He leans closer to me.
“He’s not used to this, gorgeous. Women don’t play with Jake. He plays with them. He uses them as he sees fit and then tosses them aside when’s he’s had enough. It’s what he’s done since I’ve been with him, and long before that I imagine. It’s all he knows how to do. I can’t even begin to tell you how many women I’ve drove home, consoled, fielded calls from, had to arrange restraining orders against … anyway, I digress,” he says at my pained expression. “Basically, since you arrived back in his life he’s changed.”
“He hasn’t.” I shake my head.
He touches my arm, briefly. “He has, chica. He was living in his own world, floating along in his overly large, Jake bubble, screwing anything with a pulse, and then you came back into his life and I saw the instant change in him. From that day in the hotel, when he saw you, he’s been different. No screwing around. He’s like a freakin’ Catholic priest – minus the boys,” he chuckles.
“He can’t screw around, because he finds himself not wanting to, because he can’t get you out of his head. It’s an alien concept for him, sweetheart. He’s ten-shades of crazy about you, which I’m pretty sure he’s already realised – add in to that you have a boyfriend you won’t give up for him … and this is the result.” He waves his hand over his shoulder in Jake’s general direction, leaning back in his chair. “He’s met his equal in you that’s for sure.”
“I don’t know about that, and it’s not that I won’t give Will up,” I whisper. “There’s just–”
“Never a right time, honey, I know. There never is when it comes to breaking someone’s heart. But you will have to break one of those boys’ hearts, and I’d say sooner rather than later. But I figure you already know that. And Jake, well he’ll regret whatever continuing performance he puts on tonight – tomorrow. Remember honey, he’s a man, and with men you just you have to treat them like the children they are.”
I raise my brow at him. “You’re a man…”
“Yes, but I’m the best kind of man, my gorgeous-one, I’m Venus and Mars.” He winks at me.
I can’t help but laugh, even though inside I’m in complete and utter agony.
Then one of my favourite dance songs comes on.
“You wanna dance?” I ask to Stuart, getting to my feet, holding my hand out to him.
I refuse to sit here wallowing for a moment longer. I want to forget, and dancing will make me forget.
“You’re asking a gay guy if he wants to dance? Is the Pope celibate – actually no don’t answer that.” He gets to his feet and takes hold of my hand. “It will be my absolute pleasure to grind on that dance floor with the hottest chica here tonight.”
“Ah, now you’re definitely just being Mars.”
“Damn,” he grins.
I catch Will’s eye at the bar and indicate to him that Stuart and I are hitting the dance floor. He gives me a brief nod.
Stuart leads me onto the dance floor by the hand. I instantly start to relax.
I leave behind thoughts of Jake and Will, and complicated relationships at the edge of this dance floor, and lose myself in my one true love. Music.
And hell, I thought Jake could move – Stuart would knock him on his ass in a dance-off, and Jake being knocked on his ass is something I would take great pleasure in watching right now.
Stuart is moving around the floor like a pro and I actually look like I know what I’m doing thanks to his awesomeness. Not that I’m a bad dancer, but Stuart is dynamite.
I wonder if he ever used to dance professionally?
We are starting to attract quite a few stares. And I can see Jake watching us from his table. Zzhuilette is off his lap for the time being, thank god. She’s probably plumping up her cleavage in the toilet.
The toilet I had sex with Jake in.
I feel sick.
Then I catch Jake’s eye, and for that brief moment my heart stop its beat.
He doesn’t look happy. He looks angry.
I look away.
He can’t be annoyed that I’m dancing with Stuart, surely? One – Stuart’s gay. And two – he’s just had his tongue stuck down another woman’s throat.
The thought turns my stomach. I shut the image out of my mind.
You know what? I hope it is pissing him off. Right now I want to hurt him, and I’m going to do just that.
I throw my arms around Stuart’s neck and moving close to his body, I dance into him.
As we move around, I see Tom look at me, then lean across and say something in Jake’s ear.
Jake nods his head without taking his eyes off me.
My cheeks start to burn. It’s awful knowing I’m being talked about, but no clue as to what’s being said.
Does Tom know about us? Seems like everyone else does, so why not Tom too, he is one of Jake’s closest friends after all, him and Denny both.