Читать книгу The Naughty Girls Book Club - Sophie Hart - Страница 10

The second meeting of the Cafe Crumb book club began very differently to the first. Although Estelle still worried about whether or not anyone would turn up, her concerns proved unfounded, as Sue, Rebecca and Gracie all arrived before the seven p.m. start time.

They queued up at the counter for their drinks and cakes (for this time, refreshments and snacks weren’t free) and sat down quickly, three distinctive copies of Ten Sweet Lessons on the table in front of them.

The atmosphere was completely different to the last meeting. There was no air of boredom, tapping of feet or heavy sighs. Everyone sat bolt upright and eager to begin. There was a buzz in the air, and it was as though everyone couldn’t wait to start.

There was, however, no sign of Reggie.

‘Have you heard from him, Estelle?’ asked Sue.

‘No, I haven’t,’ she replied, coming over to sit with them and placing her own copy of Ten Sweet Lessons on the table.

‘I wonder if he’s going to show up.’

‘Do you think we scared him off?’ Gracie grinned wickedly.

‘Well, it’s got to be fairly unnerving for the poor boy,’ replied Sue. ‘A nice young man like that, and then he has all us women to contend with. Not to mention the subject matter for this week,’ she finished, tapping the book lightly.

‘He probably didn’t read it,’ Rebecca sniffed dismissively.

‘Or maybe he did and feels intimidated,’ Gracie chimed in. ‘Maybe he didn’t feel he could measure up to the famous Alexander Black.’

‘Mmm, Alexander Black,’ drawled Rebecca, pretending to swoon.

Gracie rolled her eyes. ‘What? That disturbed sicko, with his pathological need to control everything and take advantage of a younger woman?’

‘Yep, that’s the one,’ replied Rebecca with a giggle. ‘He can take advantage of me any time.’

‘Should we just get started?’ wondered Estelle, looking anxiously at the door.

‘Yes, let’s,’ said Gracie. ‘Besides, even if Reggie does turn up, it’s not like he’s going to say anything. He’ll just sit in the corner and makes notes about us.’

‘True,’ Estelle agreed uncomfortably. ‘Although I would like to encourage him to join in if at all possible. It seems a waste otherwise.’

‘And it could be good to get a man’s perspective on these things,’ added Sue. ‘See if Ten Sweet Lessons is as much of a turn-on for men as it is for—’ She broke off suddenly, flushing as she realised that she’d just revealed more information than she intended to.

‘Well, it sounds as though you enjoyed the book,’ Estelle smiled, unable to help herself. ‘What did everyone else think?’

There was a burst of noise, as everyone began speaking at once, and Estelle laughed, holding up her hand for silence. ‘This is a little different to the last session!’

‘This was so much more exciting than Tess of the D’Urbervilles,’ Rebecca grinned.

‘It was certainly wilder, but I don’t know if you can compare it to a classic like that,’ objected Sue.

‘They both feature women being oppressed – whether by societal norms in Tess, or physical subjugation in Ten Sweet Lessons. Why can’t anybody write a book about strong women?’ Gracie complained.

‘Great everyone, that’s really interesting,’ cut in Estelle, feeling like a referee. Everyone was so eager to speak; she instinctively felt she’d done the right thing by choosing such a controversial book. ‘So given everything that’s just been said, why do you think Ten Sweet Lessons has proved to be so popular? Rebecca?’

‘Sex,’ she blurted out.

‘Absolutely. Sex sells,’ agreed Gracie. ‘Whether the book is of any quality or not doesn’t matter. It sells on notoriety alone.’

‘Oh, come on Gracie, you must have enjoyed it a little bit,’ Rebecca pressed. ‘You’d have to be dead from the waist down not to read about all that spanking and sexy stuff without feeling some urges of your own. I don’t know about anyone else, but I wanted to jump on my husband every time he walked through the door.’

‘I have to admit, it made me thoroughly envious,’ Sue admitted. ‘I didn’t know that most of that sort of thing went on, let alone have the opportunity to try it.’

‘It’s great, isn’t it?’ Estelle enthused. ‘It’s as though Ten Sweet Lessons has suddenly made it okay to read this sort of novel. It makes you feel very naughty for doing it, but that’s part of the appeal.’

‘I know! I read it on the bus,’ Rebecca agreed. ‘More than once I found myself sitting looking at everyone else, hoping they couldn’t tell what I was thinking. It’s like having a sexy secret.’

‘I also found it quite frustrating,’ confessed Sue. ‘It made me realise what I’d been missing out on all these years, and wondering if that’s what everyone else was getting up to while I’d been – if I may speak frankly – lying back and thinking of England.’

‘Well my ex and I never did anything like that,’ Estelle admitted, marvelling at how openly the women were speaking in front of each other. ‘Although maybe we’d still be married if we had! You know, spiced things up a little,’ she finished ruefully, thinking of what Ted had said about him and Leila.

‘It’s given me a few ideas,’ Rebecca giggled.

‘I just don’t get what the big deal is,’ Gracie protested. ‘It’s not like we’ve never read about sex before, so why is this book so popular?’

‘I think it’s the novelty factor,’ Rebecca said thoughtfully. ‘I mean, I’ve never read anything like this before, and it wouldn’t have occurred to me to pick it up unless everyone else was raving about it. But it’s made it acceptable – mainstream even – to read erotica.’

‘How about you, Sue?’ asked Estelle. ‘What did you make of it?’

‘Well, like Rebecca said, I’ve never read anything quite like this before,’ Sue replied, fiddling self-consciously with her necklace. ‘I mean, obviously it’s very graphic in parts. And this whole idea of pleasure and pain – that’s something I’ve never really considered. Some of the content really was extreme and shocking. But ultimately, I think the book’s appeal comes from the fact that, at its heart, it’s a simple love story. A romance almost.’

‘Ahh, I love a good romantic spank on the bottom,’ sighed Rebecca, making everyone laugh.

‘But it is an interesting point, Sue,’ Estelle continued. ‘Is it actually erotica? Is it just a romance novel with added sex scenes? Or is it nothing more than porn?’

At that moment, the door opened. Reggie walked through, just as Estelle was finishing her sentence. As he heard the word ‘porn’, a slow blush spread across his face, burning from his neck all the way up to his forehead. ‘Um … I …’ he began, looking like he could happily have turned around and run as fast as he could away from Cafe Crumb.

‘Reggie!’ Estelle called out, as the other women immediately fell quiet, their previous openness deserting them. Somehow, discussing their urges and fantasies in front of Reggie wasn’t quite the same. ‘You’re here! How lovely that you came back. We’re all very pleased to see you. Now sit down,’ Estelle told him, standing up and pulling out a chair. ‘What can I get you to eat? I’m afraid you’ll have to pay for it this week.’

‘I’ll just have a tea …’ he began. ‘And a piece of whatever cake you’ve got left.’

‘Two sugars in your tea, is that right?’

‘Yes, that’s right,’ Reggie agreed, still looking terrified as he set his bag down on the floor and pulled out his own well-thumbed copy of Ten Sweet Lessons.

‘You read it!’ Rebecca exclaimed in shock.

‘Yes,’ Reggie mumbled. ‘Just for research – for the book club, I mean,’ he explained quickly, as Gracie sniggered. ‘Not for any other kind of research.’

‘We didn’t think you’d come back,’ Gracie challenged him, as Estelle shot her a sharp look.

‘I almost didn’t,’ Reggie admitted. ‘But … you know … for the sake of my thesis …’

‘Right,’ Gracie nodded, a teasing glint in her eye. ‘You’re very dedicated.’

‘We were just talking about how to categorise Ten Sweet Lessons,’ Estelle explained. ‘About whether it’s romance, or erotica …’

‘Or porn,’ put in Gracie helpfully.

‘Yes, thank you, Gracie,’ smiled Estelle. ‘What do you think Reggie? Or do you have any thoughts on the book in general?’

‘Um …’ He looked horrified to be put on the spot. ‘I didn’t know women liked this sort of thing. I mean, it’s so popular. Is this really what everyone out there’s reading?’

‘I’m not!’ Grace burst out. ‘I thought it was offensive, misogynistic, badly-written tripe.’

‘Don’t hold back Gracie,’ Estelle couldn’t resist teasing her.

‘The whole premise of the book is just horrible!’ Gracie burst out. ‘You’ve got this young woman – Christina Cox – who’s willing to do anything Alexander Black says. To debase herself in any way, and go through the “ten sweet lessons” to ultimate submission. It’s simply not a good message to be putting out there – that violence towards women is acceptable.’

‘But it’s her choice,’ Rebecca protested. ‘If anything, she’s the one in control. Any power that Alexander Black has over her comes from what she gives him. I think it’s a really sexy idea.’

‘I disagree,’ Gracie shot back. ‘It’s not her choice at all. She only goes along with the spanking and shackles to please him; because she loves him, and hopes she can change him. The relationship is entirely on his terms.’

‘Well I liked it,’ Rebecca said firmly. ‘And I think you’re reading far too much into it. It’s just a fun bit of escapism.’

‘Well, if BDSM is your idea of fun …’ Gracie smirked.

‘I didn’t mean it like that!’ Rebecca blushed.

‘And it’s totally unrealistic,’ Gracie continued. ‘Nobody has that many … I mean, not like … not that many times … it’s just not possible …’ she finished, as everyone began giggling once more.

‘Now come on, everyone,’ Estelle managed, through her own laughter. ‘We’re all grown-ups here.’

‘But isn’t that the point, Gracie?’ Rebecca continued. ‘It’s escapism. It’s bigger than real life – if you’ll pardon the pun. Everyone knows that whereas men get turned on visually, women need something more …’

‘So it is porn,’ Gracie declared triumphantly.

‘I think it’s more like a fairytale,’ cut in Sue. ‘You have the handsome, rich, older man living alone in his mansion like some storybook prince, and he rescues the young, pretty woman and whisks her off to an amazing life that’s far removed from her everyday drudgery. It’s a classic fairytale.’

‘It’s certainly not what I dreamed of when I was growing up,’ Gracie quipped. ‘Being handcuffed to the bed and whipped until my bottom bled … hardly the stuff little girls dream of.’

‘Yes, but who knew it could produce such earth-shattering orgasms?’ Rebecca deadpanned.

Reggie stood up so quickly he almost knocked his chair over. ‘Estelle, could you tell me where the toilets are, please?’

‘Certainly. They’re just in that back corner, over there,’ she indicated, as Reggie practically sprinted across the cafe to escape.

‘Oops, do you think I scared him off?’ Rebecca whispered guiltily.

‘He’ll be climbing out of the toilet window as we speak,’ Sue added wickedly.

‘Maybe now would be a good time to have a little break,’ Estelle suggested. ‘Anyone for a top-up?’

The others murmured their assent, getting up from the table and ordering a fresh round of coffee and cakes. Estelle was delighted as the money dropped with a chink into the till, and the conversation didn’t stop while the women were queuing.

‘All I’m saying,’ Gracie was explaining earnestly to Rebecca, ‘is that the heroine – Christina – was like a wet dish cloth. She was so annoying. At times I just wanted to give her a good slap.’

‘I think she might have enjoyed that,’ Rebecca grinned. ‘Honestly Gracie, I think you’re getting far too worked up about it. Have some more cake,’ she suggested, taking a large bite out of hers.

‘What about Alexander Black?’ asked Estelle, as she sat down again. ‘What do we all think of him?’

‘Mmm, I think I’d give everything I own for one night with Alexander Black,’ Rebecca raved. ‘He’s such a sexy character. So manly and masterful.’

Gracie looked disgusted. ‘I think he has major issues, and shouldn’t be allowed near women, personally.’

‘But imagine having a man who adored you that much,’ Rebecca began dreamily. ‘Someone who worships the very ground you walk on, all his energy and passion and desire focused on you, as the sole object of his lust …’

Gracie snorted derisively. ‘I’d rather not be treated like an object, thank you very much.’

‘I have to say, I agree more with Rebecca,’ Sue admitted. ‘Alexander is a rich, powerful man with a commanding presence, and I think that most of us ladies find that attractive. Especially these days, when more and more women are building successful careers and forging ahead in so many areas, sometimes – and it’s not fashionable to admit it – you want to be with a man who can take charge and really be in control.’

‘Very interesting, Sue,’ Estelle nodded. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’ She turned, as Reggie crept sheepishly back across the room and slunk back into his seat.

‘Don’t worry, Reggie,’ Estelle smiled. ‘You didn’t miss very much. Although Sue did make a very interesting point about career women wanting a man who can dominate them. What do you think to that? Has that been your experience?’ she asked, hoping to draw him into the discussion.

Reggie’s eyes seemed to widen behind his glasses, as he looked anxiously at each woman in turn. He swallowed nervously, but his throat felt constricted, and he took a soothing sip of tea before he spoke.

‘I mean, it can certainly be very intimidating for a man … if that’s what women want,’ he began, nodding towards the book. ‘Someone who’s very confident and … so on. We can’t all be like Alexander Black, I’m afraid,’ he finished, his tone apologetic. In spite of his large frame, he seemed to physically shrink as he spoke, disappearing under the penetrating gaze of the women.

‘We don’t all want an Alexander Black, you know,’ Gracie retorted. ‘And what’s wrong with having normal sex? Why do fantasies always seem to involve all this weird, fetish stuff?’

‘I’ll make you a badge for next week – “Vanilla and Proud”.’ Rebecca teased, making quote marks in the air with her fingers.

Gracie stuck her tongue out in retaliation.

‘Thank you, ladies,’ Estelle said firmly, bringing their exchange to an end. ‘And thank you, Reggie,’ she continued in a softer tone, thrilled that he’d actually made a contribution. ‘Well I think that just about wraps us up here. Does anyone have any final thoughts?’

There was a moment’s pause then Sue began to speak. ‘Being a little bit older than most of you – well, all of you,’ she smiled, looking round, ‘I think I would make the point that it’s all been done before. Every generation thinks they’re the one to discover sex, and they all reinvent it in a slightly different way. In the eighties, it was all about the big, glossy airport novels – you know, the Jackie Collins-type bonkbuster. And then in the nineties, the craze was for true life confessions – whether French housewives or high-class call girls.

‘When I was very young, there was all that hoo-hah about Lady Chatterley’s Lover, as it was finally allowed to be published after having been banned for obscenity. But if you read it now, it’s so tame as to be laughable, almost. It’s certainly nothing like Ten Sweet Lessons.’

‘I’ve never read Lady Chatterley’s Lover,’ Rebecca admitted.

‘Me neither,’ said Estelle.

‘I always imagined it would be absolutely filthy, but is that not the case?’ Rebecca questioned Sue.

‘Well, it does have its moments,’ she conceded. ‘I think the language was one of the most shocking things in it, back then.’

‘Why don’t we make that our next book club read?’ Estelle burst out, with a flash of inspiration. ‘Then we could compare it to Ten Sweet Lessons, and see how the language and the styles vary. Plus it’d be a great excuse to read one of the classics.’

‘I think it’s a fantastic idea, Estelle,’ Rebecca backed her up.

‘Thank you, Rebecca. What do you think, Gracie?’

Gracie pursed her lips, looking mutinous. ‘As long as it’s not another soppy woman being subjugated by a man with issues.’

A smile twitched at the corners of Estelle’s mouth. ‘I’m sure there’ll be more to it than that, if we look deeply enough. Reggie, does Lady Chatterley suit you?’

‘That’s fine … whatever you want. As I say, I’m largely here in an observational capacity, so …’ he trailed off.

‘Well I’m glad we’re all in agreement,’ beamed Estelle. ‘So the next meeting will be in two weeks’ time, and the book we’ll be discussing is Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Make sure you come armed with plenty of thoughts and opinions, and I’ll see you all in a fortnight.’

As everyone filed out of the door and Estelle locked up behind them, she couldn’t keep the smile from her face, a warm glow of satisfaction stealing over her. Tonight had been a success! There had been discussion and debate, whilst the meeting itself had been lively and friendly. And she’d made a small profit.

She could hardly wait to get stuck into Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Estelle had enjoyed Ten Sweet Lessons immensely, half-thrilled and half-terrified by the sensations it had stirred within her – sensations she’d thought were long gone, and had doubted she might never experience again. And now the group was moving on to one of the most famous pieces of erotic literature ever written, one renowned for its explicit love scenes and scandalous use of language. She couldn’t wait to see what the next meeting would bring!