Sexy Hart (Sexy Series) (6 page)

I'm very surprised to see the pair of them standing next to one another, smiling, saying... nothing. Silence is golden where these two are concerned. She got over that one quickly enough.

"Hiya!" I greet, happily. "Are you both ready?"

"Morning," Stacy says and I double take... no 'oh, you're up'? No 'whatever'? No 'that dress is... um... very 'you''? Who is this new girl and what has she done with bitch-face? Actually, don't answer that - leave her there, hopefully she pushed her of a rocky cliff.

"Morning, Clare, yep, we're ready - you set?"

"Absolutely, let's get downstairs and head to Vegas, baby!" I say excitedly, and although Stacy doesn't run up and hi-five me like Oliver does, she does offer me a genuine looking smile. She looks so much prettier like that.

A few minutes later after an unusually loquacious ride down in 'that' lift (what?), we're piling into a very sophisticated looking Chrysler Voyager. I'm not sure if that's what they call them here in the States, but back at home - that's what this is. And I love it. It's so comfy and the two rows of seats in the back are facing each other with a table in the middle! How very sociable!

I give Alexia a big hug as I sit down next to her on the furthest seat at the back. I spent some great, quality time with Alexia in Aspen, we really clicked and I have so enjoyed meeting up with her again for this trip. I love that she is Bea's sister-in-law-to-be
now, it means I'll get to see a lot more of her, even though she lives here in the States.

Alexia is so pristine and proper on the outside, but once you get to know her - you see the real, lovely, fun girl underneath. I'm actually quite envious of her 'pristine' and 'proper' look, she's always so well put together, not a hair out of place. Her stunning cheek bones, dazzling eyes and gorgeous, silky brown hair, she’s elegance and grace all the way. Me? I'm a pretty face with big boobs and a huge dose of clumsy and awkward.
In my opinion anyway. Maybe I don't come across that way... I hope not. Oliver seems to think I'm sexy.

Oliver climbs into the car followed by Stacy. She greets Alexia warmly and as she turns to look at her seat, Alexia looks at me with a frown as if to say, ‘what’s the friendliness all about?’

“Um, Oliver, I can’t sit here…” she says as if we’re all supposed to know why.

“Why not?” he responds.

She sighs dramatically. “I need to face the direction of travel, if I sit here, I’ll be sick. I need to sit somewhere else.”
Ah, looks like a little bit of the old Stacy we know and love is making a comeback…

“Hey, I’ll swap with you, not a problem,” I offer to try and nip this spoilt brat thing in the bud. Although to be fair to Stacy, it’s the worst to feel sick on a long journey, and I’m sure she’s speaking the truth.

“Oh. Uh, thanks.” We both stand and awkwardly manoeuvre around the small table, my bottom poking right in Oliver’s face as I slip around into the seat next to him. As she sits down, she looks from Oliver to me, and back again. What now? She can’t seriously have a problem with me sitting next to him.

“Oliver, babe…”

“Hmm?”

“Oliver…” she says, slightly more sternly.

“Yes?”

“Oliver…” she says again through gritted teeth as her eyes widen.
Uh oh, he’s in trouble.

“What Stacy!” he cries, clearly losing his temper.

There is a pause for a moment as Oliver tries to work out what her problem is. He’s quite slow on the uptake really. “Oh… no, don’t be silly, Stace, I don’t need to sit next to you.”

“Uh, yes you do.”

“Oh…” Alexia says, not quite realising what’s happening. “Oh, I’ll move, no problem.” She stands and Oliver sighs.

“I’m sorry, thanks, Alexia, it really wasn’t necessary.”

“It was.” Stacy says as she slips both of her arms around one of his and leans in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, babe… I want to sit next to my pooky while we travel. We can snuggle…”

Oh dear lord.
I swear I almost hear Bea vomiting in the front of the car. Stacy really is the strangest creature I have ever come across. Why are girls so weird?

Oliver looks a little uncomfortable, maybe embarrassed.
Probably so. I would be if I were him.

As our journey begins, we all chat quietly in our pairs. Bea and Daniel are speaking softly in the front, Bea’s soft, happy laugh warming my cockles. I love how happy she is.

Oliver is resting his head back, his eyes closed while his bizarre girlfriend clings on to him and tickles his face sporadically, making him flinch and brush her away. How annoying.

And Alexia and I chat happily about London and how she really needs to come and visit her brother.

“Honestly, Alexia, my home isn’t a palace or anything, but you’d be more than welcome to come and stay with me if you’d rather give them some time to be lovers. I’m on my own now that Til’s moved here so I’d love to have you stay.”

“Thank you so much, that’s so sweet of you. I’d really enjoy that.”

“Great! Well, as soon as you’re able to take time off to be there, you’ll be welcome.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Me neither. And you might find yourself a hot English lover…” I tease, nudging her with my elbow.

“Don’t… I have such a thing about guys with that hot accent.”

“Sorry love,” Stacy interrupts, “he’s taken.” she says smugly before grabbing Oliver’s face - waking him, and forcing her mouth onto his. I feel so sorry for him, he just wants to sleep and she won’t let him; as soon as he starts drifting, she pokes him or bothers him. His eyes shoot open and his hands tense.

When she’s finally done, Oliver looks at her for a moment in question, before resting his head back again slowly and closing his eyes. I can see him coming close to the end of his tether.

“Oh, of course I didn’t mean Oliver. Although, yes, the accent is hot. But I can never be interested in a taken man.”

Something inside me spasms.
Guilt. That’s
my
mantra. That’s how
I
feel… yet I
am
interested in a taken man. I have
done something
with a taken man. This one. I want to take him from her and make love to him.
No! No, no, no you don’t.

~~~~~~~

The next couple of hours go by easily. Thankfully Stacy decides to sleep alongside Oliver, practically wrapped around his entire sleeping body awkwardly. Alexia and I chat comfortably with Daniel and Bea in the front, and it’s really relaxed and enjoyable.

It doesn’t take long for Oliver to wake, given his extreme discomfort with Stacy sprawled out over him, and I turn to talk with him, leaving Alexia talking to the others.

“Hi, nice long sleep?” I whisper.

“Mmm…” he says, stretching slightly, careful not to wake Selfish Stacy, “not particularly, but that short sleep was nice, she been out long?”

“I suppose about an hour.”

“That’s why I managed to sleep then,” he says with a quiet chuckle. Poor thing.

“We’re going to make a pit-stop for gas soon, so if anyone wants to get snacks or anything, that’s the time.” Daniel calls into the back for us to hear, waking Stacy.

“Thanks, Daniel.” Oliver responds as he peels Stacy’s hand from his neck.

“Hmm? Stopping?” she grumbles, “Good. I want water.” She looks back and forth between Oliver and I again and straightens up. “Oh, how long have you been awake?”

“Not long.”

“Sorry, you should have woken me to keep you company.”

“I wouldn’t have woken you Stace, beside, there’s plenty of company here. You obviously needed some rest.”

“No, next time, wake me. Okay?” she says, meaning business, and as Oliver glances at me, I know he’s thinking exactly the same as I am. She is exhausting!

We pull up at a petrol station, or ‘gas station’ as Daniel calls it, and climb out for a quick stretch while he arranges the ‘gas’. Bea and Alexia head to the shop, and I choose to stay by the car, not wanting anything.

“Come on, I need water.” Stacy says to Oliver.

“I don’t need anything, I’ll stay in the car. You go, see you in a minute.”

I climb back inside, she’s going to kick off. Where’s Stacy from this morning gone? And why can’t we see her pretty face again, instead of this sour bitch face?

“No, I want you to come with me.”

“Bea and Alexia are going in, go with them…”

“Oliver, you’re not staying here with…”

“With… Clare?” he asks and his voice raises angrily, “Oh come on, I thought we’d discussed all of this, don’t start Stace.”

“Just fucking
come with me, Oliver!”

Oh my god, she’s a psychopath.

I see Oliver’s face redden through the open door.
Uh oh.

“I fucking will not! Stop with the fucking jealousy and get your fucking water!”
Whoa… he is so mad! I’ve never heard him talk to a girl like that in the whole time I’ve known him.

He climbs back in the car, his face creased with fury and he sits heavily. I stare at him open mouthed. This is so far from the Oliver I know. He’s so happy and playful. I don’t like seeing him like this.

“Please don’t say anything, Clare,” he says.

“I wasn’t going to.” I respond softly. I really wasn’t.

He looks up at me and his face softens. “I know. Thank you.”

I simply nod and smile, and as I do, the witch appears. “Fine. I won’t get any water and if I dehydrate… well - fuck you,” she says as she plonks herself next to Oliver, face to the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Bastard,” she mumbles beneath her breath.

Oliver sits forward and rests his head in his hands, shaking it. “You’re something else Stacy, what is your fucking problem?”
“You know exactly what my
fucking problem
is, you arsehole!”

Oh bejesus, couldn’t they do
this another time when I’m not right here? Bea… Alexia… where are you? Please hurry…

“Actually, no, I don’t. I thought we had all this sorted this morning.”

“Yeah, so did I, until your little
‘BFF’ 
over here started making eyes at you and your dick practically stood up.”

I gasp audibly - shocked. “I… uh… no…”

“No, Clare, don’t. Stacy you mother fucker!”
No, Oliver! Don’t, please don’t give her ammunition, don’t talk to her like that…
“How fucking dare you talk to her like that! Me? Talk to me how the fuck you want, but don’t bring Clare into your stupid insecurities.”

“Aww, how sweet, sticking up for
your idiotic, naive, ‘too-sweet-to-be-true’ whore over here?”

That bitch!
“Excuse me,” I butt in, “Stacy, you can call me whatever you like, but whatever you think, no one is making eyes at anyone… now, we have another couple of hours to sit here together…”

“No, sorry to interrupt you Clare, but no - she not calling you shit like that. Stacy, she’s not a fucking whore and you know it. Funnily enough, some people in this world are just nice. It’s a bizarre concept for you, I now realise, but that’s what this is. I’m fucking done with your shitty mouth.”

“You’re done, huh? Done with my shitty mouth? Well that’s just fine, you’re welcome to each other. I bet this shitty mouth gives a fucking better blowy than hers ever could anyway, I bet it’s like putting it in a wet sock.”

Oliver pauses, simply staring at her, smiling.
Oh no… no… no Oliver don’t, no! You can’t!

“Actually, it’s not like that at all,” he says simply and I drop my face in my hands. Oh god, no.

There’s a long pause, and suddenly I hear a sharp slap and as I look up, she’s heading my way.
Oh holy mother…

~~~~~~~

We step out of the vehicle outside the impressive building that is - ‘
Wynn, Las Vegas
’. Our bags are loaded onto a shiny golden trolley and the car taken swiftly by a valet attendant. We are escorted inside by someone who has been waiting for ‘Mr. Berkeley and party’. Stacy lingers silently behind the group and I try to calm the churning in my stomach as I have done for the entire second half of the journey.
Why the hell did he say that? Why did he tell her?

I
lightly stroke my face where she walloped me, it’s really sore, as is my boob from the elbow she rammed into it. Oliver pulled her off me and held her down until she had calmed, and the rest of the journey remained silent. Alexia is wondering what the hell has gone on and keeps asking what has happened to my face, so I know it must be red.

I cried a little whilst pretending to be asleep, hoping no one noticed the sniffling. I can’t tell you how much that hurt - physically, and how mortified I am that Stacy now knows what happened. Oliver and I are now the bad guys. Which we have been all along, but at least it wasn’t known before.

After checking in, I grab my bag and run. I can’t be around anyone right now; I need to be on my own. I’m scared that Stacy will launch another well-deserved attack on me, I’m scared to get lectured by my friends and I’m scared to speak to Oliver for fear of slapping him myself.