Margaret Stanton is standing in the corner near the bar, her eyes fixed firmly on her son and her niece in the far corner of the dance floor. She’s radiating with anger as if a red glow could be seen around her. Her unmatched beauty and social standing can’t help her with this. She’s warned him, time and again, she even warned him just this very morning to keep away from this girl. She is way past angry, she is furious. She swirls her red around in her wine glass as she glares at the dance floor. James Brennan, her husband’s best friend and business partner, is standing next to her. He gestures to the dance floor with his hand as he takes a sip of his scotch, and he glares at her as he talks into his short tumbler.
“I told you to handle this.”
“Do you think I haven’t tried?” she snaps, her eyes shooting back to the dance floor as Joshua once again pulls Natasha against his hips.
“I’m warning you Margaret, I won’t play your stupid little games.” He rolls his shoulders. “Put a stop to it or I will.”
She takes a sip of her red as hatred drips from her lips and she raises one eyebrow. “Don’t threaten me James, I’m not the one who will lose everything.”
He plasters a fake smile as someone walks past them, nodding his head as a greeting. “Keep telling yourself that, Margaret,” he sneers. “You have more to lose than me, Joshua for one. Do you think he will respect you once he knows?” he whispers.
She narrows her eyes. “Keep your voice down!” she snaps. “He will never know, over my dead body will he ever find out.”
“The only way this will be revealed is if this pathetic little lust story on the dance floor continues. Stop it now.” His voice drips with contempt, and she swallows the large lump in her throat and glances back to the dance floor to catch Joshua run his lips down Natasha’s throat.
“Good god,” she snaps. “This is worse than I imagined.” She rubs her forehead. She gestures to Cameron who comes over with Scott immediately. “Go out on that dance floor and ask Joshua what the hell he thinks he’s doing.” Cameron looks around the dance floor to see Josh running his teeth along Natasha’s jaw, while grinding his hips into hers.
“Shit,” Cam mutters. Margaret goes to walk off but James grabs her by the arm.
“I’m warning you, Margaret, take care of this or I will.”
She throws him a fake smile worthy of an Oscar nomination, and lifts her chin.
“Don’t threaten me, James, you won’t like me when I’m angry. Stay away from my family, especially Joshua. This is your first and final warning.”
Joshua and I are totally lost in the moment, a moment I’ve waited for so long, and he’s here, he’s here with me, he feels it too. Very slowly I raise my face and look into Josh’s dilated eyes, willing him to kiss me. He tenderly looks at my mouth and bows his head. Our lips touch. Immediately the electricity between us jolts me and awakens my senses. Senses that have laid dormant for seven long years. I’m lost, I’ll do anything he wants.
“Josh, fucking cool it.” We are snapped back to reality by Cameron, Joshua’s little brother on the dance floor. Fuck, fuck, what are we doing. Shit. We immediately step back from each other. Josh looks at Cam who gestures to the side of the dance floor where Scott the groom is glaring at both Joshua and me. Immediately I want to die. We both quickly scan the room to see who has witnessed our loss of control. I look at Joshua and the horrified look on his face mirrors mine. I practically run to the ladies, oh my god, who saw that? What the hell am I doing? I make it to the ladies but as soon as I get there I burst into tears, unable to control my stress at being so stupid. My heart is still racing, and my body is aching from the loss of his. I start to pace while shaking my hands. Shit, shit, shit, holy fuck what was that? I burst into a cubicle and sit on the toilet with my face in my hands. I’m a disgrace. Perspiration seeps from my pores. Oh my god. All alone in the cubicle I start to sob, so close but so far.
Joshua storms off the dance floor and barges into the first door he sees to the right, the kitchen. Luckily the kitchen staff have already gone for the night. He needs to get away from the other guests, he’s too worked up, too angry with himself.
“Fucking hell,” he yells as he punches the stainless steel bench. He starts to pace, rubbing his hands through his hair. Adrian and Ben gingerly walk in after him, unsure what to say. This is a shock to their system, they have both been with Joshua a long time and this is uncharted waters to them.
“Joshua, calm down,” Adrian quietly comforts.
“Calm down?” he yells. “Calm down, it’s a bit fucking late for that. I shouldn’t have fucking come, I knew this would happen.” Adrian and Ben frown at each other.
“Why do you say that?”
“How bad was it?” he looks to his two friends.
“What do you mean?” frowns Adrian.