Part 23 (1/2)

Sam eyes me on my own. 'Where's Jesse?'

I frown. 'I don't know.' I point in the direction that Jesse left in, just as he reappears back through the ma.s.s of people carrying a bar stool over his head.

He places it down on the ground. 'Sit.' he commands, lifting me onto the stool. It's a relief, my feet are killing me. 'Drinks?' he asks. Everyone nods, throwing their orders his way, leaving him looking slightly hara.s.sed as he leans in to listen to what everyone wants.

Sam steps up to the plate. 'I'll give you a hand.'

'Yeah, I'm coming.' Drew follows Jesse and Sam to the bar, leaving the three remaining pairs of eyes on me.

'What?' I ask. I know what. My head is suddenly swimming in wine.

Kate arches a well plucked eyebrow at me, folding her arms over her chest. She can get lost. It's her fault he's here. 'Looking a bit cosy.' she fires.

Tom strokes the oversized lapels of his coral s.h.i.+rt. 'Cosy? No, no, no. That wasn't cosy. That was guaranteed hot s.e.x tonight, darling!' He raises both hands, and Kate and Victoria comply, slapping a hand each in unison.

I scowl at Kate. 'Me and you, later.' I threaten.

She inhales sharply. 'Oh, feisty! I love everything this man brings out in you.'

Yes, she's made it perfectly obvious that she loves this man, and I want to know what was going on in that little exchange.

'Did you see him move?' Victoria pipes up.

'He weren't bad.' Tom pouts. Oh dear, someone's stolen Tom's dance floor thunder. Jesse may well have made a lifelong enemy.

'So a' I'm firing this right back at Kate. 'Talking of cosy?' I nod at Sam as he walks back through the crowd, balancing three drinks between his hands.

'A bit of fun.' she shrugs.

G.o.d, I hope so. Do I tell her what Victoria saw? 'And you?' I look at Victoria.

She looks shocked. 'Me?'

'Yes, I saw you shaking your thing at Drew.'

Tom throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. 'I'm a huffing raspberry! I want to go to Route Sixty,' He turns to Victoria. 'Darling, please!'

'No!' she exclaims, and I don't blame her. It makes a change for Victoria to be having the male attention, possibly the action too.

Sam plants the drinks on the table and Drew follows suit, brus.h.i.+ng suspiciously close to Victoria. She giggles, fluffing her hair. She needs to lay off the fake tan.

Sam grins. 'Wine for Kate,' He bows as he hands her the gla.s.s. 'Vodka for Victoria and I've no idea what this is, but it looks camp, so it must be yours.' Sam hands Tom a pina colada on a wink.

Tom blushes a bright shade of red and flops a limp wrist at Sam. I don't believe it. For the first time in his life, Tom is rendered shy. Oh, this is too good an opportunity to miss. 'Tom, your face is clas.h.i.+ng with your s.h.i.+rt!' I splutter, through a helpless fit of laughter.

Everyone turns to stare at Tom, only serving to intensify his blush and, subsequently, his mortification. An eruption of howling laughter breaks out, prompting Tom to huff a few times and storm off.

'What's so funny?' Jesse asks when he reaches us, placing my wine and a bottle of water on the table. I can't talk. I'm still recovering from my fits of giggles. I wipe my eyes.

'We've just found Tom's Achilles heel.' Kate volunteers when she sees I'm no closer to composure. Jesse looks perplexed as he looks around at the recovering hyenas that he's returned to. I see Sam shrug, swigging his beer.

'Sam.' I offer, through my abating giggles.

'Sam?' Jesse frowns.

Victoria jumps in. 'Tom fancies Sam!' she cries cheerfully.

Jesse shakes his head and reaches for his water, undoing the screw cap and taking a swig. 'Here, have some.' He trusts the bottle under my nose.

'No,' I screw my face up, pus.h.i.+ng it away.

'Have some water, Ava. You'll thank me in the morning.'

'I don't want any water.'

He scowls at me, thrusting the water in my face again. 'Have it!' he growls.

I glance around, seeing everyone looking at our little exchange. I'm definitely not having it now. I shove his outstretched arm away from my face and pick up my wine, raising my gla.s.s to him before taking a swig. Actually, I down the lot. I make a point of placing my gla.s.s down precisely before I look up at Jesse. He's proper brooding, his lips pressed into a straight line as he shakes his head at me.

'No.' I state firmly, enhancing my point. He's already trampled on my recovery night. He's not dictating what I drink too.

'There goes your action tonight.' Sam smirks and Kate bursts into fits of laughter.

'f.u.c.k off, Sam.' Jesse warns, in a rather deadly tone. He's not happy, but I'm drunk and rebellious, so I don't care.

Sam raises his hands, backing off immediately. At the same time, Kate clenches her lips shut to suppress her laughter, giving me the eyes. I shrug. I wonder if she likes demanding, commanding Jesse as much as she likes white knight Jesse.

Drew and Victoria move off to the side, out of every ones ear shot, after a little nod from Drew. Usually confident and a little standoffish, Drew looks a little shy as Victoria chats buoyantly to him. He takes his phone from his pocket, punching in digits as Victoria reels them off, holding it up for her to check when he's done. That is not the actions of a man not prepared to call. This is interesting.

I'm vaguely aware of conversation going on around me, but my head is suddenly very foggy. That was the last drink you should never have had. And all just to prove a childish point. Jesse's right, d.a.m.n him. I will regret it in the morning. The voices begin to m.u.f.fle and double vision sets in.

Yep, mission accomplished...I'm plastered!

I feel Jesse's hand at the base of my neck, ma.s.saging me over my hair as he chats to Sam. I close my eyes, absorbing his firm touch as he works my muscles. It feels so nice. I might fall asleep if he keeps it up.

When I open my eyes, Jesse is leaning down, looking into my drunken eyes and shaking his head. 'Come on, lady. I'm taking you home.'

I throw a disorientated arm at him. 'I'm fine.' He's not ruining my recovery night. I hear Kate and Jesse exchange a few words, and then I'm hoist up from the stool to my feet.

'Can you stand?' he asks.

'Of course, I'm not that drunk.' I am. And it would seem I'm argumentative too.

I'm presented to everyone in turn, all of them planting a kiss on my cheek, while Jesse props me up. How pathetic. Once he's ensured I've said all of my goodbyes, he guides me out of the bar. I'm ashamed to admit it, but if Jesse's arm wasn't wrapped around my waist holding me up, I would be flat on my face.

The fresh air hits me, causing me to stagger slightly, but I'm swiftly scooped up from the pavement, feeling the familiar comfort of Jesse's chest against my cheek as he carries me to his car.