Chapter 20 #2
You know what the problem with dating a very intelligent man is?
Just that. He’s a smart son of a bitch. When he agreed that I didn’t have to go to his stupid fight I did have an inkling that it was all a bit too easy—he was too agreeable.
So why was I surprised when Abbie, Bridget, Cam and Adrian came around to my house tonight to pick me up to go to the fight?
And when I refused, drank wine with me until I was tipsy enough to be talked into anything?
Diabolical. So here I am, three hours later, at the bar in Luna Park Convention Centre wincing as I watch the big screen.
Thankfully, Adrian and I are staying at the bar boycotting the activities.
It seems Joshua made Adrian come too because he knew I would come if he did.
Thankfully, we are having a really good time and we are very tipsy.
“So, tell me, Adrian. What goes on with you? Do you have a boyfriend?” I point my wineglass at him.
He smiles and rolls his eyes dramatically. “No, sort of, yes.”
I raise my eyebrows. “What does that mean?”
He shrugs. “To be honest I don’t even know. My stupid boyfriend’s phone calls are getting fewer and fewer. When I first got here, he rang me twice a day and now it’s down to once every three days.” He shrugs and talks into his wineglass. “He couldn’t even wait three months.”
I give him a sympathetic smile and he smiles and shrugs. “Josh hates my boyfriend.”
My eyes widen. “How come?”
“Josh knew him a long time before I met him; he’s on his polo team.”
I nod and raise my eyebrows and take another way too large gulp of my wine. “And,” I prompt.
“Josh thinks he is after my money.”
I choke on my wine. “Don’t tell me you’re fucking rich too.” I giggle as I wipe the wine from my chin.
He laughs and shakes his head. “I’m only rich because of your overgenerous boyfriend.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Josh bought me a condo and a Corvette and pays me three million dollars a year.”
I choke again. “Fuck off.”
He nods and smiles as he drains his glass. “Don’t you talk. I think he paid off your mortgage yesterday.”
“What?” I snap. “Tell me you’re joking.”
“You know how overgenerous he is.”
I frown. Weirdly enough I don’t. I point my wineglass at him again. “So why does he hate him?”
He rolls his eyes. “Josh is just overprotective because I don’t sleep around.”
I frown, not understanding. “What do you mean?”
“Shit, you really do psychoanalyze, don’t you?” I raise my glass and clink it with his, raising my eyebrows as I smile. I really should stop drinking; I am feeling very inebriated. “Because I am looking for monogamy and haven’t found it yet.”
I give him a sad smile. “That must suck.”
He nods. “Totally.”
“So how did you meet Josh?”
He smiles a broad warm smile and I know how much he cares for him. “I had just finished college.”
“What did you study?”
“Politics and Economics.” I nod, impressed. “Anyway, I got my dream job as an intern at his company. But I was only there for three weeks and both of my parents were killed in a plane crash, my mother immediately and then my father four weeks later from his injuries.”
I grab his leg. “Oh Adrian, I’m so sorry.”
“Me too, they were…are really missed. Anyway, I had six months off to get my shit together and when I finally came back Josh kept me in the office next to him to keep an eye on me.” I smile as I imagine the scenario he is setting for me.
“Anyway, I started doing more and more for him and then he offered me the position of his personal secretary and then two years later he promoted me to his communications manager.”
I nod and raise my hand to signify more drinks and the bartender smiles and nods.
“What does a communications manager do exactly? I mean how do you earn so much frigging money?” I laugh and cover my mouth for being so intrusive.
He laughs out loud. “I run the company. I handle all of the staff management, the programming timetables, the equipment and of course all of the public speaking.”
I frown. “Of course meaning?”
“Well, you know how shy Josh is. Public speaking is his worst enemy.”
I screw up my face. “Is Josh shy?” How do I not know this?
He frowns at me. “Are you kidding? He’s painful. Haven’t you ever seen it?” I shake my head. “Oh shit,” he smiles as he puts his hand over his mouth. “You two have always known each other, he wouldn’t be shy around you.”
I pull a face and shrug. This information is weird. In fact, there is a lot of things that we don’t know about each other. I would never have said he was shy but then I really haven’t seen him in the company of strangers.
“I can’t imagine big burly Josh being timid.”
“Trust me, he’s not timid. We are here watching him cage-fight, remember?” I nod and screw my face up. “He comes across as arrogant but it’s just because he doesn’t really mix with people he doesn’t know.”
I nod as I process the information. “Obviously, he has no trouble talking to women.” I scowl.
“Obviously.” He raises his eyebrows and we both sit in uncomfortable silence contemplating that last comment. The screen comes back on and another fight begins, the crowd going wild.
“Remind me what we are doing here?” I laugh to Adrian.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
Adrian is suddenly grabbed from behind in a headlock that nearly knocks him off his chair.
“What are you doing here, man?” A very happy Cameron smiles as he messes up Adrian’s hair. “Will you two stop being such boring fuckers?”
I dramatically roll my eyes. “Sorry if I don’t like watching people get the shit punched out of them.”
Cameron laughs and swoops me off my chair and throws me over his shoulder.
“Cameron, put me down.” I grab Adrian’s arm for stability, and he laughs and walks along behind us.
“Cameron, you’re scaring me. You’re too drunk to carry me.
” I punch him in the back. “Cameron, put me down!” He laughs and starts to run down the stairs to our seats.
I am in fear for my safety here. Cam is way too drunk to pull this off.
“Do you know how dead you will be if you drop her?” Adrian smiles at Cam.
He must take that warning seriously because he laughs again and slides me down, back to the safety of the ground.
We get to our row. I am appalled to see Bridget, Abbie and Ben all standing on their seats with giant foam fingers on their hands.
Oh dear, I have embarrassing friends. Adrian grabs my hand and pulls a disgusted face at them.
I nod as we walk along to our seats. The crowd goes crazy again and everyone jumps from their seats.
I look at the stage to see a man get kneed to the head.
“Oh shit.” I cover my eyes. The crowd roars again.
I really don’t want Josh to do this. It was bad enough last time, and we weren’t even together then.
I start to freak out at the violence of the situation.
How can my beautiful Josh be so brutal? Why does he like this?
I mean if he’s so bloody bored, he needs to do this.
What in the hell is going through that pea brain of his?
The crowd is really getting animated and I hate to admit it, but my two friends are right in the thick of things.
Abbie is jumping up and down screaming and Bridget is pointing her foam finger into Cam’s face trying her hardest to annoy him.
Ben has his hands in a funnel around his mouth yelling at the stage.
This place is barbaric. The fight ends and my heart is in my throat.
Oh no, I see him. Joshua is on the side of the ring in a cape.
A fake name is called by the announcer and I see his opponent enter the ring, and the crowd all scream.
I can hear my pulse in my ears as I am gripped with anxiety.
Adrian pulls me next to him as he puts his arm around me.
Josh enters the ring and the crowd roar.
I can see his trainers talking to him as he jumps around, trying to keep warm.
The bell rings and I sit down and put my head in my hands.
I don’t know if I can take this. I feel sick to my stomach.
Cameron shuffles along the row of chairs until he gets beside me.
He gives me a sympathetic smile as he pulls me from Adrian’s grip and puts his arm around me.
“Calm down. It’s OK,” he whispers into my temple.
I look up at the ring as Josh connects a massive kick to his opponent’s torso and he doubles over in pain.
I scream and put my head back down to try and block out the visual of my boyfriend taking such pleasure in beating someone to a pulp.
Cameron suddenly stands and the crowd goes crazy.
Shit, what’s happening? Ben starts to yell, “Get up…get up.” I stand and peer at the ring to see Josh on the ground and the other guy laying into him.
Oh my god. I go to run down there to stop this craziness and Cam and Ben both grab me to hold me back.
“Stop it,” I yell. “Let me go.”
Cameron shakes his head. “Just give him a minute.” I sit back down and put my head in my hands with my heart rate thumping in my ears. How can they watch him get hurt like this?
“What if that maniac kills him?” I scream at Ben. “Aren’t you his frigging bodyguard?” He smiles and shakes his head and Adrian is now standing on his seat yelling at the ring.
“Finish him off, finish him off.” Good grief—finish him off. Now I have heard it all. I grab Adrian’s shirt and yank him off the chair so fast he nearly falls over.