“You’re right.” Fabrice nodded.
It was a floor-length, strapless cocktail dress in deep purple—aubergine, according to Fabrice. It had a ruffled bodice decorated with flowers made out of beads and was too fancy for her, but if Jai wanted her to wear it, she would.
“Shoes.” Fabrice picked out a pair of silver high heels.
“I can’t walk in those,” Summer said.
“Darling, that’s not the point.” Fabrice held them out.
“No. Low heels in case I need to make a quick getaway. I’ll wear mine.”
Eventually Fabrice gave in. “Black.” He huffed in disgust.
“No one’s going to see them.”
“But I’ll know.”
“You’ll get over it.” Summer patted him on the arm.
“Fine. Take the dress off and I’ll do your nails and makeup.”
“Not my nails.”
Fabrice groaned. “You want me to tear my hair out?”
“You have a shaved head,” she pointed out.
He gasped. “It’s already gone?”
Summer smiled. “I don’t like nail polish. It makes my fingers feel weird, as though they’re not attached to my hands. And I don’t want a lot of makeup either. I never wear much.”
“Trust me.” Fabrice beamed.
“No,” Summer said.
“You can always wash it off if you don’t like it,” Jai said.
“I’ve gone right off you,” Fabrice snapped.
Summer closed her eyes and let him get on with it. It was relaxing having brushes drift over her skin. She’d put on a small amount of makeup for Angie’s wedding but hadn’t used it at all for the eighteen months she’d been away. When she was blasting through the waves on a boat or setting up equipment on a hilltop, battling a wind strong enough to blow her over the edge, it hardly seemed worth bothering with anything more than sunscreen. But if she was going to be with Jai—not if—because she was now with Jai, she understood she needed to make more of an effort.
“Okay. Done. You can look in the mirror.”
Summer didn’t turn toward the mirror, she faced Jai. He’d dressed in his tux, but left the jacket off.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
Summer pouted. “I didn’t look beautiful before?”
“I’m sure when Fabrice has done your makeup, you’ll look…fine.”
Fabrice let out a snort of disgust and Summer laughed.
“Will you take our picture after I’ve put my party dress on?” she asked and gestured at her camera.
Once she was in the dress and Jai had slid on his jacket, they stood on the balcony with the illuminated Eiffel Tower behind them, held hands and looked into each other’s eyes. Summer’s heart lurched.
“Oh fuck,” Fabrice said. “Can I stay in your bed and wait for you to come back?”
They laughed and he snapped several pictures.
* * * * *
When she and Jai walked into the reception at the Le Petit Palace Chaumbert, the place was buzzing with people.
Summer clung to his hand. “Damn, I wish I had one of those flexible clips so I could fasten myself to you,” she whispered. “Should we have a meeting point in case we get split up?”
“Not going to happen but just in case, right here by the door, okay?”
As they mingled in the crowds with glasses of champagne, Summer was glad she wasn’t wearing her own dress because she was fairly sure she’d have been mistaken for a waitress.
“I can see Jules Montaigne heading our way,” he said in her ear. “He’s the creative director of Fixx. Pin’s boss.”
It was like watching the Red Sea parting as Montaigne walked toward them with three young men following. He was a tall, steely-eyed guy with close-cropped silver hair. He swept his gaze over Summer and he smiled. He and Jai air-kissed, then Jai introduced her and he air-kissed Summer too.
“You look lovely,” Montaigne said, his French accent wrapping around her and tugging.
Summer looked down at her dress. “This old thing?”
He laughed. “You’re not a model. You’re tanned and you have a sense of humor. What do you do?”
“Meteorological research. Specifically the changing patterns of El Niño and La Niña.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Fascinating. And your color tells me you’ve been somewhere warm.”
“Eighteen months in South America.”
“Come and tell me about it later.” He nodded to Jai and wandered off with his posse.
“You’re not going anywhere near him,” Jai said. “He has a reputation.”
“For what?”
“Seducing other men’s wives and girlfriends and boyfriends. He’s so powerful, no one dares say no.”
She squeezed his fingers. “I’m not interested. Well, not unless he has a Ferrari and a bigger cock than yours.”
Jai chuckled. He introduced her to so many people she had no hope of remembering who they were, but some faces she recognized—movie stars, singers, sportsmen.
“Good thing I’m not into collecting autographs,” she said. “You know a lot of famous people.”
“I don’t really know them. We’ve met a few times, that’s all, but everyone pretends they’re friends.”
When they moved into the area where they’d be eating, Summer gasped. Large oil paintings of grim-looking men and women hung on the walls and glass chandeliers dangled from an ornate ceiling, but the tables were works of art in themselves, with elaborate flower displays, sparkling glasses, complicated place settings and serviettes folded into high-heel shoes for the ladies, bow ties for the men.
As they headed for their table, Jai suddenly stopped. “Oh fuck,” he muttered.
Staring straight at them was the woman Summer had last seen naked in Jai’s bed.
“Jai, darling.” Marta pushed to her feet and strolled over to them, the V in her dress so low, her navel was visible. The bitch looked gorgeous.
“What are you doing here?” Jai asked.
“I’m your guest. Saul did tell you.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Jai turned and tugged Summer back the way they’d come.
“Are we leaving?” Summer asked.
“Not yet. Let’s see if we can sit at a different table.”
Summer glanced back, wondering if Marta was in pursuit with a steak knife, but she sat at the table merely glaring daggers at them.
Chapter Twenty
Summer could tell how furious Jai was by the way he gripped her hand too tightly.
“Slow down, calm down,” she whispered. “You’ll break my fingers.”
He shot her a stricken look. “Sorry.” He loosened his grip then bristled again. “How dare she just fucking show up like this?”
“They think they own you and though it kills me to say it, maybe you should sit with her and keep her happy. You have to talk to your brother before you risk setting off this particular dirty bomb.”
“I’m not fucking sitting with that bitch. Hey, Pin!”
The man turned and smiled from Jai to her, letting his gaze slide over her dress. “Suits you. Good choice.”
“Yeah, she does, and she is,” Jai said. “We need somewhere else to sit or we walk out right now.”
The smile fell from Pin’s face. “What’s happened?”
“The wife of my soon-to-be-sacked-but-no-one-knows-about-it-so-don’t-say-a-fucking-word agent has turned up expecting to be my dinner companion. Not going to happen.”
“Right. Let me see what I can do.”
He hurried off and Jai dragged his fingers through his hair. “Shit, why don’t we just leave? I know we’d have more fun on our own. That fucking bitch. How dare—umph.”
Summer shut him up with a kiss. She caught his cheeks in her hands to keep him still and kissed him until she felt the tension melt from his body. When his fingers crept onto her butt, she let him go.
“Okay now?” she asked.
He ga
ve a short laugh. “Now my dick’s uptight.”
Fewer and fewer people remained on their feet as the tables began to fill. Summer wondered if anyone would be crazy enough to not turn up for an event like this.
Pin came hurrying back and said, “Table seven.”
Jai led her over and as he pulled out her seat, the men who were already sitting stood up. Jai went around shaking hands and kissing cheeks. Summer smiled her hellos. From where she was sitting, she could see Marta glaring at her and fought the urge to stick out her tongue. The good-looking dark-haired man by her side offered his hand.
“I’m not allowed to kiss, not even air-kiss,” he said. “I have an insanely jealous wife.”
The pretty woman on his other side elbowed him hard.
“See?” the man said. “Insanely jealous with scalpel-sharp elbows. I’m bruised head to toe.”
Jai shook the guy’s hand. “We’ve met once before at a party. I’m Jai Winter. This is Summer.”
“Charlie and Kate Storm,” Jai told Summer as he dropped into the seat next to Summer.
“Is it? Are you? Really? Blimey,” Summer blurted. Oh my god. I’m sitting next to Charlie Storm.
Charlie laughed. “Not the only other person in the entire world apart from my beloved wife who didn’t immediately recognize me?”
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Hey, I’m delighted not to be recognized.” He beamed at her.
“Would you rather we sat somewhere else?” Jai asked Kate.
“Of course not,” she said. “It’s not your fault you’re related to Dickhead. Oops.”
Summer saw the moment Charlie put two and two together. His smile morphed to a scowl. “Richard Winter—”
“Is my twin,” Jai said. “And the only thing we have in common is our DNA. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize for your brother,” Kate said. “Anyway, if it hadn’t been for Dick—Richard—I wouldn’t have met Charlie.” She frowned at her husband. “Ah damn it, yes, I have to blame Richard for everything.”
“Ha ha,” Charlie said.
It would have been easy for Summer to be overwhelmed by the company but Jai didn’t let that happen. The meal was fantastic, every plate of food an artistic creation with nonstop wine and champagne. Each time she glanced at her glass it had been refilled and she reminded herself not to keep drinking or she’d slide under the table. Charlie hardly ever stopped talking and almost everything he said made Summer laugh, particularly when Kate kept rolling her eyes.
“I’m going to take your batteries out in a minute, sweetheart,” Kate said. “Have you let Summer get a word in edgeways?”
Charlie looked stricken. “Sorry. Did you know we’ve got twins? Mark and Lizzie. Five years old going on fifteen. Absolute demons. Take after their mother.”
“Charlie!” Kate said.
“Okay, okay. What do you do?” he asked Summer. “Tell me every detail, don’t leave any pauses and that way I won’t be able to interrupt.”
Jai laughed at her side.
“I do meteorological research.”
Charlie groaned. “You paused. Arrggh. Is that research on the weather or meteors or both? Can meteor strikes influence weather? Oh yes, they can. That’s why the dinosaurs died out.”
“You have to excuse him,” Kate said. “He’s forgotten how to have normal conversations. Too much time spent with the kids explaining why the sky is blue, why we need to breathe and why Daddy always leaves his socks on the bedroom floor.”
“Sounds like he’s being a great dad,” Summer said. “And a person who studies meteors is called a meteoriticist—just in case your kids ask.”
“See?” Charlie beamed.
“No, he’s useless,” Kate said. “He lets them do anything and I’m the one who has to tell them off. All three of them.”
Charlie turned to his wife, caught her face and kissed her. “I love you.”
“And I love you too but I haven’t thought up a suitable punishment yet for what you did last week.” She leaned forward to talk to Jai and Summer. “I came back home to find the three of them in bed, Charlie asleep and the kids putting makeup on his face. He’s a hopeless babysitter. The kitchen floor was covered in flour. Apparently it was so we’d know if we’d been burgled.”
“And we caught you,” Charlie said. “Definitely prints from your shoes. A chocolate biscuit gone from the packet. Case proved. The kids and I are deciding on your punishment.”
Summer wondered if she and Jai would get that far, if they’d marry, have kids. I am so racing ahead of myself.
Jai tugged at her fingers. “What are you thinking?”
“Would your dad have done that?”
“No, would yours?”
She shook her head. “Never. How close are you to finishing your screenplay?”
Jai straightened. “No.”
“How close?”
“Summer!”
She turned to Charlie. “Jai’s written a screenplay.”
“Oh, what’s it about?”
Jai opened, closed, then opened his mouth. “A romantic comedy about two demons who come to the UK on an official mission to find a runaway soul. They go looking for sex, which they’re denied in hell, and they find love.”
“That sounds different,” Charlie said. “Want to send it to me and I’ll tell you what I think?” He scribbled his email on a piece of paper torn from the menu and handed it to Jai.
“See?” Summer whispered.
“He’s just being polite.” Jai’s smile was tight.
“No, I’m not,” Charlie said. “I’m never polite, am I, Kate?”
“Only when you really, really want something.”
“I need to tweak the script,” Jai said. “Summer gave me some new ideas I’d like to add.”
“Whenever you’re ready.” Charlie smiled. “I know people who know people.”
“You sound like the godfather.” Kate snorted. “I’m off to the bathroom. Want to come?”
Charlie leapt up and Kate pushed him down. “Not you.”
Summer rose to her feet.
“Don’t be long. They’re going to do the awards soon,” Charlie said.
“I won’t have won anything.” Kate tucked her arm into Summer’s and they headed out of the room.
Charlie watched his wife until she’d disappeared before he turned to Jai. “Your brother broken any more hearts?”
Jai winced. “I know it’s no consolation for the way he treated Kate, but our family left him under no illusions as to what we thought of his behavior. I considered getting in touch with Kate but I didn’t want to make things worse. Richard’s a bastard. I’m not even sure he’s changed. I don’t have much to do with him apart from Sunday lunch at our parents’, where he delights in thrashing me at Scrabble.”
“I’m crap at Scrabble. Kate and I play dirty Scrabble though when the kids are in bed. Course we have to cheat to get the right tiles but it’s fun. How long have you been going out with Summer?”
“Not long.”
“Not easy is it, being with someone who isn’t part of the business? But Kate’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“So is Summer.”
“Seems to me our two girls have a lot in common.”
“Apart from being gorgeous?”
Charlie laughed. “Yeah, apart from that. Did Summer really not recognize you?”
“She’d been in South America for eighteen months measuring sea temperatures.”
He started when Marta slipped into Summer’s seat between him and Charlie.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Marta held out her hand to Charlie.
“Careful, she bites,” Jai said. “And she spits poison.”
Marta shook Charlie’s hand. “I’m Marta DeVries. The wife of Jai’s agent.”
“Go away, Marta,” Jai said.
“You should be sitting with me.” She pouted collagen-enhanced lips. “Saul’s very annoyed with
you.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“Tell him that.” Marta took her phone from her purse, pressed a couple of keys and held it out at such an angle only Jai could see it.
Confronted by a picture of himself on his knees being fucked by Saul, though the guy’s head wasn’t in the shot, his stomach roiled. Jai pushed to his feet and stalked away before the temptation to strangle her overwhelmed his common sense. He retreated to the only place he thought he was safe. The Gents’.
He was wrong. Marta stormed in behind him, glared at the other occupants until they left, then pinned Jai in the corner. He wanted to shove her head in the bowl and drown her.
“Have you forgotten the details of our arrangement?” she whispered.
As if I fucking could.
“Get rid of your little tart and come and sit with me for the awards or I’ll go to the press and tell them you raped me.”
“What?”
She showed him another photo on her phone. Him fucking her while her hands were tied to the bed. A look on her face that might be ecstasy but could just as easily be agony.
“Someone stood by and took a picture on your phone, did they?” Jai made himself laugh. “That’s not going to work.”
Marta’s cheek twitched. “Then we’ll get Krista to say it.”
“She won’t.”
“Want to bet? Behave, Jai. You know the consequences.”
Marta stalked out and he shuddered.
* * * * *
Summer dried her hands under the hot-air blower.
“This bloody dress,” Kate said from inside a stall. “I can’t even find my legs.”
Summer laughed, but cut it off when Marta came in.
“I feel sorry for you,” Marta said.
Summer pressed her lips together.
“You’ve no idea what he’s like, do you?” Marta held up her phone in front of Summer and scrolled through a number of images.
She couldn’t look away. All the things Marta had told her Jai had done, she could see him doing. Sucking a guy’s cock, being fucked by a guy, fucking a woman, lying with two women. Jai naked with his arms tied behind his back, on his knees surrounded by guys. Jai with a metal cage over his cock. She made sure she kept her expression blank but her heart pounded.
“That last one was taken on Friday night. See what fun we had? I’ve got audio too.”
Summer Girl, Winter Boy Page 27