPTER 9

Daytime, energetic Éti had already captivated me. After an interminable shift at work, I discovered late-night Éti was also an absolute honey. Her newly tamed hair hung loose in a rippling pool of dark water around her shoulders, and she’d changed into loose-fitting pale blue yoga pants and a lightweight sweater. Curled up in her cosy corner of the sofa, bathed in the golden glow of an open fire and surrounded by woollen throws, she was good enough to eat.

“Hi.”

Her generous mouth curved into a shy smile; I remembered how I’d kissed it and how much I wanted to kiss it again. “I was worried you wouldn’t come.”

“I’ve been counting down the minutes.”

Now it was my turn to blush. I slipped out of my jacket. “Is there room for another one on this sofa?”

She patted the cushion next to her. “Funny you should ask. I’ve been saving this spot especially for you. On the off chance you feel a need to shut me up again.”

Settling next to her, I rested my hand on the thin fabric covering her shin, caressing it with my thumb. “Then it’s time to start talking, sweetheart.”

Once I began, I would struggle to stop. It had been a few years since necking, fully clothed, on a sofa had been my sole objective. As our lips melded, Éti let out a moan, soft and weak. Her arms came up to circle my neck and pull me closer; I slid my own from her shin to stroke along the length of her lean thigh. As greedy desire kicked in, my worries dissolved. We were no longer an oyster farmer with work-roughened hands and a soccer legend dripping in diamonds; we were two kids exploring each other’s mouths and throats, discovering the hidden dips and hollows that made the other sigh and hold on tighter.

As her soft lips trailing along my jaw swept me away, my fingers strayed higher up her inner thigh. My heart lost balance, my head lost track of the progress of my wandering hand. Forgetting this was new territory for her, I was startled when she snatched her mouth away.

“Hey? What’s wrong?”

Her leg tensed under my palm as she prised herself from my grip. “Nothing. I’m fine. Just need a breather.”

Recoiling, she sat forward on the edge of the sofa and pulled a cushion onto her lap, clutching it tight. Her eyes darted anywhere but me.Merde.

“Hey, Éti. Talk to me. Have I done something wrong?”

“No.” She shook her head. “You’re… you’re… no. You’re lovely. It’s me. I’m…”

Peeling one of her hands from the cushion, I took it in mine. “Éti, sweet. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

She brought a clump of hair across her face, twisting it through her fingers. “Have you ever had a trans girlfriend before?”

From the moment she froze and wriggled away, I’d already sensed where this was heading.Don’t fuck it up, Florian had warned. I’d try my hardest not to.

“No.” Bringing her hand up to my mouth, I turned it over to kiss the soft palm. “I haven’t ever been that lucky until now.”

Her grip on the cushion relaxed a fraction. “That was very smooth, Nico. Very smooth.”

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