by Chloe Liese
“That he does,” Gianno agreed. “The last few times I saw you, Zeddo, your shirt was covered in shit, and your hair looked like you’d stuck your finger in an electric socket.”
“Gee, thanks, Gianno. Nice to see you too,” Zed grumbled, combing his fingers through his wet hair. Shaking his head to the side, he wiggled his finger in his ear to get water out of it.
Nairne laughed as she handed Jamie over. “Da, that’s not nice. Zed’s been incredible—he’s taken Jamie every moment he’s not training or at a match, so I could get right back to work and research. Be kind.”
Nairne was a brilliant biomedical engineer, determined to create vaccines that would eradicate diseases that ravaged developing nations. Her work was her great love, right behind Zed and Jamie, and maybe a few other lucky souls, like me.
Nairne’s eyes raked over Zed once more as she slid her arms in her crutches and stood up. “You look sinful, Zed.”
He walked her way and slipped an arm around her waist.
“Thanks, innamorata, so do you. This dress…” He whistled quietly, planting a kiss on her lips.
“All right, all right, get out of here, innamorati, and go take the birthday girl out on the town.” Gianno stood with Jamie in one arm and shooed us out toward the back door.
“Bottles are in the fridge, top right,” Zed called over his shoulder, shrugging on his jacket.
“Yes, Zed,” Gianno sighed. Jamie babbled and sucked his fingers.
Zed opened the back door for us to go ahead of him. “And don’t turn the bottle warmer too high or it makes the breastmilk break and taste funny—trust me, I tried it once. It’s foul.”
“Yes, Zed.” Gianno walked up to the door, nodding in understanding.
“And make sure you leave both arms out of the swaddler, or he wakes up pissed as hell that he can’t find his fingers—”
“Dio, Zed. Yes, yes, go.” Gianno all but shoved Zed out the door and shut it in our faces.
Zed frowned, his bottom lip stuck out. “I didn’t get to kiss him goodbye.”
The door wrenched open, Jamie stuck out in the air from Gianno’s arms, and Zed’s face morphed to one of joy. He planted a kiss on Jamie’s forehead, then little lips, before he leaned in and gave him a massive raspberry right in his neck that made Jamie squeal in delight.
“Now get out of here and be safe!” Gianno chided, shutting the door once again.
Nairne was ahead of us, halfway to their garage. “Want me to drive?” she called.
“No!” we both yelled. Zed jogged ahead of her, keys in hand.
“Remember, Nairne, we want Elodie to arrive alive and not having pissed herself for her birthday dinner.”
“Arseholes,” Nairne muttered.
Zed walked backward, grinning widely. “Call it self-preservation, fragolina. It’s nothing personal, right, El?”
I shrugged and tried not to laugh.
“Some friend you are,” Nairne grumbled as she settled into the front seat and handed me her arm crutches.
I took them, then patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Ma fille, do you remember the last time I tried to drive us somewhere?” We both erupted in laughter. “I’m not one to talk. Let’s just let Zed be our chauffeur and enjoy the night.”
Nairne smiled back. “Fair enough. Drive on, Jeeves!” she hollered.
Zed sped us into the night, windows cracked, our laughter marrying with the warm early autumn air.
We pulled up to a vibrantly lit building, the valet desk right in front. Its facade was old, with colorful, modern lights strung about. Joie de Vivre was written in large, illuminated letters across the building’s roof, and music thumped softly from the door as the doorman drew it open for us.
“What is this place?” I asked.
Zed looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. “You remember Remington from Boxing Day at our house, right? Lucas’s buddy from their Man United days, and now he’s one of my coaches at Arsenal?”
I nodded, still taking in the club’s eclectic design, curiosity mounting as we approached it. “How could I forget? Such a bizarre name.”
“Yeah, well, he’s a bizarre guy,” Zed said. “This is his place.”
Nairne examined the exterior before peering inside the entrance. “Place seems aptly named. Looks like a good time’s being had in there.”
Nairne and Zed entered ahead of me, but when I made to follow, I was stopped by a tall figure hidden in the shadow of the entranceway.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Lucas said softly, stepping into the evening air and giving me a gentle hug. “God, I missed you. That was absolute piss back at work.”
“Loulou.” I squeezed him back, reaching for a kiss, which he gave me, deep and full of longing. Finally, I pulled away and ran a hand through his hair. It was a little in disarray, like he’d been tugging at it, a tell of his unease. Even nervous, his silvery-sage eyes sparkled like the stars behind him in the night sky.
“I’m sorry it was so bad,” I said. “I wish you would have let me stay and help.”
“No.” Lucas kissed me on the forehead and turned us back toward the entrance. “That would not do. I barely tolerated you coming into work at all on your birthday. Had to draw the line somewhere. Elodie—” He stopped us abruptly and looked down at me. “You know I’m mad for you, right? I love and adore you.”
Squeezing his waist in my arm, I stared up at him affectionately. “Of course.”
He hugged me hard. “And you’re mad for me too, right?”
“You know I am, Lucas. I love you. I tell you that every day. Why are you saying this?”
“I just want you to hold on tight to that feeling after we walk in.” He took a step, but I held steady, which yanked him back.
“Why? What’s going on?”
Lucas bit his lip and groaned. “Best I just come out with it. Right, well, Mum may have got word that I was planning to close down Joie tonight and have the place to ourselves. Remington was all for it, and I had everything in place. But Remington’s mum, who still lives next door, had to walk over for tea, open her fat yap, and tell my mum as much. Which meant that then my mum decided it was only fitting that she invite everyone and their great uncle to your birthday.”
My stomach flip-flopped as I started to back away. “Oh, no, Lucas, I can’t…”
Lucas lunged forward, catching me. “Wait, El.” He sighed, tugging at his hair. “I’m exaggerating…I’m just irate with Mother. It’s really only some family and friends, but I know you’re not a lover of crowds or meeting new people, so I’m sorry for that, especially on your birthday. I just wanted you to know it’s not my fault, and please don’t ban me from your bed tonight for subjecting you to this.”
I laughed at his dramatic plea. “I like you in my bed far too much to do that, Loulou.”
“Thank God.” He sighed, pulling me against him as we started to stroll in. “I am sorry, Elodie, and I’ll make it up to you. A quiet night, just you and me, okay?”
Right as we stepped inside, I was met with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday!” A sea of faces, some familiar, some not, but all smiling, brought unbidden tears to my eyes, and my hands flew up to cover my face.
Lucas gripped my shoulder, and he leaned to whisper in my ear, “You okay?”
I nodded, dropping my hands and smiling through my tears as people clapped and hooted. “Yes, Lucas, I think I am.”
Then I left him in my wake, my heart open and grateful for the love they had to give.
Twenty-One
Lucas
“Think she’s enjoying herself?” Kai shouted in my ear.
Music blasted loudly, lights flashing, and the floor was packed with people. My gran was putting some highly inappropriate moves on Remington, who didn’t seem to mind, and catching Mum and Dad’s gyrations made my tapas climb up my throat. I shuddered, turning toward Kai as my eyes landed on Elodie nearby. She danced freely, gorgeous chestnut curls bouncing around her bare shoulders as she raised h
er arms, cocktail in hand. Her head fell back as she laughed and then leaned toward my sister, who whispered conspiratorially with her.
She wore a black, strapless dress, high at her chest but featuring a torturously revealing cutout that exposed her bare midriff. The skirt of it flared at her full hips, swaying with that fantastic arse which I’d watched, mesmerized, all night. Gold bangles slid along her arms as they writhed in the air, and her familiar necklace danced across her collarbone, reminding me how I’d dragged my tongue across it countless times on my way down to right between her thighs.
I clinked bottles with Kai before we both took long pulls of our beer. “Yes, I would say she most certainly is.” Just then Remington’s brother stepped up to Elodie, placing a hand on the bare expanse of her waist and starting to move with her as she continued to laugh and dance with Sarah. “Perhaps a little too much.”
I frowned, stepping away from Kai, who chuckled. Easy for him to laugh.
“Oi, hands off.” I shoved Griffin away half-playfully. He looked cranky for a minute before he recognized me.
“Lukey Dukey!” he hollered. Obnoxious twat. That’s what you get for keeping up with your childhood neighbors—childhood names. “Is she yours?” He started to playfully dance back toward Elodie, who drew deeply from her straw and smiled in amusement. “Ain’t she a bit too refined for the likes of you?”
I shoved him back again. “Yes, she absolutely is, which is why you shouldn’t even be breathing near her. Now run off, Griff, before I lose my sense of humor.”
Griffin looked glum. Then—quicker than I could process—he lunged forward, pecked her on her cheek, and sprinted off, calling back to her, “Happy Birthday, Ellie!”
Elodie laughed, snorting softly as she shook her head. Her hips just didn’t stop, undulating to the rhythm of the music, and I stood there, transfixed by their movement. “You’re staring, Loulou,” she muttered around her straw.
“Yes, well, you rather tend to have that effect on me.” I pulled her close and nearly shot my load as she ground into me. Wracking my brain for anything to keep the imminent at bay, my eye caught Griff in the crowd, now putting the moves on poor Nairne. Zed was there instantly, shoving him off and smacking him upside the head.
“What’s with you?” I glanced down at her. “Griff called you Ellie, and all you did was smile like an angel. If he were Pierce or Harry, you would have flattened him.”
Elodie shrugged as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “He’s cute. Like a puppy. It doesn’t bother me, coming from him. I just strongly dislike Pierce and Harry. Anything that leaves their mouths makes me want to throat punch them.”
She swayed in my arms, the scent of her sweat and that jasmine perfume hitting me hard and making everything south of my stomach ache even more. Christ, I was dying for her. She pressed against me, biting her lip, and it was just about more than I thought I could handle.
“Are you trying to make me maul you on this dance floor, Elodie, in front of all these poor people?”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “No, Lucas, I’m just enjoying dancing with you.” She smiled, her eyes traveling over me appreciatively. “You’re impossible to resist, mon gran, you look so handsome, and you smell really good,” she muttered, leaning against my shirt, and breathing in deeply.
I smirked at her. “Mon gran. Big guy, eh? Now that’s more like it.” She sucked her straw suggestively and smiled at me as she continued torturing me at the edge of the bloody dance floor. “Elodie, are you a little tipsy, love?”
She leaned back and seemed a bit unsteady. Then she grinned wide at me while she completely ignored my question. “I love you, all disheveled from work.” She sighed, running her hand along my side and up my chest. “Like the big, important executive man.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Oh, now I’m sure you’re pissed. That’s the least feminist thing you’ve ever said.”
She laughed, bright and long, her head dropping back before it fell forward again. “I may be a little bit drunk, oui.”
“And she needs another,” Sarah hollered, encroaching in our space as she shoved a drink under Elodie’s nose. Elodie accepted it with glee, hooking an arm around Sar’s neck and starting to suck down the new cocktail swiftly.
“Christ,” I muttered, connecting my palm to Sarah’s forehead, and applying enough pressure to back her up slightly. “Once an annoying little sister, always an annoying little sister.”
“Oh, sod off, Lukey. You’re just sour because you have to share her,” Sarah snarked. Wrapping her arm around Elodie’s waist, she turned her, and they began dancing together. Sarah leaned in toward Elodie, glancing my way. “He always was shite at sharing. Never wanted to let us have anything of his.”
“I can confirm that,” Kai piped up, stepping on the other side of Elodie and dancing behind her. Elodie spun around inside them, happy as the day is long while I stood, privately delighted with watching my two siblings enjoy her.
“You’re ridiculously gorgeous, just like he said,” Sarah yelled over the music, making Elodie blush and laugh. “Seriously.” She turned toward me. “It’s unfair how beautiful French women are. I bet you she doesn’t use a lick of face cream, eats her body’s weight in butter, takes brisk strolls as her only form of exercise, and just woke up like this. Whereas I need a biweekly facial, the keto diet, and a bloody personal trainer just so I don’t look like the inside of a handbag.”
Kai and I both scoffed, rolling our eyes. “Sarah,” I said on a sigh, “shut up. You’ve had the lads wrapped around your finger since we could walk.” Wedging myself between them, I drew Elodie into my arms.
“He’s right, Sar,” Kai said. “It’s not becoming. You’re a catch, and you know it. Poor Ollie’s still lovesick for you, sad chap.” Kai took a long pull from his beer and gestured toward Oliver, who stood nearby, looking desperately over at Sar. I’d say that had more to do with the fact that Uncle Stanford had cornered him, the cranky old goat of Tory, but all the same, everyone knew Sarah and Ollie were over the moon for each other.
I laughed at poor Oliver, whose face brightened in relief when Sarah caught his eye and gestured him to come over. “I would say that description of Elodie is accurate—she is effortlessly this beautiful. And we go through as much butter in one week as I used to in a month.”
She gasped, smacking me, and turning their way. “That’s not true. I take care, and we eat very well.”
Sarah and Kai laughed, as Ollie joined and threaded his arm round Sarah’s waist, kissing her deeply. I still had to suppress the long-trained urge to punch a bloke who stuck his tongue down my baby sister’s throat like that. Incredibly, he just kept going at her. I still had a limit.
“Enough already,” I snapped.
“Fuck off, Edwards,” Oliver said, smacking lips with Sarah. “I’ve knocked her up three times now, and I’m not promising I’m done. One of these days you’re going to have to deal with the fact that your sister and I—”
“God’s sake, don’t say another word,” I begged. “Just keep it less pornographic in front of her brothers, would you?”
Ollie grinned in his good-natured way. He’d gone through a bit of a hazing, thanks to Kai and me, when he courted Sarah, sort of like Special Forces training that involves simulating drowning and surviving without food and shelter for a fortnight. Ollie pulled through it all though, with a small smirk on his face and his eyes set sure on Sarah. That had been enough for Kai and me.
He leaned down and this time chastely kissed Sarah’s cheek, as Kai took a drink of his beer and pulled an absurd dance move. In that moment, I was stunned by how natural and perfect this felt, seeing the people I loved falling madly in love with Elodie, just as I had. This room, full of ridiculous souls, loud laughter, and cheery conversation. The moment felt right, perfectly and utterly right.
Glancing down at Elodie, I gently took her drink in hand and promptly threw its remainder back, in one swift gulp. The burn of gin and the sharp tang of lime t
ook over, reviving me as I pulled her close. She stared up at me and frowned. “You took my drink, Loulou. That’s not nice.”
I laughed, kissing her as the taste of our shared cocktail mingled with our tongues, cool from the ice. “I needed it much more than you, I think.”
She pouted, and I turned her a bit, so I could see her clearly in a spotlight.
“Elodie, how drunk would you say you are?”
She glanced up, thinking. “Marginally. It wouldn’t be safe for me to drive, but I can walk kind of straight, and not piss myself. How’s that?”
I fought a laugh. Catching a little curl that had fallen on her forehead, I twirled it in my fingers. “Not, say, so inebriated that you’d agree to something tonight and regret it tomorrow?”
“Maybe if I agreed to a whole round of shots, but other than that, no. I’m of sound mind, Loulou, you don’t need to worry.” She smiled, taking my gesture and bopping me lightly on the nose with her finger.
Nerves settled in, but I was no stranger to them. That’s a bonus of playing as an athlete in the most competitive circles for so long—you learn that nerves are your friend, not your enemy.
“Isn’t this just the most wonderful party?” Mum cried, tumbling into our group and hugging Elodie ferociously. “You are so darling, Ellie, I just couldn’t stand the thought of a quiet little evening to celebrate your day—you’re so lively and beautiful, and happy and fun—you needed a party like this!” Mum beamed, glancing around.
Elodie smiled, hugging my mum back and kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you, Charli. Lucas told me you put it together. I feel so loved.”
Mum waved her off bashfully. “Oh, it was nothing. I had a few favors to call in anyway, and it all fell perfectly into place, didn’t it, Lukey?”
I was distracted with my impending plans, and Mum had to call my name again. “Sorry, what? Oh yes, perfectly,” I said, topped off with a smile. Hopefully I’d covered myself.
Kai snorted and shook his head. “You’re an oaf sometimes, you know?”
