A false start

What happened next was, nothing. A few weeks went past and they both had begun to slip back into old routines. Chloe continued to look for a new job and Sean ploughed on at his. Garry seemed to be easing off on him. Sean’s policy of keeping his head down and not allowing him an opening to make criticisms seemed to be paying off but he was working hard to make sure it stayed that way. He found himself craving the excitement of their previous little sharing game. It had been a whirlwind of colour in the grey of everyday life. A part of him hoped that something had happened with Chloe and she was just keeping it from him to surprise him later on.

He couldn’t wait any more and decided to raise the issue with Chloe one night in bed. “So,” he said, trying and failing to sound casual. “Any male attention I should know about?”

Chloe put down her phone and looked at him with a furrowed brow. “No, sorry. I’ve just not found the opportunity. I think I might be a bit out of practice. Plus I’ve had those interviews that I had to prep for. My mind just hasn’t been on it.” She looked at his face “Are you disappointed?”

Sean reached out and wrapped his arm around her. “No, of course not. I’ve just been thinking about it a lot this last week or so.”

“Frankly I’m disappointed in myself. At university, it was so easy to get laid. Maybe I’m not the hot slut I thought I was.” She was joking but there was a tinge of honesty in it.

“You just need to put yourself out there. Maybe we should get you on a dating app?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I mean, yes, I would probably find a hookup but if I’m being honest, my ego kind of wants me to do it in real life. I’m hot, guys should be coming on to me goddammit.”

“That might be the problem” suggested Sean. “I think you are insanely hot. If I hadn’t met you as I did then I would never have had the balls to chat you up.”

“I don’t think you would have chatted up anyone ever. I had to throw myself at you. You might have a point though. Apart from random guys shouting things at me on the street I don’t get approached much.”

“The random shouty guys are not doing it for you then?” joked Sean.

“No way. I’m classy. I only have casual sex with suave people.”

“Like me.”

Chloe patted his hand “I don’t have casual sex with you I have relationship sex, it’s not the same thing.”

Sean let the jab wash over him and ignored it “What I was getting at is you might have to be a little more flirty. Make it a bit more obvious you are interested. Either that or join a dating app.”

Chloe clicked her tongue and gave him a narrow-eyed stare. “Look, I'll try the apps as a last resort but right now I want to try in real life where I can see who I’m dealing with.” She sighed and turned off her bedside light before snuggling down. Sean, followed her lead and did the same. “You might be right” she went on. “I might call Ingrid and see if she has any advice.”

“Darling!” came Ingrid's exuberant voice over the phone. “So happy you called.”

Chloe smiled at the sound of the ridiculous woman as she greeted her and asked if she and her husband had enjoyed their honeymoon.

“I had the most marvellous time. My sweet husband tells me he enjoyed it too but of course, he wasn’t there. I spent a glorious fortnight on my own. Well, I didn’t spend much of it by myself if you catch my meaning.”

After a rather sordid description of Ingrid’s honeymoon Chloe asked her about her problem.

“Darling, your man is correct. The sorts of men who will openly come on to beautiful women like us are not always the sorts of men we want to take to bed with us. University is all about sex so it is like an unwritten agreement that most people are out to have intercourse. You will have to make it clear that you are interested and available. Making sure we look our best is also important. What sort of man do you desire my dear? Is there anyone, in particular, I could advise on how to approach?”

Chloe thought “Nobody in particular.” She trailed off. An image had jumped into her head as she tried to think about men who she had found attractive. Most had been random people she had seen about but one she thought of she actually knew where to meet again. “What about young men?”

“Young men?” Chloe could hear Ingrid grinning over the phone. “That couldn’t be simpler. To seduce a young man, you just have to be completely obvious.”

“How do you mean?”

“Young men are wonderful fun but they lack a great deal of experience and most of them wouldn’t have the confidence to approach a woman who wasn’t their peer. That said, if you make it blatantly clear that you are interested, you will find them extremely eager and very energetic.”