“I do see,” I say, trying desperately not to smile. The corner of my mouth betrays me, and Jake throws up his hands.
“The fuck, Renaldo?”
I bite back a full-blown laugh, not because he looks silly. I’m sure most of the population would find him scary. The problem is, I know the truth, which is that Jake Graves-Holland is capable of being clueless and cocky, but my brand-new boyfriend doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Aside from his dick.
“You’re gorgeous,” I tell him. “And I love that you’re angry for me.”
He beams, my failure to be intimidated instantly forgiven. “Cheers, babe.”
“Okay, let’s go,” I say, dragging in a massive breath. “Nothing to fear but fear itself, right?”
“Wrong,” Jake says, sliding my hand into his. “You should be afraid of how hard I’m gonna smash your pussy once we’re done playing nice with these dorks.”
The mix of disgust and delight finally gets my heels moving, and I let him steer me through the doors of the Silverlight and into the Pukekohe High School reunion.
Jake is instantly recognised. He grins and nods at well-wishers butkeeps us moving until we’ve joined Davis, Gavin, Cece, and Betty at the bar. The boys opt for beer while Betty, Cece, and I all choose champagne. Which is apparently what Silverlight calls the cheapest sparkling wine money can buy. We turn into a loose huddle, all of us fake-smiling like we’re competing for Miss World.
“So far so good,” Jake mutters. “Everyone we thought’d be here is here. But they’re not staring, and they don’t look like they’re gonna come over.”
“Great,” Betty and Davis say together.
“Thrasher’s on your six,” Cece whispers in my ear. “Mouse-bitch and my twat brother are with him.”
I glance out of the corner of my eye. Cece’s right. Thrasher and Tristan, both double-fisting whiskey, are talking to Jenny Wallis. She’s wearing a bright pink bodycon dress and giggling like it’s the Pick-Me Olympics.
“Jesus,” I mutter. “Are people still calling things a nightmare blunt rotation?”
“Dunno, but that one spells instant psychosis,” Betty says. “A toast, then we divide and conquer?”
We nod, clink our glasses, then drift apart. Betty and Gavin head for the buffet table piled high with mini quiches and cocktail franks. I spot a blond asshole smirking at us from behind the cheese board. Smirking atCece. Will Sharpe’s shirt is rumpled, his nostrils neon-pink due to what I highly doubt is a cold. From the look in his bleary eyes, I’d say he’s about ten seconds from walking over.
I grab Davis’s arm. “Cuntlord has landed. I repeat, Cuntlord has landed.”
Davis snaps to attention, straightening his shoulders and turning to Cece like a man possessed. “Would you like to dance?”
Cece looks around like he might be talking to someone else. “Right now?”
“Yes.”
“But we just got drinks?”
Davis plucks the glass from her hand and places it and hisbeer on the bar top. “What about now?”
Her cheeks go pink. “I, um, don’t really like this song…”
Considering it’s ‘Hot N Cold’I can’t fault her, but as if on cue, Katy Perry cuts out and the opening chords of Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ swell through the speakers. The whole room cheers.
Davis smiles at Cece. “How about this one?”
Cece puts her hand in Davis’s and the two of them glide onto the dancefloor.
“Jesus,” Jake mutters. “That’s good timing, eh?”
“No, it’sperfecttiming. It’s like Davis planned it, it’s so?—”
“Dorky?”
“Romantic!” I say, whacking Jake’s side. “This is Cece’s… Oh, forget it. Just know this is going to mean so much to her.”
