Page 18 of All Mine
‘Makes me almost wish I was straight when I see him at the rowing club, top off, leaning into the stroke.’ Rosie fanned herself with her hand, and Isabella thought her glasses steamed slightly.
‘Yes, you could say Etienne is something of a local celebrity,’ Amber added. ‘In the bedroom department.’
‘Never seen him with the same woman more than once.’
So, it was as Isabella suspected. He was a player. A gorgeous one, to be fair. But bad news altogether.
‘Where did you meet him? Did he come over and introduce himself?’
Isabella told them the whole embarrassing story. Firstly, the wet T-shirt and then the licking of the batter.
The girls roared.
‘Well, if you’re looking for a relationship, he’s probably not the one.’
‘But from what we hear, he’d probably be a good palate cleanser,’ Rosie added and they all dissolved into giggles again.
‘Nope,’ Isabella said. ‘Nothing happening. I told you, I’m not interested. I’m not having sex for another two months– give or take a day or two.’ She explained her man ban to a confused-looking Amber.
‘So, he’s licked your arm and seen your nipples,’ Wren said.
‘Yes. But not in that order,’ Isabella clarified.
‘But you’re still not tempted? Not even a tiny bit?’ Wren held her finger and thumb an inch apart while looking highly suspicious.
Isabella fervently shook her head and buried her face in the massive glass of wine to avoid further questioning.
‘Have you ever been Etienne’d?’ Wren asked Amber across the booth. She forced a large swallow of her drink down as though it were stuck in her throat and then put her hands out definitively in a stop sign.
‘No way! I mean, you can’t help but notice him and his friends, Fox and Walker.’
Isabella noted the other unusual names. Wren nodded; Rosie smiled.
‘I’ve known Walker since we were kids at secondary school, after he moved down from Scotland,’ Rosie said.
‘He was the only boyfriend she ever had,’ Wren said.
‘Luckily I realised I was gay before we got to any of the hetero sex stuff.’ Rosie squirmed and laughed. ‘Been friends ever since, though. He helped me through a lot when I came out.’
‘Well, it should be illegal for them to all walk round together, they’re all gorgeous,’ Amber said. ‘But when it comes to Etienne Martin, the answer is no. I’m raising a little man and I want any big man I bring home to be daddy material. Until then I’m doing a great job on my own.’ She raised her glass again to her mouth but came away disappointed when it was already empty.
‘I’ve been burned twice already. Jayden’s real dad took off when we found out about Jayden’s hearing loss and he’s never been back. I know it’s a lot to take on, but I expected more of him.’ She shrugged and peered into her glass again. ‘Then the only other relationship I’ve had ended with one broken heart– mine– and one very confused boy. And while I can forgive most things, I can’t forgive someone letting Jayden down.’
Isabella banged her glass against Amber’s empty one, partly in recognition of her efforts to be a good parent, and partly in relief that she hadn’t shagged Etienne. Although, of course, she reminded herself, it made no difference to her.
Chapter Ten
Etienne
Etienne and Fox gathered round their usual high table in the far corner of The Bolthole. Fox had swapped his soft flannel checked shirt of the day for a different flannel checked shirt and wore it open over a white T and jeans. His silver hair stood up in a messy side quiff, his grey and black speckled stubble completing the picture. He lifted a bottle of beer to his mouth and as he lowered it, smiled unselfconsciously at a passing blonde, who fell off her heel as a result and nearly died of embarrassment. The Fox Effect. Women loved him. Especially when they realised the silver god of a man was the softest and most sentimental guy. They’d fall at his feet and offer to have his babies if he didn’t already have two of his own. They’d offer to step in as stepmum if he so much as looked in their direction. But Fox would just smile and make polite chat, never going further than that. He wasn’t interested in the slightest. He just wanted a night out with the big boys, before he went home again to his little ones.
Etienne had on a long-sleeved T-shirt that he liked the fit of, almost as much as the female population of Honeybridge did. He knew his jeans fit his butt with precision and he was aware of the complimentary glances coming his way, but his mood was still lower than normal. Walker was trying his best to solve this by buying another round of beers.
‘Bar’s busy,’ he said, appearing through the crowd and placing a tray containing six bottles of beer on the table. ‘So I bought doubles.’
Everyone lifted a bottle and sank a cold mouthful.
‘So, deadline over then, Fox?’ Walker shifted onto the stool beside him. His voice was a soft Scottish burr. ‘What you gonna do now?’
