Cushtybert twirled the short straw between her fingers as one by one each man drew another from the bunch until finally there were only two left. ‘You first, old chap,’ said Michael Gove, a lecherous gleam in his eye as he gestured for Chris Whitty to take his pick.
Cushtybert held her breath. There was a thin trail of saliva sliming its way down Gove’s chin. ‘Please, not him,’ she thought. ‘I’d rather sleep under the hedge.’ Whitty’s hand hovered for a moment and then plucked a straw decisively.
Short. Gove’s face fell and Whitty beamed. ‘Well done, old chap,’ said Boris, thumping him on the back. Raab shook his hand. ‘You lucky sod. Have fun.’ ‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,’ said Rishi. Cushtybert smiled as she saw Hancock discretely palm Whitty a condom.
Finally Jenny shepherded the others towards their beds and left them alone. Whitty met Cushtybert’s eyes for the first time since he’d drawn his lot and gave her a shy smile. ‘Shall we?’ he said, offering her his arm.
Cushtybert slipped her arm through his and they walked to the far end of Jenny’s garden, where a two-man tent had been set up. The full summer moon shone down on them and somewhere in the woods beyond an owl called to its mate. Cushtybert unzipped the tent and used the light from her phone to look around. ‘Chris, there’s only one sleeping bag. We’re going to have to share.’
Even in the moonlight she could see his cheeks darken into a blush. ‘You’d better get in first. I’ll wait out here while you sort yourself out.’
She undressed quickly, then pulled a t-shirt out of her bag and slipped it on, along with a clean pair of knickers. Wriggling down inside the bag, she called out, ‘Ready.’
He unzipped the flap and ducked inside, his height making him stoop at an awkward angle. Hanging his jacket from a hook on the tent pole, he removed his clothes with quick, precise movements until he was down to his black boxers and…
‘What on earth is that?’ asked Cushtybert, propping herself up on one elbow and trying to make out the strapping covering Whitty’s chest.
‘Leather body harness. I find it makes boring meetings a little less tedious. Help me take it off?’
Turning her phone torch back on so she could see properly, Cushtybert unthreaded straps and buckles at his direction until the leather harness was dismantled and packed away in its own little carry case. She turned the light back off and Whitty took advantage of the sudden darkness while their eyes adjusted to change his boxers.
He got in beside her and there was some awkward twisting around before they settled on a spooning position that seemed the most comfortable option in their cramped quarters. ‘Okay?’ Whitty asked?
‘Fine, but could you just slide your arm under my neck? Your shoulder’s digging into my back.’
He did so and the movement brought his body more snugly into contact with hers. She could feel his breath soft and warm on the back of her neck and the thought of his mouth being so close to her skin sent a shiver through her.
‘Cold?’ he murmured into her ear. She made a noncommittal noise and he wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her in hard against him. ‘I’ll keep you warm. Goodnight, Cushtybert. Sleep well. Sweet dreams.’ He touched his lips to her shoulder and she felt herself getting wet.
‘This is torture,’ she thought. His hand had come to rest just below her breast and she wanted nothing more than for him to slide it upwards, for his long supple fingers to stroke her nipples to attention and then trail back down to slip between her legs. Sleep was the last thing on her mind.