That One Summer (The Summer Series), Page 26

  “Don’t do that, I’m full of blue stuff,” she cringed, rubbing her stomach and sticking out her blue tongue at him. “I’m pretty sure we just drank lighter fuel.”

  Sean ignored her protests, and instead pulled her to him and captured her mouth in a searing kiss that even made my own heart rate spike. I tore my eyes away from them and darted around, seeing if I could spot any of the other Onslow Boys in the crowd, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure everyone would hear it above the music.

  Amy drew away from Sean, her eyes smoky and dreamy as she looked up at him. “Hi,” she said, smiling coyly.

  “Hi.” He grinned down at her.

  I pushed Sean in the arm. “Where did you come from?”

  And more importantly, where were the others?

  Sean looked at me as if noticing me for the first time. “Whoa, Tammy?” He looked me over as if he was seeing a stranger.

  A pang of insecurity rushed passed my alcohol-induced buzz and clawed its way to the surface.

  I was all but ready to sidestep away and change my attire when Amy leaned into Sean, grinning widely. “Do you think a certain someone will approve?” she asked him.

  Sean broke out into a knowing grin. “Oh, I think a certain someone is going to fall off his stool.”

  “Excellent!” said Amy. “That is exactly the reaction we were going for.”

  She winked at me. I really didn’t want to talk about this with Sean, even if it did have cryptic undertones. His attention casually flicked from me to the others, his eyes narrowing at all our revealing outfits.

  “I think I’m going to need a shotgun tonight,” he mused.

  “We can take care of ourselves, Murph. Where are the others?” asked Tess.

  Sean smiled. “Bar. It’s this way.” He pointed to a corridor leading off the main club room. He offered Amy the crook of his arm before leading her off the dance floor. “Come on, ladies, stick with me and I’ll make you stars.”

  ***

  One more of those blue things. That’s what I needed, a pure hit of top-shelf alcohol to still my nerves. I had excused myself from the group, but hadn’t exactly announced that I was grabbing a drink from the bar across the room. They would have wondered why I didn’t grab a drink at the bar that we were headed to, where the rest of the Onslow Boys were.

  Where Chris was.

  Oh God.

  I took a deep gulp of the cocktail that the bartender slid my way and squeezed my eyes shut with a shudder at the sour aftertaste.

  Okay, down this and face the music. Make the entrance you wanted.

  Considering the last exchange Chris and I had had, I really should have felt more at ease. I remembered the way he had stalked toward me, pulled me into the room and pushed me against the door. Heat rushed inside me just thinking about it, or was it the alcohol? No, it was definitely Chris.

  I downed the last of my hundred percent alcoholic cocktail and made a determined line towards the corridor Sean and the girls had disappeared down. It was a long, subtly lit corridor.

  Crap, I thought, maybe I should have gone with them, as the remnants of the last cocktail took effect. I steadied myself against the wall, hoping by doing so it would stop the room from spinning. I needed to focus.

  As I fixed my eyes on the brighter glow of the bar at the end of the stuffy, dark hall, my gaze zeroed in on my target: oblivious to my watching him, Chris appeared out of the end room and darted down an adjacent walkway.

  He was dressed like Sean, in a dark dress suit that even with the briefest glimpse had my stomach twisting and caused my breath to catch in my throat. I didn’t need any grand entrance, or any longing looks across a crowded room; all I needed was him. My foggy mind cleared with intent as I moved down the hall quickly, my skirt swooshing around my legs. I dodged the sea of bodies and turned down the same side walkway Chris had.

  There he was, leaning casually near the end of the hall, his back turned to me as he thumbed through his mobile phone.

  I smiled to myself as I closed the distance between us. He had taken great pleasure in taking me by surprise today, robbing me of all my thoughts, all my breath, all my momentary anger and frustration. Now it was time to return the favour, and what’s more, I wanted to do it now, before nerves and doubt rose within me and convinced me that ‘Tammy Maskala did not wear provocative dresses, Tammy Maskala didn’t swirl cocktails, Tammy Maskala didn’t attack unsuspecting men in darkened hallways.’

  Because, despite the niggling voice of doubt, tonight I wholeheartedly embraced all those things.

  I shut down that voice inside my head and strode toward Chris. I pushed him against the wall with such force that he dropped his phone, but I didn’t care. My mouth claimed his with such a deep-seeded need that I grabbed the lapels of his jacket and drew him closer toward me. At first his entire body was rigid in shock as I slammed him against the wall, but his hands eventually lowered to rest on my back as he gave in to my mouth, kissing me in return and moaning his approval as my tongue slipped into his mouth, tasting the remnants of beer and the tang of toothpaste. His fingers dug into my bare lower back; it caused me to gasp his name on his lips.

  “Chris.”

  I felt him freeze, his hand stilling on my back, almost as if he was afraid that if he touched me I would break.

  He swallowed deeply. “Well, this is awkward.”

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  “Tammy, it’s me … Adam.”

  I flinched away so quickly, backed away so fast I slammed into the opposite wall. My hands clasped my mouth and my eyes widened with horror.

  Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

  My eyes focused on what was most certainly and definitely not Chris. Adam stood across from me, his hands held up as if begging for a truce.

  “Tammy, it’s all right, it’s just a mistake.” He tried to smile in good humour.

  All I could manage was to shake my head repeatedly. How could I have not known? How could I have attacked the wrong person? The wrong brother!

  I cupped my flaming cheeks as all words failed me. This was why you don’t dress like a ho, this was why you don’t drink like a ho, and most certainly why you don’t act like a ho.

  I moaned in embarrassed despair and slid down the wall.

  Ho-ho-ho!

  Hot tears of shame pooled behind my lids and I buried my face in my hands. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Adam.

  “Hey, hey, hey. Tam, it’s all right.” Adam knelt before me. “Come on, look at me.” He tried to prise my hands away from my face but I didn’t make it easy for him. He eventually won out.

  “Tammy, come on. This is getting insulting. I’m not that bad a kisser,” Adam joked, which only made my tears fall.

  He rubbed my upper arms. “Hey, come on, I know you like Chris; this didn’t even happen, it’s forgotten already.”

  I forced myself to look up at him. “I am so, so sorry, Adam, I thought that … that …”

  “I know. It’s all right,” he said, wiping my tears away. “As far as mistakes go, this was right up there with some of the best of my lifetime.”

  I scoffed, shaking my head.

  “I’m serious,” he smirked. “At least in my top five.”

  “I am so embarrassed. And just so you know, I don’t do things like this. I don’t dress like a gypsy, scull cocktails, and attack random men in corridors. I just want to make that clear.”

  “Well, thanks for clearing that up; I really was thinking all those things.” His mouth pinched upward in the corner.

  “And these bloody corridors are really badly lit,” I added.

  “Really bad,” Adam agreed.

  “I mean, it’s like an OH&S issue.”

  “I’m writing a letter to management first thing in the morning,” Adam teased.

  He did actually help me feel better.

  He sat beside me, leaned against the wall and let out a sigh.

  “You know what happens in the ’90s stays in the ’90s,”
Adam said, looking at his watch. “And as it goes we only have an hour and twenty-five minutes of guilt to live with before the stroke of midnight washes all our sins away.”

  “Really?”

  “Truly.”

  Adam climbed back to his feet and held out his hand to pull me up. I looked at his hand and then up to him.

  “So you’re not mad at me?” I asked.

  Adam burst out laughing. “Um, no. It would take more than being attacked by a beautiful girl’s face to tick me off. I am most certainly not mad at you.” He grinned down at me.

  I slid my hand into his and he pulled me to my feet.

  “Well, of all the people to have accidentally kissed, I’m relieved it was you.” I cringed with embarrassment.

  “Think of it as an early New Year’s Eve kiss.” He bumped my chin with his fist. “Because I totally kiss girls like that at the stroke of midnight.”

  I smiled. “Do you think you could do me a favour?”

  Adam’s brows rose in surprise. “Sure.”

  “Do you think you could escort me to this bloody bar before I disgrace myself any further?”

  Adam’s mouth pulled into a crooked smile. “As long as you promise to keep your hands to yourself.”

  I laughed. “I can only try.”

  ***

  By now, I wanted to blend into the wall, to slink into the crowd and hover around the group, unnoticed and unannounced.

  No such luck.

  Adam pointed across the room to a fully occupied table, where everyone sat, present and accounted for, including Ringer, Stan and Bell.

  Amy was the first to see us and she waved animatedly. Everyone turned to look.

  “Shit, I’ll be right back,” said Adam.

  My panicked eyes darted to his. “Where are you going?”

  He leaned towards me, whispering near my temple. “I have your make-up on my jacket.”

  I looked at his suit jacket and, sure enough, a light sheen of unmistakable glittery dust was smudged there from our heated embrace.

  “Oh God.” I swallowed.

  “Yeah, I’ll take care of it,” he said. “Be right back. See you at the table.” And just like that, Adam disappeared through the crowd toward the men’s room. I wrung my hands anxiously, drew in a deep breath and walked across the room toward the table of our friends. Of course, I didn’t think myself so special that I would be the centre of attention as I crossed the floor, but I was very aware of a particular pair of eyes that watched my approach. Chris leaned his elbows casually on the tabletop, talking and listening to Ringer, but his eyes flicked towards me, studying every step I took until I came and stood right next to the table.

  “Here she is!” announced Sean. “We thought we had lost you.”

  Ringer turned in his seat and his eyes widened. “Holy shit, Maskala. What the fuck are you wearing?”

  Stan whacked him across the back of the head but it did little to snap him out of his wide-eyed gawk.

  “I see they didn’t stitch your mouth up,” I mused.

  “Ha! We should be so lucky,” said Sean.

  Bell leapt up from her chair. “Here, sit here, Tammy, I’ll grab an extra chair.” Her smile was not lost on me as Bell quickly vacated her seat next to Chris.

  Subtle.

  Bell skimmed past and whispered in my ear, “You look hot!”

  “Thanks to you, I do.” I hugged her.

  “Thought you might like it.” She winked, moving to steal a chair from another table.

  I sat in Bell’s vacant seat next to Chris, who made no move from his casual lean on the table as his eyes fixed intently on me, much like they had when he had kissed me.

  “What took you so long?” he asked.

  I could have looked away, let the pangs of regret for my colossal mistake moments before flood my face with crimson, but instead I was drawn so deeply into the depths of his warm brown eyes. I stared back at him, without apology; it was like we were the only two people in existence and I leaned my elbows onto the table in mirror image of him.

  “I was looking for you,” I said, so only he could hear.

  I felt the press of his knee against mine and it made my heart pound faster. Such a simple touch.

  “Well, you found me.” He smiled.

  “I did,” I said, pressing my leg back against his, feeling the heat of him burn through the silky fabric of my skirt.

  He broke away from my eyes, fighting not to smile as he glanced at the tabletop and back up at me with a shake of his head.

  “What?” I asked with a confused frown.

  He leaned in closer, and whispered in my ear. “You have no idea what you do to me.” He drew away, his eyes locking with mine.

  “W-what do I do?” I breathed out, mesmerised by the varying colours of brown framed by his inky lashes.

  He bit his lip, pushing himself back in his seat.

  “Remind me to tell you later,” he said, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Don’t forget.”

  I shook my head. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  “So tell me again …”

  “Why have we travelled all this way to sit around a table and look at one another?” asked Ringer.

  “Well, you see, we have this friend and he can’t walk long distances, or be on uneven ground or basically throw himself into the full-fledged party scene,” said Chris.

  “What, this old thing?” Ringer pointed to his elevated, bandaged foot with his walking crutch. “It’s just a scratch,” he scoffed.

  “Oh puh-lease, we’ve had to listen to you bitching for the last two days,” said Bell.

  “Yeah, ‘I’m too hot, I’m too cold, I’m thirsty, I’m hungry, my foot’s ouchy,’” mocked Stan.

  Ringer grinned with an evil glint in his eyes. “Well, it sounds bad when you say it all together.”

  “It was bad,” said Bell.

  “So this is it, is it? I’m stuck in here for this monumental moment in history because I’m an invalid? Great – it’ll be remembered as that time when Ringer completely ruined our New Year’s Eve. I might as well have gone home,” sulked Ringer.

  “Mate, you know New Year’s Eve is the most overrated night of the year, right? It’s been a good trip. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we do tonight as long as we’re in good company,” said Sean.

  “That’s beautiful, Sean, you should really put that on a bumper sticker.” Adam arrived at the table, his jacket a little damp, and pulled up a chair. “So we’re all frocked up and nowhere to go,” he said.

  “Don’t you start,” warned Chris.

  “We do look like the Blues Brothers,” added Toby as he adjusted his tie.

  “Well, I think you look beautiful,” Amy said, slinging her arm over Toby’s shoulder. “I love seeing my boys suited up, it doesn’t happen often enough.”

  “Maybe we should turn the Onslow into black tie?” mused Chris. “Just for Amy.”

  “That’ll be the day,” laughed Sean.

  “I’m just saying, there is a massive music festival happening down the road, on the beach, that every man and his dog is at, spending everything in their wallets and having the time of their lives, and you’re all here babysitting me,” Ringer piped up.

  “Ringer, we’re not leaving you so just forget it,” said Ellie.

  “Well, don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t ditch you lot if the stitch was on another foot,” Ringer said, folding his arms across his chest.

  “I know you wouldn’t, so just drop it, tough man,” said Ellie.

  Ringer sighed, admitting defeat. “You’re all insufferable.”

  Chris leaned over to me. “Did you want a drink?”

  “Uh, no. I think I’ll wait, I’ve had quite an array already.”

  Chris pulled back and lifted his brow. “I thought I tasted champagne today.” His mouth curved.

  I blushed at the memory as Chris smugly lifted his stubby to his mouth and sipped. />
  “There is one line I draw in the sand, though,” said Ringer.

  Everyone sighed, wishing that Ringer would just accept that we weren’t leaving him.

  “And what’s that?” asked Toby with little enthusiasm.

  Ringer shifted awkwardly to stand, gathering his crutch under his arms. “We may be prisoners of my ill-fortuned circumstance …” he said, looking over the entire table. Ringer grabbed his glass and lifted it upwards. “But by God, there will be dancing.”

  ***

  We abandoned our table and, in the spirit of Ringer, rallied down the same ill-fated corridor I had been in not long ago.

  “Keep your eyes on the time, guys; we’ll meet back at reception at ten to,” Sean said, grabbing Amy’s hand.

  I wished Chris would reach for my hand, would guide me down the hall and wrap his arms around me. Instead, we walked side by side next to Stan and Bell.

  “What’s at ten to?” asked Stan.

  Chris shrugged. “Who knows? Some scheme, knowing Sean.”

  “Well, I must say, I am a fan of his scheming ways. Did you nearly have a heart attack when you pulled up at this place, Tammy?” asked Bell.

  My gaze flicked to Chris, who watched me expectantly, as if he really wanted to know the answer too.

  “Indeed I did.” My mouth twitched.

  Stan and Bell led the way down the corridor, dodging bodies loitering in the hall. I kept my gaze forward, trying not to be swept away by less-than-savoury memories of what I had done with Adam.

  Chris leaned in towards me.

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you owe me a massage.”

  I blinked, my mind snapping from my daydreams. “Sorry?”

  Chris smiled. “You lost the bet, remember?”

  I gaped at him. “No, I didn’t; you tricked me.”