Getting Under Nathan

14: "Everyone has secrets."

Chapter 14 - "Everyone has secrets."

"So are you buying Nathan anything for your anniversary?" Shaun asked me.

We were all sitting together in the kitchen, having ordered an Indian takeaway. Most of it was finished but I was still dipping the remains of my peshwari naan bread into any available sauce and Jack was finishing off everyone's leftover chicken.

"No," I replied to Shaun. "We talked about it and Nathan said anniversaries should be about the romance, not the gifts."

"I'm sure if you put out then that'll be a big enough gift for him," Jack stated.

Normally I'd have said something suggestive back to him, as a joke, but I didn't feel comfortable talking that way in front of the other flatmates. They didn't quite get the banter between Jack and me.

"Why don't you buy yourself some sexy underwear?" Hayley suggested. She was sitting in the corner, texting away on her mobile phone, probably talking to one of the many guys she was stringing along. "Then it's a gift for you, and definitely a gift for him."

"True," Jack agreed. "Big N will definitely appreciate that."

"How would you know what he appreciates?" I shot back.

"He told me," Jack smirked, winking.

"Liar."

Jack chuckled. "Seriously though, Izzy. You can't go wrong."

He was probably right, but I didn't know whether it was really my style. Nathan and I may be venturing into the realms of exploring sex, but I wasn't quite sure that I was ready to full-on seduce him yet. He'd probably laugh me out of the room.

"We can go underwear shopping," Hayley said, still not looking up from her phone. "I'll help you pick something."

"I'll come," Jack piped up. "You do need a male opinion, after all."

"I'm sure we'll manage," Hayley assured him, glancing across the table and raising her eyebrows in warning.

"What night is your social?" Shaun asked me, suddenly changing the subject.

"Thursday!" Jack practically squealed. "Oh my God, Izzy, I am so excited."

"Are languages socials especially fun or something?" Hayley asked, puzzled at Jack's over-excitement.

"This one will be," Jack grinned. "It's for everyone who's doing languages so there's gonna be loads of people there. And then a boy doing one language gets tied to a girl doing another language. So, like, Izzy and I could end up tied together because she's doing Spanish and I'm doing French."

"Tied together?" Hayley asked. She seemed puzzled but fully interested. Her phone was now her second priority as she focused entirely on what Jack was saying.

"Yeah our wrists get tied together and then we have to spend the whole night in the club together."

"Clearly I'm doing the wrong course," Hayley said with a playful smile. "I bet it would be so easy to pull."

"Exactly," I told Jack. "You don't wanna be paired with me because then I'll just cock-block you all night."

"Babe, I can pull under any circumstances," he assured me, with a cocky smirk on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure you can. When was the last time you pulled?"

"Last Friday," he answered proudly.

I snorted. "When that drunken girl fell onto your mouth? That doesn't count."

"She definitely wanted me."