Sweet Reflection (24 page)

“So do you have somewhere in mind, or do you actually want me to just give you random directions? What if we end up in Birmingham or somewhere ridiculous?”

I glance sideways at her, “Why is that ridiculous? If you want to go to Birmingham, we can go to Birmingham. Your day, we can go wherever.”

“You’re serious? We can go wherever I want?”

“Yep.”

She looks thoughtful for a minute then grins wickedly at me and now I’m wondering what the hell I got myself into. “Okay, in that case I want to go to Bicester Village.”

As soon as she says the words, it’s like all my nightmares have come at once. Bicester is a huge luxury designer outlet shopping centre and the kids are all off school at the moment, so not only is it a whole day of girly shopping, it’s also going to be crowded as hell. Fuck.

I must look horrified because she bursts out laughing, uncontrollable fits of giggles as she stomps her feet and slowly claps her hands. “That was such a good one. You should have seen your face!” she says hysterically.

“That was mean. You’re mean. I really thought I was going to have to spend the whole day shopping for clothes and handbags.” I start laughing too, more with relief than anything. Then I stop as I watch her smile. If it’s going to keep that smile on her face I’ll take one for the team.

“I would do it though, if you really want to go. Seriously.” I glance at her again sideways with one eye on the road.

“Nah, it’s okay. I think Cassie wants to go there in a couple of weeks. I don’t want to waste the day shopping. I want to do something fun with you. Something we’ve both never done before. I’m restless though I’ll warn you, I’m in the mood for something adrenaline fuelled.” Her voice is thick with insinuation as she raises her eyebrow suggestively. Her hand moves over my thigh, and her fingers edge closer to my cock that’s now hard from the possibilities.

“As much as I’d love to do that all day, I think we can safely say we’ve done it before.”

She pouts out her bottom lip and I chuckle as I turn the radio on and roll down the windows. It’s way too hot in here with her sitting so close and her wandering hand up to no good.

Laurel

I really need a day like today. No cares. No worries. Just James and I going wherever the hell we feel like it and acting like idiots. He’s singing at the top of his lungs to Rita Ora. Not singing, actually, more like howling, and we’ve just passed an elderly couple who also had their window down. James didn’t stop, if anything he got louder and the lady shook her head with her lips pursed together, frowning tightly. My attention was on the man’s face though. His mouth hovered. The longing in his eyes was obvious, like he was reminiscing about doing the exact same thing or yearning for those years when the woman next to him would have laughed, or joined in. Without thinking I burst out singing in time with the music, “It isn’t even the weekend, maybe that’s how I know you’re the one for me.” James stops singing and turns his head to look at me. I don’t stop, I just start moving my arms and dancing in my seat, still with my eyes on him. He breaks out into a grin and joins in, with a lot more effort than last time, “So put your arms around me, baby. We're tearing up the town. 'Cause that's just how we do.” If I wasn’t so happy singing away, I’d be covering my ears, cringing and telling us both to shut the hell up. When that dies down, we then pick up the pace to Icona Pop and Robin Thicke, and spend the next half an hour lost in each other and the music.

“Where are we?” I ask eagerly, finally stopping my screeching when Ed Sheeran comes on, I’m too pumped up to do a slow one.

“Uh, I think we’re somewhere near Leicester now. You getting hungry?” My stomach rumbles and I grin as he hears it too.

“Would you believe me if I said no?”

“Not after that roar. We’ll stop and get something. Pub or restaurant?”

“I’m not dressed for a nice restaurant. Let’s just find a pub.” He picks up my hand and kisses the top of it, “That dress is hot. And you look beautiful.” He says it matter-of-factly, and I find myself believing every word.

After a while, we’re getting too near the city centre. The traffic builds and I start to get restless again. I don’t want to share him yet with crowds of people so I point at the next place we pass which is a little pub called the Old Horse. Cassie started off at university in Leicester before she transferred, but still lived at home, and I vaguely remember meeting her at this pub for lunch after one of her lectures. We get out and stretch, and walk hand in hand to the seating area out front. It’s still a sunny day and there are plenty of people sitting outside.

“What do you want to drink, babe?”

“It’s five o’clock somewhere right? I’ll have white wine please.”

“Cool. I’ll grab some menus too.”

James heads inside to the bar, and I take the opportunity to look around. There’s a lot of younger people here today, not surprisingly as it’s a week day and the university is just on the other side of the park across the road. My vision gets interrupted by a group of guys that sit down at the table in front of me. They’re laughing and joking around, then one punches another on the arm.

“Hey.” The loudest one nods at me and I give a polite smile before I turn my attention in another direction. There’s four of them and I can guess what they’re like from just watching them briefly. They’re rugby players, or so their build and shirts tell me. I dated a rugby player briefly in college, and he was an absolute jerk. So arrogant. Of course he thought he was the most charming guy anyone could ever come across. These guys look exactly the same. When I look back over, there’s only three of them. I turn my head, and the fourth is right next to me.

“Hey, saw you sitting alone. Want some company babe?”

“No, I’m good thanks. My boyfriend will be back soon. I’m sure he’d rather keep me company himself.” I say with a wink. The kid must be around eighteen. I need to let him down gently.

“Well how about I stay until he gets back?” He phrases it like it’s a question, but sits down anyway and doesn’t bother waiting for a response. When did young guys get so cocky? I’ve already turned him down, he knows I have a boyfriend. But, he’s probably not feeling very worried. He hasn’t seen James yet. James and his muscles would put the fear of God into a kid like this.

“So, you go to uni here?” I can’t help but laugh, I must look really young, I’m sure in a few years I’ll be glad of that fact but right now, it’s annoying.

“No. I think you should go back to your friends now.”

“Can’t.” He says matter-of-factly.

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t agreed to go out on a date with me yet.” I have the urge to laugh my head off, but I manage to hold back.

“One, you haven’t asked me. Two, I don’t even know your name. And three, the most important, I’ve got a boyfriend.”

There are jeers from the three guys behind, they’ve been looking over the whole time trying to gage his progress.

“One, your boyfriend’s a mug for leaving you out here on your own looking like that. He deserves to have me steal you away. Two, my name’s Ollie, it’s nice to meet you…” he holds his hand out for me to shake and waits for me to give him my name. I take his hand, “Laurel.”
He nods, and carries on, “And three, I’d really like to take you out for dinner, what do you say?” He flashes the wide, all-teeth smile that I’m sure would have all the little girls dropping their panties around campus, but it ain’t happening here.

“Well, Ollie, that’s a very kind offer but one I can’t take you up on. But I tell you what, I’m going to go to the ladies room now, and while I’m gone, you can go back to your table and tell them I was putty in your hands. Tell them I agreed. And hold my table for me. Then I won’t tell my boyfriend about this whole thing. How does that sound?”

He thinks about it for a few seconds, still smiling. “Okay, well if you’re sure I can’t tempt you, I guess that’ll have to do.” He stands up and takes my hand, then bends his head down to kiss the top of it. “It was nice meeting you, Laurel.”

Thankful I got out of that one, I get up and head to the toilets. I don’t really want to see them all laugh and talk about me right in front of me.

I walk round the bar, and see the top of James’ blond hair sticking out the crowd. He’s bending his head down slightly, and I crane my neck to see what’s in front of him. My eyes roll as soon as I spot the flirty smiles and hair twirling. He’s drawn his own little crowd of teenagers, they must be around eighteen-nineteen too. And their eyes are focused on him. He’s making polite small talk while the bartender is making our drinks so I decide to just leave him to it. But like he can feel me near him, he turns when I walk past.

“Hey, where are you going? What about our table?” He asks and I take a glance at the little girls giving me the evil eye, and smile sweetly at him. “I have some friends looking after it. Don’t worry.” I carry on walking towards the back corridor where the toilets are. After I check my phone and freshen up in the mirror, the door swings open and two of James’ groupies walk in. They’re actually quite pretty, although they have too much make up and skin on show for a daytime drink in a pub. But that aside, I can imagine they’d get a lot of attention from guys like the ones outside guarding the table. I briefly wonder whether James has seen them yet and what he thinks about them, when one of the girls grabs hold of my arm.

“Umm, we were just wondering about that guy you’re with. Is he, like, your boyfriend?” Her eyes are looking at me, full of hope, who would I be to ruin her dreams? What could it hurt?

“No he’s my brother. He’s cute isn’t he?” I ask, wanting to laugh at her eyes rolling back and the dreamy look on her face. “Cute? He’s fucking hot.” She looks shocked at her own sudden outburst and then giggles again, “Sorry, I guess you don’t want to hear that about your brother. So, is he single?” I nod my head and walk out the door, hearing their squeals fade away as the hum of chatter and music drowns them out.

I squeeze through the bar and I’m just about to step back outside when I’m pulled back. “I saw your little friends.” He breathes into my ear.

I raise an eyebrow at him and can’t help the smirk that’s pushing at my cheeks. “It’s so great we’ve only been here about fifteen minutes and already we’ve
both
made friends. Don’t you think?” I smile at him knowingly and he shakes his head as he walks out the door.

“Hmm it’s great.” He mumbles, but something in his voice tells me he’s not so convinced.

We sit back down and my eyes find Ollie. He’s just seen James, and the deer in headlights look has me laughing out loud. I shout over to him, “Thanks for holding the table Ollie.” The other guys nudge him and now he realises they’ve got his back he finds his confidence again. “No problem, Laurel. Let me know if you need anything else,” he says with a wink.

James frowns and his body tightens, and I know he’s going to go all caveman if I don’t distract him, so I touch his arm to get his attention, “It’s strange being around uni students again. Where did you say you went again?”

His head turns back round and he pauses, searching my eyes. “I didn’t say.” He takes a sip of his drink and I wait for more but I don’t get it so I take a gulp of my wine. I let the fresh, crisp taste hit the back of my throat and cool me down before pursuing an answer again.

“So, are you going to keep me in suspense then? Do I have to beat it out of you?”

He watches me for a second as if he’s trying to decide whether or not to tell me. I don’t get what the big deal is, I couldn’t care less if he went to a shit uni. I didn’t even go, so I can’t be one to talk.

“Seriously, what’s the big deal?”

“There isn’t one. I just…it was Cambridge okay? I went to Cambridge.”

Holy shit, I’m going out with a freaking genius. “
The
Cambridge?” I’m aware my mouth has dropped wide open, it wasn’t what I was expecting him to say in the slightest. Not that he doesn’t come across as clever, he really is. But, it’s just…
Cambridge
.

He clears his throat and shifts awkwardly in his seat. His eyes are boring into mine, watching and waiting for the next reaction. He looks unsure of himself as he confirms it was in fact
the
Cambridge.

“That’s amazing. Why would you not want to tell people about it? It’s something to be proud of.”

He seems relieved with my answer and I see his shoulders relax as he takes another sip of his drink, and leans forward onto his arms. “I
am
proud, I guess. But I don’t always get that reaction.”

I don’t understand that, why would anyone not be supportive? Jealousy, probably.

“Well then, you’ve been hanging around with the wrong people. I’m proud. I bet your dad’s proud.”

“He is. Speaking of the old codger, I told him about us the other day and he wants to meet you. He’s back from Spain for a couple of months soon.” My smile widens, I’d love to meet his dad. And then the nerves settle, what if he doesn’t like me?

“He’s going to love you. Don’t worry.” James says as he takes my hand. “Now, let’s order and eat. I’m starving.”