No Strings

Chapter 18

I spent the remainder of my Saturday mooning around feeling empty and slightly sick and desperately trying not to think about the cause of my malaise. This was precisely why casual sex was like cake. A good idea when you start, but ultimately leaving you with stomach ache and guilt. By mid afternoon I had come full circle and decided the only solution was to pin my hopes on finding someone else, someone who did relationships. OK, they probably wouldn't be as good in bed as Sex God. Very few men were as good in bed as Sex God. He could probably give James Bond a run for his money. But a man who did relationships wouldn't leave me feeling like this. He might be able to communicate. He might even make me a few promises.

So when Nina rang and insisted I go out with her that night I agreed without a fight, which surprised her into silence. Almost. I only made one stipulation - no more hipster hang outs. This time we were going to our local.

Our local was called The Crown. Until recently it had been a classically seedy pub complete with dart board and permanent regulars of the yellowing teeth and muttering variety. But now it had been transformed into a gastro pub, all wooden floors and battered tables and thankfully not a jam-jar in sight. They did a ploughman's lunch which was delicious and scampi in a basket which was apparently making a come-back in a self referential ironic way. It reminded me of my childhood and I was badly in need of comfort food.

But when Nina and I walked in all ready for a night of gossip, my stomach took an instant nosedive and the nausea was back with a vengeance. Sitting at a corner table, with a cheerful looking black guy was Jake. And it was too late to avoid him, because he had seen me.

What was the correct etiquette here? You find yourself in the same pub as the man you have just spent thirty six hours in bed with. You fucked him approximately six times - you're not sure because you lost count. He spent rather a long time with his face shoved in your crotch. Your tongues were entangled for quite a large proportion of that time. Then he left and said "See you around." And of course there is the added complication that you have been economical with the truth with the person who is accompanying you.

I had an overwhelming urge to turn around and walk out, but that would have been childish so instead I walked up to Jake's table and said "Hi!"

He looked surprised. He nearly choked on his pint but he made a smooth recovery and putting the glass down said, "Hi Sarah."

"Hi!" Nina said to him, grinning widely and looking a little frightening. She swivelled her scary eyes to fix them on Jake's companion.

"Hi," he said, joining in the refrain. "I'm Mo," and he stuck his hand out.

Nina shook it. "Hi Mo. I'm Nina. Have you met Sarah?"

"No," Mo said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Hi Sarah. Why don't you both join us?"

Jake glared at him from across the table which made me plonk myself down next to him. This might be entertaining.

"Come here often?" Nina asked. The grin on her face clearly showed her utter delight at the situation.

"Nope," Mo said. "It's my first time. I needed to have a bit of a heart to heart with this twat here. He's been completely awol for a couple of days and won't tell me why."

Nina gave me a very knowing look. "That's funny. Sarah's been off the radar too."

I gave her a hard stare. Jake was suddenly finding the contents of his pint glass very interesting.

"I'll go to the bar," I said, standing up. "What's everyone having?"

Thank God Mo and Nina were the chatty outgoing types because if it had been left to Jake and I we would all be sitting in excruciating silence.

Between them they managed to cover the merits of Islington over Camden, last night's episode of Game of Thrones, the horror of flying Ryan air and finally landing on the more intimate topic of Mo's wife's pregnancy.

"She's 13 weeks. We've only just announced it. I'm already waking up in the night in a cold sweat."

i felt Jake stiffen slightly beside me. Jake had woken up in the night in a cold sweat too and I had absolutely no idea why. Let's face it, I didn't have much idea of why Jake did anything.

"How do you and Jake know each other?" I blurted out.

Mo blinked while he registered my question. "We work together," he said.

"Oh yes?" Nina jumped in eagerly. "And where would that be?"

I felt Jake's thigh brush against mine. If I wasn't mistaken, he had just given Mo a swift kick under the table.

"Have you two been friends for long?" Mo asked, impressing me with his quick thinking.

"Like forever!" Nina cried enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the fact that she had just been redirected. Then looking up she shrieked, "Oh my God! What a coincidence. It's my brother!"

I looked around to see Rob taking his coat off by the door, looking as handsome and capable as ever. Next to him was a beefy looking blonde guy with a pleasant face and a slightly crooked nose.

"And he's with Ollie," Nina grinned, leaping up and launching herself towards them, leaving me wishing the ground would open up beneath my feet and swallow me. How on earth was I going to cope with this situation?