by Jones,Lesley
“That’s Mel, she’s Luke’s ex so it’s no good you getting your sights set there,” Dick, I mean Declan, said from beside me. I blinked a few times as I processed what he’d just said. Shorty, the girl with that skin and the jiggle thing going on, broke our connection, turned, and walked off through the crowd.
“What’s that, mate?” I knew exactly what he just told me, I just didn’t want it to be true. Luke had told me all about Mel, she was an ex-girlfriend of his that he’d recently recruited to work for us.
I was worried at first that their past could be an issue, but he’d promised me they’d both moved on.
When Luke had first left England to travel, Mel was his girlfriend. She was just finishing up an internship and had promised to wait for him, even promised to meet up with him and spend time wherever he settled, then only three weeks after he left, she was caught by her boss’s wife, sucking her boss’s dick. Turned out, she’d also been fucking the boss’s son. The rumour mill of their small hometown in England swung in to play, and news reached Luke just a few days later.
I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack as my brain processed all the information. My heart beat so hard against the confines of my ribcage that I was convinced I would break a bone . . . damage some cartilage at the very least. I didn’t want her to be Mel, I didn’t want her to be Luke’s ex. I didn’t want her to be the kind of girl that was capable of treating my business partner like that. In fact, the very thought of her fucking or sucking anyone caused such an inexplicably intense ache in my chest it was visceral.
I knocked back the last of the drink and finally let out a long breath.
Jet lag.
That was the only thing I could put my extreme reaction to this girl down to. I didn’t do this, it wasn’t me.
“Luke’s ex. Nice to look at but she’s toxic to touch.” I heard Declan comment from beside me.
“Not a problem, mate. She’s really not my type.”
“Good, coz that would cause all sorts of trouble in paradise, and really mess up your newly established little business venture and partnership.”
I turned and looked at him with a frown. What the fuck was this bloke’s problem? He winked at me before adding, “And Mel’s everyone’s type, but don’t worry about it, your secret’s safe with me.”
I caught the barmaid’s eye and ordered another drink, a double in fact, and turned away from him, choosing to totally ignore what he’d just said.
I picked up our shots and headed back over to where Sasha was standing. I didn’t know what made me do it—an unconscious pull, an urge, something that I just couldn’t fight—I couldn’t explain the reasoning, but it stopped me in my tracks and forced me to look over my shoulder. That was when I saw him.
He was tall, at least six foot. His hair was blond or a very light brown, I couldn't really tell in the lighting of the club, but I could see that it was longer than collar length and pushed back from his face. His eyes were blue, which I was sure of, and they were looking in my direction. Not just looking, but staring intently, piercing.
He saw me. All of me. Every molecule, each and every cell that made me. I just knew he could see every single one.
I shuddered, feeling slightly unnerved by the intensity of his gaze and my body’s response to it.
My heart, my traitorous, treacherous heart didn’t hesitate to give up a piece of itself. After punching its way out of my chest and sprinting at record pace the short distance to where he was standing, it worshipped at his feet for a few short seconds before launching itself into his hands.
I stood and observed, anchored to the spot. Incapable of doing anything more than hope and pray that he would look after that little piece of me that he held. I knew, I just knew with every fibre of my being that it was now his forever. And I didn't even know his name.
It was the realisation that Declan Fox, one of my brother’s acquaintances, was saying something into his ear that had me finally turning away and continuing on my path back to Sasha.
Declan Fox. There was just something about him that had always made my skin crawl. He was a slimy prick who loved no one more than he loved himself, and he was a bit too touchy feely for my liking. He always seemed to invade my personal space when it was completely unnecessary.
“Seriously, Sares, you go to Mexico for that tequila?” Sasha asked. I knew she was only joking but ol’ blue eyed, starey hot bloke from the bar had me feeling all unbalanced.
“You’ve got legs, go get it yourself next time, and we’ll see if you can get served any faster. Now drop your shot and quit your bitching.”
She stared at me for a few seconds, her mouth opening and closing. I was the quiet one out of the pair of us and rarely answered back.
“Since when did you grow balls?”
“Since you’re complaining started to piss me off. There was a queue okay, not my fault.” She looked at me with eyebrows drawn down into a frown, raised her shot glass to mine, and continued to stare me down as we both necked them in unison.
“God I love that stuff.”
“Me too,” I agreed while pulling a face that said otherwise and shuddering.
Silence followed for a few seconds as we sucked on our limes.
“You need to get your leg over, love. That’s why you’ve got the hump tonight.” I most certainly did not disagree with that statement, but I wasn’t about to let her know that.
I dropped my chin and raised my eyebrows, giving her my best are-you-fucking-serious look.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sarah Kathleen Carter. How long’s it been now?”
“Will you hush your noise?” I tried to make it sound like an order instead of a request, as I looked around the night club where my brother’s surprise thirtieth birthday was being held.
Luke, my older brother by eight years, was my rock, my big brother, and my joint best friend next to Sasha. He practically raised me during the first few years of my life.
Luke had slept with me in his bed when I was first born, simply because it was easier for him to feed me during the night. My mother, usually out cold on Valium or whatever else she’d thrown down her neck to escape the reality of her oh so terrible life, would simply sleep through my crying. He was just an eight-year-old boy and was left to take care of a new born.
We got lucky when our grandparents stepped in and raised us, but a lot of the damage was already done.
It was the night before I started school that I finally started sleeping in my own room, almost two years after moving in with Nan and Grandad. I cringe now at the thought of him being thirteen by then and still sharing a room with his little sister. I blush to the roots of my hair when I think back to all the times I burst through the door and caught him doing what thirteen-year-old boys do, or in Luke’s case, what he’d been doing at eleven, twelve, and thirteen. Hands down his boxers, strained look on his flushed face. I assumed for a few years that he had year round hay fever because of the amount of tissues he got through.
In the end, my grandparents promised me a New Kids On The Block themed bedroom that my little five year old heart craved. I just had to promise to sleep in my own bed each night.
The bribery worked. I curled up in my very own bedroom, in my very own bed, wrapped in my NKOTB quilt each night, and fell asleep as I debated whether it was Jordan or Joey I was going to marry.
This left my brother finally having his own room and the privacy to blast out “U Can’t Touch This”, while he probably most certainly was touching this and very probably that too, at the same time as he was looking at pictures of Betty Boo and Kylie Minogue.
Despite our traumatic early years, I had a happy childhood. We weren’t poor, we wanted for nothing. Nan and Grandad, Mai and Archie, were good people, and they loved us unconditionally. Not that I ever really gave them anything to complain about. I never went through a rebellious stage, so I sailed through my teens pretty easily. I was the consummate good girl, not really having a choice with Luke and h
is entourage always looking out for, and checking up on, me.
When I turned sixteen, Luke went off traveling. He’d finished uni, and before settling down and looking for work, which would put his business management and international relations degrees to good use, he decided to see a bit of the world.
For the first couple of years, he just travelled around Europe and would come home for the odd week, or sometimes even a month. It wasn’t until he went further afield to America, Asia, and finally Australia that I became terrified of being left behind and forgotten about, which I’d kept to myself. He’d been there for me throughout my life, holding my hand at all of the important milestones, and we both knew it was time for me to stand on my own two feet.
Despite missing him terribly, Luke leaving was the making of me. I left college, unsure of whether I wanted to go on to university or get a job. I signed up with an agency so that I could earn some money through the summer and make a decision about my future, which was decided for me when I was offered a permanent position in the office of an investment bank in London’s Fleet Street. It wasn’t a graduate or even an under grad position, but the money was good and there were opportunities to work my way up the secretarial ladder, if that was what I wanted.
When I turned twenty, I was earning enough money to be able to move out of my grandparents’ place, allowing them to finally move from the huge four bedroomed detached home that they’d raised us in and buy their dream home in the Suffolk countryside. I, in the meantime, rented a brand spanking new flat in London’s Limehouse with Sasha, who was also working in the city. There was just a ten-minute walk separating our offices, and our new East of the city living location opened up a whole new world for us. No more rushing for trains and an hour and a half commute. We could leave home and be at our desks just twenty minutes later. The bars and night clubs that were filled with investment bankers and traders were now our locals. For two years, we wined, dined, clubbed, and partied our way through life in the city. We had fun, but it wasn’t home. I missed the familiarity of walking into a pub and knowing at least half the people in there, including the bar staff. So when Sasha applied and got a job as an office manager back in our old home town and decided to move back, I knew that life on my own in the city wasn’t what I wanted. I was a homebody. Life in London was fun but on my own, I knew I’d get lonely. I decided to follow Sash, and with the experience I’d gained working for a high-profile company, I quickly landed myself a job as the secretary and personal assistant to the boss of a large car dealership. The money wasn’t as good as I was used to but the rent was a quarter of what we had been paying in London, meaning we were able to afford a three bedroomed house, instead of just a pokey little flat.
Making my return to my hometown complete, just two weeks after we moved into our new place, I received an email from my brother, telling me he was coming home.
Shortly after arriving in Australia, he’d met up with someone in a bar in Sydney whose family had a company that recruited staff for the Australian mining industry. Luke had quickly settled into the Australian way of life and had remained there for four years on a work-sponsored visa. He’d made the trip home just twice in that time, and I’d missed him desperately but totally understood his need to escape, break free and do his own thing without having to worry about me.
But he’d finally returned home to set up his own agency that would recruit British and European engineers looking to move to, or to work in, Australia.
He’d been back for just over a month then, and we had all settled into life back in our old home town. He had stayed in the spare room at my and Sash’s house for the first few weeks. Once he had the kitchen and bathroom in working order at his own place, he’d moved out.
His time away hadn’t changed the bond we shared. He was still my favourite person in the world, and that was why I had spent the last ten days running around like a headless chicken getting everything set up and organised for this surprise thirtieth birthday/welcome home party for him.
“Fuck me, Sares, he’s hot.”
I had just been about to take a sneaky glance over at Mr Blue Eyed Starry Bloke, when Sasha’s words stopped me, and instead I followed her gaze.
Will was walking towards us.
My brother’s best friend and my first crush.
I felt heat rise up my chest and neck, setting my cheeks on fire. I got over my crush when I was thirteen and realised what man whores both he and my brother were, but for some reason, my body still reacted with a blush whenever I saw him.
Will was no more than another big brother to me nowadays. Always there looking out for me, just like most of my real brother’s mates. I didn’t have a mum or dad, so having extra older “brothers” at every turn was both cool and a complete pain in the arse, but I loved them all dearly. Except Deck, like I said, there was just something off with him.
I watched with a certain amount of pride as Will approached us. He was tall and slim, with dark, almost jet-black hair and striking blue eyes. He was wearing the suit I’d gone with him to buy last weekend and strutted towards us like he was on a catwalk, which, given his good looks, could most definitely have been an option.
He pulled me in and kissed the top of my head. “Sarah Sunshine, you’re looking especially gorgeous tonight.”
My blush deepened as he addressed me by the nickname that my brother had given me so long ago I couldn’t actually remember a time when I didn’t have it.
“Sasha,” he said with a nod towards my friend, “stunning as ever.”
“Will, looking good. Love the suit,” she replied.
He looked down at me and smiled. “Sunshine here helped me choose.”
“She chose well.”
“Can I get you girls a drink?” he asked while looking between us. “I just spoke to Cal, they’re still in the pub, but he’s aiming to get your brother here before midnight. I wanna get all but the bar lights up here switched off so he can’t make out any of the faces. I’ll get the lights switched on once he’s in the middle of the room and everyone can do their thing.”
I looked around the room as Will explained his plans for when Luke arrived. There were so many faces I hadn’t seen for years. Since my bother was eight years older than me, I was only vaguely familiar with most of his friends, but that was okay. This was Luke’s night, not mine. I just hoped that he’d be happy with all of the guests Will, Cal, and Deck insisted he would want there. I was about to ask Will about Mr Blue Eyed Starry Bloke when I heard a loud laugh from behind me. Actually, it wasn’t a laugh, it was a cackle, and I knew exactly the witch it had come from, Melanie Thompson.
I turned my head slowly in her direction, pissed off by the fact that she had her back to me and wouldn’t get to witness the incredibly amazing dirty look I was giving her. Will didn’t miss it, though.
“Play nice, Sunshine,” he warned.
“Why is that troll here?” I questioned. “I don’t remember inviting her.”
“I invited her.”
“Nice move, dick head. Why the fuck would you do that?” Sasha asked him before I could.
He looked between us before letting out a long sigh.
“You need to let it go, girls. Luke moved on years ago, you two need to kiss and make up with her, too.”
“Get fucked.” I heard from Sasha, causing me to laugh. “I know how many cocks her lips have been around, so there’s no way I’ll be kissing them any time ever. I can smell her cum breath from here, she’s swallowed so much of the stuff it actually seeps from her pores.”
Will and I shared a look of disgust at that visual before we both started to laugh.
“I don’t know why you’re laughing, Will Bennett, I hear your spunk is part of the cause of her unique form of halitosis.”
“Fuck off, Sash, I wouldn’t touch that with a barge pole.”
“Not now you wouldn’t, but I hear there were bodily fluids exchanged back in the day.”
He glared at Sasha for a few seconds
, and despite looking like he had a lot to say, he remained silent.
“I’ll send some drinks over,” he finally said. “G and T and a vodka tonic?” He looked between us again, I nodded and gave him a smile.
“I’ll give you a shout when your brother gets here.” I was then taken by complete surprise when Will leaned in and kissed my cheek.
“I meant what I said, Sunshine, you really do look gorgeous tonight.”
My heart banged hard against my rib cage as my face felt like it was going to ignite from embarrassment while I watched him turn and walk towards the bar.
“What the fuck was that all about?” Sasha asked from beside me.
“No clue,” was my whispered response.
I spent the next few hours people-watching. Well, really I was watching shorty and her mate while they danced. I tried not to pay attention to the sway of her hips, the wiggle of her arse, and the jiggle of her tits. For a whole thirty seconds I tried, but at the end of the day, I was a bloke, so I stopped trying and just enjoyed. Dicklan finally got bored of looking at my back and being ignored, so he decided to make his way around the room, striking up small talk with various groups of people, until they too, turned their backs on him. Wasn’t just me then.
A few different people spoke to me at the bar. Some Will had pointed me out to, explaining who I was and they came over, introduced themselves, and left business cards, a few others just struck up conversations, heard the accent, gave me their version of it, asked if I was drinking Fosters, and then left, thinking they were hilarious. They weren’t.
The whole while, I avoided making eye contact with the tall blonde. I could see from my peripheral that she kept looking my way, but I wasn’t interested. There was something predatory about her, something that reminded me way too much of Olivia.
