Chapter 10
Two days later I rang Yoshi and Alicia. Alicia answered the phone and sounded genuinely pleased to hear my voice. We chatted like old friends, and by the end of the conversation she had invited me over for dinner on Friday night. She didn't mention Justin and I didn't ask, instead I hung up with butterflies taking flight in my stomach and found myself unable to concentrate on my work for the rest of the day.
That evening I arrived home as Justin rang to tell me he would be working late. I was disappointed and relieved; my thoughts of Yoshi had left me aroused, on the other hand my obvious distraction wasn't something I would have to explain to Justin. After fixing a cold chicken salad for dinner I flicked on the television and was channel surfing in an effort to find something to keep my thoughts from wandering when the phone rang.
'Hi gorgeous.' Amy's soft voice was the welcome distraction I needed.
'Hello Amy, how're you doing?'
'A bit lonely actually, wanted someone to chat to and thought of you. I'm not interrupting am I?'
'Nah, Jus is working late, so I'm all alone too.'
'Up for a chat then?'
'Sure.'
'What about dinner here with Jus on Friday?' Her question almost caught me out.
'Can't babe,' I replied, faking a cough to give myself time to think. I had been working on the story I was going to tell Justin in the back of my mind, and now I was trying to concoct a lie for Amy.
'You sick?'
'Nah, just choking,' I replied. 'Do you remember Yoshi and Alicia?'
'From the club right?'
'Yeah, well Alicia rang me and invited me to their place for dinner on Friday.'
'Oh,' Amy said after a short pause. 'With Jus?'
'No.' The silence over the line made my insides squirm with guilt.
'So they specifically said no to Jus?'
'No he wasn't mentioned. By me either.'
'What're you up to Alex?' I sensed rising anger in her tone and realised that she was hurt by the realisation I was going to visit Yoshi and Alicia with motives that were far from pure.
'I dunno,' I shrugged. 'Really I don't. They might just want to catch up...'
'To discuss all the things you found you have in common, like oral sex and bondage?' Her voice was rising and I felt like I was being backed into a corner. The truth wasn't going down as well as I hoped. Well the partial truth, after all it was me that rang Alicia.
'What's with your attitude Amy?' I took the offensive. 'I like you, a hell of a lot in fact, but let's face it, I live with Justin so at the end of the day you're the other woman. I'm trying to be up front with you...'
'...so you like me a lot and respect me sooo much that you'll tell me up front that you're going to fuck around on me? And on Jus?'
'Yeah, that's right. Up front. Unlike what I've done to Justin. And for fuck's sake Amy, you took me to the club, how the hell can you moralise to me about shit like this?' Then the phone went dead.
'Fuck!' I yelled at the empty room, slamming the handpiece onto the table. Now my thoughts were a maelstrom of confusion. What was I going to tell Justin about Friday? Fuck them all was what kept coming to the front of my mind, but my selfishness left me a little stunned. Could I blame either of them for being hurt? I poured a straight vodka and downed it, leaving myself a little giddy. The second went down with ice and slower, and I was halfway through the third when the phone rang.
'Hello?' It was almost nine thirty and I suspected it was Justin.
'I'm sorry, really sorry.' It was Amy and my heart melted.
'Me too,' I replied. 'I should've spoken to you and Justin first before I said yes.'
'No, no, I actually appreciate your honesty and the fact is I'm jealous as all fuck.' The profanity sounded coarse and I pictured her drinking red wine and getting a little drunk.
'Jealous?'
'Look at your life you bitch,' she laughed, 'Justin at home, me on order across the way and now a hot couple that obviously want to pleasure you.'
'And all the complications that brings,' I laughed back. The comfort and closeness was back, just like that.
'Is your life always like this?'
'No, thank God,' I giggled. 'Except that I kind of like it,' I added.
'What, being a slut?'
'Hey,' I pretended to be offended, 'takes one to know one.'
'That's the problem for me I guess,' Amy's tone turned serious, 'I know you're not a slut and I know that you wouldn't do anything to deliberately hurt me.' She fell silent and I was trying to think of a response when she spoke again. 'Or Jus.'
'But I'm going to hurt both of you, is that what you're saying?'
'Nah, well not me I know we can't go on forever, but Jus, I can't answer for him.' We both fell silent.
'You know I can sort of see into your place from here,' Amy said suddenly breaking the tension. 'I'm guessing you've got the tv on by the way the lights are flashing.'
'Where're you?' I stood and looked out the windows.
'Havin' a smoke,' she replied and my eyes were drawn to her balcony as her cigarette end flared. I walked out and waved across at her.
'Can't see you without a light,' I said.