The Law of Attraction

Fiona sat curled up on the sofa with a mug in her hands when Ed let himself into the flat they shared. They’d been flatmates during their time at university, but then Ed had moved to Manchester for two years to complete his training with a firm there. When he came back to London last month after spending a few months travelling abroad, he’d needed somewhere to live while he took some temp jobs and applied for something permanent in the area he wanted to work in. He’d slept on Fiona’s sofa for while, but then her other flatmate got a job in Birmingham, so Ed had moved back in officially.

She studied him over the rim of her mug. “You look like something the cat dragged in.”

“Good morning to you too. Is that coffee?”

She rolled her eyes and offered it to him. “Have it. I’ll make myself some more.”

“Thanks. You’re an angel, Fi.” Ed came and took the mug. He sat beside her and gulped it down in a few grateful swallows. It was delicious: the real thing, not crappy instant stuff, the perfect temperature, and exactly what he needed.

“I know.” Fiona leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I’m going to get dressed. You go and shower and make yourself look less debauched. It’s currently obvious from a hundred paces that you’ve been out all night and thoroughly fucked. And don’t even get me started on the mark on your neck. It looks as though you’ve been mauled.”

Ed chuckled, but the sound of wry amusement stuck in his throat. “Nice of him to give me something to remember him by, eh?”

“Well, at least you can’t be pregnant.”

Ed laughed. “That’s true.”

Once they’d found somewhere to sit and the waitress had taken their orders, Fiona folded her arms on the table and fixed Ed with her penetrating blue gaze.

“So, spill. Why are you looking like someone pissed in your cornflakes when you should be glowing in a post-sex high? I saw him. He looked gorgeous. Was he crap in bed?”

“No!”

“Were you crap in bed?”

“Fuck you, no!” Ed retorted indignantly. He recalled the ecstatic expression on Alec’s face when he came. “He didn’t have any complaints. I don’t know, I….” He flushed, lowering his voice and feeling foolish. “I guess I thought there was a connection, more than just a fuck, and I hoped maybe he’d ask for my number or something. But it must have just been me, because he could hardly look at me in the morning. It was horrible.”

Ed looked down, fiddling with the cutlery on the table. He picked up a spoon and studied his inverted reflection, not wanting to see the sympathy in Fiona’s eyes. “It’s stupid, really. I knew it was only going to be a one-night stand.”

“It’s not stupid.” Fiona reached across and took his free hand, giving it a squeeze. She threaded her fingers into his, and he looked up again. “It always sucks when you want more and you can’t have it.”

“Yeah, well. He’s obviously a cold-hearted git anyway, so I’m better off without him. But why don’t I ever meet any nice guys?”

Fiona raised her eyebrows. “Simon? Matt? Ring any bells?”

“Okay, okay. Why don’t I ever meet any nice guys who hold my interest for more than a couple of months?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe you haven’t met the right one yet.”

The waitress interrupted them with their breakfasts and coffees, and Ed let the subject drop. He wanted to push Alec out of his mind. He was never going to see him again anyway.

“So,” Fiona asked as she loaded her fork with bacon and scrambled egg. “How are you feeling about the new job on Monday?”

He frowned. “I’m mostly excited. A little nervous too, though. This is the best chance I’ve had since I qualified. Even if it’s only a temp job, it’s in a good firm, and I’d love to work for them permanently if I get the chance. But that means I have more to lose. What if I’m crap at it or make a terrible first impression?”

“You won’t be crap,” Fiona assured him. “You’re bright, you’re capable, and you’re not scared of hard work. You’ll be great.” Then her brow furrowed critically. “Although you might want to try and find a way of covering up the teeth marks on your neck, unless they’ve faded by Monday.”

Ed flushed and reached up, touching the mark. It was tender under his fingertips. His cock stirred as he remembered the sounds Alec had made as they rocked together. “Yeah. Do you have some magic make-up I can use?”

“If you need it, but it probably won’t be that noticeable by then.” She grinned. “Now you have a respectable job, you’ll need to tell your hook-ups to keep the marks below collar level.”

“No more hook-ups.” Ed hacked viciously into his bacon, accidentally shoving some baked beans off the edge of his plate. “I doubt I’ll have time for any sort of love life for a while. I expect to be constantly exhausted and stressed out. It will just be me and my trusty right hand for the foreseeable future. Or maybe my left if I need variety.”