Page 71 of Drive Me Wild
“Never mind. Sorry. Did you get a role?”
“Nope,” she acknowledges with a shrug. “No surprise there, since I’m not well-suited for memorizing lengths of Shakespeare’s work, but Gregory offered me the director’s assistant position. It was the best-case scenario because I didn’t have to act, but could still spend time with him.”
“I can’t imagine you enjoying directing. At all.”
She raises her finger in the air in anaha!kind of way. “Exactly my point. I find Shakespeare mind-numbingly boring, yet I spentfourmonths going to play practice every day after school just because of Gregory. Logically, it makes no sense, but I had a crush on him, and he liked theatre, so I pretended to as well. We ended up dating for over a year, and I pretended toloveplays the entire time. To this day, I can talk aboutDeath of a Salesmanin-depth all because of that.”
“Wow,” is all I manage to say.
“And don’t even get me started on the fact that, when I was dating Andrew, I would miss brunch with my mum to watchgolfwith him and his brother. Golf, Theo! I hate golf. It’s the mostboring sport. Watching someone put away their dishes is more interesting than that.”
Andrew’s name is like nails on a chalkboard, sending goosebumps across my skin. “I’d never make you watch golf, angel. Promise.”
Josie rewards me with a breathtaking smile. “I know, but that’s the thing. Andrew didn’tmakeme; I did it because it was something he liked and I wanted to, I don’t know, be a part of that, I guess?”
She runs a frustrated hand over her face as if washing away the memory. I hate that shechangedfor them—compromised her own wants for what she thought they needed. Anyone who doesn’t love Josie for exactly who she is, is an idiot who doesn’t deserve to have her in the first place.
“What Christina did is messed up, and I’m not condoning it at all, but I do think you’ll feel better if you at least see how she’s doing,” she admits quietly. “When else will you ever get the chance to?”
Tapping my fingertips against my lips, I consider it. The worst that happens is that I’m in the same position I am in now, right? It’s not like her dad can add another dumb clause into my contract if she still hates me.
Right?
At first glance,Mr. Bancroft looks like some type of body builder-slash-mobster-slash-professional-boxer. Seriously. I’m almost positive he could snap my body in half like a pistachio shell with two fingers. If he told me he was Kelsey Wells’s bodyguard, I’d believe him.
Josie waves off my concern that he’s going to put a hit out on me. It may be dramatic, but he stares at me like I’m his worst nightmare come to life. I may as well be. I’m not surewhat father in their right mind would want their only daughter—their only kid—to date a guy whose antics have been featured in the tabloids around the world. I feel a desperate need to redeem myself and prove I’m worthy of her, but so far, it’s not working.
I got her parents added to the list for tonight’s gala, but Mr. Bancroft seems entirely unimpressed. None of the high walls with crown moldings, the impressive floral centerpieces, or the waitstaff dressed in black and white filtering through the crowd passing out Veuve and caviar seem towowhim. The only thing that warms him up a bit is when he meets Lucas, who happens to be his favorite driver.Of course.God forbid he shows any type of interest in the driver who just so happens to worship the ground his daughter walks on.
Grabbing a flute off the tray of a passing server, I quickly take a sip. I wasn’t planning on drinking much, but I need something to loosen the chokehold Mr. Bancroft has on my tongue.
“Josie said you’ll be watching the race from the paddock this year.” I shift my weight from one foot to the next. “That should be fun.”
By the way her dad appraises me, you’d think I said something serial-killer-sinister instead of sincere. Watching the race from the paddock is a VIP experience that costs more than some people make in a year. I may get my form of thanks in a body bag.
Mrs. Bancroft replies with a warm smile, “We’re very excited, darling. I was hoping to make it to the qualifying round tomorrow, but I have an emergency session with some clients.”
“No dramas,” I reassure her. “The race is where all the good stuff happens, anyway.”
Unlike next year, where I’ll be constantly bowing down to Blake.
Her silky-smooth hair bounces as she nods. “Speaking of the good stuff, did Josephine ever share the package I sent for the two of you?”
“Mum,” Josie mutters under her breath. “Can you not do this right now?”
I’m too curious to let it go. Josie doesn’t like presents, but me? I love gifts. A lot. “What package?”
Mrs. Bancroft narrows her eyes at her daughter, clearly displeased she’s been withholding from me. “I sent the two of you some goodies to try out. Josephine can confirm, but I believe it was a panty vibrator, a cock ring, and a double dil?—”
As if rehearsed, Mr. Bancroft shouts, “Caroline!” Josie turns white as a ghost, and I spit champagne all over myself. Never in a million years did I think my girlfriend’s mum would buy me a cock ring. Quite frankly, never in a million years did I think I’d hear my girlfriend’s mum even saycock.
Mrs. Bancroft laughs, the sound light and airy. I’m glad she finds it funny because if I thought Mr. Bancroft hated me before, reminding him I do indeed have male genitalia has made things twelve times worse. Josie shoots me an apologetic smile before I excuse myself from the conversation, waving to my champagne-soaked navy dress shirt.
I’m opening the restroom door when a familiar voice calls out my name. I turn around slowly, silently praying that someone else has the same exact voice as her. Of course, my prayers go unanswered. That seems to happen a lot around the Avery family.
Christina Avery stands before me, looking as gorgeous as ever. Her dark eyes are almost identical to her father’s, albeit less menacing, and the red dress she’s wearing hugs every curve of her hourglass figure. She still has loose, buoyant curls that resemble a lion’s mane, and they bounce as she makes her way over to me.
“Christina. Hey.”
