Andrew had sworn before; I'd sworn back. So it wasn't so much the use of the word 'fuck' that shocked me as its random appearance after a couple of fairly bland messages. From that, to this.
Fuck, Piper. What's with not answering the phone? Do I have to come 'round there to make you speak to me?
I dropped the phone on the countertop as if he'd just appeared in the room, even looking over my shoulder as if I expected him to materialize in the doorway.
Nothing. Of course there was nothing. I was alone. Apart from Leo in my bathroom, using up what was left of the hot water, scrubbing away the depravity from his tattooed frame.
Biting my lip, I looked down at the phone and jumped, startled, when something clicked. Only the kettle coming to the boil.
It had been the word 'alone' that increased my feelings of guilt as if Andrew would somehow know I was with someone and had the right to make me feel bad about this.
Guilt rippled the pit of my stomach and evolved into fear, for some unknown reason. It wasn't as if Leo was even the first person I'd slept with since the split.
I worried at my bottom lip with my tooth, wondering whether I should reply to any of those messages, though there was the possibility Andrew would take any form of communication as encouragement.
The first message had been sent a few hours before, so he'd probably been drunk, restless, unable to sleep and angry at something. Having failed to pull, perhaps? The second, around half an hour later. Obviously still stewing over my lack of reply. The third, an hour and a half before. He'd either stayed up all night thinking about how much I'd pissed him off by failing to reply instantly to his overtures, or fallen asleep and woken up still annoyed.
I clicked reply then exited the text message menu before thinking again. If he'd sent his last message the night before I wouldn't have thought twice about ignoring it and would have just assumed he'd slept off his ire, but the fact it had lasted all night, up until a time when I'd been screwing Leo for the umpteenth time, made me wonder if he really was serious about speaking to me this time.
What to say? Stay away? Would that work?
The main reason I hesitated was concern about Andrew replying while I was still with... him.
Then I realized; I was never going to see 'him' again so it didn't really matter what he thought of me or any dramas going on in my life. Sure, I could switch the phone off but I wanted to monitor Andrew's state of mind as best I could through his messages, if he sent any in reply. Petulance I could cope with; anger wasn't good. Not that I worried about what he might do to me any more; he wasn't that scary. I'd just get frustrated if he showed up at my home or continued to pester me every bloody weekend.
I don't know why you keep bugging me on the weekend. Were you drunk or something?
Delete.
Any questions would be taken as encouragement to engage in conversation. No; this had to be short, sweet and authoritative.
I'm getting annoyed at you bugging me every weekend. I'm allowed to have a life of my own and I'd enjoy it more if you left me the fuck alone—
No, still not right.
Your weekend antics are getting a little old. Crowding me is so not a good idea.
"Fuck it, why not?" I whispered, and clicked 'send', instantly regretting it. Probably not the best idea I'd ever had but I'd just spent the night with a gorgeous, energetic stranger, and felt good about myself. Andrew couldn't do anything to hurt or harm me.
My phone beeped again before I'd finished making my morning mug of coffee. Although Leo had helped me sweat all the alcohol out of my system I still felt rough, tired and dehydrated; the only cure for such a feeling was a shower and caffeine. Lots of caffeine. Instant coffee in a cheap mug.
What's getting old is you not talking to me. You'll have to talk to me at some point.
I declined to reply to this latest. Andrew had never crowded me before; irritated, yes, but crowded? No. But this... this was getting more than a little overbearing. I wasn't scared of him. I didn't think he was anything approaching a stalker, but I couldn't understand why he wouldn't leave me alone.
"That's breakfast, is it?" Laughter behind me as I jumped. "I'm not that scary am I?"
I spun round and my breath caught. I'd seen him from all angles, touched him everywhere, hell, even tasted him in most places, and the sight of him fresh from the shower, one of my bath towels wrapped around his waist, made my heart skip. He'd dried himself so there were no droplets of water running over his muscles or tattoos, but still...
"Jesus, you should have seen how high you jumped!"
He grinned and moved towards me. "Is that your idea of breakfast? Coffee? Or is it tea?"
"Coffee. Instant."
He made a face. "Fuck; no wonder you're so thin if that's all you have in the morning. Is it still morning by the way? I left my phone in a pocket... somewhere..."
"Yeah, it is. Just." I nodded towards my phone on the countertop in front of me.
"Ah. Checking your messages, eh?"
"Want some coffee? Or tea? Something to eat?"
He came closer still and tugged at the fold in my towel where I'd tucked one end in to keep it wrapped around my chest. "I do feel a bit hungry." A droplet of water ran down the side of his face and he used the hand towel draped around his neck to wipe it away. He rubbed at his hair with the towel and the bed head effect, the way it spiked up randomly, reminded me of the way his hair had looked the night before; messed up in an effortlessly stylish way.
"I just had a shower and you're planning on getting me all sweaty again?"
"Not exactly." His eyes crinkled up at the corners. "I was planning on doing all the work."
"Jesus." His energy astonished me. If he hadn't been lucid all night, coherent and understandable, I would have thought he was on something. I turned my cheek as he bent to kiss me, acting coy after hours of depravity. Sipped my coffee, prayed it would steady my nerves. Him standing so close, hands resting on my waist, made me tremble. His very presence overwhelmed me.
I twisted my back to him, drained my coffee mug, set it on the countertop and let my gaze fall on my mobile phone.
"Hey..." His hands touched my waist through the towel and squeezed a yelp out of me. "Ooh, you make that noise when I touch you in other places too."
"Really?"
"Yes, especially when I touch your—"
My phone rang.
"Do you always jump that high when someone calls?"
"I wasn't expecting anyone to..." But that was a lie. I had been.
"Who is it?"
"No one important."
"You're not going to answer it?" His entire body stiffened behind me. "Is it a boyfriend? 'Cause if I've just fucked a girl who's already taken..."
"No, you haven't. I'm not. I told you when we met that I'm single and I am."
"Oh, thank fuck for that," he breathed as the ringing stopped. In a few seconds, I knew, my phone would beep again with a voicemail alert.
When I turned around, Leo wasn't smiling.
"It was my ex, Andrew. He texts occasionally. Well, more than occasionally. But..." I shrugged. "It's tiring. Avoiding him. I don't mean to be rude, but... what can I do?"
Leo's brow furrowed. "I have an idea." He nibbled at his bottom lip and gazed into the middle distance. "Give me your phone."
"Uh... what?"
He didn't hold his hand out. He expected me to hand it over, not to have to take it from me. "Gimme your phone."
"Why?"
"Just do as you're told."
"Neanderthal."
"Oh come on, love, if I were a Neanderthal I'd throw you on the bed and fuck you 'til you screamed. Oh. Wait a minute..." He chuckled.
I slapped the phone into his outstretched hand. "Now what?"
"Now you hush up and let me take care of this."
"Ooh, so manly."
"Quiet, woman." He slid my phone open. "You all right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, sure. Don't mind me."
"Do you dare me?"
I laughed out loud. If nothing else, he was fun. "Okay then... whatever you're about to do," and I had my strong suspicions, "I dare you."
"Andrew, you said?" he murmured, frowning in concentration as he studied my phone. "Andrew, Andrew...Jesus, woman, you've got more Andrews in here than... than a... well, a place where you get loads of Andrews. Lessee... Andy Benson. Andrew Stevens. Wait, this'll be him, I'm guessing. Andrew the Cunt?"
Folding my arms, I challenged him with my eyes.
"Right." He held the phone to his ear while using the other hand to scrub dry his hair. The towel-tousled effect made him look even hotter in my view and if he was using my mobile to call my ex and cause trouble in my life even though I'd never see him again, then... well, he was hot. So he got away with it.
"Hell— what? Uh... whoa, whoa, buddy. Hold the fuck up. Let me speak... Huh? I'm using her phone because Piper let me." Pause. "Jesus, woman. Your ex has got a potty mouth. I thought I could swear and I'm fucking Irish. Dude. Dude, shut the fuck up and let me speak!" His jaw clenched and if Andrew had been in the room I liked to think Leo would have punched him. For no earthly reason other than he just plain deserved it. "Right. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to say a few words, hmm? Yes? Good." Deep breath. "I'm reliably informed by Piper that she's tiring of your regular communiqués and really, it's a bit of a passion killer, being interrupted, so..."
I clamped both hands over my mouth to smother a snort of laughter.
"Well," he continued. "If you don't believe what I'm saying, I can repeat myself? No, didn't think you would. Listen. I don't usually play the caveman—" At this he winked. "I just think, when you're texting and calling someone who's made their lack of interest plain, it's a bit... how shall I put this... it's ungentlemanly, you know?"
The calmness of his voice unnerved me somewhat. Like the calm before the storm.
"Yeah, yeah. I hear you. But Piper doesn't seem to agree. And given how enthusiastic she was about our coupling last night, I'd be willing to hazard a guess on where her loyalties lie. And listen, dude. I can't believe you let that one slip. For fuck's sake, all you have to do is crook your fingers. Beckon a little, you know? Gently circle with the heel of your hand..." He closed his eyes and swallowed. Shook himself back to life. "Huh? Oh. Yeah." Leo rubbed his eyes then grimaced at something Andrew said. "I'm just saying... no, I'm asking. Politely, on Piper's behalf, if you would
kindly... back away. She feels crowded."
Our gazes met and I nodded. Yes. He may have been having his fun; he clearly was getting into his stride, but there was more truth in his words than his playful demeanor would at first suggest. I did feel crowded. I didn't like that I was using another man to get the message across but all other methods had failed.
"Um, yes. I did. Not that that's any of your business, but I'm only telling you that I stayed over at her house last night to make you realize she's moved on. Dude, I don't want to be cruel, but..."
With my hands still in front of my mouth but now in the more refined 'prayer' position, palm to palm, I nodded in encouragement.
"You what...?" Leo shook his head slowly, his jaw set. When he finally regained the ability to speak, his jocular tone sounded forced, artificial. As if his 'act' was slipping. "That's way out of... oh, really? Well, I'm afraid that's out of the question." He visibly cringed, screwing his eyes shut and coloring slightly. Holding the phone away from his ear, he shook his head and muttered, "Out of the question? What the fuck am I thinking? What century is this?" His gaze met mine and he looked sheepish. "Andrew? Unfortunately Piper is unable to come to the phone right now... Um, well you see...she has her mouth full." Leo's gaze never wavered from mine as he added, "Of my nuts."
My stomach ached with barely restrained laughter.
Leo frowned then, and I thought the expression was directed at me before noticing the lack of focus in his eyes; he stared into the middle distance as if there was nothing in front of him. Shaking his head slowly, he tutted once. "You really need to stop using that kind of language. Because I told you to, that's why! For someone who used to care about her, you're—oh, really? Well you're not acting like it, are you? Dude, don't make me angry... no, you can't. No. Let me tell you here and now that really isn't a good idea."