Page 105 of Stanton Adore

“Shit, you really do psychoanalyze, don’t you?” I raise my glass and clink it with his, raising my eyebrows as I smile. I really should stop drinking; I am feeling very inebriated. “Because I am looking for monogamy and haven’t found it yet.”

I give him a sad smile. “That must suck.”

He nods. “Totally.”

“So how did you meet Josh?”

He smiles a broad warm smile and I know how much he cares for him. “I had just finished college.”

“What did you study?”

“Politics and Economics.” I nod, impressed. “Anyway, I got my dream job as an intern at his company. But I was only there for three weeks and both of my parents were killed in a plane crash, my mother immediately and then my father four weeks later from his injuries.”

I grab his leg. “Oh Adrian, I’m so sorry.”

“Me too, they were…are really missed. Anyway, I had six months off to get my shit together and when I finally came back Josh kept me in the office next to him to keep an eye on me.” I smile as I imagine the scenario he is setting for me. “Anyway, I started doing more and more for him and then he offered me the position of his personal secretary and then two years later he promoted me to his communications manager.”

I nod and raise my hand to signify more drinks and the bartender smiles and nods.

“What does a communications manager do exactly? I mean how do you earn so much frigging money?” I laugh and cover my mouth for being so intrusive.

He laughs out loud. “I run the company. I handle all of the staff management, the programming timetables, the equipment and of course all of the public speaking.”

I frown. “Of course meaning?”

“Well, you know how shy Josh is. Public speaking is his worst enemy.”

I screw up my face. “Is Josh shy?” How do I not know this?

He frowns at me. “Are you kidding? He’s painful. Haven’t you ever seen it?” I shake my head. “Oh shit,” he smiles as he puts his hand over his mouth. “You two have always known each other, he wouldn’t be shy around you.”

I pull a face and shrug. This information is weird. In fact, there is a lot of things that we don’t know about each other. I would never have said he was shy but then I really haven’t seen him in the company of strangers.

“I can’t imagine big burly Josh being timid.”

“Trust me, he’s not timid. We are here watching him cage-fight, remember?” I nod and screw my face up. “He comes across as arrogant but it’s just because he doesn’t really mix with people he doesn’t know.”

I nod as I process the information. “Obviously, he has no trouble talking to women.” I scowl.

“Obviously.” He raises his eyebrows and we both sit in uncomfortable silence contemplating that last comment. The screen comes back on and another fight begins, the crowd going wild.

“Remind me what we are doing here?” I laugh to Adrian.

He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

Adrian is suddenly grabbed from behind in a headlock that nearly knocks him off his chair.

“What are you doing here, man?” A very happy Cameron smiles as he messes up Adrian’s hair. “Will you two stop being such boring fuckers?”

I dramatically roll my eyes. “Sorry if I don’t like watching people get the shit punched out of them.”

Cameron laughs and swoops me off my chair and throws me over his shoulder.

“Cameron, put me down.” I grab Adrian’s arm for stability, and he laughs and walks along behind us. “Cameron, you’re scaring me. You’re too drunk to carry me.” I punch him in the back. “Cameron, put me down!” He laughs and starts to run down the stairs to our seats. I am in fear for my safety here. Cam is way too drunk to pull this off.

“Do you know how dead you will be if you drop her?” Adrian smiles at Cam. He must take that warning seriously because he laughs again and slides me down, back to the safety of the ground. We get to our row. I am appalled to see Bridget, Abbie and Ben all standing on their seats with giant foam fingers on their hands. Oh dear, I have embarrassing friends. Adrian grabs my hand and pulls a disgusted face at them. I nod as we walk along to our seats. The crowd goes crazy again and everyone jumps from their seats. I look at the stage to see a man get kneed to the head.

“Oh shit.” I cover my eyes. The crowd roars again. I really don’t want Josh to do this. It was bad enough last time, and we weren’t even together then. I start to freak out at the violence of the situation. How can my beautiful Josh be so brutal? Why does he like this? I mean if he’s so bloody bored, he needs to do this. What in the hell is going through that pea brain of his?