The thought gives me weirder shivers than it should, because it doesn’t seem nearly so much of a joke as she means it to be. I could be in bed one night and there could really be a man who lets himself in and uses this bedroom as his own. Or even worse… uses mine.
Stop it. I push the thoughts aside. There must be some innocent explanation.
I wonder if it’s Ant’s grandad’s stuff, but there’s no way it can be. Not all of it. The clothes on the rails are modern and new.
“Going to open one of the boxes?” Janie asks.
I’m tempted, but no. I can’t. I have no guarantee of what the hell I’m going to find in there. It might be filled to the brim with another round of filthy sex toys for all I know. Plus, it would feel a little… invasive.
I close the wardrobe doors with a shrug, playing it down. Luckily, there is an empty rail in the next one along, with a few spare hangers for Janie.
“Make yourself at home in here,” I tell her, and she laughs, drunk.
“Don’t think I’ll have any problem doing that, since it sure seems like somebody else does.”
I should have called Ant last night, no matter what the time was. I should have done more than send a token love you reply to his message, telling me that he hoped I was having a great girls’ night in.
My mind is on the full, brimming wardrobe as Janie and I drive down into the office. I focus as best I can on our clients, but the questions are still hovering inside me. My thoughts zip back there every chance they get.
What is going on at Ant’s house?
Ant’s house. I notice the shift in my mind.
He’s quiet today, unusually silent with the messages. I consider reaching out to him myself, but I’m not sure what to say. Do I ask him outright if someone else lives at the house? Or if he has plans to open it up as a hotel room, complete with a full wardrobe for anyone who wants to fuck me?
I’m being harsh now. Weirded out, even though I shouldn’t be, since there must be a logical explanation.
The weirded out feeling reaches a panic peak as a big box arrives from a courier, addressed to me. My heart is thumping as Janie watches me open it, scared shitless since we don’t have any more supplier deliveries scheduled for today.
There is no private written on the box, but I still flinch as I open it, just in case it’s a whole load more alien cocks on top of alien cocks.
I let out an overenthusiastic giggle, then a sigh of relief when I see what’s in there. Of course. It’s Harry’s birthday present, ready for the weekend. I ordered him the huge plush giraffe a few weeks ago, since it’s such a cute one, and was out of stock virtually everywhere. It really is a beauty, and it’s much bigger than I remember. It’s going to take a lot of wrapping paper to wrap it up.
“Whoa! Is that from Ant?” Janie asks.
“No.” I hold up the huge fluffy giraffe. “It’s for my nephew’s birthday. He has a crazy fixation on giraffes. His bedroom is one big giraffe park. I couldn’t resist adding this one to the mix.”
“Awww. He’s going to love it. It’s the sweetest looking giraffe I’ve ever seen. I just hope you can fit it in Ant’s Audi.”
I laugh at the thought of the giraffe’s head poking out through the car window, blowing in the wind on the journey. I put the toy back in the box and close the lid. Thank fuck for that. No alien dicks and no other dramatic surprises.
“You did pack your swimming costume for tonight, right?” Janie prompts as our afternoon draws to a close.
I hold up my bag from under my desk because, yes. Even in my weirded-out state, I remembered to pack a bag for our swim session.
Penny is happy to see me again when Janie and I turn up in the changing room. I’m loving how well they know each other, and how easy they are finding it to have me along with them.
I check my phone one last time before I load up the locker and get into the pool, but there’s still nothing from Mr Perfect, and it’s getting bizarre by now.
Hope your day’s going ok, I message him, trying to play it cool. Just heading into the pool now.
“Come on, Cass!” Janie calls, and I dash along to join them, leaving my phone behind.
I’m not particularly skilled, combining a crappy version of breast stroke with doggy paddle as I do a load of lengths, but at least I try front crawl this time. It doesn’t make any difference, since at least half of my time is spent with Penny and Janie, laughing about life and chilling out in the shallow end. It’s an achievement though all the same.