Exclusive Love (British Billionaires Series) (16 page)

Chapter Seventeen

‘You sure this is a good idea? It’s not normally the done thing. Usually we’d ring and notify each other if we were planning a visit.’

‘When you’re from a small town, you don’t bother with formalities. If you want to visit someone, you rock by. If they’re in, they’re in. If they’re out, they’re out. There doesn’t need to be an invitation and RSVP,’ said Katy breezily.

Walking hand in hand, the loved up couple could have stepped out of a catalog such were the complimentary looks and fashionable conservative dress sense.

‘Yes, but what if they’re in but secretly wishing they’d been out when you visit?’

‘Oscar, these two people are your dearest friends. It’s why we canceled Lazy Sunday to visit. Try and have some confidence in your relationships. Besides we have to collect the car. We’d have to have come here anyway. I’d be offended if my childhood friends were literally outside my house and didn’t bother saying a brief hello.’

Long tanned legs, striding confidently down the fixed walkways, Oscar was able to find the yacht rapidly. Pointing it out, it was devoid of movement or life.

‘See, that’s a good sign. If they were annoyed over our fallout, they’d have set sail to make sure there was no chance of seeing us.’

Sounding as though she was joking, Oscar actually thought Katy’s observation was a positive sign that their impromptu visit might be well received.

‘Ahoy, anyone aboard or more importantly is anyone up?’ shouted Katy as she climbed the stairs to the top deck. Her canvas sneakers enabled her greater haste and confidence springing onto the yacht.

‘I am.’

Recognizing the voice, she cringed before her eyes caught Robert in a sleeping bag on deck. Sitting up in the plush, purple sleeping bag, she tried focusing on the quality of the material rather than the tanned, toned, half-naked body emerging from it. Brown hair dipping in sea green eyes accentuating killer cheek bones, Katy hated herself for registering his palpable sexual appeal.

‘Robert,’ she nodded curtly.

‘Katy. And Oscar’s with you. Who’d have thought that would be the case twelve hours ago?’

Neither Katy nor Oscar acknowledged the barbed remark.

‘What’s the racket?’ Imogen climbed up from below deck.

Her long satin pajamas were delicate and flattering, with cream coloring and rose flowers embroidered down the left hand side. The large plush slippers shaped like cows gave her a refreshing girl-next-door look.

‘Don’t tell me they’re back for round two,’ called Rupert.

‘Making himself decent,’ Imogen said in a pronounced stage-whisper. ‘This is unexpected.’

‘Sorry,’ shrugged Oscar, hoping his apology wouldn’t annoy Katy.

‘Don’t be. It’s great to see you. Why didn’t you call? We could have prepared breakfast or something?’

‘Which is exactly why we didn’t call,’ said Katy producing an overflowing hamper.

Left to Katy the goods in the wicker hamper would’ve been hand-made to deliver a personal touch but time and a bare kitchen didn’t allow her to implement the goodwill gesture. Familiar with the Hamptons, Oscar directed the taxi to the relevant shop where a respectable hamper with quality goods could be purchased. Racing round the shop, Katy bought a few additional items to personalize the sentiment behind the impromptu breakfast.

‘I need this,’ declared Rupert grabbing a double choc-chip muffin peeking out from underneath the traditional red checkered table cloth covering the basket. ‘Badly need a sugar rush for the energy.’

‘Plenty of sweet things: pan au chocolat, muffins, cookies. A few savory bits: breakfast baguettes, bagels and croissants. Hard candy for later, energy drinks and, even though we can’t indulge...’

‘A little hair of the dog,’ finished Oscar, concluding Katy’s spiel.

Producing a fine Russian vodka and a two liter carton of tomato juice, the recovery alcoholic drink was familiar to everyone present.

‘Bloody Mary. Yes, please,’ enthused Imogen.

Rupert was pale at the prospect. He staggered to a chair on the table and collapsed on it. Unlike his younger sister, his cashmere maroon dressing gown subtly suggested the rules of modesty and decorum be adhered to at all times. The navy collar of his pajama top had a collar and matched his pajama bottoms. His slippers weren’t cute and cuddly but full tweed slide on shoes. Katy grinned at the difference between the siblings in terms of personal presentation in front of friends. He covered his mouth as Oscar unscrewed the lid of the vodka.

‘Don’t deny yourself you know you want to,’ cajoled Katy.

Preparing the drink, Oscar was pleased to see Rupert sipping it. Hating himself for feeling obligated, as much as he never wanted to cross paths with Robert, Oscar couldn’t ignore Rupert’s cousin.

‘How about you, Robert? Can I get you anything?’ he called, refusing to directly approach Robert.

Grunting at the offer, the four friends shrugged and chatted.

‘We wanted to say thank you for everything last night,’ began Oscar tentatively.

‘You’re jolly welcome, old chap,’ baited Rupert. ‘Oscar, no one wanted to say it at the time but despite everything our parents paid a fortune for us to be taught, Katy’s right. Best friends accept each other. Arguments happen. It’s part of the normal course of life. Why we pretend it isn’t, is ridiculous.’

‘We felt bad. I know you guys hadn’t caught up in ages. The meal should’ve been about that not Oscar and I quarreling over...’

‘What was it over?’ asked Rupert.

‘I have no idea but it was terribly exciting,’ confessed Imogen. ‘We were hooked like TV soap junkies.’

‘The climatic shattering of the glass,’ reminisced Rupert.

‘Which I thought gave the live entertainment real merit. The shattering of the glass representing the shattering of Oscar and Katy’s relationship,’ said Imogen in full theatrical critical analysis mode.

‘Enough!’ shouted Oscar. ‘I’m glad Katy and I gave you a night to remember.’

His blush was evident, however much sun he’d caught over the weekend.

‘That’s the problem though,’ said Katy. ‘We can’t remember last night.’

‘A precursor taste of a quarrel between Imogen and Robert—nothing new there. It started nice and civil over dinner. Then it got intense as we unearthed the true scandal of Exclusive Love.com. The site has you two as its poster boy and girl, but Katy was the Spanish Inquisition and revealed the websites many failings which Imogen now had to address as a major share holder.

‘There was a seriously gripping piece of live theater, which resulted in Robert skulking downstairs. No bad thing given his mood. The four of us stayed here drinking and playing truth or dare. Imogen passed out. Katy was on the verge of passing out. Rather than crash here or call a cab, Oscar insisted with a bottle of red wine, he’d manage to support Katy on the walk home and you left,’ said Rupert pleased at his succinct account.

‘To be fair, he did get us home with that red wine. Sadly, it ran out. We never made it into the house, but it was nice waking up on the beach,’ said Katy, averting eye contact with Oscar lest they draw suspicion to their alfresco morning ride.

‘I wish we hadn’t asked now,’ mumbled Oscar.

‘Why?’ asked Katy.

‘Do you not remember hounding me with questions and stereotypical accusations regarding my intimate knowledge of women’s fashion?’ winced Oscar.

‘Engaged for five years to a woman who was the Head of Buying for Women’s Wear in a very famous department store in London. Oscar was completely under her thumb. No boys nights out allowed. No mixed parties unless she was present. We barely saw him. His social life was restricted to international fashion shows. He ended up with quite the expert eye after five years,’ provoked Imogen.

‘A time in my life I’d prefer to forget,’ muttered Oscar, his voice barely audible with his face buried in his hands.

‘It hasn’t served you badly. Think of how you used your honed designer eye to engage women into conversation, tricking them into thinking you were a stereotypical gay designer only to reveal your heterosexuality after luring them to your bachelor pad,’ nudged Rupert.

‘He’s joking of course, Katy,’ said Oscar, glowering at his loud-mouthed friend.

‘The revelation I remember is that of the four of us,’ began Imogen.

Rupert inclined his head to Robert, reminding his sister their cousin was present. The last thing he needed hungover were those two rattlesnakes attacking one another.

‘The classic revelation was that of the four of us participating in the game it was Katy’s first visit to the Hamptons. Three Brits and a born and bred New Yorker, it was the American that hadn’t ventured to the Hamptons,’ cooed Imogen, astounded someone geographically so close had never traveled there.

‘That does sound unreal now. In the cold, hard light of day. Sober. Is that true, have you really never been to the Hamptons?’ inquired Rupert curiously.

‘No. That remains a truth!’

Pounding heart, suddenly Katy she didn’t want Oscar’s memory jogged on any other ‘truths’ she may have revealed.

‘I do remember that,’ said Oscar trying to piece together the blurry remnants of last night. ‘I asked why you’d never been. You said your parents took you to Europe a lot. I particularly remember France and Italy mentioned. Italy we should talk about on the journey home. I spent three months traveling round there.’

‘Sure. Well, I hate to get going, but we need to make a move if we’re to get home, and catch up on sleep before work tomorrow.’

Katy was hastily wrapping up their goodbye. There may have been other revelations to cast doubt over her already crumbling story.

‘Of course, of course,’ said Rupert.

Imogen hugged them both tightly. Oscar knew her words were genuine when she said the visit had been a fantastic way to start the day.

‘Katy?’

Robert calling for her as if he were Lord of the Manor shouting for his housekeeper, stopped everyone in their tracks.

‘Can you bring me over a bagel and Bloody Mary.’

‘Bloody Mary, indeed.’ scowled Imogen. ‘Bloody rude!’

‘You go. I’ll sort it,’ said Rupert placating.

‘Nope. It has to be Katy. I was there for her last night when she was in need of rescue. It’s her turn to be there for me now, I need rescuing.’

Huffing, puffing and raring to charge like a bull, Katy tugged Imogen’s sleeve to stop her erupting.

‘Let me do it and save the bother,’ said Katy.

Catching Oscar’s eyes, she shrugged, unsure of why Robert wanted a private chat. Hurriedly she concocted the drink, placing it next to his sleeping bag. Wriggling out and sitting up, he patted the deck next to him.

‘Sit with me a second.’

‘Robert, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to go.’

‘Katy. I know you. I see you. You were right last night. You weren’t being naïve. You knew how to pass the screening process to secure your membership at Exclusive Love.com. It’s why you ensured the conversation steered cleared from women bucking the system to focus on the men. I know you’re a fraud. We all do. Oscar’s too smitten to confront it but he knows the truth.

‘Honestly Robert, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’