Page 39 of (Not) The One
James
The stars have aligned!
No need to buy a hamster or goldfish as a ruse, or risk a charge of stalking, because she’s here! And drunk. Somewhere betweenI’ve had one too many glasses of champagnetipsy andI’m off my face thanks to a bottle of Belvedere.But I don’t really care. Drunkenness is temporary. And because she’s here. The girl who’s been taunting me in my dreams.
The lovely Miranda.
‘James!’
From across the room, her sleeveless and mostly demure blue dress shimmers in the light like an aura, the hem fluttering flirtatiously around her knees. Up close, the fabric is slippery under my fingertips as she wraps her wrists at the back of my neck. How idiotic would it be to say my body seems to remember the shape of hers? Fuck it, I don’t care because it does.
‘Hello, Miranda.’ I’d forgotten how lovely she is, how wide those bee-stung lips stretched as she smiled. How heavenly they’d felt wrapped around my cock.
‘Why are you so pretty?’ she asks with a contented sigh. ‘Your eyes are the same colour as those disco chickens.’ Her nose scrunches as she frowns. ‘I forget the name of those things.’
Disco chickens? I find myself chuckling even though it’s now apparent she’s nearer toBelvedere smashedthan a little tipsy.
‘You mean peacocks?’
‘You’re so clever. Come here. I need to tell you something.’ She presses my head closer to hers, her lush lips now at my ear. ‘Guess what? I’ve seen your peacock-cock-cock.’ Her words are part song, part gurgling giggle. ‘I’ve seen it.’
‘You have, have you?’ So she’s one of those cute, entertaining drunks, rather than the crying or belligerent kind. Excellent.
She nods. ‘And it was the biggest I’ve seen.’ Her eyes widen to roughly the size of dinnerplates. ‘So big.’
‘If you’re a very good girl, I might show it to you again.’
‘Nope. No repeats. It’s not allowed.’ We’ll see. I just need to sober her up a little first. ‘How did you know I’d be here?’
‘Magic,’ I reply reasonably. But then her smile falls as she huffs, her hands sliding from my neck only to push against my chest. It’s as though my presence suddenly offends her.
‘Now I remember why no repeats. I’m not happy with you.’
‘Oh? I’m sure we can fix that,’ I answer suggestively and without thought. Not that it matters. She doesn’t rise to the bait. But even with her happy expression turned to disgust, she’s still utterly enchanting.
‘You left me in bed without saying goodbye.’
Ah.
‘That’s not exactly what happened.’
‘Pfft!I’m not that drunk.’ She pokes me in the chest with one pale pink fingernail. ‘Pumped and dumped.’ Three more punctuating pokes. ‘Hit and split. That’s what you lot call it, right?’
‘My lot?’
‘Men,’ she spits.
‘Perhaps you’ve been hanging out with the wrong kind of men.’ I wrap her index finger in mine, lowering it to her side as I glance back at Beckett as I contemplate just how much he can hear from where he and Olivia stand. Beckett and his opinions can get fucked, but overhearing this conversation wouldn’t be the finest of first impressions to leave his new wife with. Defiling her employee before we’ve even had time to chat. Thankfully, both parties seem far too engrossed in each other to notice what’s going on around them. I find myself smiling. Marriage and Beckett were two words I’d never have put together before now.
‘It’s not funny.’ Did she just stomp her foot? ‘It was a total dick move.’
‘I’m sorry, lovely Miranda.’
‘You should be. You really, really should be because it was totally your loss.’ Pulling away, she shakes her head like a flighty thoroughbred.
‘And one I felt deeply.’
While we might not have drawn the attention of our friends with our somewhat lively conversation, we do seem to have caught the attention of those around us. The speed dating attendees watch avidly for the next instalment.
