“Let’s leave the lovebirds to it, Lex,” I take her arm, and help her down the stairs.
She raises her eyebrows. “Who are you and what have you done with my ass**le brother?”
I laugh. “I got the lecture earlier. Use my manners, be on my best behaviour, no chatting up the waitresses, no punching any guy that looks at you, and no swearing.”
She smirks again. “Third degree already, huh?”
“You know Mum. Etiquette is important.” I roll my eyes.
“Any chance of your trousers staying over your ass tonight, then?” Jen’s voice calls from the bottom of the stairs. I turn from Lexy, and look at her, almost stopping.
Her blonde hair is curled and clipped to the side, flowing over her shoulder. The teal dress she’s wearing hugs every bit of her body, and I can’t stop my eyes from crawling over her. She shifts uncomfortably, and I hand Lexy to Alec without looking away from Jen.
“What?” she asks. “Is something on my face?” She pats her cheek.
I shake my head. “No. I’m just wondering if there’s actually Jen in that fancy dress, or if she’s been swapped for a nicer model.”
Her lips curl to the side. “She’s been swapped for a nicer model, with manners.”
“Ah, so that means if I wind her up she’ll be nice?”
She snorts. “Don’t get too overexcited, Samuel. If you’re mean to me, I’ll still chew your ass.”
I smirk suggestively. “In that case, I’ll be mean to you all night. I might like it if you chew my ass.” Lexy elbows me from behind and I laugh. “I’m just sayin’, it’s true.”
Jen’s blue eyes glare at me, and I grin at her.
“I’m warning you right now, Samuel Edwards.” She steps closer to me, craning her neck upwards to look at me. “I’m wearing four inch heels which will be snapping my feet by midnight, so if you piss me off, you should know that I can, and will, stick said heel so far up your manhood you’ll need your crown jewels sliced open to get it back out. Are we understood?”
I raise my eyebrows. “Perfectly.”
“Excellent.” She smiles. “Let’s go, shall we?”
I offer her my arm, letting Alec and Lexy pass by. Jen slips her arm into mine, still fidgeting with her dress.
“Stop messing with it,” I mutter.
“It’s annoying,” she grumbles. I open the front door for her, stopping her just before she goes through. “What?” she asks, her eyebrows going up.
“Just leave it alone,” I say softly, meeting her eyes. “You look beautiful.”
Her expression softens, her face relaxing. A slight flush rises in her cheeks, and she smiles a little. Her eyes sparkle, and her grip on my arm tightens for a split second.
“Thank you,” she says with a slight cough. “You don’t look too bad yourself. Just make sure your trousers stay up, and you’ll pass for civilised.”
I go through the door with her, letting it close behind me, and smile slightly.
God love her defensive sarcasm.
Chapter Eight
JEN
The large hall Emily rented for Si’s 50th birthday is perfect. A huge buffet table lines the far wall, and there’s loads of tables in the area surrounding it. The place is already buzzing with activity, and I understand the fancy dress code.
All the women are wearing long dresses, or at the very least, dresses that cost as much as my university tuition for the year. The men are in suits, and most of their ties or bows match their wives’ dresses. Like Bing’s tie matches mine.
And let a seagull shit on your hair, does he wear that suit and tie like a pro.
Hey, Daniel Craig, move on over. There’s a new Bond in town, and his annoyingly sexy ass is standing right next to mine. I have to admit, as much as I dislike Bing, if I had to be saved from a burning building by someone, I wouldn’t mind being saved by him.
It’s the arms. They’re nice arms. Don’t judge me.
Lexy slides up next to me, sipping a glass of wine.
“This is fancy,” I mutter.
She smirks. “Mum likes to go all out.”
“Is this what you escaped being in Devon for your birthday?”
She nods serenely, smiling at someone walking past. “Yep, except mine probably would have been bigger. In Mum’s social circle, eighteen is important. She asked me if I wanted to have a party when we got back to London, and I said not in a million years.”
“I don’t blame you. At all.” My eyes scan the hall, and I find Bing standing in the corner opposite a girl in a red dress and a boy in a suit. I squint a little, and recognise the girl as Jayna, which means the guy with her is Adrian. I sigh, nudging Lexy.
Her eyes dart to the corner, and I can see the tightening of her jaw. “They wouldn’t actually do anything, would they?”
My grip on my glass tightens. “Well, her parents are here, but I don’t know so I can’t say. Adrian… From that day in the art store, I wouldn’t put it past him.”
Bing nods his head once, and turns to us, leaving Jayna pouting after him. He crosses the room, turning heads as he walks. Is it wrong I feel a little smug I’m here with the guy all the single women – and some of the married ones – want? No? Okay then, I’ll put my smugness switch on full.
I silently chuckle at my own thoughts. I need a brain to… Brain filter, apparently. Huh.
“What were you doing talking to them?” Lexy bites out, smiling sweetly in Adrian’s direction.
“I was telling him to keep away from you tonight,” Bing replies. “Don’t worry, sister dear, I wasn’t planning on whisking the cheap version of Betty Boop out of here on horseback.”
I snort. Bing glances at me.
“Something funny, Jennifer?” He smirks a little.
I look at him, an amused smile on my face. “For once, yeah. I never knew you could be funny. Am I rubbing off on you?”
His smirk transforms into a grin. “You can rub off on me anytime, babe.”
“I’d have to be very, very drunk to do that.” I sip my wine, and he steps closer to me.
“Then don’t take any drinks from me tonight,” he mutters. “Or I might just take you up on that offer.”
“Offer?” I raise an eyebrow, backing into Alec. Where did he come from? “What offer was that, Samuel?”
“The one where you get very, very drunk, and rub yourself off on me.” He winks.