Excerpt of London Broil by Linnet Moss

Cutting her pizza with a knife and fork, and taking a
tentative taste, she said, "Oh, this is good. The wood-fired
oven gave it lots of charred spots."

"I think I can feel the heat from here," he said.

"Since you're so handy," she continued, "I want you to check
the showerhead in my bath too. The... passage inside it
seems partly blocked. It needs to be thoroughly reamed out.
I'm sure you'll have the right tool."

He shook his head at her, but then added, as though he
couldn't help himself, "Any other jobs around the flat in
urgent need of attention?" He took a long pull off his
Bethnal ale, without removing his eyes from her.

"Just one more. There's a little nail sticking out of the
wall, only a little one, you understand, but it's been
bothering me night and day. It needs to be pounded hard, and
I know you have a big hammer." She took another bite of
pizza margherita and looked across at him, smiling as she
chewed. Was he actually blushing?

"Laura," he began in an ominous voice, but she got up
suddenly and excused herself. In the restroom she checked
her makeup, combed her fingers through her hair, and going
into a stall, removed her panties. She folded them into a
small square and palmed them. As she squeezed back past him,
she slipped her hand into his jacket pocket and left them
there. Settling herself on the banquette, she watched as he
pulled them out of his pocket and then hastily shoved them
back in, looking up at her with a priceless expression. And
then, he sat up straighter and pretended to be eating while
he fingered the panties. She noted the exact moment when he
felt how damp they were.