A Jersey Affair

by Georgina Troy

  ‘I’ll leave you both to it,’ she said. ‘I’ve enjoyed catching up with you, Sebastian.’

  ‘Paige,’ Sebastian went to follow her.

  ‘Must go, and find Olly and Jake,’ she shouted over her shoulder. ‘They’ll be wondering where I’ve gone.’

  ‘Is everything OK?’ Sara asked. He didn’t reply. Seconds later, she added. ‘Go and stop her, before she goes back inside.’

  ‘She’s already gone,’ he murmured, walking along the lawn towards the marquee.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Paige hurried towards the light of the marquee, arriving breathless, mostly due to the mixed feelings she was trying to suppress. She found Olly entertaining a group of giggling females surrounding him. He noticed her straight away and held his hand out to her, drawing her next to him. ‘Lovely ladies, this is Paige,’ he said, a naughty twinkle in his eye. ‘Say hello, Paige.’

  ‘Hello,’ she said obediently, enjoying his easy way as she forced any thoughts of Sebastian to the back of her mind, determined to deal with them later.

  ‘Come on, drink time,’ he said, taking Paige’s hand and leading her towards the bar.

  ‘You’re such a tease,’ she said, seeing the disappointment in his admirers’ faces as Olly turned his attention away from them. ‘You love all this, don’t you?’

  He smiled his cheeky grin. ‘What man wouldn’t?’ He leaned in closer to her and lowered his voice. ‘Also, a little PR never hurts the coffers, so I take my chances where I see them. I’m going to have to make the most of these parties if I want to build up a following for your new website.’

  He’s not as switched off as he likes people to believe, Paige realised, grinning at him, and just managing not to laugh out loud at his blatant admission.

  ‘Come on,’ he said, taking her glass from her hand and placing it along with his own on a nearby table. ‘Boogie time.’

  ‘Oh, please no, I don’t want to,’ she protested, as he led her past dancing guests into the middle of the temporary wooden floor.

  ‘I love this,’ he said, in between singing along to The Beach Boys’ ‘Good Vibrations’.

  Paige giggled, unable to stop her mood lifting with his infectious high spirits.

  ‘Sing along, then,’ he said, taking her hands and waving them in the air.

  I must look like a complete fool, she thought, not minding at all and enjoying the feeling of liberation she had from his devil-may-care attitude. ‘I don’t know all the words.’

  ‘Who cares,’ he laughed. ‘Make some up.’

  Olly spun Paige round, catching her and lowering her backwards when she tripped over her own feet. He pulled her up to stand once more and then spun her around the other way.

  ‘No more,’ she giggled. ‘Enough. Stop.’

  ‘Hey, watch out,’ a woman shouted. ‘You almost stood on my toe.’

  ‘Have to make sure we don’t miss next time,’ shouted Jake, coming up to dance next to them, causing her to bite her lower lip to stop laughing.

  ‘Sorry’, she mouthed to the woman, who looked down her nose and turned her back to them.

  ‘Hooligans.’

  Jake mimicked her from behind, until Paige motioned him to stop. ‘Let’s get a drink,’ she suggested, her hand at her throat. ‘I’m parched.’

  ‘You just want an excuse to stop dancing with me,’ he said, leading the way.

  Paige giggled. He was right. She tried to catch her breath as she followed him in the general direction of the bar, passing a striking woman about her own age with long platinum blonde hair like a cascade of gold down her tanned back. She was in deep conversation with a friend, neither of them bothering to try and hide the fact they were watching and discussing Paige. In fact, realised Paige, they wanted her to notice. She wondered why the woman seemed so interested in her, and feigning an air of confidence, followed Jake and Olly to the bar.

  ‘Who’s she?’ she asked Olly, discretely pointing out the two women to him, as Jake ordered their drinks.

  Olly raised his eyebrows. ‘Don’t know, but she’s gorgeous,’ he said breathlessly. ‘Hang on a sec, I do recognize her from somewhere.’ He rubbed his chin as he concentrated. ‘I think she could be Sebastian Fielding’s ex-fiancé. Don’t think they were ever actually married though.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Paige asked, her whole body tingling with shock.

  ‘About which bit?’ Olly peered surreptitiously over Paige’s head.

  ‘Any of it,’ she said desperate to know more.

  ‘Didn’t you read about it?’

  She shook her head, wishing she had done.

  ‘I’m trying to think. I remember her picture from a couple of those articles in the papers recently, but can’t remember what they were saying about her.’

  ‘Who were?’ she asked, taking a pink cocktail from Jake.

  ‘Who, what?’ Jake asked.

  ‘Paige was wondering who that beauty is over there.’ Olly motioned in the woman’s direction.

  Jake looked over. ‘No idea, but she’s pretty incredible.’

  ‘OK, you two.’ Paige wished she had never started the conversation in the first place. ‘Stop gawping like a couple of teenage boys, I was trying to be discreet.’

  ‘I never said she was as lovely as you, though did I?’ Jake said, winking suggestively.

  ‘It goes without saying,’ Paige teased, wondering how Sebastian could ever waste time with her when he was used to a woman who was so much more impressive in every conceivable way. I’ll bet she could cope with the paparazzi, she mused.

  ‘Of course it does.’ Jake squeezed her to him and tickled her side.

  Paige squealed, wriggling out of his grasp, instantly forgetting her insecurities. ‘Stop it. I’m going to spill my drink.’

  ‘She will,’ Olly said. ‘She’s incredibly clumsy.’

  ‘Come on,’ Jake shouted, putting their glasses on the bar. ‘I want to dance some more.’

  ‘Let’s not,’ Paige tried to argue, but he took no notice and continued waving his arms in the air as he meandered towards the dance floor. ‘Oh my God, you look like a regular from the club they made that documentary about, from the seventies,’ she said. ‘Where was that place again? I remember now, it was Studio 54.’

  ‘What are you waiting for?’ he shouted, shimmying in front of her, making her giggle.

  Unable to think of a reason not to, Paige determined to forget she was being watched, and joined in with him, punching the air and moving her hips as best she could along with him.

  ‘You sure can move,’ he said, as other guests seemed to pick up on his mood and joined them on the dance floor.

  The DJ started clapping to the rhythm. ‘This is for my very good friend Jake. As we can see, he knows how to get down and dirty on the dance floor. Go for it, Jakey,’ he shouted, as the first bars of, ‘Boogie Nights’ began to filter through the loud speakers at each corner of the room.

  ‘Jakey,’ called a young girl, dressed head to toe in candy pink, as she launched herself towards him. Paige assumed she must be the birthday girl. ‘Baby, you came. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.’ She elbowed her way passed Paige to get to him.

  ‘Hey, careful,’ he said, peering over her pink angel wings to Paige.

  She smiled. ‘Don’t worry,’ she mouthed. She watched as the birthday girl draped her arms around Jake’s neck, half-heartedly glancing in Paige’s direction, before focusing her attention back to him.

  ‘Don’t you think she looks rather like an overblown strawberry milkshake?’ Olly asked from over her shoulder.

  Paige laughed. ‘That’s mean, Olly. It’s her birthday; she’s allowed to wear what she wants.’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, not looking at all convinced. ‘But there should be a limit when you reach your twenties, surely?’

  They continued dancing nearby, watching as Jake tried to untangle himself, a forced smile on his face. He reached up, taking the girl’s wrists in his hands and attempted to u
ntangle them from his neck.

  ‘She’s holding on for grim death,’ Olly said, one eyebrow raised in amazement.

  Jake tried pulling her hands away from him once more. ‘No, Jakey,’ she shouted. ‘Don’t do that.’

  ‘Oh, crap,’ Olly said. ‘I think she’s had a bit too much to drink. He looks like he’s having a bit of a battle escaping from her clutches.’

  She was about to agree, when the girl flung one arm back from Jake’s hold and smacked Paige right in the eye.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  ‘Ouch,’ Paige yelped, covering her smarting eye with one hand. ‘Bloody hell, that hurt.’ Tears began streaming from her throbbing eye. She could feel it beginning to swell straight away.

  Jake wrestled free from the party girl and pushed her away from him. ‘Shit, look what you’ve done,’ he shouted. ‘Hey, are you OK?’ He rushed over to Paige’s side.

  ‘Of course she’s not,’ said a calm voice Paige recognized. ‘What the hell were you playing at, messing around like a teenager in the middle of all these people?’ Sebastian said, glaring at Jake. It was obvious someone was going to get hurt.’

  Paige closed her eyes. She was embarrassed to be caught in this drama and wished they’d both go away and leave her in peace. ‘I’m fine,’ she said between clenched teeth.

  Jake turned from her to face Sebastian, the rage on his face palpable. ‘Why don’t you mind your own business, big man?’ he said, nose to nose with Sebastian.

  Paige forgot the stinging in her eye. ‘It’s OK, please don’t make a fuss,’ she said, her voice drowned out by the crying birthday girl.

  Undeterred by Jake’s threatening demeanour, Sebastian gently took Paige’s hand in his and held it away from her eye, bending down to have a look. ‘That looks painful. You want to get it checked out,’ he said, his voice cold. ‘You’re definitely going to have a black eye after a punch like that one.’

  ‘I’m fine, really,’ she assured him, before noticing Jake grab at Sebastian’s shoulder and pull him backwards.

  ‘I said to butt out, and leave her alone,’ Jake shouted, his eyes narrowed as he focused his attention on Sebastian.

  Sebastian shrugged him off easily.

  ‘Hey.’ Olly grabbed hold of her, lifting her away from the drama. ‘They’re not fighting over you, are they?’ he asked, looking delighted.

  ‘Shut up, Olly. I think it’s time Jake went home. Do something.’

  ‘Er, no.’ He looked at her as if she was insane. ‘They’re both bigger than me, and by the looks on their faces, ready to kill each other. I think this has more to do with jealousy than anything else.’

  Paige winced as Jake punched Seb on the jaw. Seb immediately retaliated. Unable to miss Olly’s determination not to get involved, Paige decided she would have to do something. ‘Stop it,’ she screamed, grabbing hold of Sebastian’s arm, just in time to distract his attention enough and allow Jake to take full advantage by punching him hard in the face.

  Paige winced. ‘Jake. What did you do that for?’

  ‘Yes,’ echoed Olly. ‘That’s enough.’ He linked his arms through Jake’s from behind, holding him back from Sebastian, enabling Paige to step in.

  Paige turned to Sebastian. ‘What was that all about?’ she asked, stunned by what she had just witnessed between the two men.

  ‘Don’t have a go at me,’ Sebastian snapped. ‘It was your boyfriend who started all this.’

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend, not that it’s anything to do with you if he was.’

  ‘I think we should leave,’ Olly said, glancing from one to the other. ‘before Jake gets his second wind.’

  ‘You don’t have to tell me twice,’ Jake moaned, putting an arm around her shoulder and sneering in Sebastian’s direction before walking with her towards the door. ‘What the hell is his problem anyway?’

  Paige glanced over to see Sebastian staring after them, his bruised face sullen. ‘I’ve no idea,’ she said, wondering why Sebastian kept involving himself in her life. What did he want from her? It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough attention from everyone else.

  ‘Shit,’ Olly shouted, catching up with them by the car. ‘I didn’t know his lordship was there tonight. What the hell was all that about?’

  ‘I think he only stepped in to stop everything kicking off, to be honest,’ Paige said suspecting that Sebastian had only become involved as a reaction to her being hit in the face. ‘You’re the one who acted like a madman in there,’ she snapped at Jake, pushing his arm away from her.

  ‘Yeah, sorry.’ At least he had the decency to look a little shame-faced.

  ‘Why don’t you come in for a bit and let me have a look at your eye?’ Jake asked when they arrived at his house at the edge of the sand dunes in St Ouen’s Bay.

  Paige shook her head. ‘It was only a glancing blow. I think you came out of that worse than I did, don’t you?’ she said, studying his grazed cheek.

  ‘Bloody toffs,’ he said getting out of the car. ‘Why do they always wear those stupid pinkie rings?’

  ‘Instigate fights with them often, do you?’ Paige teased, unable to stop feeling a little guilty for Sebastian’s part in the drama.

  ‘Not every week.’ He bent down and gazed into the wing mirror for a moment. ‘Bloody hell, I made a bit of a fool of myself tonight, didn’t I?’

  Paige nodded.

  ‘You had a lucky escape,’ Olly said. ‘Someone was telling me he’s involved in some kids’ charity. I’m told he does a lot of training for taking part in charity boxing matches to raise money for one of the homes over here, so he’s bloody fit.’

  Paige could see Jake was taken aback by Olly’s comment. She was too. ‘Really? Are you sure?’ It was news to her.

  Olly shrugged. ‘So I gather. Apparently, in his spare time he helps a guy who runs an orphanage where the kids live. I think they were friends when they were kids, and he sets up charity evenings to help raise money.’

  Jake groaned. ‘If he’s so bloody wealthy, why doesn’t he write out a cheque so they can do the work instead of him?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Olly said, turning to Paige. ‘I would have suggested you asked him, but I don’t think he’ll be in any mood to talk to you right now.’

  Neither did she, and she was quite sure she didn’t want to speak to him either. It was all getting too confusing. Finding out Sebastian had been engaged to that beautiful woman, and now learning this about him only went to confirm how little she knew about the man and how right her father had been when he spoke about Sebastian being unattainable.

  Jake leaned into the car window. ‘Do you fancy coming surfing tomorrow morning? The tide should be perfect just after six.’

  Paige laughed at his determination. ‘I think you could probably do with taking it a little easy and getting a decent lie-in,’ she said, breathing in the salty air and listening to the waves lapping against the nearby sand. ‘I’m going straight home. I need to get an ice pack on this shiner and see if I can get it to go down a little before I have to return to work on Monday. I can’t afford to frighten off my customers.’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Olly laughed. ‘A black eye doesn’t really give the best impression when you’re running an up-market business, does it?’

  ‘Not really,’ she said, waving at Jake, as Olly began to drive.

  ‘You’ll look like a right thug,’ he laughed.

  ‘Olly?’ she asked, trying not to giggle at his comment.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Shut up and drive.’

  As Olly wove the car through the leafy country lanes, she mused about how much easier it was to have fun with a man when you didn’t have deep feelings for him. She enjoyed Jake’s company, rather more than she had expected to, but was still stunned by Seb’s reaction towards him, and even more amazed by his apparent involvement in the nearby children’s home.

  ‘Why do you think Sebastian stepped in like that tonight, Ol?’ she asked, staring out into th
e darkness, watching the shadowy shapes of the trees as they drove past. ‘He’s always seemed so cool and together before.’

  ‘Either because he was being protective of you, or simply because he was jealous,’ he said, his tone matter of fact.

  ‘Jealous, of what? Jake’s your friend, he’s nothing to do with me.’

  Olly nodded. ‘I know that, but he doesn’t.’

  ‘You don’t think it was because Jake just annoyed him by acting like a big kid on the dance floor like he said?’

  Olly looked at her for a moment. ‘It probably didn’t help, but the look on his face when that stupid girl hit you in the eye was a picture. It was as if something snapped inside him, and he reacted instinctively. I’ve never seen anyone’s expression change so instantaneously. He really cares for you, you know, whether you choose to believe it or not.’

  Paige pulled her cotton jacket tighter around her, as if it could possibly ward off any further confusing thoughts. ‘You must be wrong. Surely, if I meant anything to him at all, he wouldn’t have lied to me when he found out I had a concession in De Greys?’

  ‘I suppose you’re right. Maybe he just likes being in control,’ he suggested.

  ‘Probably,’ she added, feeling hurt at the thought that Olly could be right.

  They drove in silence for a while. Paige lowered her head back against the leather headrest and closed her eyes. Breathing in the sweet evening air, she turned her thoughts back to Sebastian. Why couldn’t he be an ordinary guy with a standard nine to five job?

  ‘Good,’ Olly said, changing gear badly and causing his engine to protest loudly. ‘There’s no reason for you to sit at home being miserable and wallowing.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ She wound the window down a little further, holding her hand out in the cool air.

  ‘Don’t act the innocent with me,’ he said, looking at her briefly. ‘I saw your face when he strutted over and did his lord and master bit.’

  ‘He did not,’ Paige said, immediately wishing she would think before speaking.

  ‘See? You’re defending him already,’ Olly said, raising an eyebrow. ‘And after everything you’ve said, too.’