Free Nine Ten Begin Again: A Grasshopper Lawns affair by EJ Lamprey Page A

seventies. He is gay, very camp, very funny and bitchy, but a good bloke and, it turned out, a very good friend. Anyway, I got caught up in a fairly horrific tragedy after an affair. A selfish bitch of an actress tried to cash in, so Seb instantly and publicly pretended he was my lover and challenged her to identify a tattoo on my inner thigh, which of course she couldn’t. I’d never so much as bought her a drink. He hadn’t meant to cause even more controversy but I was playing Rocky in the Rocky Horror Show at the time, of all roles, and the irony caught theatrical fancy. For a few pretty horrific months the damn tattoo, and ‘who’d had Mac’, was a game too many people were playing. Seb took them all on, ridiculed and mocked and cut them to pieces, and they finally backed off and went after easier notoriety.’
    ‘Good for Seb. But why was William laughing?’
    Edge felt the laugh bubble up again. ‘Vivian, there isn’t a tattoo. That’s the secret.’
     
    ~~~
     
    They walked back together in a slightly strained silence and stopped at her door. Donald cleared his throat.
    ‘I’ve never wanted to go to London less in my life. Come with me?’
    ‘No, I’m actually glad you’re going, I need time to regroup. This was a lovely shock, but still a shock.’ She smiled uncertainly at him. ‘Give us time to remember that we’re friends, first and foremost. We haven’t wrecked that, have we?’
    ‘Friends with benefits. That’s a phrase I never thought I’d say. Don’t regroup too much, I like you ungrouped. You’re sure about looking after Odette for me?’ He took out his key pouch and twisted off a key. ‘That’s for my apartment, save having to move all her stuff to yours. And keep the key. I want you to have it. I don’t think we’ve wrecked anything, but I’d been resisting the temptation for a long time in case we did. I thought you’d run like a hare and never forgive me.’ He smiled at her, his eyes creasing. ‘I never dreamed little Miss Prim would surprise me so completely.’
    ‘I was pretty surprised too, Donald.’
    He put his palm to her cheek and gently brushed her lips with his thumb. ‘ Ken . It was incredibly hot. I don’t think I’d better come in, or I won’t be able to leave. I’m afraid to even kiss you goodbye. Did you know your lips are quivering?’
    She held her hand up, so he could see it shaking, and his breath caught. ‘You’ll have to unlock my door, if you would, then you can take my key. I’ve got a spare inside. Drive carefully, Donald. I’ll miss you. You’re driving back Saturday?’
    ‘I’ll leave early, be back by lunch.’ He put her key with his others and tucked the pouch back in his pocket. ‘Look after yourself until then. God, Edge, I don’t want to go.’
    ‘I know.’
    They stared at each other, ruefully smiling, and he turned abruptly on his heel and left. She went straight into the apartment rather than watch him walk away and sat in her favourite chair, still trembling. In an hour she’d fetch Odette from the run, walk her, make something to eat, get an early night, and then perhaps she’d feel more like herself again, not this stranger fizzing like a cartoon bomb in an apartment that had never seemed emptier. She stood up finally and switched on the kettle, turned on her CD player to break the silence, and found herself smiling wryly as Cher belted out advice. In his kiss? Got that in one, Cher.
    Her phone rang and she answered on speakerphone, still smiling. The caller was her niece Kirsty, who started to laugh as she heard the music.
    ‘I love that song. Are you dancing around the apartment?’
    ‘Pretty much. How are you, still madly busy?’
    ‘Well, that’s why I’m calling, I’m getting away early for once, and wondered if I could come round, since I couldn’t on Tuesday. Unless you’re busy, of course.’
    ‘No, although I do need an early night. But I’d love to see you, I don’t really want to be on my