Page 74 of Love, Academically
“That’s why he’s so keen on you living your own life.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.” He had never connected the two before.
“That’s really sad,” Lila said, with an uncharacteristic crease in between her eyebrows. “Your uncle living his life in hiding, not thinking he’ll be accepted for who he is.”
Rhys nodded slowly.
It was a different generation. A hard generation with remnants of mining and striking in the South Welsh valleys. The Aubrey-Dallimores were nothing if not traditional, and Daffydd didn’t quite fit the traditional mould.
“Do you think your father knows?”
Rhys considered how his father would react to the news his brother was gay. The hope was that he would nod and say ‘all right, when can I meet your partner?’ because Uncle Daff’s sexuality really was a non-issue.
“I think he does, if he thought about it hard enough. But I don’t think he will ever want to do that.”
“Poor Daffydd.”
Yes, poor Daffydd.
Lila
Lila reapplied her pink lipstick in the bathroom mirror, thankful that her excruciating blush had finally died down.
Grabbing Rhys by the lapels and kissing him had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now? In the cold fluorescent lights of the ladies toilet? Not so much. They hadn’t ever discussed kissing or anything like that. She’d taken matters into her own hands and just run with it. But with closed lips. Not even the hint of tongue. That fact alone saved her embarrassment ever so slightly.
But…
Rhys had kissed her again. Rhys had leaned forward and puthis lips on hers. He had instigated it, it wasn’t just her. He’d also looked genuinely wicked when she’d apologised.
You never need to apologise for kissing me.
Even just the memory of his intense eyes, solely on her, made her hot and needy.
They’d both played this fake girlfriend/boyfriend thing excellently.
After tonight, that would be it. There would be no more lunches, shopping, hanging out, car journeys. There would be no need. This was the end of their bargain. She could put that pesky desire in a non-existent basket, cover it with offcuts of fabric and it would eventually fade away to nothing. Which was exactly the right thing to do.
That bratty little word ‘but’ kept pushing at her brain.
But… she would miss spending time with Rhys. She liked the simpleness of him, the straightforwardness. He said what he meant and did what he said.
It had also been an awfully long time since she’d had sex.
Rhys was attracted to her, wasn’t he? He’d kissed her that second time. It was the way he always seemed to reach for her, as if he couldn’t stop touching her back, her waist, her hands. The way his eyes had darkened when he talked to her, the not so subtle glances towards her lips, the way his eyes tripped across her collarbone.
Lila had been around long enough to know the signs.
Perhaps a no-strings-attached roll in the hay (I wonder where that saying came from?) would be the perfect way to end their bargain. Then they could go back to only seeing each other at work, in passing. Rhys would be finished with his course soon. He wouldn’t be holding seminars in her room forever.
The thought of having sex withRhys Aubreymade her mouth dry. Yes, okay. Good.
A waft of perfume came through the bathroom door and Serenglided in as if she were on rollers. When her eyes met Lila’s in the mirror, she tilted her head and altered her trajectory, rolling to a stop next to her.
“Why, hello. Lila, isn’t it?” Seren’s voice was smooth and honeylike, and she exuded confidence in the way of someone who has never been told ‘no’ in their life.
“Yes,” she said, trying to hide the shake in her voice. She was strangely nervous, being with the ex-girlfriend without Rhys as a buffer. “Hi.”
“Your dress is nice,” Seren said, giving it the once-over.
