Part 27 (1/2)

”You know I don't work Sat.u.r.days but what a shame your biggest fan does.” I nodded to Ca.s.sie who was collecting only two gla.s.ses at a time.

”Thanks for reminding me, you've now destroyed an illusion I had been working on all night.”

”So who was she this time...Jessica Biel or Jessica Alba?” He laughed at how well I knew him and just as he put my usual Corona with lime in front of me, he answered, ”Neither smarty pants.” I raised my eyebrows and put up a hand.

”Wait, don't tell me...I got this one...Umm... Sarah Mich.e.l.le Gellar!” I could tell with his face I'd guessed right. See Ca.s.sie was a grade A pain in the a.r.s.e that loved Mike and practically humped his leg whenever she got the chance, so I came up with the idea of blocking her out by pretending she was someone else. I doubted he actually did it but it was still something we joked about every time we saw each other.

”Hold on, here comes Buffy now!”

”Actually I preferred her in Cruel Intentions.” He winked at me and just as she came up to the bar I whispered, ”Yeah, but that's only because she kisses a girl!”

”Argh, gross! Who kissed a girl?” Ca.s.sie asked but not without the disgusted look my way. She probably thought I was a lesbian now and it would soon be around the club that I was cheating on Draven with some out of town Cyber chick.

The Dravens' prolonged stay was still generating an array of unusual tourists that travelled miles just for one night at Club Afterlife and maybe a glimpse at its famous Gothic millionaire. Unfortunately the drama and gossip of the town was still about me dating Draven. I think there was even one rumour the other day that I was pregnant and just saying it was his because I wanted his money. I had laughed until tears developed when RJ had told me. But I wasn't hurt by all these rumours. It came with the territory when dating the town's most influential man and besides, I knew the truth and that's all that mattered.

Of course it caused a little friction at work to begin with but soon they just seemed to accept it was now a part of me and when I disappeared upstairs, it was as if I was forgotten about. On the s.h.i.+fts when I worked in the VIP, I would walk past without a word spoken to me, but on the s.h.i.+fts when I worked down here, then it was as though nothing had changed. I was now two different people to everyone else but I was still the same person inside. It had bothered me in the beginning, that I couldn't have it both ways but I soon realised there was no other way it would work...it was them that had changed, not me.

”Oh my, oh my!” Ca.s.sie was muttering to me which was odd in itself. Her killer instincts had kicked into overdrive and she was now fixated on Justin who was walking this way.

”Move out of my way, my future husband just walked in and he's looking this way, oh and try not to speak, I don't want him running off.” She budged me out of the way to stand in front of me. I wanted to laugh out loud but refrained. I didn't want to crush her dreams as soon as they had been created. Besides this was going to be far too entertaining to watch!

Justin sure did attract attention even if he did look like a fish out of water. He was trying to look around for me and I had to wave behind Ca.s.sie's back. This was like giving a diabetic, keys to the sweet shop because Ca.s.sie thought he was coming for her. He was now stood in front of us both trying to get to me.

”Hi, looking for someone 'cause my name's Ca.s.sie and I'm someone?” She flashed her white teeth under murderous red lips that were closer to hooker than hottie. She then added a girly hair flick, which ending up hitting me in the face with bleached blonde hair that even smelt like peroxide.

”Hey Ca.s.sie, I'm Justin and I've found who I'm looking for thanks.” He was trying to be polite but she didn't even flinch.

”Yeah, well why don't you tell her you've found me and let me and you go party, I'm off in twenty minutes.” At this he lost his gentlemanly patience and held her by the shoulders and moved her to the side to reveal an amused me behind, which brought his smile back.

”Sorry kid, I play in the big leagues and I've found what I was looking for.” He finished it with a wink at me, which sent Ca.s.sie over the edge. She went scarlet to the dark roots and huffed off shouting ”Dog” over her shoulder but Justin just replied with a ”Woof, Woof”, even though I think it was mainly aimed at me.

”Well she was pleasant... Not!” he said before ordering a rum and c.o.ke.

”You just met the s.l.u.t of Afterlife and survived, congrats,” I said causing a warm smile to replace the c.o.c.ky one.

We were only there a few minutes when a familiar pink head could be seen amongst the crowd. Boy for such a little thing she couldn't half push her way through a room full of dancing bodies. She came bounding up to me so I met her half way, where she gave me a huge hug, momentarily forgetting Justin. She was wearing a ripped black tank top with net sleeves. This was matched with a pink tartan tutu skirt and tartan boots on top of fish net tights that had seen better days. Her hair had grown out a bit but the roots were now dyed red, so each pink spike now looked like it was bleeding into her skull.

”Nice hair!” I commented and her eyes lit up with the complement.

”You like? And who said red and pink clas.h.!.+ You look cute as usual but wait...what is this, doth my eyes deceive me?” She said this in a posh, old fas.h.i.+oned English accent (or at least tried to) before carrying on, ”Are you, Keira our English rose, wearing the tightest black jeans I have ever seen?”

”No! And don't make me regret them...ok?” I said in a low voice and she just nodded, understanding my code.

”Mum's the word, old chap!” She did it again and at this rate if she persisted to keep up the accent then I would have to teach her a few things, like for one, not all English people sounded like Sherlock Homes!

”So what do we have here then, what did you bring me?” She motioned towards Justin with her netted hand and I turned to see him waiting for us. She giggled at the sight and as we walked over there I heard her behind me saying ”Yum, Yum”.

”Justin, this is my very good friend RJ, RJ this is who I was telling you about.” I thought I had introduced them properly but I think Justin got the wrong idea.

”Keira, have you been telling people about me, you little minx?” He held a hand out to RJ like something from a period drama on the BBC. I don't know why but Mr Wickham sprang to mind. He was being the perfect gentleman as we all chatted at the bar about what Justin had been up to the past few years.

”But if you're only a few years older than Keira, didn't you finish college?” s.h.i.+T! I hadn't thought about that, they all still thought I was twenty one not twenty three. Of course Justin knew what had happened to me, it would have been hard for Frank not to explain why he had to come over to England to console his wife. His family had been great in not disclosing this bit of information to anyone else and although Justin didn't know all the gruelling details, he still knew.

”Ah well... my parents didn't mind me taking some time out on account of being a free spirit and all. I'll go back but only when I'm finished with travelling.” He carried on but I was just thanking my lucky stars that Justin had been so cool with lying. If that had been me, I would have been busted Disney style and my big conk would have probably poked her eye out. But Justin was obviously a pro in this line of work.

By the end of his third story about helping out the locals, I think RJ was in love and ready to run away with him to become a world healing surfer, living in huts and mothering abandoned monkeys while making vegan meals for hungry locals.

”So do you like the band?” RJ was asking Justin as I saw one of the friendliest faces on the planet come towards us. Jack's messy hair flopped about in the crowd and a couple of girls dressed like vampire dolls drooled as he went past. His smile lit up my face as he approached and I couldn't help but laugh at his T-s.h.i.+rt that was black and the white lettering said ”Guns don't kill people, Zombies do” and the word Zombies was painted in fake dripping blood.

”Nice T-s.h.i.+rt,” I said as he gave me a big bear hug.

”I wore it for you, knew you'd like it considering you work in a Gothic nightclub. Cute top, by the way.” He gave me a great big grin that I expected most of the room could see. Meanwhile Justin had stopped listening to RJ and was staring at us. You could feel the heat from his glare and it made us both turn round at the same time.

”Oh sorry dude, you must be Justin” Jack extended his hand and Justin slapped his own into it with an edge of aggression.

”And you? Sorry Keira hasn't spoken about you.” I blushed and felt like pulling out one of Justin's ribs and hitting him with it for being so rude.

”Oh this is just my brother Jack.”

”Geez thanks sis, that's real heartfelt.” Jack hit a fist to his chest and joked about being the more mature one of the two. I quickly asked RJ about the band name, trying to disperse some of the tense atmosphere that was far too thick for me.

”So what's the band's name?”

”The Happy Yellow Stains, they're ok but the next band is called 'TCTF' and they rock.” She then got Jack's attention and drank from an imaginary cup, her way of asking for a drink. He rolled his eyes at me and shouted for Mike who was trying to get away from Ca.s.sie at the time, so he seemed more than pleased about his reason for escape.

”What does 'TCTF' mean?” I asked when I really wanted to ask if it meant 'Tactless conversations to friends', but I swallowed that one and waited for my answer which was in no way what I was expecting.

”This Clown Tastes Funny.”

”Sorry?” I thought she had just randomly told me something from a dream but no, that had been the answer. I hadn't heard anymore because a vibrating in my bag told me that I had a message. I fumbled in the side pocket and half answered Jack at the same time, ”Yes thanks,” I said to the offer of a drink but I noticed Justin had made it a point of ordering me one first and he slid the bottle my way. Jack just shrugged his shoulders and told Mike his order minus one Corona. I now had my phone in my palm and flipped it open to a message from an unknown number.

”Did you think it a wise choice to dress so s.e.xy when surrounded by drooling boys, while your boyfriend looks on?”

OMG! Not only was he watching me but he was now texting me!

”Anyone I know...Or someone I wanna know?” RJ said trying to look at my phone which I was now clasping to my chest and turning rosy red.

”It's no one, just Libby.” She wasn't convinced and laughed saying ”Yeah right”, then she carried on talking to Justin. Next thing I knew my phone was vibrating in my sweaty hand making me nearly drop it.

”n.o.body is it? Well, why don't you meet this n.o.body upstairs and we can discuss what colour your cheeks have blushed to?”

I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face like a deflowered maiden.

”Lover boy calling?” Justin said in a flat tone that had taken my smile to heart. Jack frowned but said nothing. And RJ nudged me and said ”Bootie call.”

I ignored them all and text back with a shaky hand.