It was about nine though I told myself, having another sip from my glass and taking a mental note not to have any more as a dizzy spell washed over me. I was about halfway through and I would be in the clear for another couple of months until the next one. Chris gave me a small smile and a wink, a sign that he appreciated me playing along. We’d had a blazing row about the barbeque this afternoon which he apparently had forgotten about.
There was a few gently chinks as they filled up their glasses with more of the wine I had bought, drinking greedily from glasses I would have to clean later and gushing over the food which I had bought and prepared. Chris of course got all of the glory for holding them over fire for a few minutes. I was sick of all of them and I sat back heavily, forgetting for a moment that I was sat on someone’s lap.
“I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, whipping around to see Leo rubbing his jaw. He laughed and told me not to worry, his hand resting comfortably on my back for just a beat longer than normal. I turned back around and tried not to give Kerrie the satisfaction of seeing that I was out of breath.
The game continued around me and I sat and watched it all, on the outside of it all, watching them all becoming more drunk, my husband the worst culprit of all. I would have been embarrassed but his friends were wankers and I wished I could have been anywhere else.
Leo was also strangely quiet, somehow missing his turn as the game became increasing erractic, the dares being issued by those who spoke fastest and loudest. I watched as they ran around the garden naked (no reason to be jealous of Kerrie’s husband although he looked a little thicker than mine) and sang songs backwards. I felt a little sorry for him, being forgotten just like me as these people showed off to each other. It suddenly occurred to me that Chris might not have been so willing to invite him over and be a ‘good neighbour’ if we didn’t have such a nice house.
I turned around and raised an eyebrow at him which won be a bright smile from him. Clearly we both felt about them the same way and I felt a delicious tingle as I felt his hand on the small of my back. As I turned away though, his hand didn’t move. For several long moments I sat perfectly still, wondering what he was doing.
The wine had gone to my head but I was so annoyed at Chris, at being paraded out every couple of months and having to suffer his ignorant friends that I threw caution to the winds and allowed myself a tiny bit of excitement. I wondered how I would send a message to him without making it obvious to everyone in the pool.
After a moment to drunkenly convince myself to move, I slowly shifted back, pressing more of my body against his. I felt Leo’s hand disappear off my back and I was overcome with a feeling of embarrassment and dejection. I was about to stand up and make some excuse to go into the house when I felt his hand reappear against the underside of my leg.
I struggled to keep my face straight, sending Leo as tiny a sign as I could possibly manage by pressing myself a little harder against him. Slowly I felt his finger stroking my thigh, tracing a small line up and down and I felt a rush of arousal. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine having sex with him. I imagined running my fingers down his chiselled chest and I shuddered, which Leo obviously felt as his stroke became a little more pronounced.