“Carpe diem.”
She laughed again.
“But you’re planning on living with Carl.”
“But we both know it will end in disaster, tears and a scandal.” She finished her mimosa.
“So why do it? If you know it’s not going to go anywhere?”
“Because why not? Jay, at some point, I’ll meet someone who I know I’ll be with for more than a few weeks or months. Maybe that person will be forever. But right now, I want to feel as much as I can, live as much as I can. We’re so lucky. If I don’t make the most of what I can do, I’ll have wasted it.” She slid her hand to mine, nudging her middle finger to mine so our palms raised, then pressed together. “Who did you kiss?”
“Tommy. The owner ofCòctels.”
“He’s hot. In a very, very bad boy way.” She looked excited. “Who started it?”
“I don’t know. Me, maybe. I went in there to see him. But he kissed me.” And the kiss had been viciously beautiful. I could still feel the pressure on my lips and the feeling of his hand cupping my breast.
I could still hear his words. Rough, cutting words, designed to push me away, only they hadn’t.
They’d just made me want to go back.
I needed more.
I needed all of it.
“Sounds hot! I still think you should give Monty a shot at being your summer lover, Jay Jay. He’s more your type.”
The waiter came back with our drinks and lunch menus, but he didn’t say anything as he left them there, clearly too shy.
Lala was right: Monty was more my type. Lithe and athletic, where Tommy was broader and bulkier; smiley and happy, where Tommy was moody and brooding. She was also right in that a summer fling would help move me on from what happened with Gunnar, even though I’d thought I was over it.
Maybe I wasn’t over the guilt.
“Tommy’s too bad-boy for you, Jay. He’s more my type. The sort that messes you about just for shits and giggles.
“I don’t even think he’s got the time for that.” Something told me there was a lot more going on than him just running a bar. “And maybe you should just stick to one bad boy.”
“Who’s that?”
I laughed, suppressing the urge to throttle her. “Carl! You’ve just told me you’re moving in together.”
She nodded. “Carl isn’t a bad boy. You know we’ll end up together eventually.”
I didn’t know that, but there was no point in going there. Lara had it fixed in her head that he was her destiny for when she was ready to settle down. Livi had never argued with her about it. Just nodding and fussing her, because the moment you disagreed with Lara she fought you all the more.
“So Tommy. All that stubble. How was it?”
Heart-wrenchingly amazing. Ruined me for any other kiss. A taste of crack and I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to get that high again.
“Hot.” One word. I looked over at the bar but didn’t see him.
“Why did you want to see him?”
“I wanted to apologise for Monty yesterday. He was rude to Tommy.” She didn’t need to know I’d had coffee – or tea – with Tommy too. I didn’t want her to know really. I wanted Tommy to be something she wasn’t a part of.
“He was probably jealous you were talking to someone that wasn’t him. It was Tommy you were talking to on the beach too, wasn’t it? When we went to the restaurant.” She stared over at the bar with about as much subtlety as a barking dog.
“It was.”
