“Why don't you have a drink yet?” he demanded, looking about. “Where’s Jenna?”
“She's busy in the kitchen I think. It's okay, I can get my own.”
“Rubbish. Ah, here's Jared to the rescue.”
Jared was strolling my way, juice in one hand, glass of wine in the other, eyes glittering hotly as he took me in.
Henry trailed along behind carrying two beers. No doubt his purpose was to eavesdrop on all verbal (and non-verbal for that matter) exchanges and report back to Mac at the next available opportunity.
“I better get back before those steaks catch fire. Leave you kids to it,” Steve muttered distractedly as he made his way back from where he came, slapping Jared and Henry heartily on the back along the way and stopping every so often to chatter with the people milling about.
“Hey, baby,” Jared leaned over and planted a kiss on my cheek.
The gesture had my skin tingling where his lips touched me, and despite the insistent voice telling me to move away, my legs appeared unwilling to listen.
“Jared,” I replied.
He grinned, displaying his dimple. “Wine or juice?”
“Juice, please.”
I took it with a grateful sigh as I watched Steve’s retreating back. Jared sat the wine down, and Henry handed him the second beer.
“Thanks. I love your dad.”
I took a massive gulp of the nice icy cold drink, and my eyes found Jenna who now stood next to Steve at the barbecue, watching us with delight as she tittered something in Steve’s ear.
“I love your mum too.”
Jared put an arm around my shoulders comfortably and tucked me into his side. “You know they love you like a daughter.”
I did know this. Jenna made sure to inform me on a regular basis, but I appreciated the reassurance of his words.
I listened quietly as Jared and Henry chatted about his work and how busy they were lately when I heard a voice in my ear and felt a wall at my back.
“Hey, there’s my dancing partner.” Two well-muscled arms encircled my waist to give a quick squeeze.
“Travis!” I grinned delightedly as Jared frowned at the both of us.
Travis was almost a carbon copy of Jared only his green eyes were a little lighter, his hair a little shorter and more blond, and he was maybe an inch taller. Travis was at the White Demon last night for our show and after party. I loved to dance and the fact that Travis wasn’t bad at it, and rarely left the dance floor, meant we’d stuck close to each other for most of the party.
He came around to stand in our huddle.
“Jared was just telling us how well the business was going because you all seem so busy.”
“It is going well,” he said. “Jared and I are lucky enough to have a rare day off while Casey and Coby are stuck working, so let’s not talk shop.”
“Agreed,” said Jared. “In fact...” he grabbed my hand and yanked me away “...we’re going for a swim.”
“We are? But I didn’t bring swimmers.”
He changed direction. “This way then. Mac keeps a heap in her old room.”
He led me inside the house and up the stairs to Mac’s old room. I started to snoop about with great interest because Jenna had left their rooms intact after they’d all eventually moved out, giving the impression she was keeping them that way for future grandkids. Jared went straight to a drawer, yanked it open, and pulled out a pretty little yellow bikini.
“Here.” He walked over, interrupting my perusal of Mac’s hoard of historical romance novels. Who knew Mac had such a romantic side?
I took the bikini he held out and went to step away, but he effectively blocked me in.
Dammit. He still smelled really good.
My head tilted back to meet his eyes.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re keeping things from me?” he asked, his voice low and gentle. His face came close to mine, and my pulse raced. Once again, my gaze was drawn to his lips, unable to forget their heat.
“I don’t really know what you mean,” I mumbled.
I put my hands on his chest in a half-hearted shove because he was standing too close and it was making me dizzy.
He didn’t budge.
“We’re supposed to be friends, but there are pieces of yourself you’re keeping locked away. What is it? It’s got something to do with this geek parade that Mac keeps yabbering on about doesn’t it? What’s that about?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “Smart guys are cool, you know.”
“I didn’t say they weren’t. Is it me? Have I offended you in some way? I might have thought it was because I kissed you, but it’s like you’ve had your guard up since the moment I met you.”
His words threw me off balance, and I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“I think that―”
“No. Don’t think. You’ve been doing too much of that. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s not any of your business, Jared.”
He leaned in close, too close, and I thought he might actually kiss me again.
“Evie.” He breathed against my mouth, his lips hovering over mine. “That hurts. You’re my friend and that makes you my business.”
If I was just your friend, why did you kiss me the way you did back at Zen that night, and if that was all I wanted you to be, why did I let you?
Jared’s phone saved me from verbalising my inner confusion.
He stepped away, pulling it out of his back pocket, and looked at the screen before answering.
I dragged in a few deep breaths, both grateful for the reprieve and disappointed in a way I wasn’t prepared to acknowledge.
“Coby.” Pause. “Where?” Longer pause. “Fifteen minutes.”
He ended the call, tucking the phone away, and locked his eyes on mine. “I have to go.”
The best I could manage was a mute nod because he was leaving, and even before he was gone, I felt bereft.
“I have to go away for a couple of weeks for work tomorrow. I wanna hear from you.”
I nodded again and his eyes went warm as he tapped his finger gently on my nose.
“See you, Evie.”
“Bye, Jared,” I whispered.
He turned and left so I changed into the yellow bikini and sat quietly on the bed for moment, wondering how on earth I was going to manage denying myself what I wanted. Seriously. It was like waving a bag of lollies in front of a starving child.
“There you are!”
Mac rounded the doorway and her gaze swept the room for Jared. Remembering Mac’s recruitment drive, I thought I’d try catching her off guard. “I saw your books, Mac.”
It worked when she paused in confusion. “My books?”
“Do you think Jared is going to come in, rescue me, sweep me over his shoulder, carry me to his giant steed, and we’ll ride to his moat-surrounded castle and live happily ever after?”
With guilt filling her eyes, her gaze slid to the books on her shelves.
“No,” she lied.
“Mactard,” I said in warning.
She sighed dramatically and flopped down on the bed. “Jared is a good guy, Evie.”
“Good guys still break hearts,” I snapped.
“Where is he anyway?”
“He had to leave.”
“Pity.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
She gave my boobs, currently busting out of her yellow bikini because I had a way bigger handful than she did, a pointed glance.
“Jared is a boob man,” she said knowingly.
I smacked her in the head with the pillow that was on the bed and flounced out of the room and down to the pool, proceeding to cannonball the five current occupants, dunk Henry three times, and eat a late lunch before we said our goodbyes.
Chapter Four
The next two weeks flew by like a supersonic jet, hurtling me towards certain doom because Jared would be home any day now, and I still had no idea what to do about him.
Mac, bless her managerial bossy soul, had gotten us another booking at the White Demon in a week, assuring us the feedback was high enough to go through the ceiling. If that didn’t say potential scout, then I really did have a Great Aunt Dottie.
Jared and I seemed to have moved passed the kissing incident and were back to our daily texting as friends.
E: What are you doing?
He messaged a photo of a huge dull conference room full of people.
J: Stuck inside a conference room in Brisbane.
I snapped a photo of the brilliant sunshine and blue surf.
E: I am at the beach :-P
Later that night, I snapped a photo of my sunburnt face. Even my olive skin wasn’t used to the harsher sunshine.
E: Thinking of changing my name to Hellgirl: Beast of the Apocalypse.
J: Get some aloe on that beautiful face of yours, Hellgirl.
I refused to admit the burst of warmth flooding my body was complete and utter pleasure at being called beautiful by Jared.
Two days later while I was out jogging I received a disturbing text.
J: Who is Asshole Kellar?
I stumbled mid-jog and stopped to ping off a message to Mac, suddenly fuming that Mac had told him. I was not proud of my spiralling years and didn’t want them advertised. To anyone.
E: What the hell did you say to Jared about Asshole Kellar?
M: Chill, tomato face. His name slipped out. I didn’t say anything.
I messaged Jared.
E: No one. Just an ex.
J: I’ve heard about Hairy Parry and Beetle Bob, but no one has mentioned Asshole Kellar before. Who else don’t I know about?
Wild Renny.
E: No one. It’s nothing.
Six days later, I received a photo taken from the top of the Giant Drop at the Dreamworld theme park located about an hour’s drive south of Brisbane.
E: Working hard I see.
J: Have friends up here with two teenage boys. Feel like a kid again.
Jared was only twenty-seven, hardly in his twilight years.
E: Yes, oh aged and wizened crone. I want a photo of you in the diary chair at the Big Brother house.
The house for the Australian version of the Big Brother reality show was located at the Dreamworld compound. I had a friend almost make the final cut on the show, but I couldn’t imagine being shut away from the world for so long. Mac had laughed when I told her this, assuring me I would have only lasted a week before getting voted off. I chuckled when later that afternoon a photo arrived of one of the teenage boys planking on the diary chair while Jared stood behind with an obvious look of exasperation.
J: I don’t get the whole planking thing, but they seem to find it amusing.
Three days later.
E: Mac has us booked at a place called the Florence Bar tonight.
Supposedly, It was an intimate bar somewhere along Darling Harbour. According to Mac, the place was a bit tamer than our usual wild atmosphere, so we worked at putting a set list together that Mac thought would fit in with the classy vibe.
J: Nice place. Am about to board flight home so save me a ticket, okay?
My heart fluttered at his words.
“It’s all useless crap,” Mac shouted from the bowels of my wardrobe while I sat on the bed busily messaging all and sundry. “You have nothing sexy and glamorous.”
“Jared is coming tonight,” I announced the words that a few weeks ago had me spiralling into a panicked frenzy.