Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter guys, your reviews make me happy. I ended up watching some of Fire these other night. Crazy, I know. I don't think I will ever understand why they decided to ruin something so beautiful. Anyways, happy Naomly is what we all want right? I try my best...
Lick the salt.
Drink the tequila.
Bite the lemon.
Three shot glasses land on the table at the same time and I bury my screwed up face into my hands. I've no idea what possessed us to switch from our usual white wine to tequila slammers but I'm already regretting the change as the sour lemon taste dances around my mouth. It's my first of the night but I've insisted already, it will also be my last. The last thing I wanted to be tonight was absolutely fucking gone. A dreadful hangover taking over my last day in Cyprus tomorrow was highly unappealing, almost as unappealing as the thought of the flight home. I reach across the table, equally pouring the remaining wine from the bottle between our three glasses and then excuse myself for a quick cigarette. I'm only gone a short few minutes but in the time I'm away, the club has got busier, which means I sort of have to dodge my way across the dance floor to get back to our table.
"God you two aren't half fucking obvious, you know that?" I laugh at the pair of them and how they've suddenly stopped in mid conversation now that I've returned. I squeeze myself past Zoe, taking my original seat next to Emily and place a gentle kiss on her cheek, slipping my hand onto her knee from under the table. "So long as it was all good stuff, I don't mind,"
"Like we'd ever say anything bad, right Emily?" Zoe smirks towards me then slides a photograph back across the table. It's one of Olivia, her cute little grin catches my eye. "She really looks like you, she's a beautiful little girl,"
"Thank you," Emily smiles, proudly slipping the photograph back into her purse. After taking a mouthful of wine from her glass, she slips her hand under the table and rests it on top of mine. I can't help but grin. We've basically struggled to keep our hands to ourselves since we got here over an hour ago. "She may look cute and innocent but don't let her fool you, we had a little tantrum before I came out tonight, she didn't want to go stay with Katie,"
"Told you, she's a smart kid," I interrupt jokingly. "I wouldn't want to stay with Katie either,"
"Hey," She playfully digs my leg under the table, hiding the obvious laughter that tints her voice. "It was all your fault anyway,"
"How was it my fault?"
"She only didn't want to go to Katie's because Katie let it slip that I was coming out with you tonight. Both of them weren't very happy, both for very different reasons,"
"So she's still pissed then?" I sigh, running my finger around the rim of my wine glass. I didn't care what Katie thought of me but her not talking to Emily because of me was the last thing I wanted.
"It's Katie, of course she is," She chuckles, turning to Zoe. "I'm sure you've heard how incredibly mouthy and in your face my twin sister is, right?"
"Someone may have told me a story or two in the past," Zoe replies, smiling in my direction for a brief moment. "Sounds like I have some competition on the best friend front though, Naoms. Surprising seen as kids give you the fear,"
"Piss off," I shoot back quickly. "They do not,"
"You can't stand that little group of kids that live in our street," she continues with Emily's attention. "Last Halloween she got really pissed off with them and made us sit with the lights off so they wouldn't knock our door,"
"Naomi, did you really?" Emily laughs, cuddling into my shoulder slightly, I feel her lips on my skin for a brief few seconds. "That's really cruel,"
"They are annoying spoilt little brats," I offer up as some sort of an explanation, taking another mouthful of wine. "Anyway, you know what I'm like with kids,"
"I thought I did," She tells me. "But then I've seen you with Liv this week,"
"Yeah well, Oliva is different," She was Emily's for a start.
"She's taken quite a shine to you, I'm not looking forward to telling her you have to go home soon," I open my mouth to reply but before any words form on my lips, Emily continues. "But I guess now you're her new best friend, it sort of gives you a reason to come back and visit, you know, besides your Mum and Kieran,"
"Best friend?"
"Chloe and Rebecca have been pushed aside," She says, we both laugh. She really was the cutest kid. "Apparently you are way more funnier,"
"Well I have fancied myself as a bit of a comedian actually," I smile lightly, trailing off when I feel her fingers softly trace circles in the palm of my hand. Zoe was momentarily engrossed in her phone, dirty texts from Cook I guess, going by the colour her cheeks have turned. She predictably made excuses to sneak off for a few moments and I watch her leave knowingly before I shuffle across the seat to be a little closer to Emily. The sweet scent of her perfume gets caught up in my nostrils and it takes me back years, I can't believe she still uses the same. It was always my favourite. "I do have one more, rather important and quite breathtaking reason to come back, you know?"
"Really?" She grins knowingly, biting down on her lip, something I always found so infuriatingly sexy. She knew it and was playing on it. "Breathtaking, huh?"
"Unbelievably so," I lean forward, she lingers her lips close to mine and it makes my breath hitch in my throat. "You look really, really sexy tonight,"
"Naomi, listen,"
"Hey Emily, sorry to interrupt," Brandon appeared suddenly and I shuffled back from Emily a little, realising I was practically on top of her. Impeccable timing. "I know it's your night off but there's a supplier on the phone,"
"Can't you deal with it, Bran?"
"I did tell them it was your night off and you were spending it in the company of a gorgeous woman," he smiles cheekily and I find myself giggling at his blatant attempt at showing off his charm. He was pretty much everything Emily told me he was. Handsome, charming, well mannered. He was her best friend. It was clear why. It made me feel better that Emily had people like him around. "But they asked for the boss,"
"Okay, alright," she sighs, turning to me. "Sorry, I've just gotta go deal with this,"
"It's fine Em, go on," I nod forward, towards Brandon. "I'll get another round of drinks in,"
"I watch her walk off in the direction of her office, quite simply struggling to take my eyes from here until she's out of sight. That's something which has only ever happened to me with Emily. I'd been on dates but felt nothing compared to what I've rediscovered feeling in the last week in particular. With her gone and Zoe more than likely chatting no good with Cook, I make my way towards the bar on my own. It was pretty crowded, a group of drunken rowdy lads take up most of the space, so I stay standing for a few minutes as they near enough buy the whole bar.
"Hi," I felt a hand brush my shoulder and I turn, coming face to face with a smiling brunette. Was I supposed to know her? Another friend of Emily's perhaps? I wasn't sure but remained polite by replying. The volume of the music went up a notch, so she leans forward slightly before talking again. "I've seen you in here a lot lately, I've been trying to pluck up some courage to come over and speak to you,"
"You've been watching me?"
"For a while, yeah. It's kind of hard not to seeing as you're so beautiful," I catch her smile at me before she leans forward to speak again. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Erm, well, I'm actually,"
"Go on, it's just a drink, nothing else," She smiles again and I nod, accepting the offer. I perch myself on one of the bar stools and order a white wine. "I don't usually buy girls drinks before learning their name,"
"Naomi," I respond, glancing back across towards my table. Still no sign of Zoe.
"Alisha," She tells me. I glance over again. Still no sign of Emily either. "So, what brings you all the way to Cyprus?"
"Visiting my Mum," I say simply, swirling the alcohol around in my glass. "You?"
"Attempting to get over the biggest mistake of my life," She follows, I feel myself frown slightly. I wasn't sure if I wanted her to continue but she does so anyway. "I'm married. Well, I was married. My Wife then decided she didn't want to play happy families, at least not with me so she fucked off and four weeks later, here I am,"
"Sorry," I offer my sympathy. "Relationships can really, really fuck you over. I should know,"
"You've been hurt too?"
"No. I'm usually the one doing the fucking over,"
"You don't seem the type," She says and I feel myself looking at her for seconds before I laugh. "Sorry I just mean, well, you seem really nice and... Fuck I should just stop talking shouldn't I?"
"No, it's okay," I still laugh, I wasn't quite used to this. "I made one mistake, the biggest one I'm ever likely to make, it lost me everything. I'm not a bad person, I'm just a fucking idiot," I finish my drink quickly and reach into my purse, taking out a note. I'm pretty sure she's on the verge of asking me out somewhere else but I wasn't going to be that idiot again. She seemed sweet and she did look nice but she wasn't Emily. She wasn't even close. "Listen, I'm really flattered by your attention and everything but I have a girlfriend and,"
"Girlfriend? I actually said it.
"Oh. Oh right, erm, sorry I didn't know," She stutters, her face flushing with embarrassment. "God, I feel like a bit of a tit now,"
"It's alright, don't worry about it," I smile and slide the money across the bar. "I owe you a drink,"
At least fifteen minutes pass before Zoe returns to our table. The knowing smile plastered all across her face tells me everything and we briefly chat about Cook and my experience of being chatted up at the bar as we share our drinks. Emily still hasn't returned, so after one more mouthful of wine, I decide to go off and see what's keeping her. I quietly knock her office door and after receiving no reply, I enter thinking she may still be on the phone to her supplier.
She isn't. I find her sitting behind her desk, a glass of vodka in her hand. I ignore the frown taking over my face and plaster a smile on instead.
"Hey, I was wondering what was taking you so long, why you hiding in here?" I click her office door shut behind me and walk towards her when I get no response. "What's wrong?"
"Who was that at the bar?" She asks eventually, after several seconds of silence.
"I dunno," I shrug, sitting on the edge of the desk. "Just some girl,"
"Just some girl? I saw you talking, laughing with her,"
"Yeah I ended up with a free drink," I chuckle but she doesn't. "Emily?"
"It just looked cosy,"
"Is someone a little bit jealous?" I smirk, reaching to take her hand in mine. "She only bought me a drink,"
"Which would of let her think you were interested," She tells me, sighing loudly afterwards. She removes my hand from hers and stands from her chair. "I don't know why I'm jealous anyway, you'll be back in England on Friday and I'm sure you'll have the pick of girls there,"
"What?" I almost laugh but with the serious look on Emily's face, I decided against it. However many vodkas she'd had back here, they were starting to take affect. I step forward, gently tugging her body close to mine. I slip my hands onto her waist and then round onto her lower back, stroking her skin there in a way I know loves. "Em, that's bullshit. I don't want the pick of everyone,"
"But you could,"
"How many of them have you had?" I nod towards the vodka bottle sitting on her desk. She shrugs a little. It would always affect her more quickly than any other drink. I remember that from when we were teens. "I wasn't interested in her, I'm not interested in anyone except the woman I'm looking at now,"
"Really?" Her mouth curves into a light smile and I place my left hand onto her cheek.
"You're the most beautiful woman in here tonight and ever since I got here, I've thought about nothing else other than how lucky I am that I get to go home with you later,"
"You're coming back with me?"
"Well yeah," I laugh, my thumb tracing her cheek. "Only if you want me to?"
"I do," She nods, I lean forward, brushing my lips lightly against hers. "It's just,"
"What Em?"
"I want you to come back with me and not leave," She says quickly, so quickly I'm not sure my ears pick it up properly. She removes my hand that was settled on her cheek and clasps it in her own, entwining our fingers. "I want you to move here,"