“There could be. There's a helipad at the back of the estate, isn't there? They could chopper in and out and never really have to deal with us mere middle-aged mortals,” Jaime replies.
Looking around, most of the crowd is indeed around our age, which makes sense. Jenna Hendricks, the headliner, has had an incredible career that started in the late eighties, and she was a huge staple in our karaoke nights growing up.
Quite a few people have brought picnic blankets and camping chairs, which sounds like a great idea until you're tripping over them all trying to get to and from the bar or toilets. But I'm also slightly envious; standing and dancing all day hurts now.Yay, aging!
The band starts their last song, which means there's just over an hour until Jenna will be on stage.
“Right, ladies. This is our cue to head back to the tent, put some glitter on our faces, use the loos, and get another drink before Jenna!” Max shouts the last part, reminding me of the little girl inDespicable Mewith all her rage excitement.
Glittered up and back in the queue for a third time, I’m sad that we don't end up in Brad's terminal. I can't even see him from where we are and the alcohol clearly isn't helping my inappropriate crush because the disappointment is real.
As we start giving Not Brad our order, a tanned hand clamps down on his shoulder, pulling him back slightly.
“Swap with me, Dave.” That faint scent of coconut sunscreen drifts over as Brad steps forward.
Dave, I'm assuming, looks at Brad in confusion, before flicking his gaze back to us. His eyes quickly roam over each of us until he spots my dutch braids, and with a sly smile he turns to walk away, whispering something in Brad's ear as he goes.
“Did he just say something about your braids?” Elle murmurs quietly.
“I don't know, but I didn't imagine it, right? He definitely made a point to look at my hair?”
“Yeah, maybe he has a fetish,” Jaime says a bit too loudly.
Brad coughs a laugh before pouring our drinks.
2
THE STAMINA OF A YOUNGER MAN
SHARI
We're still singingDaydreameras we sway away from the stage, and a group of people walking past us wearing various shades of neon t-shirts join in until we're all basically screaming the lyrics at each other. Jenna Hendricks was incredible, and the sixteen-year-old inside me is absolutely buzzing that we got to see her perform live!
Jaime and Max are walking – or rather stumbling – ahead of Elle and me as we walk arm-in-arm towards the fairground rides. Elle loves these deathtraps and has convinced the two drunkards in front of us to go on some rides with her. I'm only a bit tipsy so I'm still a firmfuck no. The bright flashing lights and carnival music blaring from the speakers is enough to fill me with horror as the operators dance on their various platforms, shouting to try and attract more patrons.
“I haven’t had a chance to ask you today, have you heard from Ivan lately?” I turn my head to look at Elle.
“Nope!” she quips. “It’s been blissfully quiet on the ex-husband front this month. But let’s not say his name again, just in case it summons him like the demon he is.”
I bark a laugh and wrap my arm around her shoulders to give her a squeeze. Ivan going to prison for embezzlement was the best thing to happen to Elle and the kids, as it ended up fast-tracking the divorce. Otherwise, I can only imagine that dickhead would have dragged it out as long as possible.
The girls choose their first ticket to hell and I stand back to video them as they get buckled in. It's a circular, spinning, swinging monstrosity and I feel dizzy just looking at it. Since most people are making their way to the carpark, there are no queues, so they get strapped in straight away.
As the ride starts and I hear Max start screaming, “Why the fuck did I agree to this?!” I feel a presence just behind me. I spin around and come face-to-neck with Brad. His eyes twinkle in the flashing lights and his smirk makes an appearance as I crane my neck to look up at him because he's standing so close. At five-foot-nine I'm fairly tall for a woman, but Brad still towers over me by at least five or six inches. He's exactly the kind of guy I'd have had a huge crush on at school; he's got the whole nineties curtains thing going on and I am into it.Still.
A wave of heat flushes through me and my mouth goes dry. “Hi,” I squeak, eloquently.
That smirk grows as he brazenly tucks an errant strand of hair that's come loose from my braid behind my ear, and once again that now-familiar smell of coconut warms my senses. There’s a note of something woodsy underneath, but I can’t put my finger on the exact scent.
“Hey, I was hoping I'd find you before you left,” he rumbles. His voice and the small contact from his fingers elicit a full body shiver from me. Of course he notices, and his eyes flare. In this light they appear more green, almost like polished jade.
I clear my throat. “I’m surprised to see you away from the bar. Don't you guys have to clean up before you're done for the night?”
“We did most of the cleanup during Jenna's set. Hardly anyone came to the bar once she started. Plus, I covered for one of the guys last night, so he's doing the last bit so I could come find you.”
“You were specifically looking for me?” I ask, bewildered.
“Pretty sure I just said that. Twice, in fact,” he chuckles.
