'Morning Matt.' Lucy said as she breezed into the kitchen, heading for the kettle.
'Good morning.' I replied, shovelling another spoonful of Cornflakes into my mouth.
'I hope we didn't wake you up when we got back last night, Nina's rather noisy when she's had a few.'
'Oi!' Nina said from the doorway. 'I resemble that remark!'
'It's fine.' I said. 'I was still awake anyway.'
'I thought you were still asleep.' Lucy said as Nina kissed her lips.
'No chance with you crashing around in the bedroom.' Nina replied.
'You two are like an old married couple.' I laughed.
'We are an old married couple.' Lucy said.
'Speak for yourself.' Nina replied. 'I'm only twenty-nine!'
'We're still old compared to Matt.' Lucy said.
Lucy and Nina were a lovely couple and had been a massive help to me since I'd moved into their spare bedroom after I'd split with my girlfriend six months earlier.
I was devastated, Amy and I had been childhood sweethearts and were talking about getting married until I found out that she'd been sleeping with other guys. She tried to claim that it was a phase and that she'd only done it to find out what it was like to sleep with someone other than me. She even suggested that I should do the same but I just couldn't do that. Amy was the only girl I wanted to sleep with and she was the only girl I ever wanted to sleep with.
By rights, I could have asked her to leave our rented flat but I couldn't do that to her, despite her transgressions, so I moved out and answered Lucy and Nina's ad for a lodger.
Of course, moving into a flat with tow married women had it's drawbacks, especially given that I was young enough to still have a residue of schoolboy humour. It helped that their bedroom was at the other end of the corridor from mine so any noise of a sexual nature didn't filter through to my room although that didn't stop me from using my imagination and a box of tissues on the odd occasion.
'Did you say you were out this evening Matt?' Nina said as she sat opposite me with a mug off coffee.
'Yeah.' I replied. 'Just meeting a couple of mates for a drink, shouldn't be too late.'
'We're your landladies, not your mum.' Lucy laughed.
'Sorry, old habits die hard.'
'Aah! He's so young.' Nina said.
'I'm twenty-three!'
'That's very young compared to Lucy.' She grinned at her wife.'
'Hey, I'm only thirty-six!' Lucy protested.
'You look great.' I replied before my brain had a chance to stop my mouth.
'Thank you Matt.' She said. 'You see Nina, Matt finds me attractive.'
'I didn't say...'
'Oh, so you don't find me attractive?'
'Stop messing with me, the pair of you. You're both gorgeous, not at all like....'
'Like what?' Nina said. 'Like stereotypical butch lesbians with shaved heads and tattoos?'
'I'm going to work before my mouth gets me into any more trouble.' I said as I finished my coffee and stood up.
'We can shave our heads if it makes you feel more comfortable.' Lucy called out after me.
'And I have a tattoo on my arse!' Nina added as I opened the front door.
'So, how's it going being shacked up with a couple of lesbians.' Pete said as he put his emptied pint glass in the table. Pete's inner schoolboy was still a dominant part of his personality. 'Have you asked if you can watch yet?'
'Pete!' Andy said. 'It's your round, get 'em in.'
Pete sniggered and got up, fishing his wallet from his jeans.
'He doesn't change.' Andy said once Pete was out of earshot.
'He means well.' I said.
'He need a woman in his life.' Carol said.
'You volunteering?' Andy replied.
'You had enough of me already?' She said. 'We've only been married six months!'
'Yeah but we've been together eleven years.'
Andy and Carol were also childhood sweethearts, the four of us had been inseparable at school. I was genuinely made up for them when they got married.
'Have you spoken to Amy recently?' Carol asked.
'No.' I replied. 'Not since I moved out of the flat.'
'She's not been doing very well since you left.' She said.
'And who's fault is that?' I snapped.
'Hey, don't shoot the messenger.'
'Sorry Carol.' I said, feeling instant remorse. 'My head's all over the place at the moment.'
'You need to get back in the game.' Andy said.
'Not so easy.' I replied. 'I've only ever had one girlfriend.'
'Do you still have any feelings for her?' Carol asked.
'Of course.' I replied. 'You don't just stop loving someone but she hurt me. If it had just been a one off, then there may have been an outside chance that I might have forgiven her but three?'
'Er, six.' Andy said.
'What?' I said, almost spitting beer all over the table.
'Andy!' Carol punched his arm.
'Sorry, but he has a right to know.'
I slumped in my seat. Six! I felt sick. 'So she lied on top of the lies.' I muttered.
'Sorry mate.' Andy said, putting a hand on my shoulder.
'It's alright.' I said. 'It doesn't really change anything, just means she's even more of a slapper!'
'She really isn't.' Carol said, she just went wild for a couple of months.'
'I know she's still your best friend.' I said. 'But please don't make excuses for her. At least not in front of me.'
'So, what about those lesbians?' Pete said as he placed a tray of drinks on the table.
'I think I'll head home.' I said. 'Don't think I'm really in the mood.'
'Oh god, I'm sorry Matt.' Carol said. 'I shouldn't have brought it up.'
'No, it's not your fault.' I replied. 'As I said, my head's all over the place at the moment.'
'Getting back to your lesbians.' Pete said, grinning as if someone had shoved a plate into his mouth.
'Fuck off Pete!' Both Andy and Carol said in unison.
'Ok, ok.' Pete replied. 'I'm just having a laugh. Sorry Matt.'
'It's ok mate.' I said. 'Think I might just go home and crash.'
'What about your pint?'
'You have it.'
Six! Amy had fucked six men behind my back! That though had stuck in my head for the entire twenty minute bus journey home.