significantly reduced, and there were empty miniature bottles on the floor by Zeke’s side of the bed. I hadn’t even noticed him drinking.
He’d taken a quick shower two hours before, and spent the rest of our “getting-ready time” surfing the Internet on his iPad.He wasn’t on any of the surf e-zines or Magic Seaweed though. Instead he was on Reddit, obsessing over some crime podcast he’d listened to.
“I’m ready,” I said, waiting for him to notice my super-skimpy pajama party outfit, which included very short shorts.
“At last,” he sighed, without even looking up at me. Instead he picked up some of my make-up products scattered all over the dressing table and placed them neatly in my toiletries bag.
“Hey, I sort of made an effort. I painted my toenails with glitter varnish for God’s sake.”
He looked up then and grinned.
“You look beautiful,” he said, “from the top of your head, right down to your toes.”
“Yeah, you’re a day late and a dollar short ,” I said, parroting one of his favorite phrases in my best impression of his voice.
“I sound nothing like that,” he said, frowning. “Can we go now?”
chapter thirteen
Chase gave us all a lift to Coral Gables in his fancy blue sports car; Zeke in the front, and me, Saskia and Gabe squashed into the back. Saskia had gone for some antique black silk nightdress that was backless and floor-length, and Gabe was in Bart Simpson pajamas and army boots.
When the house came into view, I heard myself say, “Farking ’ell!”
“So, Chase, you’re the eldest brother, you say?” Saskia said, giving me a wink, “Heir to the family fortune?”
Gabe scoffed and said, “Millions of people in this world are living on a dollar a day.”
“Hey,” Chase said, “this party is for charity, remember, so quit being judgmental. My folks worked hard for this house.” He was smiling as he said this, but I had a feeling Gabe had touched a nerve.
“If by working hard, you mean inheriting a bunch of money . . .” Zeke said.
“OK, so maybe luck played a small part,” Chase said, grinning now.
“How many loos does it have?” I asked, still staring at the house, completely in awe that this was home to Chase, who had seemed so normal to me. I remembered how pleased my mum had been when she’d saved enough money to put in a tiny downstairs toilet. No more waiting for Lily to finish washing her hair while we hopped about outside, shouting, “Hurry up!” and banging on the door.
“If by loos, you mean bathrooms, then it has six,” Chase said.
“That’s a lot of toilet roll,” I said, imagining a Morrison’s trolley full of it.
Beyond the wrought-iron gates, a long driveway led to a house like some ancient Roman palace, all white walls, pillars and huge vertical windows. Behind it, a golf course rolled out in all directions.
I got out my phone, took a photo of it, and sent it to my mum and Kelly. Kelly replied instantly with “Well jell!!!” and five kisses. My mum replied with “Very nice indeed.” And then followed it up with, “I forgot to say! We won half a pig in the meat raffle! Night night.”
We were early, but the place was already jam-packed with partygoers. Saskia and Gabe went off in search of food, as both claimed to have not eaten carbs in a week.
Expensive sound equipment was racked up to one side of the infinity pool, and the music was thudding so loud it seemed like my skull was vibrating in time with it. But the thing that really stood out, the thing that became instantlyclear, was that what Chase termed a “pajama party” did not fit my definition of a pajama party, at all.
True, most of the men were rocking comedy pajamas with printed superheroes or cartoon characters, or were doing the bare-chested boxers and dressing gown thing, like Zeke, but the women were kitted out in basques and sheer slips, and many of them had opted for bras and pants. Amber had on emerald lace underwear and huge,
He’d taken a quick shower two hours before, and spent the rest of our “getting-ready time” surfing the Internet on his iPad.He wasn’t on any of the surf e-zines or Magic Seaweed though. Instead he was on Reddit, obsessing over some crime podcast he’d listened to.
“I’m ready,” I said, waiting for him to notice my super-skimpy pajama party outfit, which included very short shorts.
“At last,” he sighed, without even looking up at me. Instead he picked up some of my make-up products scattered all over the dressing table and placed them neatly in my toiletries bag.
“Hey, I sort of made an effort. I painted my toenails with glitter varnish for God’s sake.”
He looked up then and grinned.
“You look beautiful,” he said, “from the top of your head, right down to your toes.”
“Yeah, you’re a day late and a dollar short ,” I said, parroting one of his favorite phrases in my best impression of his voice.
“I sound nothing like that,” he said, frowning. “Can we go now?”
chapter thirteen
Chase gave us all a lift to Coral Gables in his fancy blue sports car; Zeke in the front, and me, Saskia and Gabe squashed into the back. Saskia had gone for some antique black silk nightdress that was backless and floor-length, and Gabe was in Bart Simpson pajamas and army boots.
When the house came into view, I heard myself say, “Farking ’ell!”
“So, Chase, you’re the eldest brother, you say?” Saskia said, giving me a wink, “Heir to the family fortune?”
Gabe scoffed and said, “Millions of people in this world are living on a dollar a day.”
“Hey,” Chase said, “this party is for charity, remember, so quit being judgmental. My folks worked hard for this house.” He was smiling as he said this, but I had a feeling Gabe had touched a nerve.
“If by working hard, you mean inheriting a bunch of money . . .” Zeke said.
“OK, so maybe luck played a small part,” Chase said, grinning now.
“How many loos does it have?” I asked, still staring at the house, completely in awe that this was home to Chase, who had seemed so normal to me. I remembered how pleased my mum had been when she’d saved enough money to put in a tiny downstairs toilet. No more waiting for Lily to finish washing her hair while we hopped about outside, shouting, “Hurry up!” and banging on the door.
“If by loos, you mean bathrooms, then it has six,” Chase said.
“That’s a lot of toilet roll,” I said, imagining a Morrison’s trolley full of it.
Beyond the wrought-iron gates, a long driveway led to a house like some ancient Roman palace, all white walls, pillars and huge vertical windows. Behind it, a golf course rolled out in all directions.
I got out my phone, took a photo of it, and sent it to my mum and Kelly. Kelly replied instantly with “Well jell!!!” and five kisses. My mum replied with “Very nice indeed.” And then followed it up with, “I forgot to say! We won half a pig in the meat raffle! Night night.”
We were early, but the place was already jam-packed with partygoers. Saskia and Gabe went off in search of food, as both claimed to have not eaten carbs in a week.
Expensive sound equipment was racked up to one side of the infinity pool, and the music was thudding so loud it seemed like my skull was vibrating in time with it. But the thing that really stood out, the thing that became instantlyclear, was that what Chase termed a “pajama party” did not fit my definition of a pajama party, at all.
True, most of the men were rocking comedy pajamas with printed superheroes or cartoon characters, or were doing the bare-chested boxers and dressing gown thing, like Zeke, but the women were kitted out in basques and sheer slips, and many of them had opted for bras and pants. Amber had on emerald lace underwear and huge,
Similar Books
