Page 55 of Barging In
“Yes, I expect it is,” Jasper said dryly.
Clem struggled to contain her amusement. So, Jasper wasn’t a fan of Drew either.
She felt a sudden nervousness at meeting Victoria’s husband face to face, but as Jasper walked off and Drew stepped forward, there was no escaping it.
“Two glasses of champagne.”
“Please.”
Drew frowned. “Sorry?”
“Apology accepted,” Clem said with a flat smile.
“What? Do you know who I am? I paid for all this,” Drew hissed.
“I don’t care who you are or if you paid for it. I am serving it and therefore I expect a please. It’s called being polite. I guess you missed that particular lesson in” — she looked him up and down — “business school. Whatever status you have applied to yourself means nothing to me. If a child can manage it, I’m sure you can, too.”
He shifted, then smirked. “You play hard. I like that.”
Clem rolled her eyes. Typical arsehole response, thinking she was playing hard to get.
“Am I supposed to feel flattered? Whatever cheesy lines you have stored up your overpriced sleeve, I’m not buying it. You’re not even shopping in the right market.”
“Oh, is that right? Maybe you just haven’t met the right man yet.”
Clem planted her hands on her hips and levelled a look at him. “Seriously? A woman tells you she’s not interested, and your response is to mansplain her sexuality back to her?” She let out a short laugh. “Trust me, I’ve met plenty of men. That’s one of the reasons I’m happy to be a lesbian.” Her gaze swept him up and down again. “It’s preferable to walking clichés like you — all style over substance. The danger with men like you is no one sees the cracks until they’ve already fallen through them.”
He seemed more entertained than offended by the idea he could be a threat, which only proved her point. Not wanting to spend another minute with him, she decided to forgo waiting for a please. She filled two glasses with champagne and passed them to him.
“Here. Now, why don’t you run along and pay acompliment to your beautiful — and yet invisible — wife? If you can even remember what she looks like.”
Drew raised an eyebrow at her. Clem raised one back and glared at him.
“Vic!”
“Oh, sorry,” Victoria replied, turning to find Jasper beside her. “I was miles away.”
“So it seems. Here, hold my glass. I’m going to grab some cake. Want any?”
Victoria shook her head, hardly hearing him. Her attention was on Drew and Clem at the bar. She had hoped they wouldn’t meet. Part of her feared Clem might say something about the dalliance she’d spotted in their upstairs window, but then she had promised not to say anything to anyone. Did that include Drew? Her earlier nausea was rising again. She took a swig from the glass, then another, watching Clem, who had her hands firmly on her hips. Should she go over?
Jasper reappeared beside her and took his glass back. “Did you just drink all that?”
Victoria looked at the empty glass. “Oh, sorry.” She didn’t even remember draining it.
“Never mind. I should keep a clear head for later anyway,” Jasper said, looking over to the bar. “Clem scrubs up well, don’t you think?”
Victoria followed his gaze. “Indeed.”
“I’m not sure which of you has been unable to keep their eyes off Clem more, you or Drew.”
“What?” Victoria snapped, turning to look at Jasper.
Jasper shrugged. “Simply saying what I see.”
What on earth was he insinuating? He had no idea shewas attracted to women. Or did he? Maybe, being gay, he picked up on things or noticed body language that she didn’t realise she was exuding. To her, people were all the same.
“Come on, Vic, I’m not blind. You and Drew are hardly Kate and Wills. Clem’s put a spring in your step that I haven’t seen since you were working on this place. What did I walk in on earlier in the kitchen? Your faces were a picture,” Jasper said with a playful smirk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smiling like that.”
