Free Shameless Exposure by Robert Fanshaw Page A

out of place. “And my phone because I’m expecting a message.” They looked at her, even Craig, tearing his eyes from the screen, like she was the most uncool person in the world.
    “Never mind your business card. Come over here and stroke my other breast. Help me to the very edge of orgasm,” said Xena. In a French accent, it sounded a reasonable request. Caroline steeled herself to be free and easy going, and took three steps to the futon. She forced her hand towards Xena’s breast, caught sight of Erik’s erection, which had been hidden by Xena’s bottom, and lost her nerve. She turned and fled, upset and angry with all of them and especially with herself.
    Tears blurred her eyes, but she did manage to find her coat on the pile in the first floor bedroom and extracted phone and business cards from the pocket. She tucked a business card between her boobs and searched in vain for somewhere to put the phone. The LBD did not come with pockets. In an inspired moment she tucked it into the front of her thong, checking in the full-length mirror that it didn’t make her look like she was part way through a sexual reassignment process. Thank goodness she’d chosen the mini version.
    She found Merlin in the utility room behind the kitchen, talking to the other young helpful man from the bathroom. Merlin’s friend was leaning out of the back door to smoke a cigarette. Caroline produced her card with a flourish, which impressed Merlin.
    “I didn’t realise you were so big… in Monsaint I mean. Head of Europe?”
    “Yeah well, that’s what the card says. I’ve passed that job to a colleague. I’m looking at South America at the moment.”
    “Cool. What’s it like there?”
    “According to popular search engines it’s the place to be. World Cup, Olympics, growth rates that make Europe green with envy. We want to get into the personal healthcare market ahead of the Americans.” Merlin looked at her like she was the most clever, dynamic, attractive human being he had ever met.
    “Get me another glass of wine and I’ll tell you about the company. It will help you target your CV.” He trotted off obediently and she smiled at his furtive tobacco smoking companion.
    He looked sheepish and said: “I’m planning to give up in the New Year. Do you have another business card?”
    As she reached into her cleavage, her attention was drawn to a double beep and a vibration in her thong.
    “Excuse me a moment.” She turned her back on him, and, as it happened, towards the returning Merlin, who saw her pull up her dress and retrieve a phone from the lacy front panel her thong. She held up the phone like a trophy in explanation.
    “I have a message.” It was after eleven o’clock and Andreas was sending her text messages again. She opened it and laughed, despite herself. The attention of these younger and older men was compensation for the recent poor behaviour of people her own age like Robert and Erik. Her fingers flew across the screen and she pressed send , replacing the phone in its temporary home and taking a sip of wine like a woman of the world.
    A minute later she was treated to a second round of beeps and vibrations, followed swiftly by a third. She guessed Andreas’s excited fingers had pressed send twice by mistake. She replied promptly, telling him for added interest where she was keeping her phone. She and Robert had tried telephone sex before they were married, but text sex was a novel experience for her. She couldn’t imagine it would be satisfying, but the presence of two young admirers added a certain something.
    “Shall we find somewhere more comfortable?” she said. They walked through the chaos of the kitchen and found the room which would once have been a dining room. Long curtains were pulled partly across patio doors opening onto the garden. The room was being used as a spare bedroom, furnished with a chesterfield and rails in the alcoves to hang clothes. She sat on the chesterfield; the two