“Wow and bloody wow again.” She grins at my appearance.
“Too much?” I’m suddenly worried that I’m overdressed compared to my friend who is wearing a simple denim skirt and little vest, although she does have some very sexy ankle boots on.
“No, you look fab, really, come on. Jed will be fighting ‘em off tonight.” She giggles as she grabs my good hand and pulls me through the door.
As soon as I get into the cab with her and Jed, I feel a bit of a third wheel until she becomes distracted by her phone. Jed and I chat all the way to the pub we’re eating at where I opt for something light, a salad thing with chicken, and a side order of wedges as I think a salad is inadequate if alcohol is involved tonight, which it is likely to be, but not too much. I am a serious lightweight where drink is concerned; and I drank too much last time and look how that ended.
Sarah is still distracted by her phone, even grinning down at it like the wind’s changed direction and her face has stuck, just like my nan used to say. I know that Jed is aware of Sarah’s strange behaviour and my own awareness of it. Even as he finishes off his steak, I can see Jed is becoming nervous, edgy, but I have no clue why, especially as my friend is looking smug beyond belief.
“Are we going?” I ask with increasing agitation as Sarah seems to be texting, again. “Assuming we can drag you away from your phone,” I add churlishly.
“Sure, sure.” She smiles and sends what I hope is a final text.
Chapter 9
Mason
Arriving at Dazzler I am greeted by my smirking brother, Dec, who has two very attractive blondes batting their eyelids at him, one on each arm.
“Twice in a week?” he asks. “You okay or worried about your investment?”
“No, should I be?”
My arsy tone makes him laugh.
“No, it’s all good in the hood,” he tells me which does makes me laugh.
“How old are you?” I’m mocking his previous phrase.
“Not as old as you, big brother. You sure you’re okay?” he asks as my phone vibrates in the back pocket of my black jeans I’m wearing with a tight, black t-shirt tonight.
I pull the phone out and smile down at the message from Sarah.
“Dec, any chance of having three people put on the VIP list?” I ask my brother who has just sent his two blonde companions off to do whatever it is they do, apart from him.
“Sure, names?” He grins again now, my words convincing him that there is an actual purpose for my presence here. “You’re okay though?” he asks for the third time.
“Yeah fine, well, I will be, I hope—” and I really am hoping— “Names are Olivia Carrington, Sarah—hang on,” I quickly text Sarah again who texts back immediately with her full name and Jed’s. “Sarah Fisher and Jed Worthington are the other two names.”
“No problem, big bro, let’s give ‘em to the door.”
I am a jibbering wreck by the time half past nine comes and I have yet to catch sight of Olivia, although I know she’s here because that was the last text I received from Sarah. My reply was brief but assured her I was here too and would give Olivia some time to settle in before gate crashing her night out.
The main benefit of having Olivia in the VIP room is that she won’t be surrounded by endless men looking at her and approaching her like they had been the other night, but more than that it allows me to keep tabs on her with ease before I reveal my presence and if she decides to bolt when she sees me, which I think she might, there are less places for her to disappear to.
Dec’s office is down the hall from the VIP area and I can watch the CCTV from there, watch Olivia, watch and wait until the time is right to put in an appearance. My brother’s two blondes are staff here and are working the VIP bar and know that Olivia is with me, not that she knows that yet.
“Why are you still in here? Stalking remotely?” Dec asks when he returns to his office and finds my glance flitting from screen to screen. “Where is she?” Looking at the screen he laughs. “That’s her? The lady in red from the other night, the one you left with? So, if you left with her why are you in here hiding from her?”
His snigger instantly pisses me off. “Fuck off, Dec,” I snap angrily. “She is the one from the other night and she is also working on interior design at the office, totally by coincidence. Oh, and I have made a complete hash of things with her from calling her a slapper to her thinking I am still married to Arianna. It’s a mess,” I admit. “Her friend has helped to rig tonight.”
“Then get out there. You are clearly into her and I can see the attraction, I definitely would.”
I give him a death-defying scowl he ignores.
“What? I’m a man whore but she is fucking hot, ask that guy moving over to dance with her.”
