women I'd seen, easily four inches taller than me and probably still weighing at least ten pounds less. She picked sadly at a pile of lettuce arranged florally in the middle of her plate, her eyes only lighting up when she saw Danny approach. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder peach dress that highlighted her bony shoulders. I was intimidated by her and felt sorry for her at the same time. She was beautiful, terrifyingly so, but almost bird-like – like a bird, I thought, trapped in a cage. Eating forkfuls of plain lettuce.
“So, this is the girl you haven't shut up about!” Clarence's broad Yorkshire accent was a far cry from Danny's clipped tones, but the deep bass timbre in the voice was the same. “Let's have a look at her, shall we? Are you the girl that's been vexing our Danny?” He looked me over, his bright blue eyes watering slightly as he took in every inch of my flesh with an interest that seemed decidedly more than paternal. I shivered slightly as he took hold of my hand and kissed it with mock obeisance. “Danny's been spending a fair bit of time out in California – is that your doing, my girl?”
“Father...” Danny said in warning tones, looking thoroughly uncomfortable at the proceedings. “Neve's new here – let's make her feel welcome.”
“Charmed,” said Roni Taylor in a hollow voice, automatically stretching her hand out to me. She looked like a doll, I thought, every action, every gesture meticulously rehearsed. She was evidently as nervous as I was, trying to make a good impression. My pity for her increased. A girl of twenty-one married to a man three times her age, trying to fit in among the snobs and dandies of the Blue Water nightclub, among women like Joanne who would likely treat her with the same withering disdain. What was she doing with herself? Did she find any friends in a place like this – or only enemies?
“Roni, so good to see you.” Danny's voice was curt, almost wary. I looked up in surprise at his tone of voice. Danny was normally so friendly; why did he sound so awkward around her?
Roni's blue eyes narrowed on Danny's face, and her expression said it all. The look of boredom and misery faded; in that moment her eyes lit up and sparkled. I saw a glimpse of the beautiful, happy young girl that I'd seen on the cover of so many magazines. “Danny!” she said. “I've missed you so!” She pulled him to her in a hug, a hug that he nervously tried to get out of reciprocating.
My stomach plummeted as I realized the truth. The real reason Danny was so nervous about me meeting his family. Roni's look wasn't the look of lust or desire I'd learned to get used to on the faces of so many groupies. Roni Taylor was quite obviously head over heels in love with her stepson.
Chapter 8
Clarence Blue looked me up and down, his limpid blue eyes fixating on me. I shivered slightly as I felt him take it all in – the size of my hips, the curve of my waist, the precise shape of my breasts. Clarence Blue was, I knew, more than just a womanizer – he was the ultimate playboy, every girl's dream. Or at least – he had been, and his bank account balance more than made up for the difference between his looks now and the looks he sported back in the day. I was thoroughly unnerved by the way that Clarence patted my shoulder, hugging me tightly enough to feel my bra strap under the dress; the way he looked me in the eye, searchingly, as if to imply that he knew exactly what Danny and I were doing every night. It was Danny's turn to be embarrassed. At his father's actions, he flushed a vague shade of crimson, looking down and trying to avoid my gaze. Poor Danny, I thought as Clarence Blue's eyes seemed to close in around me, it's one thing having a dad who used to be a famous womanizer in the past. But Clarence
“So, this is the girl you haven't shut up about!” Clarence's broad Yorkshire accent was a far cry from Danny's clipped tones, but the deep bass timbre in the voice was the same. “Let's have a look at her, shall we? Are you the girl that's been vexing our Danny?” He looked me over, his bright blue eyes watering slightly as he took in every inch of my flesh with an interest that seemed decidedly more than paternal. I shivered slightly as he took hold of my hand and kissed it with mock obeisance. “Danny's been spending a fair bit of time out in California – is that your doing, my girl?”
“Father...” Danny said in warning tones, looking thoroughly uncomfortable at the proceedings. “Neve's new here – let's make her feel welcome.”
“Charmed,” said Roni Taylor in a hollow voice, automatically stretching her hand out to me. She looked like a doll, I thought, every action, every gesture meticulously rehearsed. She was evidently as nervous as I was, trying to make a good impression. My pity for her increased. A girl of twenty-one married to a man three times her age, trying to fit in among the snobs and dandies of the Blue Water nightclub, among women like Joanne who would likely treat her with the same withering disdain. What was she doing with herself? Did she find any friends in a place like this – or only enemies?
“Roni, so good to see you.” Danny's voice was curt, almost wary. I looked up in surprise at his tone of voice. Danny was normally so friendly; why did he sound so awkward around her?
Roni's blue eyes narrowed on Danny's face, and her expression said it all. The look of boredom and misery faded; in that moment her eyes lit up and sparkled. I saw a glimpse of the beautiful, happy young girl that I'd seen on the cover of so many magazines. “Danny!” she said. “I've missed you so!” She pulled him to her in a hug, a hug that he nervously tried to get out of reciprocating.
My stomach plummeted as I realized the truth. The real reason Danny was so nervous about me meeting his family. Roni's look wasn't the look of lust or desire I'd learned to get used to on the faces of so many groupies. Roni Taylor was quite obviously head over heels in love with her stepson.
Chapter 8
Clarence Blue looked me up and down, his limpid blue eyes fixating on me. I shivered slightly as I felt him take it all in – the size of my hips, the curve of my waist, the precise shape of my breasts. Clarence Blue was, I knew, more than just a womanizer – he was the ultimate playboy, every girl's dream. Or at least – he had been, and his bank account balance more than made up for the difference between his looks now and the looks he sported back in the day. I was thoroughly unnerved by the way that Clarence patted my shoulder, hugging me tightly enough to feel my bra strap under the dress; the way he looked me in the eye, searchingly, as if to imply that he knew exactly what Danny and I were doing every night. It was Danny's turn to be embarrassed. At his father's actions, he flushed a vague shade of crimson, looking down and trying to avoid my gaze. Poor Danny, I thought as Clarence Blue's eyes seemed to close in around me, it's one thing having a dad who used to be a famous womanizer in the past. But Clarence
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