I took my margarita from the bartender who had arrived with the rest of our drinks. "It's very new. I don't know really. It's so long since I've been at the start of a relationship..."
"So, it is a relationship?" Her eyes brightened and she drank the gin quicker.
I bit my tongue at my wording. "I...I... don't know. We haven't discussed it."
"You're staying at his tonight?"
I nodded, becoming very interested in the salt around the brim of my glass.
"Then he thinks it's a relationship. He never has women sleep over during the week. He's too focused on work and the gym. When he was seeing Teresa, he'd go to hers sometimes but never stay there. I know you don't want more details than that but when Seph said you'd stayed last night..." she gave me a knowing look.
I laughed disbelievingly. "I'm sure it's just a fling for him." And then it came out. "Men like Jackson don't have serious relationships with women like me, unless there's some ulterior motive like they're beneficial to the company they work for or something."
Amelie finished her drink, Max automatically noticing and asking if she wanted another. "Then you don't know Jackson or the Callaghans well enough yet. Yes, they're entitled but their mum and Marie never let them know that and as gorgeous as Jackson has turned out – I remember him as a complete skinny geek – he's never been a dick with women. Claire would have killed him."
The salt was still interesting.
"And he really likes you. I feel like I'm ten years old saying that, sugar, but he does."
I felt warmth flutter through me and I felt ten years old too. Except the feeling I got when I looked at Jackson, heavily in conversation with Claire, was not one a ten-year-old would have. "How do you know?"
Amelie grinned. "He's possessive. He wants to spend every moment with you. And when I spoke to him today after checking how I was, you were all he could talk about."
"Good," I said. "I'm glad." And I was, feeling the sort of excitement I hadn't done since I was in high school and going to a party with Darren Stokes.
Claire squished in next to me, nursing what looked like a diet coke. I raised my eyebrows at her and glanced purposefully at the drink.
"Trial at the end of the week and the start of the case that's going to ruin me for the next few months if not more," she said. "No alcohol unless it's a Friday night and I don't need to work the Saturday."
"Does that apply to sex as well?" Amelie said. "Or are you going to be irritable and cranky for the aforementioned months, sugar?"
Claire glowered. "I'll buy a new vibrator. Or find a decent escort service. I'm not above paying for suitable services."
"My housemate Sophie can probably recommend her PT," I said, sipping the margarita and wondering if one more would be acceptable. It was still early with lots of time to drink plenty of water.
Claire looked at me puzzled. "Why would I want a PT?"
"Sorry, I wasn't clear. Sophie thinks he should start a business as a male escort. Apparently, he's talented in that department," I said, realizing how well Claire and Sophie would get along and that it would be a potentially deadly combination against anyone of the male species.
"Is she seeing him?" Claire said, putting down her drink.
"Only in the disabled changing rooms. She's not dating him. He's just scratching an itch – with some talent or so she leads me to believe," I said, looking up see Jackson hovering over us.
"I'll take his number," Claire said. "Just don't tell my brothers."
"Don't tell us what?" Jackson asked. He'd pushed his shirt sleeves, his tattoos standing out against the white material. I hoped I wasn't drooling.
"That I like big cocks, especially pierced ones," Claire said, eyeing him evilly. "And I like it best when they go in my..."
Jackson held his hands up in protest. "I won't ask anymore. Please don't carry on even though I know you're not being serious..."
"How do you know I'm not being serious?"
"Fuck you, sister. Van, do you want another or shall we head off?" He flipped Claire the bird and smiled at me.
I laughed. "One more, then we'll head off." I stood up, leaving Amelie and Claire to catch up. Jackson's hand automatically went to my waist as soon as I was next to him. "Did you have a good day?"
"It wasn't bad," he said, gesturing for the same again from the bartender. "As far as Mondays go. One more then we can go, right?" He faced me, both of his hands on my hips so we were inches apart.
