Page 12 of The Twins

Cillian

“What do you reckon?” Finn asked and turned to me.

“I’ll be straight.” I smiled. “If she’s happy for a threesome thing, I’m up for it.”

“She said she was.” Finn shook his protein shake vigorously.

“Then it’s set.”

“You Irish boys are so bad.” Trixie laughed and popped some bread down in the toaster.

“You can talk,” Finn said. “With the kinky shenanigans you get up to.”

She shrugged, unoffended. “I get paid to be filthy.”

“Our payment will be a hot, willing pussy.” I laughed.

“Don’t bet on it, posh girls have rules about first dates.” She turned and folded her arms, squashing her breasts upward in the tiny purple top she wore.

“If she has, we’re respectful guys.” Finn sipped his drink. “And besides, she’s got something about her, you know, the X factor or whatever. She’s smart, sassy, I can’t imagine anyone would be able to pull the wool over her eyes or persuade her to do something she doesn’t want to.”

“What does she do for work?” Trixie asked.

“She’s a lawyer.”

“Fancy.” She reached for her toast and began to butter. “Where are you taking her?”

“The Ivy.” I was eager to eat in the restaurant I’d strolled past many times but never actually been inside. “Jeez, I hope it’s good.”

“It will be.” Finn swiped his tongue over his bottom lip. He’d been before. Once.

I trusted his judgement, on the choice of eatery and the woman he was keen for me to meet. It had been a while since either of us had caught any kind of feels for anyone, but maybe that was about to change. Actually, it already had changed for Finn. I could tell by the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about this Rebecca woman.

“Hey, guys, what’s up?” Mitch wandered into the kitchen wearing sweats and nothing else. He yawned and scratched his head as he made his way to the kettle.

“Busy night?” I asked.

Mitch was a cop, and this was his night shift week.

“Yeah, only two more to go, though.” He poured coffee. “Could have done with a few more hours kip, but I’ve got the kids this afternoon, and they want to go to that new carting track.”

“Ah yes, expensive, noisy…not my idea of fun.”

“Whatever, I just wanna hang out with them.”

Mitch had got divorced a year ago, his wife having cheated on him. It had torn him up emotionally and financially, which was why he crashed at Rose Cottage a lot of the time.

Finn bashed me on the shoulder. “Come on, man, we’ve gotta get to the gym.”

“Yeah, sure. See you, Mitch.” I rested my hand on Trixie’s shoulder. “Jamie will be here soon to watch over the place, and we’ll be back later.”

“Sure thing, honey.” She smiled and bit into her toast. “Just got a regular booked in for five in the Pleasure Room. A surgeon who likes pain way too much.”

“Go easy on him.”

“I won’t.” She laughed. “That way I’ll get a tip.”

One of the rules of Galahad was that there was always one of us at Rose Cottage. We’d brought the sex workers off thestreets. These girls were vulnerable, expendable too in the eyes of many, and we wanted them safe while they figured life out and moved on, or didn’t as the case might be. For some, this was as good as it got, and we didn’t judge.