Page 39 of Toy Boy

She shakes her head, and the smile’s back on her face. She’s got a lovely smile. A great smile, even. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.”

“So, this party tonight. What is it? A birthday, or some other celebration?”

“It’s just a get-together, nothing special. My friend – Jed – he’s big on this open house thing, he hates being on his own too much. Prefers to have a house full of people, and the vibe’s always good. Laid back. Chilled out. You know the kind of thing.”

Yeah. I do. And under any other circumstance I might just have caved in and took her up on her invitation, but I can’t. I don’t want to.

“Of course, there’s another party going on tonight in Beachcastle, but one that’s definitely not going to be chilled out, or laid back. And not one I’d ever want to go to.”

There’s a hint of – I don’t know – disdain, maybe, in her voice now. Not sure why, but of course I’m going to ask.

“Oh yeah? What party’s that?”

“Megan’s ex, Scott Warren, he’s throwing some huge house warming party…” She’s doing it again, but she realises, quicker than last time, that she’s talking about something she’s not sure she should be sharing, with a stranger, anyway. “Sorry.”

“About what?”

She shakes her head, and her eyes drop to her half-eaten sandwich. “Nothing. I just – I probably shouldn’t be talking about stuff like that. About Megan’s ex, or anything to do with Megan, really…”

She lets that sentence tail off, but she’s hardly crossed any lines, has she? Megan’s ex, I’m aware of his existence, I know he’s back in the bay, and I’m absolutely sure that in a town this size it isn’t a secret that he’s throwing some kind of party. This is a tight-knit community, I don’t think too much can be kept a secret for too long around here.

“Have you met him yet?” Hanna raises her gaze and her eyes meet mine. Deep, dark eyes, she really is incredibly pretty, actually. The more I look at her, the more I see that.

“No. I haven’t. I have no idea who he is.”

Another lie. I know exactly who Scott Warren is.

Big shot surgeon.

Wealthy dick head.

Cheat…

I’m about to have dinner with his ex-wife, of course I’ve done my research.

Hanna lets out a snort of derision, turning her face away from mine to stare back out at the beach. “You’d know him if you saw him.”

And that’s all she says. But why the hell issheso against the guy?

“You don’t like him, huh? Why’s that?”

I can tell she’s fighting the urge to tell me exactly why she doesn’t like him, but I can hazard a guess. She has a loyalty to Megan, she’s on her side. And from what I’ve found out the guy is, by all accounts, an arrogant asshole, but Hanna doesn’t know that I know that. Neither does Megan. I need her to tell me all about Scott Warren herself, which she will. In time. If we get close enough, and whether that happens or not will be entirely up to her.

“He just – he’s quite intimidating, that’s all. He’s this really prominent heart surgeon, and him and Megan…” She drops her head again, and I can see that she’s dying to tell me something, but she stops herself. And then she looks back up at me. “I should be getting back to work.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

She gathers her things and pulls herself up out of her chair. “If you change your mind, or your plans fall through, you’re still welcome to join us tonight. Give me a call or – well, you know where to find me.”

“I do, yes.”

But I won’t change my mind. And my plans won’t fall through. I can guarantee that.

9

Megan

I’ve decided to eat outside, because the weather took a turn for the better this afternoon. The sun stayed out and the temperature rose and it’s too beautiful an evening to be indoors.