Page 24 of Cupcake

She could sense it. They were both sending signals, the kind of signs of interest people give out on a first date.

And Anna’s stockings... she had worn those beneath a pair of thick woollen tights. She’d said herself that pragmatism came before narcissism, and yet her choice of underwear screamed otherwise.

What else was she hiding under there? Elsie wanted to know, piece by piece. It was time to step this up a gear.

‘Shall we have a little break?’ she said. ‘Then have some pudding?’

‘Oh my goodness, pudding? I’m so full,’ said Anna, touching her little round tummy delicately, then she whispered. ‘I could do with a quick wee though.’

*

As Anna sat back down adjusting her dress - Elsie doing her best to peak - Cole returned with a selection of puddings on a large wooden tray.

‘We have raspberry meringue, with a choice of chocolate sauce and a small selection of cheese and biscuits,’ he said as he placed it all down in front of them and began handing out the bowls.

‘This is incredible,’ said Anna. ’Did you make all of this yourself?’

‘Cole loves to cook,’ said Elsie, beaming with pride. ‘I sometimes wonder if he should’ve been a chef.’

‘He can be my chef whenever he likes,’ said Anna, glowing as she sampled the meringue.

‘Try the chocolate sauce,’ said Elsie, dipping a spoon into the bowl and proferring it towards Anna’s lips. Ever so delicately she leaned forward, sliding the spoon between her lips. A moment later her eyes went wide and she blushed. ‘Oh my, I think I just fell in love.’

Elsie laughed, watching as Anna dabbed her lip and then licked her finger, adjusting her thighs beneath the table and then shivering with delight.

She took a deep breath and then bit her lip, bursting into laughter as her whole body flushed with embarrassment. ‘Oh my goodness.’

‘That good?’

She nodded, unable to look Cole or her husband in the eye. Beneath the table her foot brushed against Elsie’s, and stayed there.

‘Whose turn is it?’ said Cole, scooping up a spoonful of raspberry.

‘It’s my go,’ said Elsie, bouncing up and down with excitement. ‘Never have I ever…had a one night stand.’

Anna’s eyes went wide and she gasped. ‘Naughty. You said this wasn’t going to get rude.’

‘I lied,’ Elsie clapped with excitement and looked around as the other’s hesitated with their drinks.

‘Oh, wait,’ she said suddenly and picked hers up, knocking it back and grinning before slamming it back down.

‘Elsie, I am disappointed in you,’ said Anna, then she winked and did the same as the two men burst into laughter. ‘You drank first, you spill first. You can cover your ears if you want boys.’

Cole shook his head grinning. ’Not much surprises me these days, Anna.’

‘Ouch,’ she laughed shocked at his candid response.

‘It’s a fair comment,’ grinned Elsie. ‘Ok, I’ll go first.’

She paused for a moment gathering her thoughts when Anna interrupted, grinning and whispering as she leaned forward. ‘Are you trying to settle on just one?’

‘Bitch,’ she hissed, laughing through bright red cheeks as she raised her middle finger. ‘But yes, I am. I’m just trying to decide if I go with the PG-13 or the R-Rated version.’

‘Despite what I said earlier, this is the first time in two years we’ve been out without the kids for an evening,’ said Anna with a straight face. ‘I want the hardcore version.’

Elsie giggled and hid her face as she composed herself, taking a deep breath and smiling at the change of attitude. ‘Ok, but I apologise in advance to my husband. In fact, I’m just not going to look at you.’

‘Go ahead,’ he laughed.

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