The Bet

by Lily Zante

  “You don’t need to make out with every guy who shows you a bit of attention.”

  She heard a squeal of indignation from Kay.

  “Can we go?” Jacob asked. Izzy blushed. He could see right through her. Could tell that she was eavesdropping.

  “I was waiting for you,” said Izzy, looking away and not able to face Jacob’s searching eyes. He didn’t believe her.

  “There’s my champ!” Savannah cried, her face bursting into sunshine as soon as Jacob walked into the room. “That’s much better, isn’t it, honey?”

  “Yeah.” Jacob nodded.

  Izzy was reminded of what she needed to run by her. “Would it be alright for Jacob to stay up as late as he wants to tonight? He’s been really good, and he went to bed early yesterday. He deserves it.”

  “Yes, of course.” Savannah hugged Jacob tightly. “You can stay up as late as you want.”

  “All night?” he asked.

  “All night.”

  Chapter 8

  “I want more champagne on tables and make sure none of the bottles are less than a quarter empty.” Luke’s orders sent his waiters rushing off.

  He turned to him again. “Your brother’s still mad at you?”

  “When isn’t he?” Xavier replied.

  “He doesn’t look so angry now,” commented Luke, as he looked over his shoulder. Xavier turned around. On the makeshift dancefloor laid out on the soft sand, Tobias and Savannah were dancing and with eyes only for one another. His brother looked like a different man altogether. Xavier turned his back on them. “He’s dancing with his bride, of course he’s going to be happy.”

  It seemed that the only person Tobias ever got angry with was him.

  As if to confirm his thoughts, Luke winked at him and said, “I reckon it’s just you, pal.”

  “Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?”

  “Well, just look at him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen your brother look so happy.” Xavier looked again. Sure, that smile on Tobias’s face was rare, but dammit, that smile had been glued to his face all day, only disappearing when he’d spoken to Xavier.

  The newlyweds moved slow and close to one another, lost in their own private world under the rows of lanterns which hung above their heads. It was the kind of pretty that would have impressed Gisele if she had come along.

  Xavier turned his back on them and knocked back a tequila shot.

  “Are you deliberately trying to get drunk?”

  “I’m celebrating my brother’s wedding.”

  “Take it easy. You don’t want to make a scene and get Tobias even more riled up.”

  “It’s not as if I forgot the ring completely.”

  “True.”

  “And it’s not as if he had to wait more than a few seconds.”

  “I was at the back, dude,” Luke retorted. “I didn’t know what had happened then, but even I could tell something was wrong.”

  “He didn’t have to wait too long.”

  “Your brother is stinking rich and insanely successful, and I bet you he was never late for the important things.”

  “Who’s fucking side are you on?” Xavier knocked back his second tequila shot. “Another one.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yup.”

  “Coming right up.”

  While he waited, he shifted around on the bar stool, his gaze floating around the crowd, trying to find someone interesting. A relaxed vibe permeated the air tonight. The wedding banquet had lasted all afternoon, and there had been plenty of food and drink. Against a setting of sun, sea and sand, the only thing missing was sex.

  As the afternoon darkened into evening, there was more food, more canapes, more cocktails, more champagne and more music and dancing.

  Xavier lowered his head, and ran his hands through his hair, and when he looked up, Kay was at the other end of the bar. She was laughing and talking with Luke, the way she had with him yesterday.

  But today, for some reason, she was deliberately avoiding him.

  He turned back to his drink and would have busied himself in checking his cell phone if it hadn’t been taken away from him just before the newlyweds were going to cut the wedding cake. Tobias had remembered.

  He looked across the bar again, to see Kay leaving. She hadn’t so much as even glanced at him.

  What the hell?

  He couldn’t work it out why she was behaving like this, especially after they’d gotten on so well last night. He drummed his fingers on the countertop, bummed out by the way things were unfolding. Tobias and his parents weren’t too happy with him, Kay had ignored him, and Gisele wasn’t here.

  Things were looking dry.

  Luke sauntered over to him. “No card tricks today?”

  “No.” He gave his friend a cold stare. “Another one.”

  “Steady on. You’ll be falling off the stool if you’re not careful.”

  He shrugged. “I can handle my drink.”

  “If you insist.” Luke poured him another tequila shot and slid it over.

  Another woman came up to the bar and stood waiting for Luke. Xavier eyed her up, admiring her strappy, sexy white top. His gaze trailed south at the sarong that was tied up at the waist and revealed a huge slit.

  Nice legs, too.

  He had a thing for a good pair of legs, and this chick had a nice pair on her. His gaze traveled back up the length of her body, and he was about to give her breasts the once over, when she turned her head and caught him leering at her. Luckily, she was wearing a flower tucked into the side of her hair.

  “Nice flower,” he remarked.

  “Thank you.” She returned the favor, making him shrink inside with her unashamed appraisal of him. She sized him up, real slow, her gaze settling on his crotch for the longest time, until he felt obliged to put a hand over his linen pants. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, not used to being eyed up in such an obvious manner.

  “The bar’s free,” she said, “and I can get my own drink, but thanks.”

  “That’s what I meant. Not buy, as in buy but—”

  “I know what you meant, darling. And thanks.”

  Darling?

  She took a sip from her cocktail glass, and smiled at him again. He was in. He was sure of it, especially with the way she was staring at him.

  “Bride or groom?” he asked, not sure whose friend she was.

  “Bride, and groom.”

  “You know them both?” He wondered if it was a work connection. Had to be, but he couldn’t remember if she had been at the engagement party. It didn’t matter. She had great legs, great tits—especially now that he could get a hint of their size—and a pretty enough face.

  “I should have known you’d be here.” A woman with short and dark-ish red hair, came up and slung her arm around the shoulders of the chick with the flower in her hair.

  “I got you a Bloody Mary,” her friend replied. Something about the way she was leaning up real close to her friend, something about the way her fingers caressed the soft skin on her shoulder, something about the way these two spoke and looked at one another, made him wary. His brows knit together. He didn’t understand, didn’t like their obvious and close display of affection.

  As if she could feel him looking at her, the red head looked at him and grinned. “Xavier, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.” But he said it more like a question. Yeah, who the hell are you?

  “I’m Briony, I work with Tobias, well, not with Tobias, but at Stone Enter—”

  The lesbian.

  Holy fuck.

  “Jeez, yeah.” He never usually blushed, but could feel the heat searing his cheeks and hoped to goodness that Luke couldn’t tell. It was shameful enough him trying to hit on a woman who wasn’t even into men.

  Maybe he was losing his touch.

  “You know Max, don’t you?” Briony continued, unaware of the tsunami of confusion that swept through him.

  “Max,” he scrubbed his cheek, fully aw
are that Max had been playing him the whole time. “Yeah, yeah, I remember now.” He’d been so preoccupied with trying to hit on her that he hadn’t remembered.

  “Nice meeting you.” Max winked at him, then dropped her gaze to his crotch before lifting it back to his face. “Thanks for the … conversation.” She picked up her cocktail glass and the pair of them walked away, their hands around each other’s waists.

  Luke hooted with laughter. “Did you just try and chat up a lesbian and fail?”

  “She was playing me.” It had pissed him off. She’d treated him like a piece of meat.

  “You’re losing your touch, pal.” The grin never left Luke’s face and he ran his hands through his long floppy hair, sweeping it away from his forehead. Girls seemed to love that shit.

  “She’s a lesbian, dude,” Xavier retorted. “That’s hardly fair.”

  “Exactly,” Luke was laughing so hard that his eyes were watering. “And Kay didn’t even want to know you, and your girlfriend dumped you just a few days ago.”

  Xavier blinked a couple of times in quick succession. Was his friend deliberately trying to depress him? “She’s an actress. They’re easily bored. Nothing’s forever with those kind of people.”

  “Forever?” Luke scoffed. “Since when were you looking for forever?”

  “Fuck you.” Maybe he was losing it.

  “Truth hurts.” Luke walked off to serve another guest, leaving him to sit by himself. As he stared at the empty shot glass, contemplating his boring evening, Lime Green Bikini edged into the periphery of his vision, only she hadn’t been in that green bikini all day, but the name suited. And he wished she was wearing it now. Unfortunately, she still had on that sexy dress she’d worn earlier to the wedding. It still showed off her slim legs, and slender body, but her in a bikini would have been nicer to look at. She had the kid with her.

  He brightened up, and walked over, determined to prove a point. “What have you got there, Jacob?”

  “We’re going to look for crabs.”

  “Crabs? Now?” He looked at his watch. “Kind of late for that isn’t it?”

  “Uh-huh,” replied Jacob, solemnly. “That’s what Izzy said.” Xavier ventured a glance at Izzy, but she only stared back coldly. His insides prickled because he had no idea why she looked so pissed.

  “If you’re hungry, buddy, there are some crabs on the seafood platters.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the buffet tables.

  Jacob made a face, as if he had only just made the connection. “Are there crabs?” Jacob asked Izzy. She cut her eyes at Xavier. “Great answer, Einstein,” she said, coldly.

  “She talks,” he said, returning Izzy’s hard stare, and holding it, refusing to look away. If they were going to have a staring contest, he was going to win. She was going to have to look away first.

  “There are crabs, Jacob,” she said, looking away before he did. “Just like the salmon and the prawns.”

  Jacob’s face contorted with pain. “I’m going to be a vegenarian like you,” he said to Izzy.

  Xavier couldn’t help but laugh. “A vegenarian? What’s that buddy?”

  “Someone who likes animals.”

  “You mean a vegetarian,” Izzy said, correcting him. She had turned her back to Xavier, effectively blocking him out of the conversation. “You won’t be able to have hot dogs, then,” he heard her say.

  Jacob’s lips pinched together tightly, as if the idea had lost its appeal. “I don’t want to go looking for crabs anymore.”

  “Good,” said Izzy. “Because I think it’s too late. How about we go back to the waterfall tomorrow?”

  The kid’s face lit up like a firework.

  “Promise?”

  “Promise. There were a lot of rock pools around that area, do you remember?” The kid nodded.

  “That was easy enough.” Xavier tried to make conversation, but Izzy ignored him.

  “Let’s find something else to do now, shall we?”

  “Lemme go and get Iron Man.” He ran off, leaving the two of them standing awkwardly.

  “Can I get you a drink?” he asked, tapping her on the back.

  She turned to face him. “I don’t think so.”

  “Have I done something to offend you?” His gaze raked over her face, but she didn’t say anything. “I mean, I’ve barely said anything to you, I don’t see how I could have pissed you off.”

  “No,” she said, and wandered away.

  No, what?

  For some reason her walking away after giving him a one word answer irritated him more than if she’d said something he could at least work with, if she had at least given him a reason for her frostiness.

  Defeated, he returned to the bar to find Luke eyeing him expectantly. “What happened? I thought you had the Midas touch with women.” He placed his palms on the countertop and leaned over. “Seems to me you’re losing your touch.”

  Losing his touch?

  Never.

  “Don’t say a word,” he growled, easing himself onto the stool and wondering what the hell had happened. “Do I smell?” He sniffed under his armpits.

  Luke wrinkled his nose. “I can’t smell anything.” He leaned over, resting his forearms on the table. “Looks like you’ve lost your touch.”

  “It’s a glitch,” he replied, refusing to believe Luke’s conclusion. He never had problems hitting on women before. One woman, he could understand, and Kay wasn’t exactly his kind of woman. And if the second one was into women, it was her loss, and besides, she didn’t count.

  But three? Lime Green Bikini hadn’t even given him the time of day.

  This was definitely a glitch, or, as Gisele would have said, ‘Mercury is retrograde’. Her astrobabble used to make him facepalm.

  “A glitch. Sure.” Luke slid a shot glass towards him.

  He picked it up and downed it in one. The sharp tang of the tequila hit the back of his neck. He didn’t need that salt and lime shit. He liked his tequila neat. But it was starting to hit home. “Gimme another,” he demanded.

  “I think you’ve had enough alrea—”

  “Another one,” he ordered. Luke reluctantly obliged, and he downed that in one as well. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he looked at his friend’s curious face. “I bet you I can win her over.”

  “Win who over?” Luke asked.

  “Lime Green Bikini.”

  “Who?”

  “Jacob’s babysitter.”

  “Izzy?”

  “You know her?” he asked, suspiciously.

  “I was talking to her last night. I know everyone, pal. The bar is the social hub of any place.”

  “I can win her over,” Xavier insisted.

  Luke didn’t look so sure. “What if she’s not interested?”

  “She will be.” He hadn’t lost his touch, or had a glitch. Xavier-The-Stud-Stone still had it. Besides, Jacob’s babysitter seemed to hate him more than Kay did, which made her an even bigger challenge. Not that he needed to prove anything to anyone. “Bet you.”

  “Bet me? Are you insane?”

  “No. I’m going to prove it to you.”

  “You don’t need to place a bet, Xavier. I think you’ve had too much to drink. Let’s see how you feel tomorrow.”

  “Worried you can’t pay, dude?”

  “Are you talking about a money bet?”

  “What other kind of bet is there?” Xavier asked.

  Luke seemed to be thinking it over.

  “Why, are you scared?” The man had been making digs all day, telling him he’d lost his touch, and now he needed to put his money where his mouth was.

  “You don’t need to place a bet. I know you’re a hit with the ladies, okay? No need to get so confrontational. Don’t want you to go and do anything stupid, either.”

  “Who said anything about doing anything stupid?”

  “That’s the drink talking, not you.”

  “It’s not the fucking drink.” He placed the glass down wit
h more control than he felt. “You’ve been saying I’ve lost my touch, so why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?”

  Luke crossed his arms. “Okay.”

  “$10,000.”

  “What?” Luke’s face exploded into surprise. “Are you crazy? $10,000?”

  “$10,000 dollars that I can get that girl into my bed.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything stupid.”

  Xavier crossed his arms. “All above board, dude. I don’t ever use force to get a girl into bed. She’ll want it by the time I’m finished with her.”

  “$10K?” Luke repeated. Xavier didn’t know what the big deal was. The dude had the money. He was loaded. Stinking rich. $10K to him was peanuts.

  “You called it, dude,” Xavier told him.

  “No, you called it.”

  What the fuck did it matter? “You provoked me.”

  “Didn’t realize your esteem was so fragile.”

  “It’s not,” he scoffed.

  “Is there a time limit to this crazy bet?” Luke asked.

  “A month.” Xavier challenged.

  Luke shrugged, as if he didn’t want to be a part of this. “I don’t know. What if she’s already got a boyfriend.”

  “She hasn’t. I overheard her talking to Savannah. Anyway, are you chickening out now?”

  “No.” Luke stopped wiping the glass he’d been wiping dry for the last few minutes. “A month doesn’t seem like enough time, and I’d hate for you to do something stupid.”

  “I’m not going to do anything stupid. I don’t know what you take me for.” But the dude obviously doubted his sexual prowess. “3 months, if it makes you feel better, but I doubt I’ll need that long. Watch and learn, dude. Watch and learn.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  Chapter 9

  “It is you.”

  Izzy looked up, not recognizing the man who had come up to her.

  “You used to work for the Shoemoneys, didn’t you?”

  She froze. The mere mention of that name temporarily paralyzed her.

  “I’m sure I’ve seen you at one of their parties.” The man clicked his fingers. “Their kids, I can’t remember their names. I’m sure it was you looking after them.” He still didn’t look familiar, especially in his Bermuda shorts and t-shirt, but she could see that he would have been part of that crowd. He had that familiar banker look about him. Preppy specs, receding hairline and an air of entitlement about him.