Marx Girl

So, effectively, my sister married a billionaire and I live on her coattails. It works well.

“When do you go away, Didge?” Adrian asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Two weeks.”

“Is this the work trip?” Tash frowns.

I nod as I sip my drink. My eyes flash to Ben, who’s watching me intently.

“Where to?” Cameron asks.

“I go to London, then Ireland and Scotland.”

“Lochness Monster territory,” Abbie interrupts.

Cam glances over at Ben, who breaks into a cheeky smile. They both drop their heads and begin to chuckle at a private joke.

“What’s funny?” I ask.

Ben shakes his head, not wanting to elaborate, and I turn my attention to Cam.

He laughs into his drink.

I narrow my eyes. Private jokes annoy me. “Do tell,” I encourage flatly.

Cameron sips his beer, as if deciding whether to elaborate. “Ben and I picked up these girls once and we promised them a sighting of the Lochness Monster.”

The table all scrunch up their faces and groan.

“Oh, God.” Adrian sighs. “That’s so lame. I don’t know where you find these stupid women.”

Ben laughs out loud, and he pinches the bridge of his nose as he remembers.

Cameron smiles cheekily. “It worked, though.” He shrugs. “I unleashed the beast. The myth became a legend.”

Ben shakes his head as he laughs, and I stare at him flatly.

When was this?

Was this after he was with me? It would have to be.

We haven’t been together for five years. Fuck, it annoys me to no end that nothing has changed for him, and he’s carried on picking up girls with Cameron every chance they get.

Fucking men. Ugh.

I sip my drink in annoyance. “Poor girls were promised monsters and got teeny tadpoles,” I murmur into my drink.

Everyone laughs, and Tash holds her drink in the air. “Hear, hear.”

Thank God, I have a boyfriend. I don’t have to put up with this shit.

Stop it, why is this even an issue?

Who cares?

Not me.

I start to feel my face getting hotter, and I sip my drink as I try to calm myself.

“When do you start, Cam?” Tash asks.

The topic of conversation goes to Cameron’s work. He has just started to train to be a cardiologist and is super excited.

“Next week; I can’t wait.”

I blow out a breath as I turn my attention to the harbour in front of me and hold my glass to my lips, running my hand up and down my neck as I think.

I wonder… does he have a girlfriend?

He could be married with kids by now.

Probably is.

I’ve never asked about him, not once. I’ve wanted to. God, how I’ve wanted to, but I wanted to get over him more. I didn’t want the others to know I still thought about him. I don’t even like admitting it to myself.

My phone beeps with a text, and I look down to swipe it on. It’s a text from Ben.

I frown. Huh? I click it open.

Your neck looks edible

I could sink my teeth into it.

What?

I frown and lift my eyes to his. He holds his beer up and takes a drink as his mischievous eyes hold mine. He’s sitting back in his seat, legs wide, and his huge shoulders show off all his power. Unable to help myself, my eyes roam down to his strong, muscular forearms and I swallow the lump in my throat. Honestly… why the hell is he so freaking hot?

The conversation carries on around us as my heartrate picks up.

Okay, what the actual fuck is going on here? I’m not imagining this.

That was a definite flirty text.

But what do I write back?

Fuck off, asshole. That’s what I need to write. I text back:

Vampires aren’t really my thing

He reads my text and smirks. I pick up my drink and sip it as I make eye contact with Adrian, who frowns subtly in question. My phone beeps again.

Have you thought about me?

I swallow the lump in my throat and immediately text back.

Never.

A reply bounces back.

Liar.

I feel my cheeks start to heat.

“So, Didge, tell me about your trip.” Tash smiles. “Gosh, it must be so exciting to go away for your job.”

I smile with enthusiasm. “It is.”

My phone beeps again and I glance down to my lap to read it.

I’ve thought of nothing else but sucking on your beautiful body for five years.

I glance over the table at Ben, and he gives me his best come fuck me look as he sips his beer.

Dark, wanting eyes hold mine.

Holy hell. I haven’t seen that look for a long, long time. He used to look at me like this, when we were sneaking around and nobody knew we were seeing each other. I feel myself start to melt into a puddle.

“Erm…” I stammer as my eyes flicker back to Tash guiltily. I seem to have lost all coherent ability to form a sentence. “Erm.” I glance around at the table as they all wait for my intelligent reply. Yeah… I got nothing.