Page 29 of Untether

‘Bollocks,’ she says. ‘Are you in trouble?’

‘No! Course not. How are Gracie and Harry?’

The kids favour Giles’ thin blonde hair and ruddy cheeks. Happily, his unfortunate genetics look fucking adorable on them.

‘Alive, as you can hear,’ my sister says drily.

There’s a clatter of what sounds like lots of dishes and pans being piled into the sink, and I grimace and lower the volume on my AirPods. ‘Is this a bad time?’

‘I have two kids under three. It’s always a bad time.’ She sighs. ‘Sorry. No, it’s fine. They’ve just had their tea. They’re all good. Just a bit lively.’

My heart gives a tug. My sister is a saint. A living saint. I make a mental note to treat her to a day at a spa and rope Mum in to babysit. Writing a cheque I can handle. Offering myself up for childcare I cannot.

‘Okay, well…’ I say. ‘I’ll just cut to the chase, shall I? I need some advice.’

‘Dating advice?’ She says it with a hopeful lilt to her tone that tugs at my conscience.

‘No. Sex advice.’

‘Jesus, Cal!’ she splutters. ‘Warn a girl.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Why the hell are you calling me? You know a million times more about… that stuff than me. Besides, you’re my brother. That whole topic should be off limits. I try to tell myself you’re just a nice, mercenary hedge fund manager.’

I laugh. Rafe, Zach and I run a small investment vehicle, Cerulean, with some of our other mates from the City. It’s a hedge fund that mainly manages our own money, and it makes us all enough that we can enjoy Alchemy withoutever worrying about paying the bills. Everyone pitches in and trades their own area of expertise, mine being corporate debt and related instruments. I spend one day a week there, but I enjoy Alchemy far more.

‘Still a sex club owner. Sorry to disappoint.’

‘So why are you calling me?’

I hesitate. ‘There’s a woman. She’s come to our club—she’s recently divorced. Her husband cheated on her and she needs some TLC. I’m going to be, um, looking after her.’ I clear my throat. This is awkward as fuck, because Annabel’s under no illusions as to whatlooking after hermeans.

‘Go on,’ she says through gritted teeth that suggest she’s regretting everything about this.

‘Um. Well, she’s gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. I’ll tell you more about her a bit down the line, because it’s going to be, um, public knowledge, but let’s come back to that. For now, just know she’s had a really shitty time of it, and she’s a few years older than me, and I think she’s a bit… apprehensive. About what, you know, lies ahead.’

‘Don’t blame her in the slightest.’

‘Yeah. Well, I had an idea for our first session, and I wanted to run it past you, and—’

She groans so loudly that she almost misses me say, ‘Massage.’

‘What?’ she says. ‘Did you saymassage?’

‘Yeah,’ I say again. ‘Like, if I set it up a bit like a role play. You know, she comes in for a massage and—’

‘—you go in deep with your very own Hitachi wand?’ Annabel says through a fit of giggles.

‘No,’ I protest loudly. ‘Not at all. I probably wouldn’t even shag her the first time. I just want to make her comfortable.’

‘Sorry,’ she says. ‘Honestly, this conversation is beyond horrifying, but I think a massage is a great idea.’

‘Do you?’ I’m genuinely surprised.

‘I do. It’s Giles’ favourite way to get me in the mood for, you know…’

Now it’s my turn to groan, and I do. Loudly.

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