, checking my make-up one final time before flicking my eyes behind me to Lucie as she sat on the bed, grinning at me. I sighed, knowing there wasn’t much else I could do to make myself look any better, and did a little twirl. “Look okay?”
She laughed and nodded. “You look great, Emma. You’re gonna be fighting them off tonight. Maybe you’ll even get some; that’ll put a smile back on that frustrated face of yours!” she teased, smirking at me knowingly.
I laughed and rolled my eyes. She knew I didn’t go with anyone other than Carson, so that was a silly suggestion and we both knew it. “Yeah, okay. Well, I’m ready to go then,” I confirmed, letting my gaze wander to the mirror again. I was wearing a dress for a change tonight – something Lucie and Rory had jointly bought me for my birthday. It was black, pretty, and a little figure hugging, cutting off at mid-thigh. She was right, though; it did suit me and made my small breasts appear bigger.
Sighing, I followed her out into the lounge, smiling at Rory who was sitting there watching TV. Sasha was already asleep; we’d worn her out all day today so she would want to go to bed early and would be easier on my little brother while he babysat. I never went out unless she was asleep. Not that I didn’t trust my brother to be able to put her to bed, because I certainly did, but it wasn’t fair to ask him to do that.
“Right then, I’ve got my mobile, so ring if you need me. Knock next door at Mrs Miller’s if there are any immediate problems, okay?” I instructed, patting the top of his head teasingly.
“Yep, have a great night. And no coming home unless you’re drunk!” he replied, laughing.
Lucie winked at Rory. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get her drunk for a change,” she affirmed, linking her arm through mine. I smiled and rolled my eyes, checking in my handbag to see if I had my purse and phone. “Come on then. I’m starving.”
Letting her drag me along, we went to start our night.
The dinner was nice, and so was the adult, normal, civilised conversation. Talk of kids was banned, as was work and uni, so we’d sat there gossiping and laughing about anything and everything. I hadn’t had a girlie night since we went out for Lucie’s birthday seven months ago. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to just be myself for a change.
After, we went to Lloyds bar where I was meeting a few friends from my university. As we walked in, the music was banging and vibrating off the walls. The place was packed considering it was Sunday night. We pushed our way to the bar, and I tried my best to ignore the guys brushing up against me on purpose as we wove through the crowd. After buying a pitcher of cocktails, we finally found my group of friends. With them, there were a couple of guys I didn’t know. I smiled tentatively, exchanging greetings with the girls I was meeting. Lucie knew all my friends already, so nothing was awkward.
One of the guys leant forward, his hand outstretched to me, his eyes raking down my body slowly. I laughed at his obviousness and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Joe,” he purred.
I nodded in greeting, noticing he hadn’t released my hand. “Emma.”
“Happy birthday, Emma. I hope you don’t mind us tagging along?” he asked, motioning toward the other guy who was knocking back shots with my friend, Angie.
I smiled and shrugged. “Sure, why not. More people to buy me birthday drinks,” I joked, taking a sip of my cocktail, watching him over the rim of my glass.
He grinned and turned back to his friend, doing a shot with him. I laughed at how easy boys were; a little flirting and they were putty in a girl’s hand. Not that I would ever do anything about it, of course, but it was nice to be appreciated, especially since I hadn’t had much attention in the last few weeks from Carson.
Lucie elbowed me in the ribs gently to get my attention. “You are so in there tonight! He’s hot. Maybe you should take him home for a little sheet time,” she suggested, waggling her eyebrows.
I laughed at her absurdity and rolled my eyes. “You know my heart and body belong to someone else!” I scolded playfully.
She laughed. “Yeah, but he’s not here, and obviously, Mr Celebrity Driver isn’t doing it for you at the moment. You look like some kind of sex-starved, depressed woman!”
I stuck my tongue out at her and chinked my glass against hers. “Cheers. Here’s to getting wasted.” She smiled and we both downed our drinks before pouring another glass from the pitcher.
TWO HOURS LATER, I was more than wasted. The bar was getting more fun, the music louder, the conversation funnier, and even Joe was getting more interesting the more I spoke to him. When my phone vibrated in my bag, I pulled it out, squinting at it but unable to read the number on the caller ID because my eyes refused to focus properly.
“Helllllllo?” I sang as I answered it.
The guy on the line laughed. “Emma, it’s Jason.”
Jason? What on earth is he calling me for? “Jason? What do you want? You do know I’m off duty, right?” I asked, giggling.
He laughed. “Yeah, and very drunk by the sound of it,” he replied. “Anyway, I have someone here at the club who wants to talk to you. He wanted your number but I’m not allowed to give that out, so I agreed I’d call you and he could talk to you.”
I frowned and gripped the edge of the bar as someone bumped into me from behind, making me giggle as I almost fell over. “I don’t want to talk to any freaking perverts from the club,” I stated, throwing Lucie a ‘what the fuck’ look. She was laughing and mouthing ‘hang up’ to me.
“Oh, okay. I’ll tell Mr Matthews you don’t want to speak to him then,” Jason replied.
I gasped at the mention of his name. “No! Carson’s there? What’s he doing there? He’s supposed to be in Dorset” I shouted excitedly.
“Well, he’s obviously back. He wants to talk to you; shall I tell him you don’t want to talk to any ‘freaking perverts from the club’?” Jason teased, laughing and doing a bad impression of my drunken voice.
“Don’t you bloody dare!” I cried, gripping Lucie’s arm and jumping up and down in excitement.
“Okay, I’ll put him on,” Jason agreed.
“What’s going on?” Lucie asked, prying my fingers from her arm and wincing.
“Carson wants to talk to me. He’s at the club!” I squealed, grinning like a mad woman, ignoring the rest of my friends who were looking at me like I was crazy.
I heard Jason talking away from the phone and then the most beautiful voice in the world came on the line, making my heart beat a little faster and the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Hey, Em.”
“Hey, baby. What are you doing there? I thought you were in Dorset today?” I asked, sighing dreamily and already planning my escape to the club so I could see him.
“I was. I finished early. So, you’re obviously having a great birthday…”
I nodded, and then remembered he couldn’t see me so I giggled at myself. “Yeah, it’s good.”
He chuckled. “You sound drunk.”
“I’m not drunk!” I moved my arm, gesturing the fact I wasn’t that wasted, and accidently slopped half my drink over Joe’s shoe. I giggled and looked at him apologetically. “Okay, maybe I’m a little drunk,” I admitted, mouthing sorry to Joe and handing him a napkin from the bar to dry it.
“Okay. Er… So, I’m out tonight and I was wondering if I could buy you a drink?” Carson asked, sounding a little uncomfortable.
My breath caught. He wanted to see me outside of work again? “Really?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to intrude on your night out with the girls or anything. Maybe it’s not a good idea; I just wanted to get you a drink for your birthday. You can say no if you want to,” he said.
Say no, is he serious? “Hell yeah!” I cried excitedly.
He laughed, probably at my embarrassing enthusiasm. “Okay, great. Just tell me where you are then; I’ll come meet you.”
“We’re at Lloyds. You know it?” I asked, trying to think of directions from the club in case I needed to tell him.
“Yeah, I know it.”
I grinned. “Okay. Well, when you get in here, we’re over on the right-hand side, near the bar,” I said, biting my lip and trying not to squeal like a little girl on Christmas morning.
“Right. See you in a bit then.” He disconnected the call and I turned back to Lucie, barely able to breathe through my excitement. I really didn’t think I was seeing him again until next weekend, so this was the best birthday present ever.
“Holy shit. He’s coming here to buy me a birthday drink!” I hissed. My stomach was fluttering, which actually didn’t mix too well with the alcohol I’d consumed.
Lucie grinned. “Awesome! Now that’s put a smile on your frustrated face,” she teased, winking at me.
We barely had time to down two more shots before someone touched the small of my back. I turned excitedly, and there he was. The love of my life, father of my child, and the one who made my heart soar. I squealed and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, bouncing on the spot.
He laughed and hugged me back, kissing my shoulder softly. “Hey. Happy birthday,” he breathed, pulling back but leaving his arms around my waist.
I giggled and nodded. “It is now!” I confirmed, making him smirk at me. I bit my lip and groaned. Damn it, I shouldn’t have said that!
He looked over my shoulder and smiled at Lucie. “Hey, how’s the night going? Looks like you’re having a good time,” he said to her, laughing and tracing his hand up my back.
Lucie laughed and nodded. “It’s good. I promised her brother I’d get her good and drunk, so I’ve done my job.”
Carson laughed and I leant on him heavily. Pressing my face into the side of his neck, I breathed in his smell I had missed so much since last night. My fingers tangled into the back of his hair. “Looks like you have,” he confirmed.
I pulled away, grabbing his hand and introducing him to my friends who, coincidently, were all completely looking at him in awe and practically eye raping him. The guy who had been doing shots all night - I think his name was Logan, but I couldn’t be sure - just stared at him with his mouth hanging open like a total moron. Joe, on the other hand, frowned and looked him over slowly. For some reason, he didn’t seem to like Carson.
After a couple more drinks, Carson thought it would be a good idea to buy a round of flaming Sambucas. I looked at mine, eyeing the little fire which burnt on the top of it. I was actually a little scared to drink it, which seemed to amuse Carson. He wasn’t even drinking tonight; he was driving apparently, so he stuck to Pepsi.
Lucie laughed and counted to three. On three, we all blew out the flames and downed the drink. I winced as it burnt my throat and I knew that one drink would be my downfall. I could already feel the after-effects of the alcohol I’d consumed. I wasn’t used to drinking, so this was more than I had probably ever drunk. I was definitely going to throw up in the morning.
I clung to Carson, who was standing just behind me, laughing and making little jokes in my ear, flirting outrageously with me while one arm wrapped securely around my waist. “Oh, man, I shouldn’t have drunk that. You’re a bad influence on me, Mr Matthews,” I teased, tapping my finger on the tip of his nose. He smirked at me, shooting me that devilish little smile I loved so much, and I swooned internally.
Joe turned to me and grinned. “So, Emma, if there is one thing you could have for your birthday, what would it be?” he inquired.
I didn’t need to think about it. “An orgasm.”
Everyone burst out laughing and Joe raised one eyebrow. “Oh, really? Well, tonight’s your lucky night, because that’s exactly what I got you.”
I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to turn him down, when Carson put his hand on Joe’s chest. “Back off, she’s not interested!” he growled. His other arm tightened on my waist, moving me further away from Joe to his other side.
“And how do you know that? You a mind reader now, hot shot?” Joe asked, pushing Carson’s hand off him angrily.
Carson laughed humourlessly. “Oh, come on, you’ve been hitting on her for the last hour. Has she even showed the slightest bit of interest in you? No. So get over it, and go hit on someone more in your league,” Carson said, smirking at him confidently.
If Joe had been hitting on me for the last hour, either I was really drunk or he was just plain terrible at it because I hadn’t even noticed.
Joe made some sort of reply, but I didn’t hear it because at that moment Carson pressed his mouth to my ear. “Wanna dance with me?” he whispered. His hot breath tickled my skin, making me shiver lightly. I gulped and nodded, handing my glass to a grinning Lucie.
Carson smiled and took my hand, leading me off a little way to where people were grinding on each other. I slipped my arms around his neck and grinned happily. In all the years I’d known him, this was actually our first dance together. Sure, I’d danced for him a lot, but never proper dancing like this. It was nice.
He smiled and pulled me closer to him, his blue eyes locked on mine, and I almost forgot how to breathe. Everyone else disappeared and all that was left was him. I could barely even hear the music which was sure to be banging around us. His hand went to my neck, playing with the cheap necklace I was wearing tonight.
“Don’t you like the one I bought you? I could get you something else, if you want,” he offered, looking at me apologetically.
I smiled and gripped my hands into his hair. “I love the one you got me. I was just a little scared to wear it tonight in case I lost it,” I admitted.
He laughed and shook his head as if I’d said something silly. “You don’t need to worry about that. If you lose it, I’ll just get you another one.”
I sighed dreamily. Sometimes he was almost too sweet and adorable for my sanity. “You are so damn sweet, baby,” I whispered as I pulled his mouth down to mine.
He kissed me back hungrily. His soft lips moving against mine made everything seem right in the world. It didn’t matter that I had to work so hard to pay the rent, or that I was stuck in a job I hated, working my way through Uni on about four hours sleep a night. It didn’t matter how hard my life was as a single mother. When Carson kissed me, I felt like I could do anything and be anyone.
My whole body was burning for more. I was so turned on it was almost painful. I felt like some desperate horny junkie who needed a fix. My body was on high alert, jittery and needy. His tongue traced along my bottom lip, asking for entrance, so I pulled away, putting my forehead to his.
“Carson, I want you to do something for me,” I breathed, looking into his eyes, which reminded me so much of his daughter.
“Sure, what?” he asked, kissing me again. I kissed him back but when he nibbled on my bottom lip, I pulled away again, making him groan.
I smiled teasingly. “I want you to walk away from me,” I stated, watching as shock crossed his face.
“What, why?”
I gripped the front of his shirt, rubbing my nose against his lightly, like he always did to me. “I want you to go away and then come back and pretend like you don’t know me. I want you to hit on me with your best pick-up line ever. Then I’m going to drag you to the bathrooms and have hot, nasty, stranger sex with you,” I said seductively. As I spoke, the shock was slowly fading from his face, to be replaced by lust and longing.
“Are you sure this isn’t my birthday?” he growled, slipping his hand down to my bum, squeezing gently.
I giggled. “Oh, no, baby, it’s definitely mine,” I confirmed, tracing my finger along the edge of his collar, feeling his soft skin.
He smirked at me. “And this is a little fantasy of yours, is it? Picking up a stranger in a bar for hot, nasty, bathroom sex?” he asked, his voice husky and thick with lust.
I closed my eyes and nodded. It wasn’t exactly the ‘picking up a stranger’ thing I wanted. It was meeting him for the first time as a normal girl, in normal clothes. I wanted to feel like one of the girls he picked up in the clubs. I wanted to feel special and wanted, even if it was just for one night. I wanted him, and for once he wouldn’t feel the need to offer me money; he would just be with me because he wanted to be. I wanted the full Carson Matthews experience all those other girls got.
He laughed and kissed my lips softly before pulling away from me and disappearing through the crowd. I bit my lip, giggling and blushing like crazy as I headed back to where Lucie was still propping up the bar. Thankfully, Joe and Logan were gone, off dancing and flirting with a group of girls by the look of it.
Lucie glanced over my shoulder and frowned as I walked back on my own. “Where’s lover boy?”
“We’re playing a game,” I replied, shrugging.
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “You must be pleased with his reaction to the Joe thing,” she said, nodding enthusiastically.
“Huh?” I questioned, confused as to what she was going on about.
She sighed dramatically, flicking her long, raven hair over her shoulder. “Oh, come on, possessive much? He was so damn jealous it was almost embarrassing!” she explained. Jealous? Carson? Why would he be jealous, though? He got what he wanted from me all the time, so why would he feel the need to get jealous? I looked at Lucie like she was crazy and she just laughed. “For a smart girl, you really are an idiot sometimes.”
I shook my head, still confused, but before I could say anything, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, wondering who it would be… and there stood Carson. A goofy grin slipped onto my face. I’d completely forgotten we were playing this little game.
I took in his whole form in a matter of seconds: the way the dim lights made his hair look a darker shade of brown than normal, how his light-blue shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, and how the smile tugged at the corners of his full lips, making them look inviting and luscious.
Without speaking he raised his hand, holding something out to me. I frowned, confused, and opened my hand, watching as he dropped a little silver screw into my palm. What the hell? Where did he get that from? I flicked my eyes up to his face in time to see him smirk at me.
“Wanna screw?” he asked, raising one eyebrow curiously. Lucie and I both burst out laughing as his prop suddenly clicked into place. Carson grinned and held out his other hand to me. “So, anyway, I just wanted to come and introduce myself. My name’s Carson, and you are the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen in my life. If I was to Google the definition of natural beauty, I’d see a picture of your face,” he said, his eyes locked on mine.
My heart was racing, my stomach doing little flips as my whole body grew hotter. Oh, yeah, I love this game! I bit my lip and shook his hand. “Emma,” I replied, trying not to giggle.
He pulled me closer to him. “Want to go somewhere quiet and have some hot, nasty, stranger sex, Emma?” he purred, causing my whole body to tremble with excitement.
I nodded eagerly and winked at Lucie before weaving through the crowd, dragging Carson along behind me, holding his hand tightly.
As we approached the ladies toilet you could easily see the queue, so Carson tugged me toward the gents’ instead. I grinned and kissed him forcefully, pushing him against the door. It swung open and we both stumbled in, slamming against the wall, still not breaking the kiss. I giggled as he kissed down my neck, letting his hands roam my body. His hand slid under the bottom of my dress as my fingers went to his belt buckle. I was in no mood for going slow right now; all I could think about was his body and nothing else.
He pushed me against the wall, gripping his hands on my bum and lifting me off my feet easily. I wrapped my legs around his waist and practically ripped open his jeans, shoving my hand down there eagerly. My stomach fluttered when my fingers brushed against the hardness I could feel through the material of his boxer shorts. The anticipation was killing me slowly. As his tongue tangled with mine, I moaned into his mouth at the sheer luxury of having his undivided attention.
That was when someone cleared their throat dramatically. I squealed from shock and Carson swore quietly, pushing me tighter against the wall, obviously trying to shield me with his body as he tugged my dress down quickly to stop the guy who was washing his hands from getting an eyeful.
I cringed and buried my flaming face into the side of Carson’s neck, giggling as he spoke to the guy. “Sorry, man. I didn’t realise there was anyone in here,” he laughed.
The guy laughed, too. “No worries. Maybe you should lock the door,” he replied as he walked out of the toilets.
Carson chuckled and flicked the lock on the door before looking back to me with lust written clearly across his face. “Now then, Emma. Just how nasty are we talking here?” he asked, grinning mischievously.
I bit my lip and squeezed myself to him tighter. “Oh, as nasty as you want… sorry, I forgot your name,” I teased.
He grinned and stepped to the side, sitting me on the counter next to the sinks and pressing his whole body to mine. I could actually feel his heartbeat against my chest; he was so close. “It’s Carson. Now, don’t forget again because I want you to scream it.” He kissed me again, pushing my dress up around my waist as he gripped my thong with both hands. I heard a tearing sound and I gasped from shock as the material was literally ripped off my body.
Well, you did tell him nasty…
He grinned and started kissing down my body, guiding me to lie back on the little counter. It wasn’t actually very comfortable, but the situation was so hot I just didn’t want to move. He grabbed my calves roughly and pulled my body to the edge of the counter before he bent to bite the inside of my thigh. I gasped and wriggled, flicking my eyes around the bathroom until I spotted a full-length mirror on the opposite wall. I had the perfect view of Carson on his knees, me lying back on the counter, my feet resting on his shoulders while he kissed and bit around the inside of my thighs, heading higher with each kiss. My breathing was coming out in pants; all I wanted was to scream at him to hurry because I felt like I was close to bursting point.
Holy fuck, this is sizzling hot!
Just as his tongue got to where I needed it, a toilet flushed off to our left. My mouth popped open in shock as my head snapped in that direction just in time to see the door to the last stall open and a guy in his early twenties walk out. Carson jumped up, yanking my dress down and looking over his shoulder at the guy who had totally caught us in the act.
I squirmed on the spot, blushing furiously as I fingered the bottom of my dress, making sure I was covered. Neither Carson nor I spoke; we just watched him with open mouths. The guy was clearly unfazed by us getting it on while he was using the toilet. He smiled and washed his hands, taking his time as if this happened to him every day.
Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Holy shit! You’re Carson Matthews!” he cried excitedly. “I’m your biggest fan. Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m meeting you! Wow, seriously, wow. You’re a driving god. I swear, you’re my idol!” he gushed, still not fazed by the fact Carson had his jeans undone and was standing between my legs. The newcomer didn’t even seem bothered that my ripped thong was wrapped around Carson’s hand he was in the process of trying to take hold of so he could shake it in greeting.
Could he have not noticed what we were doing?
Carson frowned and nodded, quickly moving my underwear to his other hand before shaking the intruder’s offered one. “Yeah, thanks, dude… er…” He flicked his eyes to me, looking a little confused.
The guy gasped suddenly, his eyes popping open as if he’d only just noticed the situation. “Oh, shit. Sorry, I’m interrupting! Go ahead, get your freak on! Can I get your autograph though?” he asked hopefully.
Carson patted his pocket as he swallowed awkwardly. “Umm… I don’t have a pen. You have one?” he asked, his voice amused as I giggled and pressed my face into his arm, trying to disappear.
The guy groaned. “No. I’ll go get one, though,” he replied as he ran toward the door. “I’ll wait outside until you’re done so I won’t interrupt you again. Have fun and don’t worry, I won’t let anyone back in here. I’ll stand guard on the door for you,” he vowed, nodding enthusiastically. He flicked the lock on the door and practically ran out. I could hear him saying Carson’s name excitedly to himself.
Carson laughed awkwardly. “Well, that ruined the moment.”
I burst out laughing and pulled his mouth back to mine, kissing him softly. It was a nice idea, but maybe I wasn’t supposed to get sex for my birthday; maybe I was being punished or something. He kissed me back passionately, but both of us knew it wasn’t going any further. Carson was right, that guy was a total passion-killer.
He pulled away and brushed one finger down the side of my face, rubbing his nose on the side of mine. “I’ll do this little fantasy of yours another time, I promise,” he whispered.
I smiled and gripped my hand in his hair. “I’ll hold you to that, baby.”
Taking hold of my hips, he gently set me on the floor again. Raising his hand, he showed me my ripped underwear and winced apologetically. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”
I giggled and went up on tiptoes, pressing my lips to his softly. “I hope it’s not windy when I leave tonight,” I teased.
He chuckled and took my hand, tossing my underwear into the bin before we walked out of the bathrooms together. As promised, the guy was standing outside the door, his arms folded across his chest, stopping a line of guys who were obviously waiting to use the bathroom. They all cheered and whistled as we walked out. My already-burning cheeks blazed harder as I pressed my face between Carson’s shoulder blades.
The waiting crowd recognised him and all immediately surged around him, asking for autographs and photos. While he was busy, I snuck off back to Lucie, leaving him with the quickly growing crowd.
Lucie looked at me with an ‘I know what you were doing’ expression, and I couldn’t help but giggle guiltily. “That was seriously fast. Maybe he’s not as good as you say he is,” she teased.
I bit my lip and shook my head. “Some guy walked out of the toilet and caught him going down on me on the counter. Man, it was so freaking embarrassing!” I muttered, picking up my drink from the bar and topping it up with the last of the cocktail from the pitcher.
Lucie laughed and held up her glass, knocking it against mine. “Well, here’s to not being interrupted next time,” she toasted, smiling over my shoulder.
An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into a hard chest. I squealed, giggling because I already knew it was Carson. “You’re not supposed to run off and leave me, you know. You should have made some excuse for me and dragged me off, saving me from the crowd,” he whispered in my ear, nibbling on my earlobe gently.
I smiled and sighed contentedly. Why did it always feel so right being in his arms? Why couldn’t I just get over him already so I wouldn’t feel the heartache when I remembered he wasn’t actually mine to keep? “Sorry, baby,” I said, leaning my head back against his shoulder and closing my eyes.
“Just remember that for next time, huh?” He stroked the side of my head. “Are you tired? I can drive you both home if you want,” he offered, looking from me to Lucie.
I pulled back to look at him as horror built in my chest. “There is no way I’m getting on that bloody bike with you again,” I stated, shaking my head fiercely.
He laughed and rolled his eyes. “I do own a car, you know. Why would I offer two drunks a lift home on a bike?” he teased, rubbing his nose against mine lightly.
Oh, yeah, I didn’t think about that.
Lucie cleared her throat. “I’m actually gonna stay out a little longer with the girls. But you take Emma home,” she insisted.
“I’m not leaving you here on your own,” I rejected.
Angie wrapped her arm around Lucie’s shoulder. “She’s not on her own, silly. We’ll all share a taxi. Don’t worry, we know about safety in numbers, Emma,” she scolded playfully.
I looked at Lucie to make sure she was okay with this and wasn’t just doing it because she thought I wanted alone time with Carson. Jenny turned around and passed her a fresh drink she’d just bought.
“You’re really staying?” I asked Lucie. She nodded and sipped her drink. “Okay, well you all stay together. No wandering off and I’ll talk to you all tomorrow. Thanks for a great night, girls,” I said, hugging them all one by one.
Once I’d said my goodbyes to everyone, Carson took my hand and led us through the crowd to the front door of the bar. As we stepped out, I was almost blinded by the flash of a camera. The light was so bright I had to put my hand up to shield my eyes. Beside me, Carson groaned loudly and then his arm wound around my waist protectively. The click and flash of a camera continued to go off furiously in front of me.
“Emma, where’s your necklace Carson bought you?” someone shouted.
I squinted and looked around, confused, until I saw someone I recognised. The guy from the club last night, the one who was asking me loads of questions about Carson. He was holding out a little black rectangle thing towards me as the photographer he was with continued to snap shot after shot.
“I didn’t want to wear it in case it got lost,” I said weakly, not really understanding what was going on.
“Did you have a nice night?” the guy asked.
I looked at Carson, unsure as to what I should do. Was I allowed to answer his questions? What was the protocol for being papped outside a bar, whilst drunk? I didn’t want to say anything and cause him any more trouble.
Carson smiled and nodded, leading me off in the other direction. “We had a great night,” he confirmed.
I kept pace with him, clinging to him tightly as they walked in front of us, still taking pictures while walking backward, holding the little black thing out to me again.
What the heck is that? I studied it, suddenly realising it was a little tape recorder.
“So, you two met at a strip club?” the guy asked.
I gulped at that question. This was going to look really bad for Carson.
“Guys, seriously, come on, don’t ruin the night for her. It’s her birthday. Can’t you give me a break for one night?” Carson said dejectedly.
The guy ignored him. “What does your management think about you dating a stripper, Carson? Your family? What about your friends?”
Carson frowned. “She’s not a stripper!” he snapped.
“She works part-time in a strip club, lap dances a couple of times a week,” the guy replied, smirking.
I groaned. I shouldn’t have let Carson drive me home. I should have stayed inside with Lucie. Now he was going to be getting negative press and they were going to be talking rubbish about me in the papers. I could see it now: ‘Carson’s bit of rough’, ‘Scraping the barrel with a stripper’. Rory was going to go crazy when he read that. He didn’t know what my job entailed; I didn’t ever want him to know.
“Just back off!” Carson ordered while putting his hand over the camera lens, his other arm tightening on me. Tears welled in my eyes; I felt dirty, cheap and nasty all over again. Carson grabbed his keys from his pocket. A car beeped and unlocked two cars away, and I didn’t even have time to see what type or colour it was before he opened the door and pushed me in, slamming the door behind me.
My heart sank. Would he stop coming to the club now? Once he was slaughtered in the papers for going to strip clubs and fraternising with lap dancers, would I ever see him again? His management would probably make him stay away for his ‘image’. I would be lost without him. He climbed in the other side of the car, starting the engine as they took more pictures of us in the car together, banging on the windows, and still shouting their questions.