Never Forget (Memories)

prickly vibrator, right?''
    I snort. ''A prickly vibrator?''
    ''Yeah. All buzzy but with a little pain.'' Jen shrugs.
    ''Should I be alarmed you're referring getting a tattoo to a prickly vibrator?'' I look at her sideways and we step onto the bus.
    ''No.'' She hands over our tickets. ''This is me.''
    ''You make a very good point there,'' I laugh and sit down.
    ''Well, yeah.''
    My phone pings at me and I take it out of my pocket.
    Are you on your way back yet? Xx
    Just got on the bus, I reply. Why, are you missing me? Xx
    Always. Xx
    I smile slightly and put my phone away.
    ''He's like a dog on heat,'' Jen laughs.
    ''A dog on heat?'' I cover my mouth but my eyes give me away.
    ''Yep. Has it once and then wham, that's it, he needs it every day. If it gets too much, just remind him he has a right hand.''
    I close my eyes and laugh into my hand. ''A right hand?'' I choke out.
    ''Well yeah.'' I look over at Jen and she makes the motion with her hand. ''He's capable of it, I'm sure.''
    I take a couple of quick breaths and fan my face. ''Oh, Jen.''
    ''What?'' She blinks at me and shrugs. ''I'm just sayin'.''
    She glances at me and smiles. She laughs, starting me off. We spend the next ten minutes of the bus journey laughing.
    ''Does Alec know you were getting a tattoo?'' Jen looks at me suspiciously.
    ''No,'' I half-smile. ''I told him I was going to buy some new underwear.''
    She grins. ''And what did he say?''
    ''He swallowed a few times, stuttered, then told me to have fun.''
    ''Oh dear.'' She pushes the stop button and we climb off outside Cara's. Cara waves through the window and we push the door of the empty shop open.
    ''Have fun, girls?'' she asks, putting a strawberry ice cream and a chocolate one in front of us. ''My treat.''
    ''No,'' Jen protests. ''And yes, we did.''
    ''I insist,'' Cara winks at me. ''Good. Did you.. buy anything nice?'' She grins suggestively at me.
    ''I can't believe you just asked that question,'' I hear Carl say. ''It's wrong on any number of levels.''
    ''Well, did you?'' Alec runs his hands down my arms.
    ''Maybe.'' Me and Jen grin at each other.
    ''I don't see any bags,'' Carl states, scratching his head. ''Doesn't shopping with you two usually involve an unhealthy amount of carrier bags?''
    ''Meh.'' Jen shrugs and perches on one of the tall stools at the counter. ''Sometimes. Sometimes we can spend a lot and not have a whole lot to show for it.'' Her eyes twinkle.
    Alec turns to Carl. ''Is it just me, mate, or are we missing something?''
    Cara clears her throat and grins. ''Frog in my throat.''
    ''Something that even Muv is in on.'' Carl shakes his head. ''We should just leave the fairy princesses to their ice cream and go to the pub.''
    ''Fairy princesses? Do I look like something out of the fucking Nutcracker?'' Jen turns on the stool and raises her eyebrows at him. I purse my lips and smile.
    ''No, no, baby,'' Carl soothes. ''I just meant you're.. er.. magical.''
    I laugh out loud and slap my hand over my mouth. ''Sorry. But magical?'' My eyebrows shoot up to under my hairline.
    ''Yeah, really?'' Alec leans on the counter. ''Explain yourself outta that one, boyo.''
    ''Fine,'' Carl turns back to Jen and tilts her face up to his. ''You're magical because your beauty enchants me, and you've cast a spell over me so strong I can't possibly break away from it.''
    Jen looks at him, not saying anything. I see a muscle in her jaw twitch. I bite my tongue.
    ''You know, Carl,'' she says, touching his cheek. ''You've said some crazy things to me in two years, but in all my life have I never heard anything remotely like that. I have to say, baby, that is by far the worst line in the history of the world.''
    Alec throws his head back, laughing and I hide my face in my hands.
    Carl leans forward and whispers something in her ear and for the first time, I see Jen blush. She coughs and shoves him off her.
    ''Damn boy,'' she mutters. Carl smiles smugly and wraps his arms around her waist.
    ''If you wanna talk dirty to your girl, Carl Joseph, you do it away from your mother.'' Cara scolds him and flicks the back of his head with a dishcloth.
    His mouth opens and closes a few times. ''Fine, then we'll take it outside.'' He grabs Jen's hand and pulls her from the stool. She squeals and waves as he drags her outside.
    ''That's them entertained for the afternoon.'' Alec chuckles and puts his mouth by my ear. ''I can think-''
    ''Same for you, Alec Johnson,'' Cara says without turning from her cleaning.