I stared back, trying to tell him to look the fuck away in case someone noticed, not that I thought they would, given they were already probably two mojitos deep.
He ignored me, carrying on staring, his eyes running up and down my body as I walked back over to the sunbed.
“Here, pretty lady.” Amber held out a mojito. “You need to catch up.”
I sat down, sipping on the drink, feeling the sun dry me off quickly. It was a hot day, one of those perfect summer days with a sky that was cerulean blue, unmarred by clouds.
“That’s good.” It was, especially because it was loaded with sugar. “Who made it?”
“Jude.” Amber pointed to him. “Turns out he can mix a good cocktail.”
I looked back over. He smiled at me, legs stretched out in front of him, his boot off for now.
“Are you not going to the beach?” I really hoped he was.
He shook his head. “Not sure I want sand on my feet right now.”
Good point. Sensible. “Fair enough. Good cocktail.”
He nodded. “My mum likes cocktails so she made my dad go on this mixology day to learn how to make them for her. He’s pretty good at them now – he does have the world’s biggest critic to impress - so yeah, he taught me.”
I’d forgotten how close Jude was with his parents. Another reason to not be involved with him. They wouldn’t want their son with someone who was looking to settle down and have kids, sooner rather than later.
“He did a good job.”
Jude grinned, then focused back on his book, which I suspected he was only pretending to read.
Two mojitos in, and I could almost forget he was there, keeping my back to him while I gossiped with my friends, enjoying not having any of the men aside from Jude and Jesse – who weren’t counting right now – there.
“How did your date with Simon Huxton go?” Jerrica put down her empty glass. “Did you go on it?”
“No. I gave it a miss.” I braced myself.
“How come?” Jerrica sat up straighter. “I know he lives with his mum and all that, but he’s a nice guy.”
Genny spluttered. “Nice guy? Come on, Jez. He’s horrible. Not what Neva’s looking for.”
“What are you looking for?” Jerrica stared at her empty glass as if she was willing it to be refilled by magic. “An athlete? Businessman? Teacher?”
I shook my head. “I might just cut the man out of the equation all together. Really, I just want a baby. I could do that on my own.”
There was a millisecond of silence.
“Hell yeah!” Then Dee broke it. “It’s tough, but it’s tougher with a co-parent who doesn’t want to co-parent.” She should know; she’d been Toby’s guardian when his mother flitted off. Dee had Rowan to help now, or rather Toby had Rowan, as Dee had made it perfectly clear that she could do things on her own. “And you have us. You wouldn’t be on your own.”
Genny reached for the mojito jug. “None left. Bugger.”
“I’ll mix you some more. Or do you want something else?” Jude was there, clearly having heard every word I’d said.
Maybe now he’d get the idea why we wouldn’t work out.
“Oooh,” Genny sounded ridiculously overjoyed. “How about a rum punch?”
“I can do a Mai Tai.” He put his boot back on, slipping his slider back on to his other foot. “I’ll shout to you when they’re ready.”
“Amazing.” Genny looked pleased.
I watched my friends watch him as he walked into the chateau kitchen.
