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“Biffy, shut up—”
Sophia got out of the car. The other two, Hugo and Vikram, who had been alternating ogling her with listening to Biffy, jumped as she emerged from the car. They took an awkward step back from her. In any other circumstances, she would have found it funny. Right now though, she just wanted to leave.
She fished in her bag for her keys as she walked towards her own car. She was opening the door when Jay caught up with her.
He held the top of it, preventing her from opening it wider. “Wait. Where are you going?”
“Your friends are here, Jay. I think our session today is over.”
“But we haven’t—” He glanced around at his friends, who were watching avidly. “Forget those idiots. I’ll get rid of them.”
“Didn’t they say you were going on a road trip?”
“An old plan. Honestly, I’d completely forgotten about it.”
“Do you really drive around on drugs, Jay?”
“Look, they’re idiots, OK? I know they—”
“If you had died the other night, if you had hit me, would it have been worth the fun?”
He just looked at her, mouth a little petulant.
“They look and sound drunk,” she said, trying for calm. “They’re quite probably full ofsnacks. You should let them stay over and sober up before they drive anywhere else. I’m going now, Jay. We’ll reschedule. Or something.”
He let go of the car door reluctantly, eyes on her as she got into the driver’s seat, his mouth still set in a petulant line.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “We’re rescheduling for tomorrow.”
But Sophia found she couldn’t meet his eye, couldn’t even nod. Because there was a part of her that was relieved at this obstruction. It unwound that knot of nervous anticipation in her stomach and gave her a moment to pause…and think.
Jay had put it off, hadn’t he? By arranging that trip to the pub. And he had joked about needing Dutch courage. What was that phrase?Beer goggles. Was that what he needed before he could stomach kissing her?
She shouldn’t be surprised. She definitely shouldn’t bedisappointed. She had forced someone who she knew didn’t like her into agreeing to this…intimacy…and was using money to bribe him.
As if she had the moral high ground to lecture him about drink driving.
She started her car, feeling sick.
“Maybe we shouldn’t reschedule,” she said, almost too quietly to be heard over the engine. But Jay heard her, she was sure, because he stiffened, staring at her hard. “I think maybe we should just…stop. I’m going to tear that contract up.”
She shut the door and drove away before he could respond.
Chapter nine
Jay
Jaystaredafterthesilver Peugeot, jumping slightly when Biffy’s hand landed on his shoulder.
“Are you packed, Orton?”
He shook his head. “We’re not going. Not today anyway. None of you is in any state to drive.”
Biffy and Vik stared at him. Hugo laughed weakly and said, “Shit… Is The Curdle Girdle’s killjoy contagious?”
Biffy took his hand from Jay’s shoulder and looked at it askance. Jay fought the urge to groan out loud. He was a year or two older than the rest of these men, but he suddenly felt a gulf much wider than years.
“Come on,” he said tiredly, shepherding them into the house.
