He stands, picking up his water glass and tapping an abandoned spoon against it, the melodic tinkle stopping other conversation and all eyes fall on him. He smiles round at us all, his dimples appearing and he looks so happy.
‘Everyone, I’d just like to say a few words, if I may,’ he starts. ‘I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight, and for those that joined us skiing today, Di – if you think I’m through gloating, then brace yourself, love.’ There’s a burst of delighted laughter and when it settles down, Justin turns just fractionally to the left, his body pulling him towards his wife.
Ellen’s turned on her chair and she’s staring up at the man she loves with wide eyes. Her face is flushed, her chest rising and falling quickly.
‘We’re here to celebrate the birthday of the beautiful woman sitting next to me. My wife,’ he says softly, his voice soaked with love. He gazes down at Ellen and she swallows, her breath hitching. They look at each other for a moment as if there’s no one else in the room, as though we’ve vanished from their minds.
‘Ellen, you’re not only my wife, you’re my best friend,’ Justin goes on. ‘You’re my confidante, my soul-mate, my rock. I love you, baby, more than I can ever describe to you.’
Yep – that’s done it. Her chin’s shaking and her lovely eyes are glossy with tears. Justin fishes in his trouser pocket now, taking hold of something but he doesn’t pull his hand free. Not yet.
‘I’m aware that it’s customary to have presented this to you in a few years’ time, but I knew from the first moment you kissed me that I was lost to you for all eternity.’ He finally pulls his hand out of his pocket and Ellen’s hand flies to her mouth as he holds the small velvet box out to her, sinking back onto his chair and turning to her fully. He prises open the lid and every neck around the table cranes to see the ring nestling in the dark velvet.
It’s exquisite, a double row of perfect diamonds and the tears start to drop from Ellen’s eyes as she stares at it. Justin plucks the ring out of the box and she holds out her trembling hand to him, a sob hitching in her throat. He’s annihilated her.
‘I love you baby,’ he whispers, as he slides the ring onto her finger and then she’s flung herself out of her chair and into his lap. Claps and whistles start again and as Justin and Ellen hold each other close for long moments, I can see them murmuring to each other, having a conversation for their ears only.
Finally breaking apart, Ellen wipes her eyes with her napkin as all the women in the group get up, me included and gather around her to inspect her perfect ring. Justin grins, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary and well he might. He never fucks anything up, he’s hardwired it seems into making the right decisions, all the time. If I didn’t love him so much it’d be sickening and would irritate the shit out of me.
I retake my seat and drain my cognac, looking at my watch. It’s nearly half nine now and I wonder again about going to the pub. Part of me really can’t be arsed. I’m relaxed, full of food, tipsy at the very least and I suddenly ache to just hang out here with this lot for another hour and then go home with Carter. Strip him slowly naked and love him to within an inch of his life. We’ve only gone condom-less twice, I didn’t get to fuck him last night and it’s suddenly the only thing I want to do. I open my mouth to tell him so, before I catch Gemma’s eye over the table and I change my mind.
Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Gemma to Rupert. Carter had to talk him into it, he was moaning that he was broke, but when Gemma was mentioned he changed his mind. It wouldn’t be fair on either of them to bail now, just because I have sex on the brain. We can have plenty of sex later – he’s promised me we would and I need to try and find a little patience.
I clear my throat.
‘Carter and I are going to Heebies for a few, anyone fancy coming?’ I say, glancing round the table as Dan gets up again, moving to collect glasses to refresh drinks. I see a look slide between Justin and Ellen immediately. There’s one place they’re going tonight and that’s home to bed.
Diane on the other hand looks delighted and she beams at me for a moment. Ryan however, has other ideas and he swipes the smile from her face with his next words.
‘No chance, Di. We’re up at six and I have to drive us to Wakefield to see your gran, so if you think I’m doing that after a four in the morning bender, you’re wrong.’
She shoots him a baleful look. ‘We can go for a couple of hours?’ she bleats but he shakes his head, his eyes almost pitying.
‘Di – how many times have you promised that? You know what you’re like and I’ll be stopping the car every ten minutes tomorrow so you can throw up!’ She scowls at him now but there’s a trace of a smile hovering around her mouth and he winks at her cross the table. I glance at Nat but she shakes her head at me.
‘I’d love to come, Pearl, but I wouldn’t cope with music with this headache.’ She smiles sadly. ‘Maybe next time?’ I nod.
That just leaves Donna and Gemma then, I doubt Jess or Holly will come but I suddenly see Regan’s face light up from across the table. Unluckily for her, her mother also sees it and she laughs as she starts to help Dan clear the table.
‘Not a hope in hell, Regan,’ she says and her daughter’s eyes drop. I really have no idea why she wants to come out to a pub. The best thing that she could do would be to take Ollie up to her room – if it’s allowed, that is – and snog him for a couple of hours. He smiles fondly at her, his hand reaching for hers as he swallows the last of his Budweiser.
Everyone stands now, some of the group making their way back over to the lounge and taking seats on the soft sofas. Gemma and Donna come over and I smile. Gemma looks lovely tonight. She’s wearing an emerald green dress that sets off her dark hair and pale skin wonderfully and she gives me a wide smile.
‘Um, Gemma – I’ve got a friend who’s interested in meeting you,’ Carter says and she looks up at him. ‘He’s going to meet us in Heebies for a couple of drinks?’
‘Brilliant!’ she blurts. Blimey Gem – not too eager, love? Donna pulls her phone out of her bag. ‘I’ll call a cab,’ she says quietly and I suddenly feel a pang of dismay. If things go to plan tonight, that’s all fine and dandy for Gemma, but what about Don? I wish that I had someone else waiting in the wings, a man for her to meet that would see past the awful scar that carves her face. She’s still beautiful – you just need to learn to see through the disfigurement. The scar hardly even registers in my mind when I look at her now. She’s just lovely Donna who has so much to offer.
We circulate now as a group of four, saying goodbyes and exchanging hugs. Carter and Dillon shake and slap backs, swapping numbers and I hide a grin. I have a feeling that these two are going to become firm friends. They’ve so much in common.
Donna’s phone pings to tell her that our cab has arrived and Dan escorts us to the front door, hugging us women and shaking Carter’s hand again.
‘Thank you all for coming, great to meet you Carter,’ he says and he waits on the step as we trail down to the taxi waiting at the top of the drive with its engine idling. Carter gets in the front and as I wait for my friends to slide into the back seat, I turn to look at Dan once more.
‘Goodnight, Pearl. Love you,’ he calls and I smile and return it before sliding into the taxi and shutting the door.
Thirty Two
We pile out of the cab outside Heebies, Carter paying the driver and he hauls his phone out of his pocket as he comes over and takes my hand. Navigating the menus with his thumb, he brings it to his ear, smiling down at me as he waits for the call to be connected.
Donna and Gemma come over chatting, Gemma brimming with excitement. Christ. I hope she and Rupert hit it off. Even though they’re both very attractive and single, there’s nothing to say that the chemistry will be there. Sometimes there just isn’t and I remember Aaron again. I wonder what he’s doing tonight, but then I shove it away. Aaron’s my personal mood hoover and I don’t want to think about him and his i
ssues now.
‘Mate,’ Carter says, starting to walk slowly towards the entrance to the bar. ‘We’re just going into Heebies.’ He stops and nods. ‘Cool. See you in ten.’
He voids the call and shoves his phone back into his pocket, grinning at Gemma. ‘He’s in the Ball, he’ll be here shortly,’ he says. ‘Jase is with him.’
Donna’s ears prick up at the mention of a friend, but I doubt she’ll fancy Jase. He’d be a good looking bloke if he lost some weight, but who am I to judge what Donna might and might not fancy? For all I know, she might clap eyes on him and fall in love. It happened to me.
Carter pushes the door to the bar open, music pumping from it, but it is Saturday night and gone ten, at that. Heebies is a popular place and a lot of people start their Saturday night here.
It’s warm inside, the heat cloying with the smell of mingled perfume and aftershave, the patrons suited, booted and looking gorgeous – all hoping to net someone tonight. Maybe just for a quick physical interlude, or perhaps a soulmate – someone to spend the rest of their lives with. I wish them luck, thankful beyond measure that I’m not one of them. I’ve found mine.
Taking my hand, Carter pushes us gently through the throngs of people standing around near the bar and as the crowd thins, my mouth drops open. There’s a low sofa and half a dozen chairs around an empty table a few feet in front of us. What a stroke of luck! I let go of Carter’s hand as I make a beeline towards it. I grin up at Gem and Donna as they pile onto the sofa next to me and Carter throws back his head and laughs when he sees the row of beaming female faces looking up at him.
‘Drinks, ladies?’ he says with a sexy smile, hiking a brow and I gape at him for a moment. God, he’s so beautiful. He takes my breath away.
We shout orders at him and he pivots and makes his way to the bar. Donna, Gemma and I chat animatedly. I’ve had such an incredible day. Every moment of it, from waking up this morning and texting Carter to waiting for him to come back with the drinks, so that I can hold and kiss him, it’s been one of the best days of my life. I’ve had a few recently, it’s hard for me to decide which one is still top of the pile but the moment he took my virtue is the front-runner by a mile and will remain so until he says those three elusive little words that I long to hear.
As Carter comes back with the drinks, a song I love comes on. Fuelled by the alcohol I’ve downed at Dan’s I feel alive, full of energy, buzzing with warm adrenaline and endorphins and I want to dance. I cock my eye at Donna.
‘Coming for a boogie?’ I ask and she grins, putting down her drink and getting up. Gemma stays where she is, her eyes flicking to the door every few seconds. She’s waiting for Rupert. Bless her.
Carter catches my hand as I go to move away from the table and he pulls me to him, tipping his head back so that I can give him a soft kiss.
‘Hurry back,’ he murmurs, a smile on his face as he kisses me again.
Donna links arms with me as we make our way to the little dancefloor. There’s a few other girlies on here and we find a space. I shut my eyes, throwing my hands up and my head back, losing myself in the music and the coloured flashing lights that I can still see through my closed lids. This is more like it! This is what I was after on my eighteenth birthday, not that awful, oppressive black hole we ended up in. Still – I shouldn’t grumble. If I hadn’t been in Obsidian, I’d have never met Carter so I’m actually grateful that we went.
I open my eyes and Donna grins at me. We throw shapes for a couple more songs, but when the music changes, I decide I’ve had enough. I want a drink and I want Carter’s mouth on mine. I don’t give a toss that sitting on his lap in a bar necking him in public isn’t appropriate. It’s a free country, if a little tawdry, but what millions of people in pubs and clubs around the country have come out to do. Find someone attractive and stick a tongue down their throat.
I mime sipping a drink to Donna and she nods. I catch her hand in mine as I lead her off the dancefloor and I weave my way back to the sofa that we’ve bagged. My heart skips when I approach – Rupert and Jase have arrived.
Rupert is in Donna’s seat on the sofa, sitting next to Gemma and they’re talking animatedly. She’s looking at him with wide eyes, fiddling with her hair and laughing prettily. Oh, she fancies him alright and judging by the way that he can’t take his eyes off her – he’s definitely interested. He’s not even looked up and Jase, on the other side of him, elbows him hard in the ribs. Rupert finally tears his gaze away from Gemma, but his face breaks out into a huge smile when he sees me.
‘Pearl!’ He gets to his feet and enfolds me into a hug. My head is over his shoulder and I see Carter, sitting on a stool just in front of me, his green eyes locked with mine. Although he’s smiling, there’s an edge to his expression – he’s not entirely comfortable with Rupert’s arms around me but it slips away when he lets me go.
Rupert turns, still smiling and I introduce him to Donna. He doesn’t even flinch when he looks at her scar and I’m grateful to him. So many people do. There are much worse reactions, of course – she’s experienced some corkers – from people laughing through nerves to some shrieking and making vomiting noises, thinking it’s funny, but I can see how it tears at her heart. She told me once that she burned every single photograph that she had of herself, she could no longer bear to see what she looked like before she was so terribly injured.
Jase gets to his feet, says hello to me and then shakes Donna’s hand. Everyone takes a seat, apart from me. Donna takes a stool opposite Jase and they start to chat, their heads leaning towards each other to hear over the pounding music.
I pick up my drink, taking a long swig still standing and when I put it down, I turn to Carter. He’s still on the stool, but he’s gazing up at me and he gives me a crooked smile.
‘Come here,’ he mouths, curling his index finger invitingly and I don’t hesitate. I’m on his lap in an instant, pleased now that I had the foresight to wear pants and not a short skirt. As his arms come immediately around me, pulling me tightly into his beautiful body in its immaculate suit I remind myself of my commando situation.
This cat-suit is so tight, I can’t even wear a thong and I’m aware that five minutes of sitting on Carter’s lap with his sensual mouth on mine is going to turn me on like a floodlight. I suddenly don’t care. It’s dark in here and I’m wearing all black. No one’s going to see anything. I remember his threat from the last time we were in this bar – that he’d take me into the toilets and I turn the idea over in my mind. No. that’d be a nightmare, I’d have to take the whole thing off. I’ll wait until we get home, just kiss him instead. God, I love kissing him so much. I could spend hours with my mouth locked onto his.
So do it then!
I pull back and stare deeply into Carter’s eyes, hugely darkened with desire. His lips are parted and his breathing uneven. As I press my body more tightly to his, I can feel the solid length of him in his thin dress pants and as our mouths meet slowly, we both groan as I grind gently against him.
‘You look so fucking beautiful tonight, Pearl,’ he breathes, then kisses me again. ‘When we get home, I’m going to make love to you for hours, so brace yourself. We’re going to do everything,’ he whispers, then another gentle kiss. ‘Slow to start with, gentle, sensual, until you’re begging me to let you come…’
Oh fuck. How the hell does he do this with just his words? I can’t hear any more so I shut him up by kissing him again and he laughs softly, his lips smiling against mine.
Coming up for air again finally, I lean into him and rest our foreheads together. He blows out an uneven breath, his eye flickering open. He looks like he’s on drugs again, I’ve never met anyone with eyes as expressive as Carter’s. He blinks lazily at me.
I glance over at the others but thankfully, they’re not paying us the slightest attention. Leaning backwards, Carter keeping hold of me I snag my drink and finish it off. There’s already another one on the table, maybe Rupert’s been to the bar, but I pick up the
glass and down half of it.
Carter gives me a look.
‘Go easy with those.’ He lifts a brow. ‘If you get smashed tonight, you know what’ll happen, don’t you?’ he warns but I toss him a scornful laugh.
‘I know exactly what’ll happen, Carter. You’ll bang on about me being pissed and try to resist me and I’ll shoot you down in flames,’ I say airily and he throws back his head again and roars with laughter.
‘Is that right?’ he says and I nod, my nose in the air. He’s full of shit if he thinks otherwise and his hands come up to hold my face gently. He strokes my eyebrows, before pulling my mouth gently back onto his.
‘Yeah, that’s right, baby,’ I say, his eyes flickering at the use of the word. He says it to me all the time and I love how it sounds, it makes my stomach curl with desire each time he says it. ‘You know it, Carter, and so do I.’
He opens his mouth and then shuts it again. It’s not his fault he can’t resist me, the man is evidently hooked on my body and utterly powerless. I shouldn’t exploit it.
‘Don’t worry,’ I say. ‘Getting drunk isn’t what I have planned for tonight.’ He shivers as I slip my hands underneath his jacket, my fingers stroking his warm shirt and I grin down at him. ‘I’m sorry I tipped two glasses of wine down you,’ I say randomly and he gazes up at me, his eyes serious now.
‘I’m not. It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me,’ he replies, his deep voice low and he pulls me back into his body. I kiss his neck, but then can’t help nipping his lobe and, as his curls tumble over my face, I blow a long stream of warm air into his ear.
Carter twitches on the stool and drags my face out of my neck, his mouth hungrily on mine again. He’s really kissing me now, so deeply that neither of us can even think about breathing. I close my eyes, moaning softly but my eyes fly open with a shocked gasp when someone prods me three times on the shoulder. Hard.
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