What am I doing at this party? Ryder thought. These people are posh as hell. I may be from Louisiana, but I know ‘posh’ when I see it. I stink of fried food from work.
Not that that seemed to matter to James McNeil, the party’s host. He made a beeline towards her and instantly praised the canapes her soul food restaurant had crafted for his party. He had invited Ryder – socially – only this afternoon when he’d stopped by the restaurant. For the past three months, he had been a regular diner – perhaps a little too regular – since he and his family had moved to Bermondsey. A casual invitation, as if she were the Help, but an insistent one, the way he’d squeezed her hand.
“So glad you’re here Ryder. You look fantastic.”
“Can’t think why. Didn’t have a chance to change.”
What would I even change into? she thought. Day in, day out, she wore boots and jeans like a wolf wore its fur. No make up or jewellery. All I do is work, she thought.
“I want you to meet Lucy, my wife. If I can ever get her away from her godawful friends.”
Hardly an advertisement for Lucy, Ryder thought. I can just picture her. Some blonde trophy-doll with a poker up her ass.
“Which one is she?”
James pointed towards a woman who was indeed blonde. But Ryder could tell straight away that this woman’s long flowing hair was real. The tits too – buoyant and natural, just about contained by the expensive white sequinned shift dress she was wearing. ‘Champagne tits’ in Ryder’s terminology, as they floated up so well. D-cups but not double D. Her favourite size. And a bit of a tummy. Lucy had a gorgeous little waist but the ever so slight pot belly was perfect on her. She could tell Lucy was holding it in every five seconds, trying not to breathe and could just imagine her complaining to some overpriced personal trainer about it. Relax, Ryder thought, you don’t know how sexy it is. And what I would do if I got my hands on it. Not to mention the rest of you. This is lust at first sight.
“Your wife is stunning, James.”
“Thank you,” James said, sounding slightly doleful. Why?
“Seriously, I need a drink to recover,” Ryder said and peeled away from him towards the bar.
She wanted to observe Lucy a little closer without actually talking to her. Now she’d taken in her body, she wanted to get the measure of her face. There was something about Lucy’s mouth that was mesmerising. Her lips were wide and perfectly filled out, the top lip as full as the bottom. And the things she was doing with them. Ryder could tell she was bored, the way she was licking her teeth and looking away from whomever she was talking to, like she wanted to tantalise them but also feign utter disinterest. Not that any of the women around her were noticing this. They were as straight as her. Still unnoticed by Lucy, Ryder got a good look at her eyes. Inky dark as an animal’s, in stark contrast to the soft rivulets of blonde hair. What was a woman like this doing with buttoned-down nerdy James? Step away now, she thought. She got a whisky at the bar, took a solid gulp and headed back to James.
“Yep, you’re a lucky man,” she said to him. “Why don’t you bring her to the restaurant?”
“I should, really. It’s such a fun place.”
“You seem to come for work a lot. Entertaining those clients.”
“Can’t say I’m entertained,” James said. “Apart from when you’re around.”
“Oh shucks,” Ryder said, grinning. She gave him a manly slap on his shoulder. “You’re too sweet.”
“Wish Lucy thought so.”
Did I just hear that? Ryder thought.
“I threw her this birthday party to show how much I care,” he went on. “But she’s been avoiding me so far this evening.”
“I’m hardly an advert for a healthy relationship,” Ryder said, faking a laugh. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“I don’t know. There’s something about you. I feel I could tell you anything.”
“My girlfriend left me cos I worked too hard. Learned my lesson there.”
“What would you have done differently?”
Ryder looked directly at him. “Spent proper time with her. Taken her away for a sexy weekend. Put her needs first.”
“Needs?”
“Needs! You know what needs are? We all have ‘em. Look, buddy, I’m no marriage counsellor.”
“But I can’t meet all her needs. She wants more.”
“More what?” Ryder raised an eyebrow at him.
“She wants to have sex with someone new.”
“Whoa.”
“And she wants me to watch.”
“Woah again. And do you want that, James?”
“Yes. I think it could be fun. It’s just… we can’t find a suitable man. Actually no, I’m the problem. I just can’t go through with it. Being replaced. I feel like I’ve failed her. As a man.”
Oh baby, Ryder thought. I have just the solution.
“What if you cast a woman in this little menage a trois?”
James looked at her as if this had never occurred to him. Perhaps it hadn’t.
“My God, I would love that. But Lucy would never go for it. A new man and her husband watching, that’s one thing. But sex with a woman? Completely unchartered territory.”
“Straight as an arrow, huh? Da-amn.” He’s right, Ryder thought. I knew that as soon as I clocked her. Not so much as a college snog or spin the bottle. But she hasn’t met me yet.
“James…what if a woman did the deed passing as a man?”
“Ha! Well, call me old-fashioned but I’d be a lot less jealous. I don’t see it working though.”
“With the right equipment on, why shouldn’t it work?”
James nearly choked on his glass of wine. He began coughing.
