“The living room ...” he says, giving me a “duh”look.
I continue to follow him outside into the backyard, where I haven’t spent much time yet. Though it’s beautiful back here, it screams adults only, so I’ve hesitated to take Dylan into this area. There’s a stone fireplace surrounded by an outdoor kitchen. The area is covered with an awning draped with hanging vines of greenery. There must be at least fifty people out here, all dressed the same in their New England-style, light-coloredclothing.
“Uh ... hello, I have called you ten times today. Where were you?” Jade pops up behind me, followed by a girl around Dylan’s age, and two others a bit younger who both run off in a different direction. This must be Leelee. She’s a cutie with perfect blonde curls and dime-sized blue eyes. She’s dressed in a doll-styled white dress, finished off with golden gladiator sandals. Geez, I couldn’t imagine Mom ever caring that much about what I looked like at thisgirl’sage.
“Can I leave now?” she asks Jade. “I want to go play with Dylan and the other kids.” Dylan. I turn around, finding he’s already MIA, but I spot him in the grassy area with a few other kids, seemingly plotting something bad as they look over at us, pointing and laughing.Great.
“Yes, go play,” Jade tells her, shooingheroff.
“Sorry, I’ve had my phone on the nightstand all day. I’ve been running around trying to help Liam for this and taking care of Dylan. I forgot about myphone.”
“Yeah, but we haven’t talked in like two days, and that’s a record for us, which tells me you’re either mad at me, or getting it real good from some guy.” Jade wiggles her eyebrows at me before glancing around theparty.
“We’ll go with the latter half of your assumption,” I sayproudly.
Jade grabs my arms tightly and spins me around. “You and Liam are doing the dirty? Are the rumors true? Oh, my God, please tell me you’re getting wrecked by this guy. I know how badly youneededthat.”
“Jade! My God, I know you have a dirtymind,but...”
“Sorry,” she laughs. “Cleary is like the dirtiest talker I’ve ever been with, and it’s sooooo hot.” I almost forgot about Cleary. I almost forgot about everythingbutLiam.
“You know,youhaven’t exactly been easy to get ahold of these last couple of days. So, are you guys a thing now?”Iask.
“We’re just having fun,” she explains shortly, letting me know that whatever struggle she was dealing with emotionally is still there somewhere. Apparently, she’s just doing her best to mask itwithsex.
“What about Chip?” I’ve wanted to ask her since the night she left to go home with Cleary, but I haven’t had theopportunity.
“I told you. We’re done, Julia.” There’s a snappiness to her response, and while I’m aware of what she told me, I also know how much she loved ... and probably still loves him. Cleary is fogging up her mind, and she’ll most likely go home more confused than she was when shecamehere.
“Okay, okay,” I say, holding up my hands in defense. “I won’t askagain.”
“So, changing the subject real quick, while we have a minute,” Jade says as a female caterer silently greets us with a tray filled with glasses of wine. Jade takes two, and I take one. We’re nannies, not party guests, but I don’t think Sam would bat an eyelash at me having a glass of wine. Two at one time might be a bit overkill,though.
“Jade ...” I scold herquietly.
She points across the way at a woman doing shots of clear liquid by the fireplace. “That’s the girls’ mother, so it’sallgood.”
Oh God. The woman is taking shots with Sam. This should be an interesting night. “Got it,” Itellher.
“Anyway, back to what I was trying to tell you ...” she begins to say. While I’m focused on what Jade is saying, I feel a hand drape over my bare shoulder. “Sterling and Cleary, my two favorite brothers.” Jade exuberantly makes her way over to them, still double fisting the wine as she air kisses both of them on each cheek. Are we suddenly European, and mixed in with a Beverly Hills crowd? Plus, she’s sleeping with Cleary, so a cheek kiss is a bit odd, but it’s Jade, and who am I to question anythingshedoes?
The more important part is that Sterling is here, and my focus also just fell upon Liam, who’s dressed in a pair of perfectly creased Dockers and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves cuffed up to his tattoo-covered elbows. His hair is combed upward into a purposeful messy style that looks incredible on him, and he’s wearing leather bracelets that match his brown suedeloafers.
“Julia, you have drool ...” Jade whispers into my ear, “and Sterling is standing right in frontofyou.”
I do my best to readjust my gaze onto Sterling, but after seeing Liam in nothing but jeans, t-shirts, and board shorts over the past week, I can’t help the little bit of drool pooling at the corner of my mouth. “Guppy,” Sterling says with an abundance of cheeriness. “I had fun last night.” Was that last night? I’ve been in a sex coma for like twenty-four hours, and it feels like a year since I went out for pizza withSterling.
Jade elbows me in the side. “Last night, huh? What were you two crazy kidsupto?”
Sterling wraps his arm around my shoulders, and I feel uncomfortable knowing Liam is just across the way. Not that I’m committed to either of them, but Liam did lick my ass, and I feel like it’s sort of a claim on his territory. Surely, I owe him some sort ofconsideration.
“Yeah, that pizza was so good,” I tell him. I’m aware that’s not the response he was probably going for, but he ignores my response and takes a swig ofhisbeer.
Feeling more uncomfortable by the moment, I keep my gaze set on Jade, whose earlobe is being tended to by Cleary’s tongue. I still don’t think I’ve heard him say more than two words. Granted, Jade does talk enough for the two of them, but still ... it’sstrange.
“How was your day?” Sterling asks, makingsmalltalk.
“Can’t complain.” I’m not trying to sound as short as I do, but I don’t exactly want to tell him the truth about my day. I don’t think he cares to hear that I’ve been fucked by Liam like ten ways from Sunday, had a finger up my ass, had a tongue up my ass, and had water sprayed up my ass. Wow. Impressive foroneday.
