Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115737 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Lizzy presents her hand to each of them in turn, smiling brightly. She has the casual, blasé mask far more nailed than I do. ‘How lovely to meet you,’ she gushes, turning to me once she’s said her hellos. Her dark eyes are wide. So fucking wide. They should be. ‘I’ll go and change the music.’
Her head tilts to the side a little in silent signal. I read her mind like I could be reading from a script. She’s going to make sure that Nat and Micky don’t drop me in the shit. Fuck, I hope they don’t recognise Jack; they were all pretty pissed, but I can’t risk it. ‘I think only Micky will recognise him,’ Lizzy whispers as she passes me.
God, I hope so. Colin appears in the doorway. ‘Are you okay?’
‘It’s nothing,’ I assure him. ‘Did you get a drink?’
‘Yes.’ He holds up a glass of red. ‘I was just seeing to Jack and Stephanie’s but I got distracted by your friend Micky. He’s a personal trainer, and I need one of those.’ Colin flexes his non-existent biceps and makes his way back into the garden. ‘Get those drinks and come and join us.’
‘What would you like?’ I ask Stephanie, pulling the cupboard open and retrieving the small first aid box.
‘Wine would be lovely, thank you. White, please.’
‘Jack?’ I ask, hating how his name sounds on my lips. I definitely hear a deep inhale of breath from behind me.
‘Beer, please,’ he says, as I make quick work of slapping a plaster over my tiny cut. ‘Budweiser, if you have it.’
My fumbling fingers falter. Budweiser. I see him tipping a bottle to his lips and I see me, rapt by his taut throat. And the bottle top. Something to remember him by. ‘I have it.’ I shove the first aid box back in the cupboard and turn, catching his eye.
‘Thank you.’ He glances away, kicking me into action.
I make fast work of getting their drinks, but not so fast that Lizzy doesn’t have time to suss out the rest of my friends. When she appears in the doorway again, mildly nodding, I very nearly collapse with relief.
‘The garden?’ I lead the way and introduce Jack and his wife to a few people, feeling him staring at me the whole time.
Nat is oblivious to Jack and who he is, but Micky’s stance definitely alters the moment he claps eyes on him. I stare at my oldest friend until he looks at me, then give him begging eyes, hoping he sees and absorbs my silent plea. He shakes his head, looking as disturbed by the situation as I’m feeling, before returning his attention to Colin.
You’d have to be dead not to feel the tension bouncing around my courtyard garden. I’m certain everyone must feel it, yet as I glance around, everyone is chatting normally, unaware. I leave Stephanie and Jack with Nat and rush to the kitchen to find more wine, knowing I’ll have company in—
‘What the fuck?’ Lizzy hisses, joining me by the worktop as I pour with shaking hands.
I nod my agreement and bring the glass to my lips, swigging back half of the wine.
‘Tell me you didn’t know.’
‘I didn’t know,’ I say calmly, not insulted by Lizzy’s demand as I swallow my wine and turn, resting my arse against the counter.
Micky falls into the kitchen with wide, worried eyes. ‘Annie, you okay?’
I nod and sip more wine. ‘He’s married,’ I mumble mindlessly, staring into my glass. ‘My amazing one-night stand is married, in my house with his fucking wife, and he’s my client’s contractor.’ I look up at my friends. ‘I have to work with him.’ I laugh. ‘You couldn’t fucking write it!’
‘The wanker,’ Micky spits, slamming his glass down on the counter.
‘Nat was too busy dancing and throwing back shots to take any notice of him in the bar,’ Lizzy says, looking outside, no doubt checking the coast is clear.
‘I can’t believe this,’ I splutter. ‘All that time I wasted thinking about him.’
‘Here.’ Lizzy pours more wine into my glass and Micky comes over, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
‘I’m such an idiot.’
‘No,’ they snap in unison.
‘I am. I fell right into his hands, and now I have to look his wife in the eye knowing I fucked her husband.’ The thought sets my panic off again and I begin to tremble, my wine splashing up the side of my glass.
‘This isn’t your fault.’ Lizzy grinds the words out, annoyed. ‘Look at me,’ she demands, and I do. ‘Calm down. Get through tonight and then we’ll reconvene in the morning.’
‘What am I going to do?’ I ask. ‘I can’t work with him.’ I’ll have to quit Colin’s project. It’s my dream design coming to life, and I’ll have to abandon it.
‘For now, you’re not going to let him ruin your night. Tomorrow we’ll . . .’