Wanna Bet? (5 page)

“
Are you
kidding me?” he asks letting his eyes take in everything around
him. I shake my head at him and watch the entertainment from the
doorway before we make our way to the bar. There are girls in
nothing but tiny thongs and g-strings dancing in various places
around the club, some on the bar, a few on random tables and one in
each corner of the room up by the ceiling on a platform.

I only stay
for an hour and when Tucker is looking settled, surrounded by women
I tell him I’m heading back to the hotel but that he should stay,
he’s reluctant at first but I convince him to enjoy himself. I head
back happy that he’s enjoyed himself as much as Sophie and Matt
told me he would.

* *
*

I’m woken up
someone knocking on my hotel room door.

“
Good morning”
Sophie sings happily pushing passed me into the room.

“
Morning” I
rasp, I guess I lost my voice lat night.

“
How was it?”
she asks excitedly bouncing on my bed.

“
She’s a
little excited” Matt notes coming into the room.

“
It went fine”
I nod at her and collapse back on the bed “God, I’m knackered,
what’s the time?”

“
Eleven,
where’s Tucker?” she asks getting up from the bed and gathering
some clothes for me.

“
I left him at
the club last night. What are you doing?” I lift myself up onto one
elbow and watch as she starts flinging clothes at me.

“
Get dressed;
we’re taking you to breakfast”

“
Fine” I drag
myself into the bathroom to get dressed.

“
I’ll text
Tucker then if he wants to join us he can but if not he can stay
sleeping” Matt says as we head down to a pub on the beach
front.

“
I didn’t get
in until two, I have no idea how long I’m going to last tonight” I
tell them ordering my coffee and a big breakfast.

“
Well you
better make sure you’re going to last because I want to have the
best night ever tonight!” Sophie says squealing a
little.

“
Uh … we saw
Jason before we left this morning, we tried ducking him but he
caught us loading the car” Matt tells me looking
sympathetic.

“
I better ring
him them” I sigh and walk out the back dreading the phone
call.

“
Hi” I say
softly into the phone once he’s answer.

“
Having fun?”
I can’t detect his mood, he’s controlling his voice
perfectly.

“
Yeah, it’s
been fun so far”

“
So I bumped
into Matt and Sophie this morning” straight to the
point.

“
Yeah they
came down this morning, we’re heading to a hen/stag
tonight”

“
So it was
just you and Tucker last night?”

“
Yeah…”

“
Did you sleep
with him?”

I stare at my
phone for a second.

“
What? No of
course not, I didn’t even go back to the hotel at the same time as
him”

“
I think we
need to have a talk when you get back Brooke” I can hear him sigh
into the phone and wonder if he’s going to break up with me when I
get back.

“
Okay” I bit
my lip not sure if I should be worried or not. I do like him but
he’s been pressuring me lately and believing the rumours over me, I
know this weekend probably hasn’t helped but I should be able to go
with my friends.

He hangs up
on me without saying goodbye so I scroll through my messages but I
don’t have anything important that needs replying to.

“
Can I have an
orange juice please?” I look around the bar and watch as people
come in obviously hung over and all settle in to the tables
laughing and talking about the night before.

“
What did he
say?” Sophie asks sliding up next to me at the bar.

“
He asked if I
slept with Tucker last night”

“
Again?” she
sounds just as bored as I am with this whole thing.

“
Yeap. He also
said we need a talk when I get back tomorrow. I can just imagine
all the rumours that are going around already. It’s killing me
Soph, I can’t do anything anymore. It was so much easier when no
one noticed me”

“
Don’t let
them get you down”

“
I’ve been
trying not to
, but now, I
just think I need a break from it all, being here and not knowing
anyone not having to hear my name being whispered when I walk past
someone it’s like heaven”

“
Come on lets
go join the boys, Tucker came while you were outside”

We walk back
to the table just as our food is being served.

“
Are you going
to eat all that?” Matt asks staring at my plate overflowing with
sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms and beans.

“
Nope” I shake
my head and on cue Tucker grabs one of my sausages.

“
Now I
understand, what would you have done if he didn’t come?” Matt
asks

“
He would
have, you mention food” I slap Tuckers hand away when he reaches
for my coffee “Don’t touch, get your own” I practically growl at
him but he just pouts.

“
What are we
doing today then?” Matt asks tucking in to his own
breakfast.

“
I was
actually going to for a walk or something if you lot think you can
entertain yourselves for a few hours?” I catch Sophie’s eye and she
winks at me.

“
Sure we can”
she smiles to the boys.

“
What did
Jason say” Matt asks me grimacing.

“
Nothing
really, just asked if I was having fun and he wants to meet up when
I get back tomorrow” I answer looking back down at my food pushing
it around no longer hungry.

“
I’m really
sorry Brooke, we did try to avoid him” Matt apologises.

“
Don’t worry
about it” I mutter pushing the whole plate to Tucker now “I’m not
hungry”

My phone
beeps cutting off any further questions from anyone but I’m not
expecting the message.

Jason: You
refuse to stay over night with me, won’t even let me touch you but
yet you spend
a whole weekend
with the person everyone thinks you’re having sex with behind my
back. Explanation time when you get back.

I’m sure what
the correct reply would be to that. I could reply that he should
trust me but then we haven’t together any longer than a month, is
that long enough to trust someone. Well he obviously thinks so if
he wants me to have sex with him. Am I willing to trust him, if I
say yes to sleeping with him he will be discovering more than one
of my secrets.

“
Everything
okay” I look up at Sophie and notice everyone at the table is
staring at me and I’m frowning. I smooth my features and cock my
head at her.

“
I pretty much
trusted you from day one didn’t I?” I say aloud although it’s where
my thoughts are taking me, her Matt and even Tucker I trusted from
day one.

“
Yeah why?”
she’s frowning now.

I
shrug.

“
Brooke, if
this is what about I think it is then please make sure you’re
ready. You think it’s bad now. Just remember why you did it in the
first place”

“
I know, I
guess sometimes when you don’t trust someone from day one part of
you knows that there’s a reason not to”

“
Are you two
going to be cryptic all day?” Tucker grumbles finishing off the
breakfast.

“
Nope, I’m
going for a walk now, I’ll catch up with you all later. I have my
phone if you need me” I smile and walk out of the pub looking
forward to a day where I don’t have to hide from anyone.

When
I finally get to the beach after
spending way too much money in town and changing into my new bikini
in the public toilets which was a struggle I settle down onto my
towel and tuck into my new book removing my tee in the hopes of
catching a tan. It’s a nice day and the beach is full of families
and groups of friends, after having a text from Sophie confirming
that she will keep them away from the beach today I feel myself
relax for the first time in what feels like years. The reality is
that it has probably been years.

Two little
feet in front of me catch my attention and I look up into the eyes
of a little blonde haired boy who can’t be much older than
six.

“
Hello” I
smile at him and sit up, putting me at eye level with him “Are you
okay?”

He twirls his
foot in the sand for a few minutes just looking at me. “My daddy
told me to give you this” he holds his hands out with a football in
between them.

“
And where is
your daddy?” I ask him taking the football.

I follow the
direction he point to with my eyes and laugh at Dave who’s sitting
there doing an impression of sending a prayer. “Come on let’s go
say hi to daddy” I shove my things into my bag and head over there
with the little boy in hand. “Shouldn’t you be teaching
him not to talk to
strangers?”

“
You’re not a
stranger, it’s
just been so
long since you’ve seen him, he wants to play but I’m knackered” he
says slipping his sunglasses back on.

“
It was a good
show last night, I really enjoyed it, you guys just keep getting
more amazing every time I see you” Dave’s the lead singer of
Heaven’s Devil’s, he’s had it hardest of them all. He got his
girlfriend pregnant when they were just sixteen and then she died
in a car accident when she was eighteen leaving Dave to look after
Dave Jr by himself, he has help off his parents when he has a show
but is never away from him overnight.

“
So you wanna
play huh?” I ask little Dave ruffling his hair making him duck out
of my reach and run away.

“
You are my
hero” Daddy Dave sighs collapsing back down on his back.

“
Yeah, yeah” I
mutter good naturedly dropping my bag down on his stomach “keep an
eye on that, I’ll swap you for a bit”

I still have
to football in my hands so I drop kick it in the direction of Dave
and watch as he attempts to catch it, laughing when he runs away
from it at the last minute I run over to grab it but he’s quicker
than me.

“
No fair, you
have to catch it!” I shout over to him but he just laughs at me and
runs for a chase.

I let him
outrun for a little bit but when I see that he’s running out of
breath I pick up my speed and throw him over my shoulder making a
run into the sea. He starts giggling when I run further in and drop
us both down so we get soaked to the head.

“
We’re still
dressed!” he screams laughing in my ear.

“
Ooops guess I
forgot” I swing him around so I’m now giving him a piggy back “Too
late now though” I yell over to him and drop us again.

When the
breeze picks up a little I walk us back out to the beach and
pretend to collapse dropping us both into the sand. I’m not
expecting it when a load of sand comes down over my head sticking
in my hair and on my face but while I’m registering the first
attack he throws another load onto my bikini top and stomach then a
third lot on my legs so I am completely covered in sand.

“
I’d get you
back but I don’t think you’re dad would be happy with me if I did”
I tell him getting up but then catching him and tickling him
instead.

“
Can we build
sandcastles?” I can only just make out the question through the
laughing.

“
Sure, have
you got a bucket and spade?” I pause the tickling
attack.

“
Yeap it’s by
daddy” he waves his hands in his dad’s direction.

“
Race you
there!” I call over my shoulder running away from him, but I let
him win at the last minute.

“
Ahh I see he
got you” Dave laughs when I finally reach them.

“
I don’t know
what you mean” I sniff and move some wet sand soaked hair out of my
face.

“
What did you
do?” he asks although his laughter is getting louder.

“
I dunked us”
I pout and poke my tongue out at Dave Jr.

“
She did, lots
of times daddy look my hair
’s
all wet!” he points his little finger at me and looks so affronted
it makes me giggle a little.

“
I may have
got a little carried away” I admit.

“
You’re phones
been ringing” Dave says passing me my bag.

I slip my tee
back on and struggle with my shorts to put my jeans back on. “Well
looks like real life is calling me back”

“
Thanks for
entertaining him for a while”

“
It’s not a
problem I had more fun than I do with my own friends” I wink at
them both. “Don’t forget to build your sandcastles! And make sure
there’s a moat too!” I ruffle Dave Jr’s hair once more before I
stand up.

“
Ill see you
tonight?” Dave asks gathering the buckets and spades.