Girl-Code (3 page)

‘Yeah I do, he is amazing in the bedroom,’
she smiles briefly.

It is then I realize that all this
animosity, that I have experienced with Sam, is pure jealousy. She is staking a
claim to all the guys she is remotely interested in.

‘Do you know what girl-code is?’ Sam continues
quietly, as if she is reading my mind.

‘Maybe you should enlighten me, Sam,’ I
respond quietly, my insides fuming.  Her eyes fly to mine.

‘All I am clarifying, is that if you
think for one moment you can move into the area and have every guy around
flocking,’ her brown eyes penetrate mine,  ‘you should be aware of how things
work around here.’ She shrugs.

‘And…how do things work, Sam?’ I ask,
coldly.

‘Sam!’ Kate scolds.

‘What?’ she turns to Kate, ‘we don’t
steal each other’s boyfriends Lucy, or go where any of us have been before?’

‘Fine! So where have you been before
Sam?’ I press sarcastically, ‘would you like to draw me up a list?’

‘Ok guys, that is enough!’ Kate calls.

‘So, who is it, Cameron, or Scot you are
interested in?’ I growl.

‘Who says it is either/or?’ she sneers, I
laugh sarcastically.

‘Fine! I couldn’t care a less, Sam really.’
I assure her, although in my head an image of Cameron appears and I mentally
place a red X across his handsome features.

Needless to say, the atmosphere is
slightly off for the remainder of our, ‘house roast.’

Sam and I, adjust to being polite with
each other.  I haven’t particularly warmed to her and her to me, she obviously
has issues that I don’t desire to take on.  I do, however, somehow wish that we
had signed a six month contract, rather than a year.  Kate is attempting to
pacify both of us, which I can tell she is finding quite stressful when we are
both present in the house. 

I am explaining to Susie and Maddie the
weekend’s events on Monday.

‘She is warning you off all men in the
town that she has slept with, plus the ones she wants to sleep with!’ Susie
astounds.

‘Yep, sure seems that way.’ I confirm.

‘That is ridiculous,’ Maddie gushes, ‘I
imagine from your description that includes quite a few candidates?’ her
eyebrows raise slightly in question.

‘You could say that,’ I express amused.

‘What is Kate’s opinion?’ Susie enquires.

‘Well, Kate is torn really.  She has
known Sam since she was small.  Although she doesn’t agree with her views, she
refuses to upset the dynamics of the house…..for what they are worth.’ I add
sarcastically.

‘Saturday night, there is a bash at
Simon’s golf club and I have purchased a ticket for you.  It will do you good
to get out of the area and allow things to settle slightly.  You require some
fun, Lucy Daniels, and I am going to ensure you receive it.’ Susie encourages.

‘You are attempting to set me up with the
man whore aren’t you?’ I tease.

‘Well, he will be there,’ she grins,
‘what have you got to lose?’

‘Ok’ I agree, ‘maybe that’s exactly what
I need.’

********

‘You are kidding, Suze.’ Cameron groans
towards his best friend’s, girlfriend.

‘No pressure,’ she grins, ‘just a work
colleague of mine, that is gorgeous and who I think would keep you on your toes.’

‘Simon, control your woman will you,’
Cameron looks to his friend, for support.

‘Hey, I am staying out of it. She is
gorgeous though,’ his eyebrows wiggle and Susie slaps his arm playfully.

‘Or you could take me home Cameron, and
leave Simon here to entertain her,’ Simon hugs Susie, ‘you have only seen her
from across the bar anyway,’ she states to her boyfriend.

‘Believe me, there is no other woman for
me, Suze,’ he nuzzles her neck playfully and she grins, despite herself.

********

Lucy texts Susie as the cab drives into
the golf club grounds.

Hi, I am outside!

 As she is paying the driver the text
pings a reply,

Great! I am on my way out.

 I exit the car and nervously run my
hands down my dress.  I chose a powder blue short dress plain but stylish
scooping at the neck reaching mid-thigh.  I team it with my silver heels and
bag and straighten my hair down my back.

‘Hi!’ Susie screeches as she hugs me,
‘wow, you look great!’ she gushes.

‘So do you!’ I reply genuinely, Susie has
dressed in a short, black number, her blonde hair swept up into an
up do,
she looks fantastic!

‘Thank you, come on let’s get a drink!’
she insists, moving us inside the huge building.

We move directly to the bar and order our
drinks.  When they arrive we chink glasses, ‘cheers!’ I call.

‘Cheers!’ Susie repeats and we stand for
a moment sipping our drinks, ‘come on, let’s find the guys,’ Susie instructs,
collecting her belongings from the bar.

‘Erm, just to recap Suze.  I thought we
had agreed, I would just accompany you and you were not going to set me up,’ I
scold gently, as I take another sip of my wine.

‘Well, I couldn’t have agreed more until
right now. Lucy good to see you again,’ a deep voice shudders through me
sending me spluttering, as I choke on my wine.

‘Shit!’ I curse, as I attempt to regain
my composure wiping the dribble of wine off of my chin in a most unladylike
manner.

‘You two know each other?’ Susie
questions, surprise etching from her pretty face.

‘We do.’ Cameron confirms, his voice
filled with amusement, ‘in fact we are quite intimate Lucy, wouldn’t you say?’

I gather my wits and turn to Cameron,
placing a polite smile on my face, ‘good to see you again, Cameron.’ I soothe,
as calmly as possible, as I glance up into his handsome face.

‘You are looking as delicious as the
first time I met you, Lucy,’ his mouth turns up slightly, his eyes alight with
amusement, ‘no strike that, you don’t - although you do look stunning,’ he
bends and kisses my cheek.

I flush several shades of red before Susie
rescues me, ‘stop teasing Cam, how do you two know each other?’

‘We literally bumped into each other as
he was leaving my housemates bedroom, one morning.’ I announce, sweetly.

‘Ah,’ Susie grimaces, but I throw her a
reassuring smile.

‘Hmmm,’ Cameron hums, as if the memory is
providing an unforgettable flashback and I frown at him.

‘Well, I am sure that Sam would be
willing to partake in a rerun if it was that pleasurable,’ I offer smoothly.

‘No thank you, the pleasurable event took
place as I was leaving her bedroom,’ he mutters unaffected by my cattiness.

He looks sexy as hell in a blue suit, and
white shirt, his chin slightly shadowed by his stubble.  His blue eyes,
penetrate mine and my insides flutter at the eye contact.  I once again feel my
face flush as I avert my gaze and take another gulp of the wine.

‘So……’ Susie calls, ‘Lucy, you are obviously
acquainted with Cameron, this is my other half Simon,’ she gestures towards a
tall man, with brown hair and friendly brown eyes that appears beside her.

‘Hi Lucy, I have heard a lot about you,’
he takes my hand and places a kiss on my cheek.

‘Hi Simon, likewise,’ I smile genuinely,
‘it’s lovely to meet you.’

The event is a presentation evening and
buffet, followed by a local band.   We are standing chatting, well Susie and
Simon are doing most of the talking, I am smiling and recovering from the shock
that Cameron is once again in my company.  I have never in my twenty-four years
felt such an intense attraction to anyone, as I do to Cameron.

‘Lucy,’ Cameron speaks, ‘tell me about
yourself.’

‘There isn’t a lot to tell really, as you
are aware I have recently moved here from South London to move in with Kate,
and your girlfriend.’ I express sarcastically.  I cannot comprehend what it is
about Cameron that upsets me so. I don’t think it is due to the fact that the
first time I saw him I was naked, but there is something that unnerves me.

‘I don’t have a girlfriend,’ he smiles as
if my discomfort somehow brings him joy.

‘What would you call her then?’ I ask.

He shrugs, ‘someone I spent a pleasant
evening with once, maybe.’ He offers.

Susie and Simon move away slightly
engaging in a conversation with another couple who are passing by.

‘What is it exactly you don’t approve of Lucy?’
Cameron’s voice has dropped to a lower level.

‘Who says I don’t approve?’ I gaze up
into his eyes and find my heart beating inside my chest, I notice something
flicker within the depths of the blue.

‘Your demeanor,’ he utters and I shrug.

‘The incident outside the bathroom was an
accident,’ he states, ‘what has you so anxious?’

‘I am not.’ I deny and his gaze holds
mine.

‘Drink?’ his tactics change.

‘I can get it,’ I turn but Susie and
Simon have disappeared.

‘Come on,’ he cajoles gently, taking my
arm and moving us towards the bar.

‘Hi, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, please,’
I instruct the barman.

‘Make that two,’ Cameron calls, leaning
on the bar inches away from me.

‘So, Lucy how about we call it a truce?’
he cocks his eyebrow and I visibly relax, this is silly we were bound to bump
into each other again.

‘Sure, sorry I am so tetchy.’ I relent.

‘No problem,’ he smiles and his face
comes alive, ‘why are you?’

‘I don’t really know,’ I murmur honestly,
‘I guess it’s the naked thing, or the Sam thing,’ I babble.

‘There is absolutely no need to be tetchy
about the naked thing, believe me,’ his eyes travel my body and I shake my head
in exasperation, ‘really!’ he smiles and I return the smile.  ‘That’s better!’
he mutters, ‘now what about the Sam thing?’

‘What?’

‘You said,
and the Sam thing
,’ he
reminds me.

‘Well….’ What do I say here, that I am
not allowed to go anywhere near Sam’s castoffs? ‘Nothing really forget it!’

He appears as if he is going to insist
before he relaxes, handing me my glass of wine and paying the barman.

‘Thank you.’

‘You are very welcome, cheers.’

‘Cheers,’ we clink our glasses and his
eyes once again penetrate mine, sending my insides squirming as I take a deep
breath in.

‘I know this sounds like a line but has
anyone told you, your eyes are mesmerizing?’ he suddenly states.

I flush, but reply, ‘yes that does sound
like a line,’ and he grins.

‘So, that Scot guy, are you dating him?’
he questions, suddenly.

‘Nope, apparently I am not allowed.’ I
reply stiffly.

‘How come?’

‘Well, your delightful girlfriend has
informed me that there is a certain girl-code, within the area, prohibiting me
from going anywhere that she has, or plans to.  Fortunately, or unfortunately,
however you wish to label it, she wishes to bed Scott, so has banned me from
accepting his offer of a date.’

‘What?’ he chuckles, ‘really?’ his eyes
appear doubtful.

I nod and take a mouthful of wine, ‘oh
yes, it’s like the twilight zone, believe me,’ I mutter amused.

‘And did you want to date him?’ he
probes.

‘Maybe,’ I shrug, ‘maybe not.’

His eyes regard my face as if he is
weighing up my thoughts.

‘What?’ I question.

‘What happens if I wish to take you out?’
he enquires.

‘No can do, I am afraid – you are on the
list,’ I look up at him from under my lashes and I feel his hand on my hip.

‘Lucy, are you challenging me by any
chance?’ he whispers into my ear.

‘No.’ I squeak, as his hand moves to the
bottom of my back and my heart flutters inside my chest.

‘I think you are Lucy, I think the reason
you find it uncomfortable in my company is because your body craves mine.’

‘You are very sure of yourself Cameron, aren’t
you?’ I breathe.

I experience a heavy feeling in my sex at
his words and actions.  His breath is against my neck and for some unknown reason
instead of moving away, I move towards him.

‘Have you always done what you are told Lucy?’
he whispers, ‘who has the right to tell you who you can, and can’t enjoy?’

‘Cameron,’ I warn, I have had too much to
drink and the surrounding room fades.

‘What Lucy?’ he continues, as he brings
me slowly up against his body, his hand pulling me into him.  I feel my insides
warm and my nipples tighten against my dress.  His mouth is at my ear, ‘can you
feel what you do to me, Lucy?’

I feel his hardening arousal at my
abdomen and I breathe, deeply butterflies fluttering within.