“And women,” Vee added.
“Shut up. They are just being polite. I’m not sure they want the old ladies ruining their evening,” I replied.
“Fuck off with the old, Helen,” Vee fired back. “I’m fifty already and I’m not old. We are women in our prime and I swear, if you stop me being able to go home and tell my wife I got to spend the night with Jax and his crew before she met him, then I will have to unfriend you.”
Jax
“More drinks?” Jimmy asked as he stood from the large table we’d taken over.
“I’ll get them.” I nodded in the direction of the bar. “I need to stretch my legs.”
“I won’t say no to you paying for the next round.” He laughed. I didn’t mention that it had nothing to do with the fact that Helen had left to go to the bathroom and was now chatting with some dufus in an ill-fitting, tan-coloured suit.
“Ladies?” I asked, looking to Helen’s friends who were laughing and chatting with my crew.
Vee tucked her curly hair behind her ear and shook her now empty glass in my direction with a wink, while the other two pointed to their still half-full bottle of wine.
As I walked toward the bar, I watched suit-man hand Helen his phone and she typed in what I presumed was her number. Then he called it, making her laugh as she took her ringing phone from her bag, waving it at him.
“Hey.” I pressed my hand to the small of her back, making her jump. “Sorry to interrupt, but can you come and help me at the bar?”
Helen turned her head to look at me, her expression confused. “You couldn’t ask one of themanyother people sitting around the table with you?”
Suddenly, I felt ridiculous, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets, unsure how to get out of this without Helen thinking I was some weirdo.
As if she could sense my embarrassment, her hand cupped my bicep. “Don’t worry, I know it’s my round. Colin, I should go, but it was nice to meet you.”
He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll call you and we’ll arrange that date.”
She nodded before turning her attention back to me. “Come on then. Best not keep your team of thirsty heroes waiting.”
“Are you really going to go out with Colin Collins?” While I pretended to listen to Jimmy’s story he was sharing, my attention was on the conversation going on between Helen and her friends because Vee had just asked the question that was on my mind.
“What? He was handsome,” Helen replied.
“That name though… and he looked like a hamster.” Vee laughed before taking a sip of her vodka.
Becks slapped her arm. “Don’t be mean.”
“You could do better though, Helen,” Lizzy added, swirling the last of her wine around the glass. “I wish you saw yourself the way we see you. You’d be demanding a hot fireman to take you out.”
I loved the blush that spread up Helen’s neck as her eyes twitched my way and she found me staring in her direction.
“He seemed keen. I should probably just give it a try… he might be nice,” she replied to her friends while her gaze remained locked on me.
Vee spluttered. “Nicewon’t set your panties on fire or give you those O’s you’re missing out on.”
“Vee,” she hissed. “I don’t think the entire bar needs to know about my lacking love life.” Luckily, everyone was too busy chatting to overhear what was being said. And before anyone could say anything else, the bell rang, announcing last orders at the bar.
“Club?” Tiny yelled and while some cheered, others groaned. It had been a gruelling few days on shift and, like me, they were probably knackered and feeling it in every muscle of their body.
“I’m done. Time for bed,” Helen announced, and all I could think wasyes, please,but I pretended the thought hadn’t popped into my mind. Instead, I stretched my arms and yawned.
“Me too.”
Helen looked to her friends, who were apparently set on continuing the night. While they made plans to hit this town’s one club, I leaned over the table. “Wanna get out of here?”
She nodded, hugging her friends and saying bye to everyone else before we left and climbed straight into a cab.