“I’ll call you, Lex.” He glances at me before turning and walking back to the club.
“Don’t bother, loser,” Jess calls out with a wobble in her step.
He stops and looks back over his shoulder.
“Keep walking,” Knox says.
Jess giggles as Harley heads back into the club.
When Clay’s driver pulls up in a shiny black limousine, Jess squeals with excitement. “Oh my god, we get to go in that.” She points to the limousine with one hand planted firmly over her mouth.
Clay opens the door and Jess practically jumps in, sliding her hands all over the leather seats as though it’s the body of Adonis and she’s about to ride him into the sunset. She sticks her head out the door. “They have booze in here.”
I roll my eyes. “Sorry, Clay. Thank you for this.”
After telling Knox he’ll meet him at the club later, Clay extends his hand. “Get in.” I slide into the limousine and Clay follows, sitting on the seat opposite me, the heady scent of his musky cologne causes me to take a deep breath. He smells so damn good.
“Where to?” he asks.
Jess bounces on the seat. “Can we drive around all night? This is the coolest thing ev-ahh.”
“Jessica.” My groan of frustration goes unnoticed. “My house.” I rattle off the address to Clay who repeats it to the driver.
For the first few minutes, there’s silence until Jess raises her brow at me and sits back crossing her legs on the leather seat. Her tiny dress barely covers her crotch even when she unashamedly shoves her hand down between her thighs trying to cover her lace underwear. “So, Mr Fallon... Clay, are you still single?”
“Jessica,” I scold.
His eyes sparkle with laughter. “It’s okay, Lexi. Yes, I’m still single.”
“What about your brother, Knox?”
I throw my head back against the seat. Clay’s eyes roam over my legs before he averts his gaze and returns his attention to Jess. Did he just lick his lips? Oh god, my body is a quivering mess. It must be the alcohol.
“Knox is taken.”
Jess leans back, twisting her blonde curls around her finger, probably thinking about all the ways she can embarrass me in front of one of my bosses. “That’s a shame, he’s hot... in a murderous, slightly psychopathic kinda way.” She glances toward the limo driver. “Is he single?”
I resist the urge to tear her birthday sash from her shoulder and gag her with it.
Still, Clay replies as though he’s enjoying every minute of this. “He is, yes.”
Jess’s face lights up. “Hmm... he’s hot.”
“Obviously you don’t have a boyfriend,” Clay says to her.
“Nope, the guys at The Ivory Tower are so immature.”
“You should go to Heavenly Sins. The crowd is a little older there. If that’s what you’re into.”
I laugh. “Clearly, Jess is into anything... right, Jess.”
She pokes her tongue out at me. “You know it.”
Eyes raking over my thighs yet again, Clay asks, “And what are you into, Lexi?”
He’s talking to me... act normal. “Ah... I’m not into anything, or anyone right now.”
He runs a hand through his thick hair. “Well, don’t let your boyfriend put you off. Not all guys are like that.”
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore. He’s a piece of shit.” The words come out too harsh and I want to take them back.
“Nah uh...” Jess smirks. “He’s a maggot on a piece of shit.”
“True.” I cross my arms and pull my purse onto my lap while Jess and Clay talk all the way back to my house.
When the driver pulls up in my driveway, he gets out and holds the door open. Jess shuffles out and performs a pathetic curtsey then giggles like an immature school girl when he winks at her. “What’s your name?” she whispers.
“Carter. It’s lovely to meet you, Jessica.” He kisses the back of her hand. She bites her lip before reaching down to take her heels off so she can run to my front door.
I slide across the seat, turning back to Clay. “Thank you so much for this, Mr Fallon, I hope we didn’t ruin your night.”
“You can call me Clay, and no, you didn’t ruin my night at all.”
I traipse up to the front door where Jess is already telling my mum every single detail of the night, including the bit about Harley cheating on me with Candie-Cane. Mum looks past me at Clay.
He shoves his hands into his pockets. “Good evening, Mrs Tate.”
Mum waves from the door. “Thank you for bringing them home safe, Mr Fallon.”
Inside, Mum makes Jess and me a hot chocolate with fluffy pink marshmallows. “So... your night didn’t go as planned? I hope your birthday wasn’t ruined, Jessica.”
With the mug of hot chocolate tight in her hands, Jess smiles. “It was the best ever. Harley got knocked out. I got to finally meet Clay and Knox Fallon, and I got to ride in a limousine. Oh my god, Kate, you should see the limo driver.” Jess sighs a dreamy sigh. “He was dee-lish-ous.”
Mum laughs before she turns her attention to me. “Of all the girls, Mum, it was Candie-Cane.”
Mum raises a brow and sits at the table with us. “With an E?”
“That’s the one.” Jess scoops a melted marshmallow from her hot chocolate and licks it off her fingers. “Ugh, he’s such a pig. I keep telling Lex not to take him back, but she never listens.” She throws her head back in mock disgust. “Please... make her listen.”
Mum pats my arm. “Honey, you know what I think about Harley. It’s about time you moved on. You’ve grown up so much since high school.”
I raise my hand. “Mum... I get it okay. I’m done with Harley and his cheating, lying ass. It’s over for good this time.”
“Good then. You can do so much better than him,” she replies.
By 2am Jess and I have showered and sobered up thanks to Mum forcing us to drink a bucket load of water and eat some nachos smothered in cheese and guacamole.
We fluff up the pillows on my queen-sized bed and snuggle under the covers. “I think you should ask him out,” Jess says.
Turning to her, I shove an arm under the pillow. “No. I’m not asking Clay Fallon on a date. I’m eighteen and he’s my boss. He’s off limits.”
She wriggles, trying to get comfortable before she pulls her phone out from under the blankets. “Look at him.” The bright screen is shoved into my face, on it, a picture of Clay Fallon from the billboard above the plaza. “He’s so hot. Imagine the things he could do to you with those lips... and those hands? Why was he wearing gloves?”
Not imagining those things... Much. “Jessica... I said no. And I’m not sure about the gloves. He wears them at work too.”
She rolls onto her back and gazes up at her phone. “Well I’m gonna imagine... a lot. Especially about the limo driver. Did you see those tattoos?”
I sit up and glare at her, pointing to the door. “NOT in my bed you’re not. Go sleep in the spare room.”
She stifles a giggle as she swipes her finger across the screen to ogle the Fallon brothers. Her phone slips out of her hand and lands on her face. With a yowl, she grabs it and rubs her nose. “All I’m saying is, he’s single. You’re single. You’ve been hanging on to your virginity for so long... You gotta let it go now.”