Page 6 of King of Clubs
“That’s rough, Arns. Definitely top three in the list of all time saddest movies.” Jay loved a good chick-flick and sometimes escaped poker night to sneak in and watch some of whatever film we had on before he was dragged back to join the boys.
“It was brutal,” I agreed, following Jack as he led me towards the table where Arna was now standing next to Andy. The table was full tonight and while I recognised those Arna said were coming, there was one extra who I definitely hadn’t met before. I waved to Dylan and Cooper who were facing me, although deep in conversation, flicking me with a wave and smile before returning their attention to each other. Dusting the popcorn kernels from my jacket as I greeted everyone, I thought about how I never would have dared let Lucas see me this way, yet I was willingly standing in a room full of attractive men and I couldn’t have cared less. This in itself was a sign of my personal growth. I would need to remind Arna of this later when she tried to fight me on my stalkerish behaviours.
“Marls,” Andy’s voice brought me back to the present and to the man with his back to me. “I don’t think you’ve met Sebastian. Seb, this is Marlee, Marls this is Seb.”
He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder, our gazes locking and I smiled, not daring to speak in case I choked on my own tongue. Well, he definitely fit the criteria for those attending poker night.
HOT. HOT. HOT.
We only held eye contact for a couple of seconds but it was long enough to note that behind the steely expression on his face was something burning. Quickly excusing myself, I sprinted back to the kitchen. Regardless of the self-confidence I was just boasting about, that man was gorgeous and I was far too awkward to try to converse with someone who looked like that.
Considering Arna spent most of her life hyperbolising everything,‘looks a little scary’was the understatement of the year.
Dark hair, formidable face and tattoos with a panty dropping gaze was a much more appropriate description. Sheesh.
My libido was stretching like a bear after the winter and in the course of two seconds, Sebastian was cementing himself in my mind as Andy’s ‘terrifyingly sexy’ friend.
“How long have you known Sebastian for?” I pounced the second she returned to my room, snacks in both hands.
“Huh?” She looked genuinely confused, handing me the bowl of popcorn as I clarified.
“When was the first time you met Sebastian?” I gestured with my head towards the living room as if she might not know who I meant.
“Oh. Ummm, I don’t know. Maybe a bit over a year. Why?”
“Interesting. Firstly, is there any reason it has taken this long to introduce me to him and secondly, could you have given me a little heads up before I walked out looking like this?”Probably run a brush through your hair, Marls, Seb is deathly good looking. I was rapidly pointing up, down and around. The level of mess was top to toe, emphasised by the sporadic circling of my hand.
“I haven’t even showered,” I grimaced and she grinned, mischief written all over her features. “Tell me everything there is to know about him, right now.”
“We both know you’re gorgeous, even with popcorn in your hair,” she said, reaching over and removing a small kernel from my head.Of course.“Now go get the liquorice while I put your movie on. Then I’ll answer all of your questions.”
“Fine.” I huffed, hoping I could duck in and out and with his back to the kitchen, he would be none the wiser – leaving my remaining dignity intact.
Deep voices grew louder the closer I crept and just before the corner, I reefed the fleecy hood up over my head, took a deep breath and darted out. My hand was already outstretched in preparation to grab the bowl and race back to my room, when I felt my fist connect with something hard and a low, gasp-like sound followed.
Oh, piss right off.
Glancing up, the look of alarm on the terrifyingly sexy face was enough to send a giggle up my throat and I bit my lip to prevent it escaping.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry,” I squeaked, making the situation one thousand times worse when I reached out to tenderly put a hand over the place I’d just punched.
His chin dropped to his chest looking down at where I was subconsciously stroking his stomach like a mother soothing her baby. Realising the horror of my actions, I yanked my hand back as if brushing against live wire and slapped it over my mouth.
“Shit. Sorry two times. I’m just…” I trailed off, reaching around a still frozen Sebastian and grabbing the bowl of liquorice from the bench, before holding it up as means of explanation.
He didn’t take his penetrating stare off me, watching everything I did with a level of scrutiny reserved for an examination. I felt my cheeks flush, the absurdity of the situation only now catching up with me and when I saw the corner of his mouth twitch I had to bite my lip again to stop the clumsy laugh desperate to escape.
“Okay, well, nice chat,” I farewelled awkwardly before racing back to the sanctity of my room with what I suspected was a bright red face and a hilarious story for mysoon to be deadbest-friend.
Marlee
Chapter Two
Awakening my body, one muscle at a time, I sent a quick good morning up to my parents and sat up in bed. My room was an absolute mess and today was going to be spent cleaning and organising before continuing my hunt for the perfect house.
If someone were to write the story of my life based on how I appeared this very second, it wasn’t likely to be a bestseller. The narrative arc would follow an unemployed 29-year-old, living in her best friend’s spare room, actively looking for both work and a place of her own. It would then be complemented with a completely unflattering and bleak cover which even I would judge.
Yet here I was, having apparently graduated from therapy, still living out of my old, tattered suitcase with clothes discarded into piles so I could separate my dirty laundry from what was clean. There was nothing high maintenance about my current situation and for another night it was a queen size bed for one.
