Page 37 of Darling

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

??

I’m not expecting Christian to call, and I’ve been hesitant to reach out to him for a whole myriad of reasons. But later that night, I’m finishing off some shadow work on the third new piece I’d started that week, when my cell phone rings. It cuts through the techno blasting in my headphones, a little jump of excitement fluttering in my stomach when I see his name on the screen.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Hi,” he says. “How are you? Have you had a nice Sunday?” His voice is low and lazy; he sounds very relaxed.

“It’s been nice, yeah. I went out with a friend. Are you home?”

“Well, I’m out of the hospital. Not home. Home is an old property in Sussex with a drafty kitchen and an overgrown garden.”

“Sounds great. Though I thought you lived in London?”

“Ah, no. I have a property in London which I lived in while in government.” I shift so I’m sitting with my back against the sofa, and pull my legs crossed into a yoga pose. “I haven’tinterrupted… anything, have I?” he asks.

“No. Nothing. I was painting.”

“Something new?”

I look at it. Oranges and blues and greens streaking across the canvas in a revolt of colour.

“Sort of. I’ve started so many things this week, but I can’t get anything to stick.”

“Uninspired?”

“Um… more like… distracted.” I hesitate over whether to say it or not. “I’ve just been worried about you, I guess.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I’m fine, really. Please don’t worry about me.”

I laugh a little, like it’s as simple as that. “Okay, I’ll try.”

He sighs softly. “So, I have a confession to make.”

“You do?”

“I did a little Google search on you… fell down a rabbit hole… watched a few videos.”

“Of mine?” My heart rate kicks up a notch.

He chuckles, sexily. “Yes, Asher. Of yours.”

“Wait, were they on a free site? Because all of my stuff should be paywalled.”

“Oh? Well, it looks like you have a leak in your camp.”

“Guess I’m filing another DMCA tomorrow then…”

“Well, it did make me want to pay for your subscription, so maybe it isn’t all bad?”

“It did?” I settle my legs out straight again, relaxing more. “You liked what you saw, then?”

“Very much.”

“What did you like about it?”

He makes a deep, reverberating noise that I feel all the way in my balls. “The way you look on screen is mesmerising. The wayyou give yourself over so completely to your partner and take what you’re given so well. You’re magnificent, Asher Fox. You were made for this.”