“Not really.”
“Good. I was planning on staying a little longer.”
He didn’t leaveuntil dawn started to colour the sky. We hadn’t slept, not really. We fucked again, and just before he left, leaving me sore and sticky, my sheets smelling of sex, but not guilt or shame.
I had no idea whether he’d be back, or whether that had been enough to satisfy both of us.
It hadn’t been for me.
Again, I told myself if this was it, if there was no more of Tommy, I’d have those memories.
And maybe they’d be better just being that way.
Memories.
Chapter Sixteen
Jameson
“How was your night time guest?”
Lala cat-walked along the side of the swimming pool in a red bikini, her hair braided down her back. She looked as if she was ready for a modelling shoot.
“You mean Tommy and not Marcus, don’t you?”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Marcus?”
“He knocked on my door and asked me to lend him money.”
“What the fuck?” Lala looked enraged. “He’s got plenty. His dad’s a multi-millionaire.”
“Is he? There was that article about him losing out when one of the businesses he invested in went bust.”
She shook her head and sat down on a sun lounger. “Livi said that was made up.”
“Livi would. If she knew.”
“She knows more than she ever gives away. You know that, Jay.”
I did. She was a party girl, maybetheparty girl of her generation, but you didn’t get to have the life that she’d had without control over it. And that took brains.
“You should tell her Marcus was asking for money.” Lala stretched out. It was still early in the day, but it was blazing hot already. The beach party started later than the others had, not until six. It would be more of a chilled affair, for the remaining party-goers that had managed to pace themselves.
I nodded. “I will. You think he’s gotten himself into debt?”
“Probably. He’s been up to dodgy shit for years. I just hope we don’t get dragged into it.” She let out a long sigh. “Why don’t you come with me this week? It’ll be fun.”
I’d been with Lala on a couple of modelling shoots before and it definitely wasn’t fun. There was a lot of hanging around, more than a few egos, and not much food – not the stuff I liked anyway. Then there’d be the usual questions of ‘why don’t you model like your sister?’ or ‘will you shoot together’. I could live without that.
And there was another factor in all of that. Just in case last night wasn’t the end.
“I think I’ll stay here. Daisy and Alfie are getting here this week, and it’s been ages since I’ve seen them.” Plus Gav was visiting too, and I hadn’t seen my father for nearly a year. He’d been back touring, and nothing had coincided where we were in the same place at the same time.
“And you have your hot bartender.” Lala turned over to watch me. “I let him in last night. And someone said they saw you together on the yacht.”
I nodded, and I couldn’t help smiling either.
“So you finally got yourself a piece of ass.” Her grin turned victorious. “About time.”
