At Last (9 page)

For the first time in ages, we just chatted absolute rubbish. I missed a call from my mother, and one from Ryan. The next call was from Selene, telling me that I shouldn’t worry about something to wear, that I would need to wear one of the shop lines for promotion.

“I’m going to be late,” I realised. I handed them both the invites for the shop and the club. “Oh yeah, Andie, Jay’s going to be there.”

“Who be Jay, and why the fuck should I care?”

“Trust me.” I winked, not at all fazed by her imperious rant. “You’ll care.”

I raced off, clutching the gift I had bought for Ryan during my lunch break, and went straight to the store. I really hoped that Selene couldn’t smell the cider on me, but she was too busy to notice. She pulled a vintage-inspired lace dress over my head and told me to stand by the front and look pretty.

“Actually, talk some people into buying stuff. Not the famous ones, they won’t do it. Go for the women on their second husbands. You’ll spot them.”

We all worked pretty hard until about ten. We shifted a lot of clothes, and Selene was right—I did learn to spot the women on their second husbands, and they were the ones who bought so much stuff. We sold out on the lace dress I wore, especially after Selene gave me a hug just as her sexy-as-hell husband turned up and kissed her over my head.

“And you must be Courtney.” He turned golden eyes on me. Damn, the man was dangerous. Ryan was lucky I was loyal.

“Hello, Mr. Woolfe. What’s the time, please?”

He chuckled. “That one never gets old. Selene, Courtney probably wants to get ready for the club.”

“Of course, of course. You’ve got your ticket, haven’t you? There are cars outside for all staff, just tell them your name and they’ll wait for you. That’s what they’re paid for.”

“Thank you so much.” I gave her another hug and found myself on the receiving end of a kiss.

“Don’t tell anyone, but you’re my favourite,” she whispered affectionately. I felt warm all over. “Go get changed quick—my husband’s paying for the champagne.”

“News to me,” he drawled.

I leapt into the town car and was sped to Knightsbridge. I texted the boys and told them to come to the flat and we’d take them to the club. Ryan was waiting for me when I rolled up, dress in a bag for me to put back on again once I had a much-needed shower.

“Late, late, late, late! I know! I won’t be a moment!”

“The lies, woman, stop the lies!” He was sprawled out on his sofa, wearing one of the shirts I had made him. His curls looked dark at the end, clearly from a wash. I stopped and removed my gift from my bag.

“This is for you. Just you. For being you. And no one else.”

He stared at it, in shock.

“What?” I smiled. “I told you I was going to do this.”

He looked down at the bag, “I know. I know… Thank you,” he murmured, staring up at me disbelievingly. He removed a Homer Simpson bottle opener. He was forever using the counter to open bottles of beer, and I’d told him a million and one times that he would ruin his work surfaces if he wasn’t careful.

“I know, it’s a bit trashy but…”

He tugged me into his lap and kissed me soundly for a minute. I couldn’t breathe properly when he lifted his head. “Thank you. I love it. Go have your shower.”

I scuttled off to the bathroom for a shower done at the speed of light. On his bed was a box… Oh sweet lord, it was Dior. It was the little gold clutch, the
minaudière
I had eyed in Paris. With a towel tied at a knot over my breasts I padded into the kitchen, staring at the bag. “I can’t believe you got me this!”

I glanced up as a voice said sharply, “Courtney!”

I nearly dropped the clutch. Christopher Wilkinson stood there looking absolutely mutinous. He had cropped his hair to about a few millimetres all over. Crap, he knew I had a weird weakness for shaved-headed guys. No joke—I had wandered up to men in bars and asked if they minded if I stroked their hair. He looked horribly smart in a buttoned-up short-sleeved black shirt. Ryan had changed, looking more indie kid than ever, in a waist coat and t-shirt with Ghostface Killer on the design.

This was so surreal.

I cleared my throat. “Chris! Hi! How are you? How come you’re back, I mean… Welcome back!”

“You can tell me why you’re wearing nothing but a fucking towel?”

My brows lifted at his tone. “What time’s your flight back?”

Ryan winked at me, and I smiled back. Not seeing Ryan’s expression, Chris thought I was joking. “Sorry, Court, but you’ve been really weird. Both of you. None of you answered my questions…”

“Demands,” Ryan corrected under his breath.

“So you flew back from Cape Town, to find that out? Are you mental? What did you tell the school?”

“Family emergency. Told them that my Aunt Mavis died and I needed to be with family.”

“Mavis died seven years ago, and that was your gerbil.”

“Why d’you care?” his face slowly came into focus, as if I was seeing him, really seeing him for the first time since I turned ten and I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. Deluded at an early age.

“Because I thought you went to South Africa to find your humanity, give back to the world, the future. The kids. You know, learn a little responsibility.”

Chris tutted in impatience. “Who gives a shit! Why aren’t you answering me? You’re in a towel like you live here. There’s something going on, and I want to know what. Is there something going on between you two or what?”

I decided that Chris had the right to absolute zero, so I said “no,” just as Ryan said “yes.”

“Which is it?” Chris snapped.

“Yes.”

“No.”

Ryan and I caught each other’s gaze and started laughing, much to Chris’ fury. “This isn’t funny, you know. You’re fucking a guy you know nothing about.”

I shook my head once at Ryan, who looked like he was about to remove Chris’ head from his body. “Why do you care?”

“Because you’re my friend, Court,” he said, sounding almost desperate. “And I don’t want him to fuck you over.”

“You know what, piss off!” Ryan growled. “You haven’t been touched by the fucking pope, so leave it out. Want an answer? Fine, Courtney’s my
amiga
, girlfriend, comrade, soul mate. Tick any one you like.”

“How’s Melissa?” I asked suddenly, with a veneer of innocence. Ryan just called me his soul mate, so I felt I had to show my loyalty. You know, piss Chris off.

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, if I were her, I wouldn’t appreciate my boyfriend flying all the way back home to find out if an old friend was going out with his ex-flat mate or not.”

“We’re not together anymore, so what I do is none of her business.”

Ryan looked startled. “You broke up?”

Chris pulled a sly face. “You tell me your sad little tale, and I’ll tell you mine.”

“How about we don’t?” Ryan said drolly, yanking at the fridge handle and removing a bottle of beer from the fridge. He hooked the lid on the edge of his work counter and slammed off the lid with the heel of his palm. His eyes then narrowed darkly on the Homer opener.
Oh God…

“How about I call Fran?” Ryan offered. “She seems to be Google for everyone at the moment.”

Chris’ mouth went white with irritation, and then he turned to me, switching on the coaxing smile. “You haven’t said hello to me properly yet.”

Because you’re behaving like a twat!
He came up to me and pulled me into a hug so tight my towel started to release in protest. “I’ve missed you, Court.”

“You haven’t been gone long enough,” I reminded him sharply. He merely laughed and kissed me on the shoulder. I pushed him away for Chris to say on a faux sigh, “Are you flashing me again?”

Why was he intent on winding Ryan up? He’d put his fist through Chris’ head in a moment. “I did not flash you, I lost my bikini top in the swimming pool. You did not need to take a photograph.”

“Yes I did. I felt like Hugh Hefner.”

Ryan’s expression gave me clear warning someone was going to die. “Ryan, would you help me on with the dress, please?”

He followed me into his bedroom, and once I shut the door, Ryan exploded. “Who the fuck does he think he is, walking in here, throwing orders around, expecting everyone to jump? It’s my fucking flat. You’re my fucking girlfriend. He kissed you on the fucking shoulder, for fuck’s sake.”

I laughed, placing the bag inside the tissue paper. “You should open a fucking fair. Show off your amazing fucking flat, and your fucking girlfriend with her fucking shoulder.”

Ryan’s head bobbed as he ducked to hide his own amusement.

“I know you’re fuming, but he knows now, and honestly, who cares? It’s nothing to do with him; it’s not costing us anything to ignore him. And if he keeps bugging us, we’ll spray him with repellent and throw him outside to twitch. Plan?” I traced my fingers through his hair, rubbing the back of his head affectionately. “I promise you,” I said with complete honesty. “Whatever crush I had on him, it’s completely gone. It’s just you and me.”

He breathed out softly, his large palms warm on either side of my waist. “Does that mean you’re going to flash me as well?”

On cue the towel had enough molestation and started to give way. “Well timed,” he snorted. The back of his fingers brushed over my naked skin as he knotted the towel for me. “Although I would have no problem making you scream with that cunt next door.”

I know my inner feminist should have slapped him for that, but as his mouth ran along my neck to my jawline, I wouldn’t have minded at all. “Courtney!” Chris yelled. “Are you taking that dress off or putting it on!”

“I will beat him to death. With that bottle opener. Nice and slow,” Ryan muttered, his eyes glowing like a cat’s waiting on prey.

“Don’t waste your energy on him. Waste it all on me.”

He looked thoughtful. “I don’t know. You have a worrying flashing fixation.”

I gave him a brief flash of my naked body beneath the towel, and he laughed. “Please get dressed, woman! And don’t get drunk tonight. I want to take advantage.”

“Did I say thank you for the bag?”

“You can show me your thank you later.”

The town car picked the boys up, and I couldn’t really just leave Chris there, so we took him along. They were all unimpressed by our timekeeping, and as there were too many of us, Ryan took Rich, Tom and Oliver in a taxi, leaving me with Chris and Jay.

Jay had his DJ equipment with him and loaded the boot of the town car. He flopped down beside me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Next time you tell me to turn up at eleven, I’m turning up at midnight. My set starts in half an hour, you know.”

“So you’ll make an entrance.”

Jay caught Chris’ moody expression. “So yeah, who are you?”

“Chris, mate of Courtney’s.”

Jay turned towards me and mouthed, “
The
Chris?”

I gave the barest of nods only for Jay to pull a face and cough over the words, “Poor taste.”

I smacked him on the thigh, and we rabbited on about how exciting it was that he was playing such an exclusive club. Then I dropped the bomb. “Andie’s coming tonight.”

He turned to me slowly. “What did you say to her?”

“Only that she needs to meet you.”

“Fuck, it’s like Judge Jules is going to be watching me. Why’d you tell me?”

“Because you need to name your first child after me,” I said smugly. Jay could handle Andie, no problem. Chris looked sulkier with each minute that passed with him being ignored.

“Let me out,” Jay insisted, pulling at the handle of the car.

“Trust me,” I assured him with a motherly pat on his shoulder. We arrived at the club, and the bouncers recognised me and hustled us inside. Ryan and the boys came in a few minutes later. Ryan gave me a kiss on the eyebrow and went to get us some drinks. I leaned over to Chris. “Look, either cheer up or go home. No one likes a misery guts.”

Summer and Iain drifted in and covered me in hugs and kisses. “This place is amazing!” Summer squealed. “That dress!”

“From the boss lady! We sold out. I’ll have to ask her if she can take it out of my salary. For the next two years.”

Summer glanced down at my bag. “What the hell! Is that…?”

“I know. I’ll tell you about it later. Where’s the rest of your outfit?”

Summer was wearing a sequined backless dress that just about covered her arse. I thought she looked like a footballer’s wife. Iain chuckled. “That’s what I said.”

“Don’t worry about drinks—Selene’s husband’s footing the bill.”

The boys returned with drinks, and we all relaxed. On the walls of the club pictures of Selene’s collection flashed. All of a sudden Summer gave a scream as a picture of me and Selene flashed up from tonight. Selene had a hand in her curling dark hair, looking Megan Fox hot, and I looked like her little adopted sister grinning up at her.

Jay started setting up on the decks, and we catcalled and whooped to take him off his stride, but any man who starts a set with Swedish House Mafia is going to do good.

Andie rolled up wearing a rouched bandeau dress that wrapped around her body in a few inches of white satin. “Courtney!” she yelled, making several people turn their heads toward her. She looked me up and down then nodded approvingly.

“Looking good, girl. Bang tidy. So where’s this Jay boy, then?”

I nodded toward the DJ booth and watched as Andie’s jaw dropped. DJs were her ultimate weakness. I couldn’t have done better if I’d wrapped David Hale in a bow for her. “That would be Jay.”

She pointed at him in disbelief. “And my man knows grime?”

“He’s a DJ he knows everything.”

She shook her head. “Never mind. Where’s Ryan, then?”

“Hi, Andie.” Ryan leaned over my shoulder to give Andie a kiss.

“So, New Man.” She narrowed her eyes intimidatingly at him. “What gwan?”

Ryan laughed it off. “We’re getting you a drink, then you’ll need to say hello to Jay so he doesn’t fuck up his set.”

“He’s playing Skepta, he’s doing fine,” Andie said admiringly. “But yeah, wouldn’t say no to champagne.”

He took Andie’s hand and led her off to the bar. Andie turned her head at me and mouthed, “Boy is fit as fuck!”

I talked with a few of my colleagues, who were utterly drunk by this point. I was simply happy that everything was going so well. Eventually, Ryan returned without Andie.

“What…”

“I thought it was better if they didn’t have an audience to their epic romance.”

I patted Ryan’s thigh in excitement. “It’s all coming together!”

I saw Chris out of the corner of my eye, talking to Iain and giving us evils. Well, I knew two people who did that better than anyone.

* * *

I threw Summer and Andie into the cubicle of the toilet and shut the door.

“Court, Jay’s going to be looking for me.”

“Hello!” I blinked at her to remind her of where her loyalty should lie. She sighed, crossing her arms as Summer perched on her lap.

“What’s the matter?” Summer asked.

“You know Chris is here.”

Summer and Andie exchanged looks of deep disgust. “Yes, we noticed.”

“He’s been bugging me and Ryan about what’s going on with us as a couple, and I swear Ryan is going to kill him. Like every slasher horror movie combined kill him. But Chris isn’t getting it and keeps making snide remarks and God, Ryan is going to Mount something or other and explode. Volcanic ash, no one flying anywhere, panic, panic, panic, panic!”

“So what if Chris dies?” Andie shrugged. “No loss to the world. Are we bothered?”

Summer shook her head.

“I know, but I don’t want to die in the battle of trying to stop my boyfriend going to jail. He’ll get violated in prison because he's pretty. Plus, he bought me a Dior clutch and I want him to think I’m worth a few grand.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Andie whispered. “Nah… Chris going to be under manners when I’m done. Two grand on a handbag?”

“I know. Please keep Chris away from us?”

“How?” Summer asked blankly.

“Oh come on. The two of you are the most persuasive women in the world. You’ve got powers that people can only dream of.”

“All right, enough wailing, we’ll do it.”

Ryan and I finally got to enjoy the party without glowering looks, and it was rather blissful. There was a quieter area upstairs, and we had a contented little kissing session there before Summer legged it inside and said, “Andie went a bit too far. She’s now having a fight with Jay.”

I gave Ryan an apologetic look and leapt down the stairs, where Jay was asking, “Why would the bum fluff on his head turn you on?”

“What you getting so mad for? Are we going out? Are we going out? Nah, what did I just say? Are we going out?”

Jay's eyes darted around in confusion. “Are you filming some sort of comedy sketch for Sky?”

“I’m doing Courtney a favour, yeah…”

I opened my mouth to interrupt them when Jay simply picked all five foot ten inches of Andie up, growling, “I’m not having a screaming match with you like we’re outside a kebab shop in Clapham.” He whisked her upstairs and I burst out laughing, only to have Chris face me.

“What are you doing?”

I feigned complete innocence. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean your mates tag teaming me.”

“They’re just protecting their flock. Me.”

“I just don’t like what he’s doing.”

His pout was starting to get on my wits. How had I not figured just how irritating this guy was? “What?”

“Ryan! He’s going to chew you up and spit you out!”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Really? That’s all you’ve got? Based on what?”

“Melissa. Listen—you don’t know how screwed up he is about her.”

“Okay, I’m bored with this
Days of Our Lives
rubbish. I’m going to get a drink. Go home.”

He caught me by the arms, “You don’t understand…”

“What the hell are you doing?” Ryan demanded, putting a brick of an arm between me and Chris. “You don’t get to touch her.”

“So you can keep things quiet? No, she’s my friend. I’m not letting you fuck her over.”

“Chris…” I started.

“Tell her, go on. About you and Melissa.”

“Chris, fuck off now. I’m not saying it again, you understand me?”

“Courtney,” Chris announced  just as the music faded away, leaving the sudden quiet throb of the bass for absolutely everyone to hear his broadcast. “He fucked her. And he wants her back. He’s just using you to make her jealous. And it worked. Shame you had to give up the cherry to do it.”

I slapped him so hard the force of it would jangle my arm for minutes afterwards. People turned and stared at us in horror. I didn’t have anything else to say to him, so I turned away, intending to head for the chill-out area when I bumped into the most beautiful girl.

“Ryan?” she asked gently, in the kind of melodious voice that’s about to announce what a naughty girl she’s been.

He stared at her in shock. “Mel. What are you…”

She gave him a smile that exposed teeth orthodontists dream of creating and threw herself into his arms. “So good to see you!” She laughed. Ryan’s arms stuck out at awkward angles.

“What are you doing back?”

“Daddy knows the owner of this place, and my school run is finished, so… Haven’t you missed me?”

Ryan’s face was like stone. “Did Chris tell you we were here?”

Her smile wavered ever so slightly. “He wanted to talk to me earlier, but I assumed it was all to do with the break-up stuff.”

She turned her head, sleek dark hair with a mirror gloss sweeping over her bare shoulder. “And who are you, little person?”

I eyed the place for the nearest champagne bottle to gut her with when Ryan pushed Melissa away and took my hand. “This is Courtney.”

“
The
Courtney.” She sounded distant, almost disapproving. She looked me up and down disparagingly. “Nice to meet you,” she said disingenuously. “I’ve heard so much about you, I naturally assumed that you’d be taller.”

“I thought you’d be prettier. All in the advertising, I guess.” Her mouth fell open, so I took the opportunity to take Ryan upstairs and away from her and her poison.

I sat down and looked at him. “What the hell is going on? Okay, so you slept with Melissa, although I‘m worried about your taste… What’s the big deal?”

Ryan was staring at the ceiling.

“I mean…it wasn’t like it happened when she and Chris were seeing each other, right?”

“No,” he said abruptly.

“Then what?”

“I did not just fuck her, Court. She was my girlfriend. For two years. Then Chris the man showed up and started fucking up everything.”

“So he stole her off you?”

“Let’s just say I didn’t know she was gone until I found her in his back pocket, to be metaphoric.”