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TWELVE
CALEB
I had a good handle on what to expect before I set off on Saturday night. It was bound to be full of rich snobs. Ariella and I were getting on better than we had previously, but it was obvious that her life and mine were worlds apart. At least it’d be a laugh, I’d thought. I even imagined that I might meet someone who would pique my interest, so I could get rid of Nicole, who’d decided to give me an earful between mouthfuls of freshly baked pain auchocolat that morning. I resented Ariella in that moment. If she hadn’t taken it upon herself to keep buying Nicole’s favourite breakfast foods and coffee, she would have left much earlier in search of sugar and an adequate caffeine hit.
‘I thought you didn’t want to live with a woman.’
‘I didn’t. She’s paying enough to make up for that, though.’
‘You knew I was looking.’
‘I did. And the first thing you did was try to haggle the price down. She haggled her way up.’
‘Is something happening with you two?’
‘No. She’s my flatmate.’
Nicole narrows her hostility-filled eyes at me. That’s it. No more breakfast. These cupboards are going back to being bare.
‘Why is she seeing you later?’
I’ve had enough. ‘Nicole, it’s time for my run. Want me to get you a car?’
‘Why aren’t you answering?’
I walk back into the bedroom, ending the conversation. I need to end things with Nicole, but she just keeps showing up with creative ideas that have me struggling to say no. Take last night. She turned up wearing nothing but a thong under her coat, with a pack of cards and a bottle of Scotch. Who’d turn that down? At the same time, she is suspicious, jealous and has a frightening temper.
By the time my train pulls into Weybridge station I’ve committed to ending it this coming week. Stepping out of the black cab at Ariella’s house reinforces that decision. A sea of beautifully dressed people, dripping in expensive jewellery, surround me.
I’ve already spotted a curvy blonde in a sparkling red dress, an immaculately put together Kardashian-like brunette in a tiny black dress, a regal-looking stunner with a dancer’s body in white, and a sexy redhead in a vintage corset. Tonight is going to be fun.
Before I start inside, I hear my name. Ariella. The universe has it in for me. I was hoping to lie low for a bit, maybe cause some trouble under the radar, and then eventually find her at some point during the night. I follow my name in the night air and it takes me back to the girl in white. She is waving at me. That is not Ariella. I’ve been living under the same roof withthatfor months? She is unrecognisable, with waist-length straight hair – and that dress. It skims her body, complementing its elegant curves. Who knew Ariella had breasts this whole time?
I notice the entire outfit is held together by one shoulder strap, and is one motivated wind gust away from being indecently low at the back. There is no way she has any underwear on. I walk towards her with my eyes trained on her face. My eyes mustn’t wander. It’s Ariella.
The tall, broad man standing next to her looks like he is about to punch me, so I dive right in and introduce myself. It has to be her dad. He has his arm round possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She is small next to him, her flawless skin shining under the night sky. The minute she smiles at me, I instantly develop a crush on Ariella’s mother.
The party is a riot. The food is delicious, and the array of Cajun cocktails pack a punch. Everyone is happy, friendly and excited to have a good time, which isn’t what I expected. I join in like I’ve been hanging out with them all my life. It’s easy to get caught up in the Mardi Gras vibe and, soon enough, I hit the floor with Ariella’s mother for the first spin of the evening. Boy, can she move. I pretend that I don’t see Ariella’s father watching with a face like thunder.
When I am asked to find Ariella, I get distracted by a beautiful girl in a tiny black dress; before I get asked to restart the mission to find Ariella, I’m making great headway. Fortunately, I quickly find her and her ex-boyfriend, making eyes at each other in her bedroom. I break that up as speedily as I can and return to where I left the girl, only to find her gone. I take Ariella’s mother for another spin on the dance floor and, by the time I get shooed away by her father, I have found Miss Little Black Dress in the crowd again. I make my approach and we find a spot beside the pool outside to hang out for the rest of the night, playing drinking games and flirting outrageously with each other…until a second interruption.
‘Caleb?’
It’s Ariella’s brother.
‘Hey, Zachary.’
‘I need you for a couple of minutes.’
He isn’t asking. Have I become Ariella’s babysitter at this party? I tell my date to stay put and follow Zachary through the house and out of the front door.
‘Am I being kicked out?’ I joke as I follow him.
‘If my father had his way, yes, and he’d happily do it himself. Jasper has had a bit too much to drink and I need to get him home. Here, take an arm.’
Zachary points at a folded Jasper, sitting on one of the stone steps leading up to the front door. I grab an arm and lift him with Zachary. Jasper stirs, trying to resist being carried.
‘I just need to talk to her…’
