Page 47 of The Missus
Keira looked her dead in the eye and said, ‘Mystery.’
Her mother snorted. ‘Really?’
Alanna did not enjoy the fact that when Keira had told her this, she had reacted the same as her mother. Alanna made a note to tell her therapist that. It was not going to be a fun session.
‘That’s right. Mystery,’ Keira replied, sounding bored.
‘That’s interesting. Is it specifically for… people like you?’ her mother asked. Alanna came as close to slapping her as she ever had.
But Keira let it roll off her back. ‘There are gay characters, if that’s what you mean,’ she said dryly. ‘But it’s a mix.’
‘Is there dirty stuff in your books?’ Benjamin asked. ‘I bet there’s dirty stuff.’
‘Do you not like that?’ Keira asked him evenly. ‘Sex in books?’
‘Not my kind of thing, no.’
Keira took a long pause, a slow, deliberate smile sliding onto her face. ‘But I bet you like porn, though. Right?’
Benjamin looked as though he’d been smacked around the face. Alanna’s mother nearly choked on her puff pastry. Alanna was also a bit shocked, but she wouldn’t have put a halt to this line of questioning for the world. Benjamin had it coming. Keira couldn’t stand the guy but had still congratulated him on his promotion. She was big enough to do that. And how did he respond? He was trying to belittle her. Well, he’d picked the wrong woman to try to one up. Because Keira didn’t appear to give a single solitary shit what anyone thought of her. Alanna wished she had popcorn.
‘Well, do you watch porn?’ Keira pressed Benjamin.
‘Umm…’
‘Is it niche stuff? You can tell me,’ Keira said. ‘I don’t judge anyone. I don’t care if you’re a furry or into foot stuff, scat, whatever. We’re all just humans tryna make it through the night.’
Benjamin’s eyes were wide with horror. ‘I don’t… I’ve never… I don’t watch furry porn. I mean…’ He tried to fake a laugh. ‘Whatisfurry porn, even? I’ve never heard of it.’
Keira squinted at Benjamin. ‘Hold up. You’re in IT, so I know you spend alotof time on the internet. And you’veneverheard of furries? Wow.’
Benjamin went bright red. He shoved his glass into Keira’s hands and said, ‘Excuse me.’ He turned and nearly ran into the house.
Oh, now that was interesting. Alanna had never known he was into that. She wondered how long it would have taken him to get up the guts to ask her if she’d dress up like a cat or whatever he was into.
‘Did he just leave the party?’ Keira asked of Alanna and her mother, who was looking deeply confused.
‘He might have,’ Alanna grinned. ‘Mum, doyouthink he properly left?’
‘Furthermore, Mrs Lennox, do you suspect—as I’ve come to, over the last minute—that’s he’sdefinitelya furry?’ Keira asked.
‘What on earth is a… You know what? I’d rather not know,’ her mother said, and she walked off.
Keira tutted as she left. ‘Such a shame Ed missed that. I think he would have enjoyed the discourse.’
Alanna laughed slightly too loud for the civilised party. But she didn’t care at all. She was somehow having a brilliant time right now. Because Keira was being herself even under these absurd circumstances.
‘So, how’s your day been?’ Keira said, turning to her, taking a sip of her champagne and wincing.
‘Only one session, but it was a toughie.’
‘Are you allowed to spill the juicy shit?’
‘Obviously not,’ she said, thinking about Steve’s problem.
They’d made real progress today. Talked about how he’d found out at fifteen that the woman who raised him was technically his grandmother, and his sister turned out to be his birth mother. It was quite incredible how common such a scenario was, but the toll that revelation had taken on him still reverberated throughout his life, destroying his ability to maintain healthy, honest relationships. He kept starting up new relationships, swearing fidelity and then breaking it soon after with sex workers, forcing himself to live a lie within every relationship. But Alanna had high hopes that if they worked together, she could help him break the pattern. How that would look and what his life was going to become would be up to him. But if he wanted to maintain his current marriage, it would have to change sharply.
Steve kind of reminded Alanna of Kelly. She was someone with a destructive streak. Alanna had less sympathy for her, though, now that she’d been a victim of her catfishing. She’d put Alanna in a very awkward situation. Because now, Alanna had information that she wasn’t supposed to have. It wasn’t a comfortable position to be in. If Keira found out what she’d learned, albeit accidentally, it could do damage. Just like Steve’s problems, she had to lock it away inside herself.
