She wished she could talk to Rose about it. But she couldn’t tell Rose. Rose would be outraged on her behalf and probably try to force Jack to ring her. It would be really embarrassing. Especially as her friends thought she was the authority on flirting. It was true she wore her skirts short and, yes, she liked chatting up boys; she thought she had gotten quite good at it, in fact. She just wished she had played the game better with Jack. But she’d run out of time. It had taken her five years just to get him to notice her, and then he was leaving Compass Court. There was no guarantee she would ever see him again.
The end-of-year dance for the Upper School was her last chance. She’d had a few drinks for Dutch courage and then she’d flirted outrageously with him till he took her up on it. They’d had a monster make-out session in the woods behind the school, and it had been amazing. Right up until the last moment. He’d stroked her face and told her she was beautiful. He’d walked her back to her dormitory door and then he had shattered her perfect illusion by apologizing and saying it shouldn’t have happened.
***
As Jack steered the car down the curving driveway, he glanced back at the school. It was then that he noticed Sophie Jones standing near Rose.
He felt guilt lance through him at the sight of her. She had cut her blonde hair since he’d seen her last; she now wore it in a bob just above her shoulders. It suited her, though he’d liked it long.
He remembered only too clearly how he’d unclipped the piled-up style she had worn at the end-of-term ball last year. He could still recall how silky it felt when he’d run his fingers through it before they kissed.
Damn, he shouldn’t have done it. He’d known how much she liked him. But it was the last day of his final year and he’d had a fair bit to drink that night.
She’d been flirting with him outside the front door and he’d practically hauled her into the woods by the river to kiss her. He’d tried to apologise, but that seemed to upset her. He liked her a lot and he really did fancy her, but he didn’t want a long-distance relationship and he didn’t want to start university with a girlfriend to think about, especially one who still had another two years at school.
He wouldn’t have minded having a girl in the background just for a bit of fun, but he didn’t think Sophie was that kind of girl. She liked him too much; he’d just end up hurting her even more.
He still had her number in his phone. He wondered if he should call her. Or maybe he could just text her.
He shook his head and put the car into third gear. He needed to bring his concentration back to the road ahead: the metaphorical road as well as the real one.
Chapter Nine
Ellie had her back to the door, but listened to people coming and going. She heard Nate enter with his friends and order at the bar, which meant they must have a clear view of her table. Sliding over onto Liam’s lap, she wound her arms round his neck and began to kiss him. After his initial surprise, he kissed her back, his arms around her waist. She thought she had been doing it long enough to make a statement to Nate and was just about to move away when a voice made her freeze.
“Eleanor Parkhurst! I swear you are so in trouble!”
“Jack!” She jumped up, nearly knocking over the table. Blushing from head to toe, she hugged him. “What are you doing here? Sit down. Um, this is Liam Anderson,” she said, wincing in preparation for the explosion.
Jack laughed at her and sat, shaking hands with Liam, who looked completely terrified at meeting the infamous Jack Parkhurst. “I remember you. You’re in South Tower?”
Liam nodded dumbly in reply.
“I did tell you I would try to drop by for your birthday,” Jack explained, still smiling at Ellie’s discomfort. “Alex told me you were here.”
“I’ll get some more drinks,” Liam said, standing quickly. “Let you see your brother properly.”
“He seems alright,” Jack commented, watching Liam walk away. “I guess I don’t need to worry about Alex’s last email full of angst that you were getting involved with Nate Naverly?”
Ellie shook her head, unsure what to say.
“That’s him at the bar, isn’t it?” Jack continued, and Ellie nodded.
“And that would be Brenner beside him? You know the girls in my year used to call them ‘The Hell’s Angels.’ Apparently because they both have the names and the faces of angels, but the souls of devils.” He smiled at the joke. “He must be sixteen or seventeen now?”
“Yes, I suppose so.” Ellie got a stubborn look on her face. “I don’t know what Alex told you, but if you think you have any right…” Her voice trailed off as Jack held his hands up in mock surrender.
“Don’t look so worried, Ellie, it was just a social call. Anyway, you look like you have your hands full of Liam Anderson. Let’s have a birthday drink and then I should be on my way. I’ve got a long drive up to Manchester this afternoon.”
Ellie looked downcast that he was leaving so soon. He drew her in for a tight hug. “Cheer up, brat. I’ll be back here for Christmas, don’t forget. It’s only a short term.”
Dear little Ellie, he thought. Actually not so little Ellie; she was sixteen now. He wondered if he ought to say something sensible about boys. Not that she would listen, he thought; she’d already had several boyfriends. He hadn’t approved, but at least it had all seemed fairly innocent. Until now. Openly kissing in the pub! He considered whether to threaten Anderson about not taking it any further than that.
He looked at her, trying to assess how boys her age saw her. She had inherited the same Parkhurst good looks that he had. Her eyes were the same golden brown, framed by thick dark lashes, but she wore her chestnut hair long, with a straight fringe over her eyebrows. Her bow mouth was also just like his, but much more feminine.
Alex could be quite good-looking too, he mused, but his looks were less obvious as he wore glasses and kept his hair far too neat.
“Try to stay out of trouble, won’t you?” he said, sounding like their dad.
Ellie attempted a smile. “There isn’t nearly as much trouble to find without you here to cause it,” she countered.
“Pleased to hear it.” He chucked her under the chin.
Ellie was really glad to see Jack and for some reason it mattered that he hadn’t tried to forbid her to date Nate. Not that there was any chance she was going to, but his reaction had crossed her mind late at night when she had briefly considered it, and knowing he didn’t seem to mind somehow made her feel happier.
After Jack left, Ellie and Liam went back up to the school. She wanted plenty of time to get dressed up for the school Halloween dinner; after all, it was also her birthday, so she had a good excuse for making a special effort. It wasn’t remotely because she was hoping to impress anyone with her sexy black dress; at least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
***
Nate sat at the West Tower table and watched Ellie walk in for dinner. She was wearing a long black dress. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen her in a dress before, though he supposed he must have, as the girls often wore dresses for the Halloween dinner every year. It revealed some curves that her school uniform didn’t, and the candlelight shined on her glossy red lips and chestnut hair.
He found he was cracking his knuckles under the table like a caveman.
That scene in the pub today had thrown him. She hadn’t even seen him; she had been too busy sucking face with that idiot, Anderson. She wasn’t pining for his attention; she hadn’t even noticed him! Then her brother had come in, and he had hoped Jack Parkhurst would be angry at her public display of affection. In fact, he’d expected Jack to put Anderson through the wall, but no luck there either. Still, he was glad it wasn’t him that had been caught kissing her. Jack might have left Compass Court, but you still wouldn’t want to get found compromising his sister.
On the plus side, Alex was being friendly again and had persuaded Nate to come and sit at their table for dinner. He wasn’t sure why he had agreed. It was
masochistic if Ellie was bringing Anderson, and it was against his plan, which was to be aloof until the right time. But then the plan was clearly not working, which stumped him. It had always worked before.
Ellie had indeed invited Liam Anderson to join the West Tower table. Alex called her over and she sat down opposite him. With a polite smile at Nate she pulled Liam down next to her so he was seated directly in front of Nate.
As dinner unfolded, Nate began to re-examine his failed plans.
From the corner of his eye he took note of all the small signs. Ellie wasn’t looking at him, but she was deliberately not looking at him. She let Liam whisper in her ear, and laughed and smiled up at him, but Nate noticed that when Liam tried to put his hand on her knee she shoved him away without really noticing.
Nate felt the sudden lightness of relief. It was for his benefit; it was all for his benefit! She didn’t have strong feelings for Anderson at all. What a player! She had very nearly fooled him into thinking she was totally indifferent to him. He had to give her credit for matching him in the game.
But it had made him jealous just the same and it wasn’t a game he wanted to continue any more. Somewhere along the way his feelings had become involved. He couldn’t remember that ever happening before. He didn’t want her to be with anyone else. He needed to work out exactly what he was feeling.
Maybe the time had come for a change of tactics. Maybe it was time to get more up-front and personal.
Chapter Ten
On Wednesday afternoon Ellie sat through yet another pointless History class. When the lesson ended she set her head on her desk and waited until the room had cleared. She couldn’t keep the kings and queens in any kind of order. She turned, sighing, to put her book back in her bag and found Mrs. Marsh at her elbow.
“Still struggling, Ellie?” her teacher asked kindly. Ellie nodded; she liked Mrs. Marsh, but really didn’t enjoy the class much. She had been fine with the War of the Roses, but now she was lost.
“You know if it carries on this way you won’t even get a C grade,” the teacher continued. Ellie nodded again dejectedly.
“Did you know that Nathaniel Naverly recently sat the entrance exam for Oxford University? A whole year early. They’ve offered him an unconditional place to study History regardless of how well he does in his A levels.”
Ellie looked suspicious. Was Mrs. Marsh part of the conspiracy that everyone seemed to be in on to talk about how wonderful Nate was all the time?
“So how about a little extra tutoring?” The teacher continued. “Nathaniel mentioned that the two of you were friends and that he would be happy to give you some tutoring if you could join him on Thursday evenings?”
Ellie was dumbfounded. Nate had suggested it? How did he even know she was failing History? He had told the teacher they were friends? Why?
Ellie found herself nodding at Mrs. Marsh’s suggestion.
The teacher smiled. “Well, that’s great, Ellie. I have no doubt Nathaniel could help you scrape your grade up to at least a B. He has special access to the History books in my classroom after Prep time. I’ll add your name for a late pass on Thursday evenings for the next few weeks and you can let me know how it goes, alright?”
Ellie nodded again, still too surprised to speak.
On Thursday she had tried to catch his eye at breakfast, lunch and dinner, but he never looked her way. She had even tried to stop him for a quick word in the hall, but he hadn’t seemed to even hear her and had carried on talking and laughing with his friends as they swept out of the door.
That evening, as she stood in front of the mirror, she tried to work out what his game was. Why would he want to tutor her? He was smart and had probably worked out what her game was, and he was a total player himself, so he was probably playing it back. That would make sense. Yet Nate had pretty much ignored her for the past couple of weeks. He had stopped taking any interest in her or playing any games. He had seemed to forget she even existed, which was fine, as until this year she hadn’t existed as far as he was concerned.
But this year she had exerted herself to come to his attention. Not because she had a crush on him! she reiterated to herself firmly. But because she didn’t trust him and didn’t want him near Rose.
Is that really the reason you don’t want him near Rose? her inner voice whispered.
“He’s bad news!” she said out loud to her reflection. Why didn’t she seem to care about that?
He’s so gorgeous, whispered the annoying inner voice.
Yes, but so is Liam and several other people who are much nicer! her sensible mind answered back.
So why don’t you want them? Why don’t they make you feel like he does?
Shut up!! she almost shouted in her head.
Who was she fooling? Only herself. She was clearly a sucker for a bad boy. When had she fallen for him? How had it happened without her noticing? The whole point had been to make him fall for her, not the other way round. No, the point had been to get his focus off Rose, and it had worked. But he was clearly much better at matters of the heart than her; she had ended up being the one who had fallen for him. In a big way.
Having admitted it to herself, she realised she wanted him badly – and only him. There had been moments when she had felt as if she was winning their flirting game. When she had turned up at the Halloween dinner, she truly thought she was getting under his skin for real, but now she accepted she was probably the loser.
Hopefully he didn’t suspect. She could never let him know. Still, now she was in this situation she planned to make the most of getting some time alone with him.
She applied her make-up with particular care, trying to perfect the “I look great, but I don’t look like I’ve made an effort” style of subtle shading. Although it was officially a History lesson, she also decided that as it was after hours she would dispense with school uniform, and instead she went in jeans, trainers and a long sweater which constantly slipped off one shoulder, hopefully giving that “I didn’t mean to look sexy, it just keeps slipping” sort of skin appeal.
***
Ellie was bending over, looking at the books on the lower shelves, when Nate entered the History classroom. He stopped in the dark doorway for a few moments to admire her bottom before coughing to making his presence known.
“Nate! You startled me,” Ellie said as she edged behind a table. “I don’t understand why you told Mrs. Marsh we were friends. Why have you invited me here? What’s really going on here?”
“History is what is going on here,” Nate replied smoothly. “And I thought we were friends? We’ve chatted a few times, even sent the odd email; what a swamp of a mind you must have to think it’s anything more.”
His eyes were full of humour as he teased her and she began to smile back, relaxing slightly. Though not too much, he noticed. No, she wouldn’t let that guard down too far.
“I’m quite serious about History though, and I really am going to teach you,” he continued. “Put your books away. What you really need is to be familiar with the real people.”
He pulled up two chairs side-by-side at a table and laid out a huge Royal family tree; each important name had a portrait illustration beside it.
“Sit down. You can’t see anything properly from over there.”
Ellie looked at the chair next to Nate. She sat down, shifting slightly away from him, but Nate just laughed and dragged her chair a little closer.
“I’m not going to bite you! Well, not yet anyway,” he said suggestively. “But you do need to be able to see. Come on, snuggle in.” She elbowed him hard in the ribs in response, but leaned closer. They sat side-by-side, looking at each other for a few moments before Nate began to speak.
“You need to know every king and queen personally. They all have a story of their own. You need to know each of them like an old friend so you can spot their face in a crowded room.”
As they both looked at the family tree, he began to tell her the story of
Edward II. How he had spent lots of money on pleasure and paid no attention to the country. How Robert the Bruce had defeated him at Bannockburn and how in desperation his own wife, Isabella of France, had successfully led an invading force against Edward to put their son on the throne instead.
He was full of amusing anecdotes about each king, and Ellie soon found that she could pick out each one based on Nate’s humorous stories.
“Do you know,” Ellie said at last, stretching and surreptitiously moving a little closer, “I’ve learned more in the last couple of hours than I have in four years of History classes!”
“Last couple of hours?” Nate waved to the clock on the wall. “It’s past midnight.”
“You’re joking!” Ellie checked her phone for confirmation. “How did the time go so fast? We only had a pass from nine until ten-thirty.” But she still didn’t move.
He rolled up the large document in front of them and leaned on his elbow, looking directly at her.
“The old adage about time flying when you’re having fun might apply here,” he suggested. “Are you having fun, Ellie?”
He traced his finger across her cheek and it seemed to pleasantly burn where he touched her. She looked back at him, eyes wide, and was lost for words.
They continued to look at each other for several seconds and she was sure he was about to kiss her.
At that moment he froze and lifted his head to listen to the sound of someone coming along the dark corridor.
“Damn! It’s probably the caretaker,” he whispered, looking frantically round for somewhere to hide.
Grabbing her hand, he pulled her swiftly away from the desk and over to the stationery cupboard in the corner. He tried the handle and was surprised when it opened.
Bundling her in, he pulled it almost shut, careful not to let it lock closed behind them, and they stood silent in the darkness with just a crack of light showing through the gap in the doorway.
The Flirting Games (Book One, The Flirting Games Series) Page 5
