The Naughty Girls Book Club. Sophie Hart

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      4

      Reggie carefully placed his spaghetti bolognese in the microwave, setting the timer impatiently.

      The kitchen was a bombsite as usual, he realised, glancing around. He lived with five other students that he’d met through a house-share advert in the local paper, and they occupied one of the large Victorian houses on Pembroke Road in Clifton. Although he made an effort to keep his own room relatively clean, the communal areas were out of control. The sink was filled to the brim with used crockery floating in grimy, grey water, and old takeaway cartons were piled precariously on top of the overflowing bin that no one could be bothered to empty. The cleaning rota that he’d stuck to the fridge with a novelty magnet was torn, stained and ignored by everyone.

      As the plastic tray circled endlessly in the microwave, it struck Reggie that there were more exciting ways to spend a Friday night. Perhaps he’d go crazy and open a bottle of wine – there was that nice Shiraz he’d picked up, the one that had been on special offer at the local Co-op, and—

      Reggie jumped as he heard the front door bang. A few moments later, a young woman burst into the kitchen, wrapped up tightly against the cold. She had shaggy blonde hair with long dark roots, and wore skinny jeans with chunky boots, a cropped leather jacket and an enormous ethnic scarf wound several times around her neck.

      ‘Hi Reggie! How are you?’ It was his housemate, Selena, an MA student reading Sociology.

      ‘I’m fine. Just … um … cooking,’ he said bashfully, indicating the microwave.

      ‘Ah. Tesco’s Finest?’ Selena guessed.

      Reggie shook his head. ‘Marks and Spencer.’

      ‘Well, it is Friday night. Why not treat yourself?’ Selena joked, dropping her bag on the floor and unwrapping the gigantic scarf, before shrugging off her jacket to reveal a skimpy, low-cut vest top.

      Reggie blushed and quickly averted his eyes. Selena was undoubtedly a very attractive woman, and Reggie wasn’t quite sure how to deal with one of those.

      ‘Hey, I just had a text from Alex,’ Selena told him, as she checked her phone. ‘He’s in the pub with Matt and Josh. I’m heading out to join them if you want to come.’

      ‘Thanks, but I’ve got the … er …’ he trailed off, gesturing at the microwave once more.

      ‘No rush. I’m going to grab a shower first, so you’ve got time to eat.’

      ‘Um …’ Reggie stalled. ‘I’ve got a few things that I really should be … you know … getting on with.’

      ‘Sure, no problem,’ Selena shrugged. ‘We’ll be in the Rose and Crown if you change your mind.’

      Reggie felt bad for refusing. He hardly ever joined his housemates on their regular nights out, but pubs and clubs weren’t his natural territory. He always felt uncomfortable sitting in a large group, especially one dominated by blokey-blokes all talking loudly about football and rugby, or trying to outdo each other with dirty jokes and laddish banter. Reggie usually ended up sitting silently in the corner, nursing a pint, wishing he’d never come out in the first place.

      No, tonight he would just stay in and a watch a film in his room. Maybe type up the notes from that awkward book club meeting he’d attended last week. Which reminded him …

      ‘Selena?’ he called after her.

      ‘Yeah?’ She turned in the doorway to look at him. ‘Changed your mind already?’

      ‘No, sorry,’ he apologised. ‘I was just wondering …’ He broke off, unsure how to ask the question. ‘This probably sounds ridiculous but … I mean, I’m sure you haven’t, but I was just wondering …’ Reggie pushed his glasses up his nose self-consciously, as the heat rose in his cheeks. Selena was staring at him curiously, and his words tumbled out in a rush. ‘Have you read Ten Sweet Lessons?’

      Selena took one look at his terrified face and burst out laughing. ‘Oh God, yeah. Of course I have!’

      ‘Really?’

      ‘Absolutely. Pretty much everyone I know has read it. All the girls definitely have, and quite a few guys too. Even my mum’s read it!’

      ‘Oh.’ Reggie couldn’t hide his surprise. ‘So … um … what’s it like?’

      ‘Filthy,’ Selena replied with a grin. ‘Really graphic, and dirty – and great fun, of course. Totally addictive.’

      Reggie stared at the floor, suddenly finding that he couldn’t meet Selena’s eyes.

      ‘But … But it’s very badly written isn’t it?’ he stammered. ‘That’s what I’ve heard.’

      ‘Well, it’s not great literature, but it isn’t pretending to be. You don’t read low-brow erotica thinking it’s going to be Tolstoy. You read it for … other reasons. And it does exactly what it says on the tin,’ she smirked, her eyes twinkling. ‘Why? Are you thinking of letting it entertain you?’

      ‘No, no. Oh gosh, no, it’s not my sort of thing,’ Reggie bumbled. ‘Not my sort of thing at all. Just something I’d heard … for research … my thesis …’

      The microwave pinged and Reggie span round, grateful for the distraction.

      ‘Well I’d offer to lend you my copy, but my friend Sarah’s got it at the moment,’ Selena explained. ‘And then Gemma wants to borrow it after that, so …’

      ‘Oh, no, it’s fine,’ Reggie insisted, as he tipped his bolognese into a cereal bowl, hastily washing a fork as there were no clean ones left in the drawer. ‘I wasn’t asking to … It’s fine.’

      ‘Okay. Well, I’d better head to the shower. You’re sure you don’t want СКАЧАТЬ