Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 202638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1013(@200wpm)___ 811(@250wpm)___ 675(@300wpm)
As soon as I’m close enough, he pulls me into his chest and sucks in a deep breath from my hair. ‘Don’t drink.’
‘I won’t.’
He pulls back and rests his forehead on mine. ‘I mean it.’
‘I won’t drink.’ I assure him. I’m not arguing. It will get me nowhere, except in his car and back at Lusso before I blink.
‘I’ll pick you up. Ring me.’ He brushes my hair out of my face and kisses me deeply, a public display of ownership. I’m wearing a colossal diamond; you don’t get more claimed than that. He seems so despondent, I almost don’t want to leave him, but we have got to get over this unreasonable anxiousness at me being anywhere other than with him.
I cup his face and kiss his stubbled cheek. ‘I’ll ring you. Go for a run or something.’ I leave him on the pavement and mentally pray that he goes home, gets his running kit on and does twelve laps of the Royal Parks. I smile sweetly at the doorman as I pass and he cocks his head at me, giving me a knowing smile. Ridiculous!
I find Kate at the bar with Tom and Victoria, who are already being served. Victoria looks a little less sulky and Tom looks delighted to see me. He’s wearing a ridiculous pink and yellow, candy striped shirt.
‘Ava!’ he screeches. ‘Wow, fabulous dress!’ he croons as he strokes me.
‘Thanks.’ God knows what his reaction would have been to the grey number.
‘What are you having, Ava?’ Victoria asks over her shoulder.
‘Wine!’ I blurt desperately, and all three of them laugh.
We settle at a table, and I take my first relaxed sip of wine. I gasp in pleasure and close my eyes in appreciation. Oh, that is so good.
‘Oh good Lord! What the hell is that?’ Tom dives over the table and grabs my hand and proceeds to dribble all over my new friend. ‘The Adonis?’
I shrug. ‘I’m crazy in love.’
‘You’ve known him, what…a month?’ Victoria’s disapproving tone riles me. ‘And he owns a sex club?’
‘And?’ I spit at her. I feel all defensive.
She recoils at my hostility. ‘And nothing, I’m just saying.’ she huffs, and flops back on the stool.
‘When did this happen? The last I knew, you were just sleeping with him.’ Tom mimics my own words.
‘Well, now I’m marrying him.’ I yank my hand back and take refuge in my glass of wine. I’m conscious of the fact that I’m facing an Olympic gold medal worthy interrogation from my parents and Dan. I don’t need it from this lot too. Oh, Dan’s back tomorrow. With all of the spectacular events of the last few days, it had slipped my mind. A wave of guilt washes over me for forgetting his return, but it’s soon replaced with a twinge of excitement and then, just as quickly, replaced with dread. What will Dan say to all of this? I glance over my glass and Kate gives me a reassuring smile.
‘It just is.’ I muse.
‘How’s Drew?’ Kate asks Victoria.
I’m not so sure that it’s a sensible question. After Victoria’s foul mood and the revelation that Drew had invited her to The Manor, plus the fact she wasn’t with him last night, I can’t imagine the response is going to be good, but I’m thankful for my friend’s diversion tactic.
‘I wouldn’t know.’ she answers haughtily. ‘I’m not seeing him anymore. I have a date.’
‘Tonight?’ Tom asks perplexed, leaning over the table accusingly.
‘Yes.’ she answers.
Tom scoffs and sits back in his chair. ‘Well, thanks a lot! You’re ditching me!’ he exclaims.
I look at Kate, who has the same expression on her face that I suspect I have on mine; humour.
Victoria’s eyes bulge at Tom’s huffiness. ‘You don’t think twice about casting me aside if you’re offered a bit of action!’ Her tone is reproachful and quite rightly. Tom has abandoned Victoria on many occasions if a gay man flashes him a promising stare.
‘Still, there are six other days you could have picked. Who is it, anyway?’ He stirs his Pina Colada, trying his hardest to look bored.
‘Just a friend of a friend.’ she muses. I’m glad she seems unaffected, and she’s clearly over the dashing, black haired Drew. They just don’t make sense. ‘Oh, there he is,’ She jumps up. ‘See ya!’ She heads towards an average height, average looking guy at the bar and they greet each other with an awkward kiss on the cheek and a hand shake. She says something in his ear and he nods before they leave. That’s a sensible move. We’ll all be watching how the date progresses and Tom will just be a total bitch.
‘Well,’ Tom huffs. ‘Isn’t that just marvelous?’
Over the next hour, we laugh, chat about anything and everything, and drink. It’s lovely. I’m reminded why I need to battle with my challenging man on this matter. I need my friends, especially Kate. With Tom here, I’ve not had an opportunity to bring her up to date with the Mikael and Coral saga or interrogate her on The Manor and her recent visits there.