CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
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EMMA
“Are you ready?”
Amanda barged into my bedroom, glancing around in shocked horror.
“What happened here?” she asked.
“I couldn’t make my mind up. What do you think of this?” I said, giving her a twirl.
Even though I had bought myself a few dresses for the occasion, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to wear them, so I ended up wearing my trusted black chiffon dress, which fell right above my knee.
Amanda stopped collecting my deserted outfits and looked at me.
“You look gorgeous. Black makes the colour of your hair stand out. James is going to wish he never left,” she said.
“You’re not too bad yourself. Looking smoking, Miss Strachan,” I said.
She did. I never saw Amanda looking so dolled up. I mean, she was always immaculately dressed, but today she’d chosen a pale pink satin number that hugged her figure. Matched with natural make-up, she’d have men flying around her all night, like moths to a flame.
“Thank you. Maybe we’ll both have a kiss at the bells.” She winked. “Now, should we open the bottle of champagne that’s chilling downstairs? I swear it’s calling my name.”
“Maybe we won’t have enough time. James said Ralph will be here fairly soon,” I said as I followed her down the stairs.
“There’s always time for one glass, and if he’s early, he can join us,” she said, checking her nail varnish as if the night weren’t that big a deal.
I knew, deep down, she was freaking out but trying to hide it.
As Amanda uncorked the bottle, the doorbell rang. I left her serving the glasses as I went to open the door.
Ralph and his brother stood side by side, both dressed in black suits and matching black ties. Hugh still had his sunglasses on although it was dark outside. Ralph wore the same easy-going smile that I’d seen from day one.
“We were just about to have a glass of champagne. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Yes, I could use one,” Hugh said, clearing his throat.
Ralph looked at him like he was hallucinating. As Hugh made his way to the kitchen, Ralph chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Nothing. I think my brother was dying to meet your flatmate. I asked him to stay in the car, but he declined and followed me here. All of a sudden, he is parched and needs a drink…. I just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”
“What about you? Do you fancy a glass?” I asked him.
“Yeah, but don’t tell James. He couldn’t come over, and he’ll kill me if he knows we stayed here longer than we had to.”
“It’ll be our secret,” I said, leading the way.
In the kitchen, Amanda served two more glasses, one for her and the other for Hugh, who stood behind the door quietly analysing everything she did. I could tell she enjoyed the attention. Her movements were more fluid and confident. When she realised we were also in the kitchen, her smile was flawless and her cheeks tinted pink. She was either loving it, or had had a few sneaky glasses without us.
Ralph downed his glass in one go and waited for us impatiently, his hands tucked inside his pockets. Once we set the glasses down, he sighed in relief and followed us to the car.
I had seen the house before. The image I had memorised didn’t stand a chance against the real thing, though. The way the immaculate garden was illuminated by a thousand fairy lights, it made me think of an enchanted forest. Dozens of fancy cars drove through the same driveway and people dressed in white suits drove them away, leaving their owners to enter the house. I guessed they were employed for the night, which made me wonder how many people exactly were invited to this party.
Ralph drove us through the back entrance, showing us the way through the kitchen to the upstairs lounge.
“James said he would meet you up here. This way he can speak to you without interruptions,” he said, seeing my puzzled expression.
Ralph quickly stepped behind the bar. He took his suit jacket off and hung it on a stool.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked, rubbing his hands together.
“Vodka and cranberry, please,” I said, taking my coat off and sitting in front of Ralph.
He nodded and set to work.
Amanda stood beside me. Her grin started to rub off on me, and I couldn’t help but copy it.
“Can I have a long vodka?” she asked. Stepping closer to me, she smiled and whispered, “It looks like I might be getting kissed tonight.”
I wanted to ask her more about it, but as soon as our drinks were served, Ralph and Hugh had to leave us, to make sure everything ran smoothly. Within seconds of them departing, a woman dressed in an expensive suit came in. Her hair was silvery white, cut in a perfect bob. She smiled as soon as she saw us and introduced herself.
“Hello. I’m Helen, James’s assistant. You must be Emma and Amanda. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said as her hand extended for a shake.
“Nice to meet you,” we said in unison.
Music started playing downstairs and the buzz of people chatting filled the room. My best friend was dancing as she sipped her drink through a pink straw.
“Why don’t you go on downstairs? I’ll catch up with you in a minute,” I said to her, knowing that she would be dying to boogie.
“I could show you the way,” Helen offered.
Amanda looked at me and suggested, “I can easily stay here with you. I don’t mind.”
“It’s okay. Off you go. I’ll wait here for James.”
Amanda didn’t need to be asked twice. With almost a skip and a jump, she went to enjoy the party.
I felt the bass of the music like a second heartbeat thumping inside me, but instead of involving myself in it, I sat with my back to the door and wondered aimlessly if Amanda was right. That we would both be kissed at the bells. Would James’s kiss be the same as when he was fifteen? Probably not. He must have had a bucketload of practice. Was he more passionate, or was he tender? I should stop crushing on him and imagining his kiss. He was taken and everyone knew about it. The more I remembered this, the more it hurt.
I felt him come in the room before I saw him, my body so in tune to his. I didn’t want James to notice, so I stayed still, waiting to see what would be his next move. He slowly placed his hands on the bar at each side of me. I could feel his breath at the back of my neck, his lips so close to my ear that an involuntary shiver crept up.
“You’re looking gorgeous,” he said, moving my hair, his fingertips caressing the sensitive skin of my neck. Keeping composure was hard work, so I turned and stood. Keeping my body in check was difficult after hearing his voice, but after seeing him, it was torture.
“Thanks,” I said, straightening my dress and stepping away from him. If I got close enough to smell his aftershave, there would be a big chance of slipping into a pool of drool. My own drool. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Liar, big fat liar! The truth was that he looked good enough to eat. My fingers itched to peel the clothes off him and lick him like a lollipop.
He smiled and stepped behind the bar. “Drink?”
“Yes please, make it a shot. A strong one,” I said, keeping a safe distance.
He lined six shot glasses on the bar, collected the tequila, salt, and finely cut lemons, then said, “After you.”
I reached for the salt and licked my hand, downed the tequila, and sucked the lemon. All this under James’s smouldering gaze.
“Are you always this cocky?” I asked, trying to break the spell he was putting me under.
It must have taken him off guard, because without answering, he took his tequila. After he finished, he set his glass down and smiled.
“Cocky? I don’t think I’ve ever been called that,” he said with a mocking grin.
“Really? What have you been called then?”
Flirting, I was flirting with James and I didn’t care. Maybe the second drink was working its magic.
“Handsome, charming. I’ve even been told that I’m sexy.” He winked.
I couldn’t help but smile into my glass before I took a hearty swig and said, “You have to remember that I saw you pee your pants in primary school.”
He laughed. “Damn. I forgot that tiny detail.”
His smile disappeared and a wave of sadness washed over his beautiful features. “The day we moved, I went to your house to say goodbye.” His gaze moved to his drink as he swirled the ice around inside the glass.
The confession was so out of the blue, I was left speechless.
“I didn’t know. Nobody told me,” I managed to say, breathless.
He shrugged. “I didn’t think Tom told you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have given me so much grief when I came back.” He tried to smile, but it evaporated as soon as it began.
“I know it isn’t my business, but he said you went back to Jason’s—”
I couldn’t let him finish. “No! Is that what he told you?” I couldn’t understand why my brother would lie like that.
Getting up from my seat, I stood closer to him. “I went shopping with my mother. I never saw Jason since we kissed.”
James nodded, then downed the last of his drink before we were interrupted.
“James, everyone is ready,” Ralph said from the door.
“Cool. Let’s go, Emma. Let’s have some fun. There’re some people I want you to meet.”
I would’ve given everything—even given my soul to the devil, if that was what it took—to know what he was thinking, but his emotions were well hidden.
If only we had more time together, I could explain, maybe even comprehend what was going through his head.