Sapphire (6 page)

SAPPHIRE LOVED WEEKENDS
when the hen parties were going well – it gave her such a buzz and it wasn’t just about the money: she genuinely wanted the girls to have a good time, the best time. She may be cynical about marriage, but she was deadly serious about her hen weekends being brilliant.

The weekend following the school reunion she had a lovely group in – just six girls who wanted beauty treatments, a makeover with a make-up artist and photographs followed by dinner. Sapphire enjoyed planning all the hen weekends but every now and then it was a relief not to have to do the whole club/stripper scenario. She went upstairs to check on how the beauty treatments were going.

The girls were having their nails done while a DVD of
When
Harry
Met
Sally
played in the background, and they all sipped champagne. Sapphire was pleased to note that they were just sippling and not guzzling like the last lot of hens who got outrageously drunk even before the night had started. Sapphire liked a night on the tiles herself and could on occasions compete for caner of the year but she had not enjoyed cleaning up the bathroom after one of them threw up all over the floor. This group, thankfully, seemed more sedate.

Lucy was the bride to be, a sweet, fresh-faced geography teacher in her late twenties. Sapphire went
over to where she was sitting while Jazz gave her a pretty French manicure.

‘How’s it going?’ Sapphire asked Lucy. ‘Are you happy with everything?’

‘I’m having a great time, thanks,’ Lucy replied. ‘This is all going perfectly, I just hope my wedding day is as good.’

‘I’m sure your wedding day will be fantastic,’ Sapphire said reassuringly. ‘What kind of wedding are you having?’

‘It’s the big white number,’ Lucy said.

‘She’s been saving for it for the last five years,’ one of the other hens put in.

‘How long have you been with your fiancé?’ Sapphire asked. It was always very important to show an interest.

‘Six years,’ Lucy replied. ‘We met at uni, and we’ve been together ever since.’

Bloody hell, it sounded like a life sentence to Sapphire but she kept that thought to herself, ‘Wow, that’s wonderful.’

‘Are you married?’ Lucy asked her.

Bugger, there it was again, the question Sapphire most dreaded being asked, but this time she didn’t give her usual spiel about not meeting Mr Right. Seeing Alfie so recently made her go for a different answer. ‘I was,’ Sapphire paused for effect, ‘but my husband died.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry, that’s awful,’ Lucy looked at her, her sweet face filled with concern, her eyes actually welling up with tears.

Oops, Sapphire hadn’t meant to upset her. ‘Yes, I really don’t like to talk about it.’ Sapphire said quickly.

Jazz rolled her eyes at her, but really what was Sapphire supposed to say? Yes, I was married and my husband cheated on me with another woman in my bed and got her pregnant. Now I don’t believe in marriage at all and don’t trust any man. Sending Alfie to an early grave seemed like a good option.

‘She’s okay now, though,’ Jazz piped up. ‘She’s got an absolutely lovely boyfriend. Gorgeous, isn’t he, Sapphire?’

‘I’m so glad,’ Lucy replied. ‘It’s terrible to think of someone being a widow so young. It’s wonderful that you found love again.’

It’s good that I found a wonderful lover, who knows exactly how to please me in bed, was the answer Sapphire would have preferred to give; instead she went for the safer option, ‘I know, I’m very lucky. Anyway, do let me know if there’s anything else I can get you.’

‘Actually, yes,’ one of the other hens spoke up. ‘We wanted to buy Lucy some gorgeous underwear, would you be able to get her kitted out?’

After establishing Lucy’s size, Sapphire went downstairs and began selecting pieces that she thought Lucy might like. She went for pretty pieces rather than sexy but did pick out one racy black number.

She was just arranging the garments in the changing room when Jay walked in, put his arms round her and kissed her. Sweet as the kiss was, Sapphire hated being surprised. ‘What are you doing here?’ she exclaimed. ‘I’m working.’

‘I just felt like seeing you, I was out shopping with Luke.’

Luke was Jay’s flatmate, and Jay was always threatening to introduce them. So far, Sapphire had avoided it; she had no real interest in meeting Jay’s friends.

‘Any chance we can meet up tonight?’ Jay asked. He was looking particularly sexy in a black leather biker jacket and jeans.

Sapphire shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, babe. I’m having dinner with Cal, remember?’

Jay frowned, ‘Yeah, I’d forgotten. Maybe you could come round to mine afterwards?’ he added hopefully.

‘I’ve got to work tomorrow. You could come round to mine though.’

‘You never come round to my flat,’ Jay said, a slightly resentful tone to his voice. ‘I don’t live in a pig sty you know.’ He folded his arms and leant back against the wall.

Sapphire felt ever so slightly guilty but not guilty enough to give in.

‘I’m sure you don’t, babe, but I’ll be knackered and I’ll just want to chill. Please come round.’

Jay sighed, ‘Okay, but I really do want you to come round mine sometime soon.’

‘I will.’ Sapphire wrapped her arms round his neck and kissed him, now she had got her own way. And, as the kiss ended and Jay headed out of the shop she looked forward to seeing him that night.

At the doorway, Jay paused and said, ‘I shouldn’t be worried about Cal should I?’

Sapphire laughed, ‘No Jay! We’re just friends.’

Jay looked self-conscious and fiddled with the zip of his black leather jacket. ‘It’s just that he is very good-looking and successful. And rich.’

‘He is all of those things,’ Sapphire admitted, then did a double take. ‘Oh. My. God. You’re not jealous are you? Babe, I just don’t do the whole jealousy thing.’

Jay scowled. Bad move, at this rate she wouldn’t get to shag him tonight. Focus. Trying not to show how annoyed she was at Jay being possessive she smiled and walked over to him, and put her arms round him again. ‘But I don’t fancy him – never have done – and he doesn’t fancy me either. I promise we’re just friends.’

Jay looked relieved. ‘See you later, babe.’ He kissed her one last time and was out the door.

‘Wow! Is that your boyfriend? He
is
absolutely gorgeous!’ exclaimed Lucy, walking into the boutique.

Sapphire smiled, ‘I know. Now come into the dressing room and I’ll show you what I’ve picked out.’

She had expected that Lucy would go for the pretty
numbers first, but she went straight for the sexy black number. ‘I love this!’ she exclaimed.

Sapphire left Lucy to try on the garments; she pulled the red velvet curtain across the changing room and walked round the boutique, making sure everything was in place.

‘What do you think?’ Lucy called out a few minutes later, poking her head round the curtain. Sapphire walked over and considered Lucy in the skimpy lingerie.

‘You look great,’ she told her. ‘And the fit seems perfect.’

Lucy looked at herself anxiously in the mirror. ‘It’s a bit revealing isn’t it?’

Sapphire smiled, ‘I think that’s the idea.’

‘It’s just I’m not used to wearing underwear like this. I bet you wear sexy stuff like this all the time for your boyfriend.’

Sapphire shook her head, ‘I do like wearing expensive lingerie not just for him but for myself.’

Lucy considered her reflection again. ‘Oh, what the hell, I’ll take it. I’m sick of wearing sensible underwear!’

‘Good move, and why don’t you try one of the other sets? Your friends have given you enough for you to get both.’

Lucy looked embarrassed, ‘Well, actually I was thinking about getting something else. I’m not sure though.’ She paused, ‘I’ll get dressed and come out.’

Sapphire put on her best sympathetic you-can-tell-me-anything expression. She’d put money on Lucy wanting to buy a vibrator.

A few minutes later Lucy emerged from the cubicle, clutching the lingerie and looking hesitant.

Sapphire reached out for the garments, ‘Here, let me take that for you.’ She put it on the counter ready to be wrapped. ‘So shall I show you what else we have in the store?’

Lucy nodded and Sapphire decided to take it slowly.
‘We’re got a range of massage oils. They smell gorgeous and you can use them with condoms.’ She pulled off the lid from one of the bottles and held it up for Lucy to smell. ‘Might be nice to have this for your honeymoon, not your wedding night, you’ll probably both be knackered, but the next day.’

They moved on to the edible body paint. Sapphire thought that might be a step too far for Lucy but showed it to her anyway. She was just preparing to move on the sex toys when Lucy blurted out, ‘I’ve never had an orgasm.’

‘Well, it’s good that you came here then,’ Sapphire concentrated on seeming totally unfazed but on the inside wondered what on earth Lucy and her fiancé had been doing for the last six years. ‘I tell you what, why don’t you have another glass of champagne and I can talk you through the range of toys we have in my office.’

The boutique had three other customers browsing. She steered Lucy towards her office then gathered a selection of vibrators. So she’d been right! Lucy was sitting down the sofa, looking embarrassed, her cheeks had turned bright pink.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t believe I said that to you!’

Sapphire handed her a glass of champagne, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘I suppose you think I must be completely frigid.’

Sapphire shook her head. ‘No, but I think your fiancé has probably got a lot to answer for.’

‘It’s just he seems to think I will be satisfied with penetration and it doesn’t do it for me. I think there’s something wrong with me.’ Lucy leant forward and whispered. ‘I have to keep faking it.’

‘So maybe he doesn’t know he’s doing anything wrong?’ Sapphire said kindly, ‘Haven’t you tried showing him what he needs to do?’

Lucy shook her head, now scarlet with embarrassment.

Something was beginning to dawn on Sapphire, ‘Have you not ever had an orgasm with a bit of you know, DIY?’

Another head shake from Lucy. Sapphire spent the next few minutes pointing out the different features of the vibrators. ‘Buy this one,’ she held up one of her best-sellers, ‘and take it straight back to your hotel room and give it a test drive. I’ll tell the others you’ve just gone for a quick walk.’

Sapphire had the feeling that Lucy was not the kind of girl who shared her most intimate secrets with her best friends. ‘And take this as well.’ She handed her a half bottle of champagne.’

Lucy hesitated.

‘Go! I promise you won’t be disappointed.’

Sapphire smiled as Lucy stashed the champagne and sex toy into her bag and walked hurriedly out of the shop, looking guiltily back over her shoulder as if fearing one of her friends would catch her. Such innocence, Sapphire thought, continuing to check the displays in the boutique. At least that was one thing she couldn’t accuse Alfie of in their marriage, whatever his many failings. He had always been a really good lover. But not, she reflected, as good as Jay.

An hour later a radiant-looking Lucy returned and gave Sapphire the thumbs up. ‘Thank you,’ she mouthed to Sapphire, as she headed back to her friends in the beauty room. She definitely had a new spring in her step.

Sapphire smiled. ‘You’re welcome.’

‘So how was your day?’ Cal asked her as they met up for dinner at a cosy Italian restaurant in the Lanes later that night.

‘It was good.’ She paused and then grinned, ‘I helped a woman have her first orgasm.’

She knew Cal prided himself usually on being uber-cool about everything. But he almost choked on his wine,
then tried to collect himself by saying, ‘That’s great, Sapphire. I had no idea you were interested in women.’

Sapphire burst out laughing. ‘I’m not!’ and she went on to tell him what had really happened.

Cal looked bemused, ‘I can’t believe that a woman could have sex for so long and not have an orgasm.’

Sapphire smiled again, ‘Oh my God, Cal, you’re not going to say that no one has ever faked it with you, are you? I’ll be forced to re-enact the scene in the deli from
When
Harry
Met
Sally
. I saw it again this afternoon, so I’ll be pretty good at it.’ She flicked back her long black hair in preparation and speared an olive and popped it in her mouth. Cal looked slightly worried. He didn’t like anything that drew attention to him in public.

‘Okay, okay point taken. So do you fake it, Sapphire?’

She shook her head, and muttered, ‘Never with Jay.’

‘Sounds like he’s definitely worth keeping,’ Cal repeated his words from the school reunion.

Sapphire shrugged, ‘You know me; I just like to enjoy the moment. I don’t make long-term plans with men any more.’

Cal raised his eyebrow. Sapphire stuck her tongue out. ‘I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses.’ Now she reached for a piece of ciabatta and dipped it in olive oil, she was starving.

Cal smiled. ‘You put on this tough front, but underneath you’re like the rest of us, Sapphire: you want to be loved. Seriously, don’t be afraid of letting your barriers down if you like him. Love really is what it’s all about. You could have the greatest career in the world but if you don’t have love, then it’s just not enough. I know that now.’

Oh God, he sounded like Sam, and much as she liked Cal, Sapphire hated being analysed by anyone. A change of subject was in order; she muttered ‘Um’ – she liked Cal
too much to say ‘whatever’, but that’s really what she felt like saying. Then she asked Cal if he’d chosen what he wanted to eat.

Over main courses of seafood risotto, conversation turned to Angel. Six months after she left him, Cal’s sense of hurt and pain was just as raw as if it had happened yesterday. ‘I just can’t bear to think of her with that’ – Cal’s jaw clenched – ‘that
man
. I can’t even say his name. I fucked up so badly. She was, she
is
the love of my life! I never should have betrayed her.’

Sapphire tried to reason with him, ‘You told me how strained things had become between you because of her depression,’ she added hastily. ‘Not that you knew about the depression.’