Sapphire (13 page)

‘No touching, I promise. Jay you’ve saved me, you’re a complete star.’

It would have been the perfect moment to tell him that she loved him but Sapphire just couldn’t. She really liked Jay, but love?

They ended the call by agreeing that Jay would turn up at the bar in black tie and Sapphire would arrange to
have the Bond theme playing. Perfect, what could go wrong?

Three hours later she met up with the hen party in one of the flash new bars by the seafront. They’d switched from champagne and were now drinking tequila shots. They were all pissed – except Simone.

‘Sapphire! Come and sit down with us!’ Georgia called out when she saw her.

‘We were just talking about our favourite sex position. Mine’s on top, obviously, so I can check out my very expensive boobs, Erin’s is from behind, and Danielle’s is a cheeky 69 – what about you?’

Georgia’s hair and make-up still looked immaculate, and only the glassy glaze in her violet eyes gave her away. Sapphire laughed, ‘I never kiss and tell.’

‘I bet you’re a really dirty one aren’t you?’ Georgia persisted. ‘I could just imagine you dressed up in black leather and whipping some fit bloke.’

‘No, I’ve never been into bondage.’

She exchanged a look with Owen, the photographer, who was looking distinctly uncomfortable. As she went over to the bar to check that Lee, the manager, was happy with the music, Owen followed her over. ‘They’re completely caned. Lucky I’ve got most of the shots. I’ll just stay on for the restaurant and then head off. Are all hen parties like this?’ He looked scared. ‘Usually I just cover the celeb weddings and I’m going to stick to them in future.’

Sapphire laughed, ‘No, this lot are especially extreme.’

‘Georgia just asked me to get my cock out because she had a bet about how big it was! They’re like bloody beasts! I pity the stripper you’ve lined up.’

Suddenly Sapphire started to get a very bad feeling. She looked back towards the group. Georgia was inviting men sitting at the next table to guess which of the hens
had boob jobs and was getting very cosy with one of the lads. So cosy that when he said he’d never felt a fake boob before, she took his hand and put it firmly on her right breast. ‘What do you reckon? Feels good doesn’t it?’

‘Very,’ the lad agreed, leering and having a good old grope.

‘One for the magazine spread?’ Sapphire whispered to Owen.

‘I tell you, wild beasts,’ he replied darkly.

At that moment Jay walked into the bar. He looked absolutely male-model gorgeous in a black tuxedo. Immediately Sapphire gave Lee the signal and he switched from pulsing house music to the Bond theme. Sapphire pointed out the table to Jay and he strode over, looking mean and moody and very very sexy. He took his position next to Georgia, who had brushed away the groper and was staring transfixed at Jay. ‘I really hope you are what I think you are!’ she exclaimed.

Without saying a word Jay pulled off the black bow tie. The hens wolf-whistled in appreciation as he shrugged off his black jacket and began unbuttoning his white shirt. Sapphire edged closer to the group, praying things would go as planned.

‘You are one fit boy!’ Georgia exclaimed. ‘The best-looking stripper I’ve ever had! Not that I’ve had you yet.’ She gave one of her raucous cackles which instantly set Sapphire’s teeth on edge.

Jay continued to say nothing. By now he was stripped to the waist, allowing everyone to see his abs of steel, his gorgeous smooth skin and toned chest. He turned round to show off the black tattoo of the jaguar rippling across his shoulders, then faced the hens again.

‘Oh, I have got to touch those abs!’ Georgia exclaimed, reaching out and nearly falling off her chair as Jay took a step backwards.

‘Me too! exclaimed the other hens all getting off their
seats, surrounding Jay and running their hands over his abs.

Jay looked over at Sapphire his eyes pleading her to stop but she just gave a false little smile and did the thumbs up. Surely Jay wouldn’t object to a little feel? It was harmless fun. But that wasn’t what the women had in mind and suddenly Georgia was attempting to unbuckle Jay’s belt. Now Sapphire was forced to act; she quickly walked over to the group. ‘All in good time, Georgia,’ she smiled. ‘Take your seats ladies and the act will continue.’

Reluctantly the women prised themselves away from Jay and returned to their table. Georgia looked especially petulant, ‘This better be worth waiting for.’

Jay turned away from the women and Sapphire took the opportunity to whisper, ‘It’s nearly over, babe.’

Jay didn’t look at her. She was going to have some serious making up to do after this. He turned round and unbuckled his belt, then in one fluid moment he slid his trousers down revealing his very well-filled Armanis.

‘Wow!’ Georgia exclaimed. ‘You could give Beckham a run for his money couldn’t you?’

Jay stood there for a few seconds flexing his muscles and looking gorgeous. Then clearly he thought that was it as he blew Georgia a kiss and turned to go. But the hens were having none of it. ‘Get them off!’ they all shouted. ‘You’ve got to get them off!’

‘Off off off!’ chanted the lads at the adjoining table, a chorus picked up by the other drinkers. ‘Off, off, off!’ Jay simply smiled and bent down to pick up his clothes. But he had reckoned without the persistence of the hens, who got up from their chairs and surrounded him once again like a pack of animals, each one of them reaching out and attempting to pull down his boxers. Sapphire tried in vain to move in front of Jay to protect him, but they roughly knocked her to the ground. Meanwhile Georgia was advancing on Jay with a tube of squirty cream in her
hand and a leer on her face. Jesus Christ, what the fuck was she doing?

Sapphire got up on her hands and knees and tried to stand up but someone kicked her in the stomach and for a moment she was bent double in agony and couldn’t see what was happening. She managed to get up and saw Jay struggling to get away from the women, who had nearly managed to pull down his boxers. Then somehow he managed to make a break for it and was heading for the door. Thank God for that! But Sapphire’s relief was short-lived as just before he got there the guys from the table circled round him and blocked his exit. Jay tried to push his way through but it was five against one, he didn’t stand a chance. They roughly pinned his arms behind his back and dragged him back over to the hens. ‘I think the ladies want a bit more from you, mate, and you don’t want to let them down, do you?’ said the vile groper.

Sapphire was desperately trying to push her way through the crowd that had gathered round Jay and the hens but a mob mentality had taken over and she couldn’t get near him. She caught a glimpse of Jay still struggling to get away. Then one of the lads punched him in the stomach and face. Georgia was in front of him now and to Sapphire’s absolute horror she reached out and pulled down Jay’s boxers to roars from the crowd. ‘Leave him alone!’ Sapphire shouted trying to get to Jay but one of the women in the crowd elbowed her sharply in the face. Through the tears of pain Sapphire saw Georgia spray the cream onto Jay, ‘I’m going to have a good lick of that now! It’s the last cock I’ll be sucking before my husband’s and I intend to make the most of it.’

But just before she could get down to it Lee, the barman, pushed his way through the crowd, flanked by three massive bouncers and stopped her. ‘Sorry love, but I’m not going to lose my licence because of this. Lads, you need to sling your hook.’

The bouncers hussled the lads out of the bar, while the hens rallied around Georgia and supported her to their table. Finally people began to go back to their seats, some of them looking quite shamefaced. They realised they had gone too far. It was suddenly very quiet. Sapphire ran over to Jay. He had managed to get his boxers back on but he had a split lip and bruised eye from the assault.

‘Jay, I’m so sorry,’ Sapphire said, reaching out to wipe the blood away from his face.

‘Don’t touch me,’ he spat back at her. ‘Just get my fucking clothes.’ But Owen had them already. ‘There you go, mate,’ he said, handing them over. Barely acknowledging him, Jay put on the jacket and trousers and walked out of the bar without saying another word. She wanted to run after him but she had the hens to deal with and God knows what they’d do next if she left them alone. And she had the feeling that she was the very last person Jay would want to see right now. Why had she ever thought it would be a good idea to involve him?

‘Well, that was a fucking let-down!’ Georgia snapped when Sapphire went over.

‘I don’t know what his problem was! It can’t be every day that a star like me offers him a blowie!’

‘Actually, he’s my boyfriend and was being the stripper to help me out as my regular guy’s got flu. And my regular wouldn’t have let you suck his cock either.’

Sapphire was way past being charming with Georgia; all she wanted was for the night to end so that she never had to set eyes on the woman again.

She was expecting a right ear bashing; instead Georgia burst out laughing. ‘Well you’re one lucky girl, Sapphire. Tell him no harm intended; I was only going to give it a little lick anyway, what do you think I am! Is it time for us to go to dinner yet? I’m starving!’

On the way to the restaurant, which was in a boutique hotel, Sapphire texted Jay, desperate to let him know how truly sorry she was for what had happened. She was absolutely appalled when she thought of it and dreaded to think what might have happened next if Lee hadn’t intervened. It had an uncanny resemblance to that scene from
Lord
of
the
Flies
, which she’d studied for GCSE when Piggy, the fat boy with glasses, gets hounded to death by the other boys. But although Piggy had died at least his trousers hadn’t been pulled down. She wondered if Jay would ever want to see her again. She remembered Jazz’s question – how would she have felt if it had been her having to strip for a group of men? If she’d been subjected to the same treatment as Jay she would have felt as if she’d been assaulted. Well, the fact was he
had
been assaulted! She knew Jazz was out having a drink with her boyfriend but suddenly she felt as if she needed the support of her friend. The night was still young; God knows what else Georgia was going to get up to.

Thankfully Jazz agreed to meet her at the hotel bar, which adjoined the restaurant, so she could keep an eye on the hens. Fortunately for the other diners the hens had their own private dining room. But even then they seemed intent on causing chaos. Georgia sent back every single dish, complaining that there was something wrong with it, another hen smoked in the loos and set off the alarm system, they sexually harassed the young male waiter, pinching his bum and they were so raucous, singing ‘I Will Survive’ at the top of their lungs, that they caused a chorus of complaints from the diners in the main restaurant. Pascal, the French maître d’, came and sought Sapphire out at the bar where she was sitting, drinking coffee with Jazz and willing the night to be over. Fortunately she had a good relationship with him but she
could tell that the hens had pushed him to the limit. ‘I never, ever want another group like this again, Sapphire.’

‘Nor do I, Pascal, I’m really sorry. But the restaurant will be mentioned in the magazine, it will be good publicity.’

Pascal raised his eyebrows and looked sceptical. ‘Not if it attracts clientele like them.’

They both turned to watch Erin and Danielle tottering unsteadily to the bathroom, clinging on to each other for support. One of Erin’s hair extensions fell out on the floor but she didn’t notice. ‘Pure class, n’est-ce pas?’ Pascal said sarcastically, adding, ‘I’m going to give them the bill and try and get them out of here.’ He walked briskly away.

Sapphire just hoped he wouldn’t let it affect her booking the restaurant again. It was one of
the
places to eat in Brighton. She checked her phone, anxious to see if there was a message from Jay. But there was nothing.

‘Leave it, Sapphire,’ Jazz advised her. ‘You’re best off going to see him tomorrow in person. Maybe he’ll see the funny side of it then.’

Sapphire shook her head, and shuddered. ‘There really wasn’t a funny side to it, Jazz – it was horrible.’ She knew she’d made a mistake asking Jay to strip.

Pascal returned with a face like thunder. ‘I need you, Sapphire. Georgia is refusing to pay the bill; she’s saying the meal should be free because of the publicity. I’m prepared to let them have the food for free but they’ve just drunk five hundred pounds’ worth of champagne and wine. I can’t write that off.’

Knowing that it would be pointless to try and argue it out with Georgia, Sapphire reached inside her bag and handed Pascal her credit card. ‘I’ll pay for the drink, and take an extra hundred and fifty for the staff.’

She just hoped that was enough of a sweetener to take
away the nasty taste that the hens had left behind in everyone’s mouths.

Eventually it was time to bundle the women into the limo and drive them to their final destination of the night: PURE, Alfie’s club. The one good thing about the evening so far was that it had been so much worse than she had expected that she’d had no time to get uptight about seeing Alfie. As the club was basically his scene, it was down to him to give the hens a good time now.

‘What happened to you? Got yourself a bitch slap scar?’ Alfie asked as soon as he saw her, taking in the red mark on the cheek. He reached out to touch her and instinctively she flinched away. He laughed at her, ‘Don’t worry, Sapphire, I won’t bite. Well, only if you want me to.’

She ignored him. ‘So, is everything set up for the cabaret?’ she asked brusquely.

He nodded, ‘Yep, I’ve told the lads to make it as raunchy as possible. Should be good, are you going to watch?’

Sapphire shrugged. ‘From a distance.’

The hens had a quick spin on the dance floor to pumping house music – spin being the accurate word for four of them who were almost too drunk to stand up. Simone was still sober and Sapphire was aware of her eyes burning into her. Her link with Cal was clearly disturbing her. Sapphire remembered Cal telling her how devastated she had been by the break-up, and that she had stalked him. Sapphire could well imagine it; Simone looked as if she was capable of anything.