next time.’
While he was still trying to decide whether to turn the engine off, get out of the car, accompany her to the door, kiss her goodnight and any number of other imponderables, she opened her door and jumped out.
‘Can you wait here a moment? I have something for you.’ She left him in the car and made her way up the path to her door. He hesitated a bit longer before deciding. He switched off the engine and climbed out in his turn.
He had only reached her garden gate when the spaniel came rushing out in great excitement. He was shielding his genitals when Ros appeared at the door.
‘Here, Tom. This is for you. I would value your opinion.’ She handed him a bag. It was evident that there was a book inside. ‘And thank you again for a very pleasant evening. I’ve enjoyed myself . Very much.’ She reached out, caught him by the arm and gave it a friendly squeeze. ‘Like I said, take your time. Goodnight.’
She and the dog turned and made for the warmth of the house. He returned to the car, the feel of her still on his arm. His mind was miles away. She waved from the doorway. He put the book on the front seat and switched on the engine. He raised his hand in a vague salute and headed for home.
He parked outside his house and climbed out. Remembering her book, he reached back in for it. It had slid out of the plastic bag. It was a hardback book. The interior light showed the title clearly: The Case of the Velvet Ball Gown. His befuddled brain was suddenly catapulted back to reality. Surely it couldn’t be …
‘Oh, no. Oh, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger!’
Forgetting to lock the car, he walked up to his front door in a daze. He opened it. A cold wet nose was waiting for him. Absently, he reached down to scratch the dog’s ears.
‘Noah, old buddy, we are deep, deep, deep in the proverbial.’
The dog did not appear to realise the seriousness of the situation.
‘When she gets to London tomorrow and checks her mail, I’m screwed, Noah, totally screwed.’
Chapter Ten
Janet finished the last page of the report and stretched. Everybody had gone home. Even her faithful PA had finally excused herself and returned to her husband. The door was locked and the illuminated JP RECRUITMENT sign was turned off until Monday morning.
She made herself a cup of herbal tea and took it back to her desk. Behind her the lights of Regent Street blazed into the night sky. Opening the top drawer of her desk, she pulled out the remaining half of her lunchtime packet of sandwiches. As she chewed her way through ‘Low Calorie Roast Chicken and Salad’ she allowed herself to switch off that portion of her brain that dealt with the business. In its place she switched on her literary muse.
Since talking to Melissa the previous day, she had been thinking hard. Here she was, contemplating writing, or at least co-writing, a book about sex, and she hadn’t had sex for years. What she needed was a crash course in sex. Short of going out to a bar and trying to hook up with somebody, she didn’t know what to do. And at her age, she was sensible enough to know that she was not going to do that.
She finished the sandwich and took another sip of tea. Her computer was still on. For a moment she considered trying computer dating but she realised she didn’t have the luxury of time on her side. She really needed to get the thousand words written this weekend and in the post on Monday. That gave her only two days. And, apart from deciding upon the sex act itself, she still needed to make a decision on when and where.
A phone started ringing. It was her mobile and Melissa was on the line.
‘Don’t tell me you’re still in the office.’ They really did know each other so well. ‘Haven’t you got better things to do with your time on a Friday night?’
‘Hi, Melissa. I was just finishing off.’ She glanced at the time and was unsurprised to see it was half past seven.
‘Want to come round here?’
‘Haven’t you and Graham got things to do this evening?’
There was a slight pause. ‘He’s out again. Some business dinner. So, how about it? You can pick up a takeaway on your way over here.’
Janet reached forward and pressed the power switch on her monitor. ‘Great idea. I’ll be there in half an hour. What do you want? Chinese? Indian? Thai?’
‘You choose.’
In the end, she went into the very upmarket fish and chip shop just around the corner from Melissa’s house. They did grilled, as well as fried, fish. She ordered two portions of scallops grilled with bacon. While this was cooking, she slipped next door and bought a bottle of Chablis, cold from the fridge. Five minutes later she was ringing the doorbell.
‘That smells great.’ Melissa ushered her in. There was an open bottle of wine on the kitchen table. ‘Help yourself to some wine while I get plates.’
Janet poured the bottle into the two glasses. A few moments later they were sitting on the sofa, tucking in.
‘Mmm, good choice.’
‘They do really good fish there. I wish I had a place like that near me.’ Janet took her time, savouring the food and realising how hungry she had been. Finally she polished off her plate and drank some more wine. She settled back and relaxed. Her friend followed suit.
‘So, have you decided the what, when and where yet?’
‘No, not really. I suppose I have been so stuck on the what, I haven’t given much thought to the other stuff.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that. You did say you knew lots about the fascist period?’
‘Well, maybe not lots and lots, but yes, I suppose I do. Or at least, I did. But I thought we weren’t getting involved with the Nazis.’
‘We aren’t. What about setting it during the World War II, but over here in London? You know, men going off to war, soldiers on leave and out for a good time. The precarious nature of life in wartime. Living for the moment, that sort of thing. Then there were the GIs hitting the UK, handing out stockings and condoms. That could give you a lot of scope. Have a think.’ With that, she went out to the kitchen, returning with the second bottle of wine. She filled both glasses.
‘I think that might be a really good idea.’ Janet turned it over in her head. ‘Maybe I could make it the final night together for a couple, before he is posted overseas.’
‘Nice idea. Maybe not kinky enough.’
‘He didn’t actually say, make it kinky, you know. You saw the letter.’
‘Yes but with all that talk about Fifty Shades of Grey it’s pretty obvious he’s looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, a bit smutty. If not bondage and spanking, then maybe group sex would do it. Ever tried?’
Janet laughed. ‘No, never. Have you?’
‘I’m not really sure.’
‘What does that mean? Either you did or
