Sinners & Saints (Sinners & Saints #1) (24 page)

           
“No,
you want the guy
—
you don’t
want the drama.”

           
“This
is more than drama, Jaz, this is war. A battle of unnecessary allurement
between this disturbing girl and me.”

           
“Well
you’re a bit disturbing too, so at least you got equal weaponry.”

           
I
roll my eyes as he laughs. “Haha,” I mock.

           
“Listen,
Juliet, remember this girl’s got nothing on you when it comes to the matter of
the heart.”

           
“That’s
not always a big deal. Matters of the heart. People don’t usually listen to
their hearts, especially men.”

           
“They
do when they’re captured.” I wait for him to explain. “This girl Scarlett,
she’s somehow managed to dispose of this bloke’s feelings of love and all that
happy shit, yeah? Well that means she doesn’t have his heart. She only darkened
it, but you… you have the ability to take it. To really reach through that
darkness and pull out the red element that controls everything in not only his
body but his soul.”

           
“Jaz,”
I smile. “Who knew you could be so poetic and romantic?”

           
“I
tell you all the time I’m fucking Fabio.”

           
I
laugh hysterically. I miss Jaz.

           
“Besides,
if this guy can’t see how amazing you are… then he’s a fucking knob head.”

           
 
“Aw, thanks babe.”

           
“Anytime…
I think my family is coming to America next month so I’ll see you then.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Now remember, the key to a man’s heart
is a great personality and a fantastic blow job.”

           
 
“Oh my God, bye you twat.”

           
I
hear him laughing like a hyena before I end the call. The thought of seeing him
soon makes me happy. Jaz being here will feel like home and maybe I’ll even set
him up with a certain strawberry blonde haired girl since she sounds like loads
of fun for him.

POPPY

Everything is getting so intense around
here. I don’t get it. Jordana is sad about Margaret Jacobs. Cody is sad. I
think it’s because he’s a virgin. Hugo is always sad. Juliet isn’t really sad,
but I fear she loves Hugo and that will probably make her sad. If only everyone
could just be beautiful. Ugly people need a good influence. Ugly people like
Hugo and Scarlett. They can be beautiful, but their ugliness just overcomes
them. Speaking of ugly, I wonder if my mom will remember my birthday this year.
It’s not until October, but she forgot it last year and the year before that. I
was upset about it, but Daddy bought me the new Prada bag and a Burberry coat.
Those made me feel better.

           
“Poppy,”
Ms. Eleanor comes into my room.

           
I
love Ms. Eleanor. She’s always understood me.

           
“I’m
going away for the weekend. I am in need of a relaxation at the spa.”

           
“Okay,”
I tell her and she goes on to the next room.

           
Ms.
Eleanor is going away for the weekend. Everyone here is sad and grumpy and Ms.
Eleanor is going away for the weekend. My mom didn’t tell me she loved me today
on the phone and I’m sad about that too. I want everyone to cheer up, so what
does anyone do when needing to be cheered up?

 
Throw a party!

16

SCARLETT

“Kelly,” I smile and her eyes seem wary
of my kindness.

           
“Scarlett,
how have you’ve been?”

           
“Good
and you?”

           
“Wonderful,
I heard you’re engaged to Patrick Townsend.”

           
“Yes,
I am.” I flash my engagement ring and make sure my smile is genuine, a sign of
change. Her smile appears to be more comfortable now.

Daniel Ryker, the hostess of this
little luncheon, is friends with Patrick from their days in Princeton. Daniel
is also Kelly’s friend and Evan Ryker works for Jonathan Mandrake. I see this
opportunity as a way to bring Kelly’s world down. Janet informed me that
Jonathan would be accompanying her here.
 

           
“I’m
happy for you,” Kelly says.

           
“Thank
you. I know we don’t share great history… well I don’t share great history with
anyone really, but I’m really trying to change that. I guess that’s what
happens when you meet someone who loves you through all your imperfections,
right?”

           
“Yeah,”
she nods but in her eyes I can sense the envy.

           
“I
had actually asked Hugo about you a few days ago when I saw him.”

           
Her
smile falters. “Really?”

           
“Yeah,
he spoke highly of you. High five on nabbing Jonathan Mandrake’s heart.”

           
She
laughs a little.

           
“Where
is Jonathan? Is he here?”

           
“Yes,
he is.” She looks around, noticing that he’s gone. “He was here…”

           
Cue
the waitress I paid to come offer us champagne. “Champagne?”

           
“Yes,
please.” I grab the glass and smile at her. “Kelly would you like one?”

           
“Uh…”
She’s still looking around. “I should go find Jonathan first though.”

           
“Are
you looking for your husband, miss?” the girl asks her.

           
“Yes,”

           
“I
saw him out on the balcony,” she tells her.

           
“Thank
you.” Kelly smiles and excuses herself.

           
“Nice
work,” I whisper to the waitress before she leaves. People can always be
bought. Especially waitresses that attend NYU and are looking to make a quick
five hundred for this month’s rent. That’s waitress number one with the
champagne and waitress number two who is currently throwing herself at a
clueless Jonathan Mandrake.

KELLY

I go over to the balcony. I hear a girl
giggling. It’s a giggle that disarms me and I don’t know why. Now I know. I see
that my husband is the one that’s making her giggle. His slobbering mouth all
over her neck must make her ticklish. She combs her fingers through his hair as
he comes up and kisses her lips. My husband is making out with a waitress at
our friend’s party. He’s kissing a waitress while his wife is only a few feet
away from him. He’s kissing her like he can’t get caught or like he doesn’t
care if he does. Before we got here, he told me I was acting like a child for
suggesting we spend more time together. That’s what he said to me. I’m acting
like a child
—
not my
husband who’s groping a waitress without any regard for me. I’m the child.

JULIET

Parties are always filled with some
sort of over indulgence, but parties with unlimited drugs, alcohol, and members
of the opposite sex defeat the purpose of that term.
 

           
Young
people from all over the Upper Eastside arrived here at Ms. Eleanor’s place
once eleven o’clock hit. Living room, kitchen, rec room, and dining room are
flooded with individuals drinking their arses off and chatting up about their
lives away from each other. A DJ Poppy hired is set up in the living room and
is blasting a good mix through the house. Dark and light liquor are on the
menu. A local drug dealer named David who, according to Jordana and Cody,
believes he’s Rastafarian arrives with a massive amount of drugs and I mean
loads. He takes credit too. I like that.

           
“Juliet,”
Jordana calls for me. She’s chatting with a tall boy with brown curly hair and
a handsome smile. “This is Nicky King.”

           
“Nicky
King?” My eyes broaden, “As in Connie King?”

           
“Yeah,
that’s my mom,” he answers proudly.

           
“I
loved your mum’s albums. Her lyrics are fantastic along with the one she wrote
about you, “
Nicky, My King
”.”

           
“Thanks,
yeah she wrote that one when I was like two. Jordana’s dad produced it and most
of the other ones.”

           
Nicky
is very good looking. He’s wearing a white t shirt and a few necklaces around
his long neck. He has an earring on his left ear and his jeans are tight. He’s
a rock star.

           
“Do
you think we look alike?” Jordana asks me.

           
I
narrow my eyes, looking back and forth between them. Both of them are tall with
cinnamon brown hair. Jordana’s eyes are green and his are hazel but still
they’re similar in shape. Their smiles are even similar. “Yes… actually yes.”

           
“You
owe me five hundred,” Nicky says gloating at her.

           
Jordana
rolls her eyes.

           
“What’s
going on?” I ask.

           
“My
mom had an affair with Jordana’s dad before I was born,” Nicky answers.

           
“Wait,”
I close my eyes, laughing. “Are you two saying…”

           
“Our
parents refuse to acknowledge it,” Jordana answers.

           
Nicky
shrugs. “I’m okay with my father, but it’s probably good Jordana is gay. It
would suck if we hooked up.”

           
“I
wouldn’t even hook up with you if I was straight, Nicky.”

           
“Whatever,
but Juliet,” his eyes lock with mine in a very seductive way. “I find you very
gorgeous and would love it if you joined me for a dance.”

           
I
laugh a little. “Maybe after I’m a little more intoxicated.”

           
“Fair
enough,” he nods and smiles. He leaves us as I stare at him in disbelief.
 

           
“You
guys act like it’s not a big deal,” I say to Jordana.

           
“It’s
not,” Jordana shrugs. “I have four siblings that I know of. All different
mothers. One from a groupie in Texas. Another from his ex-girlfriend. One in
China and I have a sibling that is the daughter of an Oscar winning actress.”

           
My
eyes broaden. “Who?”

           
“Not
allowed to say. Under contract from our family’s lawyers, but let’s just say
she was one of America’s Sweethearts.”

           
I
laugh and glance over at Poppy who is dancing in the middle of four guys and
snorting a line off some guy’s hand. I’ve been counting her lines tonight.
That’s her eighth one.

           
“I
think Poppy should slow down a bit.”

           
“Poppy
always needs to slow down,” Jordana says, shaking her head. “It’s what she
does.”

           
We
continue staring at Poppy as she… Oh God… she’s twerking.

           
“Hey
guys,” Cody says coming up to us. “Having fun?”

           
“Are
you?” Jordana asks. “I haven’t seen you take one shot.”

           
“You
know I don’t like shots. They make my chest burn,” he says wincing.

           
“Cody,
you’re so cute,” I say to him.

           
“Aw,
come on. Don’t see me as cute,” he whines.

           
“Well
when you say shit like ‘I don’t take shots because it makes my chest burn,’
you’re bound to be seen as cute by sweet people like Juliet and Poppy and a
pussy by the rest of us.”

           
“Here,
here.” Hugo came out of nowhere, raising his glass to us in agreement with
Jordana.

           
“Fine,
I’ll take a fucking shot,” Cody snaps and grabs the first shot he sees out of
the hand of some random person.

           
“Hey!
Asshole!” the drunk girl sneers at Cody as he takes the shot of what I’m
guessing is tequila. He closes his mouth and looks like he’s about to hurl.

           
“You
better fucking swallow that,” Hugo warns him.

           
Cody
slowly swallows the liquid and coughs. “Oh my God, that was disgusting.”

           
“Here.”
Hugo pulls out a rolled up joint from his gold cigarette case.

           
Cody
grabs it and a lighter. “Thanks.”

           
“Don’t
say thank you to me until you figure out about that other favor you want.”
Cody’s eyes broaden and he looks nervous.

           
Jordana
and I eye him curiously, wondering what Hugo means.

           
“I’m
thinking about it,” Cody says.

           
“I’m
gonna go flirt with someone,” Jordana says. “Come with me, Cody,” she says
grabbing his arm. “You might learn something.”

           
Now
it’s only Hugo and I left.

           
“Hey
Hugo.” A very drunk girl stumbles over to us.

           
“Maureen,”
he says.

           
The
drunk blonde leans into him and whispers, loudly, “I want to go to your room
and sit on your face.” Laughter escapes as she stumbles back.

           
“As
lovely as that sounds, Maureen, I…” He trails off and grabs a guy walking past.
“I think Charlie.”

           
“What’s
up, Hugo?” Charlie smiles at him.

           
“Yeah,
Charlie would love for you to go do that to him, preferably not in my room. Try
Cody’s. It’s the one on the second floor, third door on the right,” he
instructs her and just like that Maureen grabs a very happy Charlie by the
wrist and takes him away.

           
“Well
look at you sending blessings to others,” I sort of joke.

           
“Everyone
should be giving in their lifetime,” he says.

           
“Speaking
of giving, I gave you a kiss a few days ago and I have yet to receive a thank
you.”

           
He
gives me a look.

           
I
sigh. “Fine, fine. No thank you.” I’m gonna throw a quote at him now and I’m
pretty sure he won’t get this. “Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of
your goodness, Dobby never knew.”

           
“J.K
Rowling.”

           
My
mouth drops. “What in the bloody fucking fuck?!” He smirks. “You of all people
know
Harry Potter
? A book of powerful
human spirit and good.”

           
“Actually,
that series is kind of depressing. A lot of people died.”

           
“Well,
yeah I did cry profusely
—
especially
in the films. They were quite dark after the first two.”

           
“The
only reason why I know is because they’re August’s favorite book and film
series. He made me read the first and third one twice to him.”

           
“Must
have been torture.” Those damn books are so long.

           
He
looks at me again. “The books are well written and the films are pretty good.
You tell anyone I told you that, I’ll smother you in your sleep.”

           
I
smile at him as he looks away.

           
“Can
I ask you something and get the truth from you?”