Just Pretend

Chapter Nine

Jason
I’m not particularly in the mood to go to the club tonight, but I promised my friends that I’d at least show face.  I’m standing at the bar with a whiskey in my hand and watching the dance floor when I see my sisters’ signature purple hair enter the club wearing a dress short enough to show everything, but I know Will approved the outfit before she went out. 
Then she walks in.
Gwen.
My mouth dries when I see her in the black dress that clings to her body like a second skin with her hair pulled up in a sleek pony tail at the top of her head, the wavy tail falling over her shoulder as she follows my sister into the club, her eyes scanning the area.
I let my eyes follow her until they reach the bar and I groan softly at the full sight of her; dressed in a tight black dress with sleeves flaring at her elbows with the perfect amount of make-up adorning her face, her full lips painted a light pink with dark eyeshadow framing her eyes, making the colour pop.  The heels she wears make her legs look like they go on for miles
She orders a pina colada with a brilliant smile and I’m jealous of the bartender, who fumbles with the bottles before he gets a grip on himself and makes their drinks.  Neither one of the girls notice me and I keep it that way; keeping an eye on both of them while I nurse my whiskey and talk to the guys.
‘Jesus, Jason, where’s your head at?’ Albert demands as his face pop up in front of my face, blocking the vision that is a dancing Gwen.  I scowl at him, telling the group that my sister and her friend are here.  Howard immediately starts searching the dance floor and spots Alyssa over at the bathroom.  I instantly look over Albert’s head and look at the spot where Gwen had been.  Panic shoots through me when I don’t spot her, knowing that a woman who looks like her will probably get herself into trouble.
‘What’s your girl look like?’ Howard asks and I immediately retort, telling him that she’s not my girl, but I describe her without giving them a clear picture.  Finn is the first to spot Gwen backing away from a creep who’s stalking her through the crowd.  She’s smart and heads to the bar, her head moving around as she looks for Alyssa.
I feel anger rising at Alyssa’s carelessness, knowing that Alyssa tends to forget that she’s with someone when she’s out, she even forgot about Will once, leaving the club without him, but I start making my way over, stopping just behind her in time to hear the creep propositioning her to go home.  Her retort has me grinning, but it falls from my face when he says she’ll like it.
‘I don’t think so. Leave me alone,’ she warns him and I can’t stand back anymore, stepping forward and putting my hands on her shoulders.  She looks up at me and relief washes over her features a split second before she throws her arms around me.
‘There you are!’ she cries and confusion runs over the guy’s face and I instinctively wrap my arms around her waist, drawing her into my body.  Electricity hums through my body where we’re touching but I pull her away from the dancefloor, surprised that the guy keeps following her.  Not that I blame the poor sap, she’d make any man proud to have her by his side.
Fuck, every instinct of mine is screaming at me not to let her and Alyssa go home alone.  I decide right there that I’ll be the one taking Gwen home – to her home, but nonetheless.
I bend down slightly to whisper in her ear if the guy is bothering her, my head swimming with the delicious scent of her skin and hair.  I feel her nod and her cheek against mine as she says that he’s been following her since she started looking for Alyssa.
‘Don’t go anywhere like this alone with Alyssa, especially when there’s dancing and alcohol.  Just go with what I’m about to say,’ I say in her ear, unwrapping one arm from around her waist – feeling immediately bereft for it – and she nods as I direct her to stand beside me.  She fits into me perfectly and I ignore that fact, my eyes searching for any of my three friends.  When I find none, I turn my gaze back to the guy who’d been watching us with some disinterest.
‘Are you bothering my girl?’ even pretending that she’s mine warms me more than it should but I feel her jump slightly at my words and she leans against my side when the guy replies in the negative, nearly tripping over his feet when he sees me as though of the first time.  I pull Gwen closer to me and tap her on the hip with a finger and tipping my head toward Alyssa standing barefoot the edge of the dancefloor, clearly looking for Gwen.
A scowl passes over her face as she lays eyes on her but she makes no move to move away from me, sticking to my side.
‘I’ll take that as a yes.  Get out of here before I call security, and apologize to my girl for creeping her out,’ I hate guys like this and I keep my voice hard when I speak and the guy stutters his apology before stumbling backwards and falling on his back onto the dancefloor, tripping over the lip.
I don’t know what made me say the next words that fell from my lips, but I know that Gwen was not going out with my sister again.
‘As for you; next time you and Alyssa go out, you bring me or Will with you.  It doesn’t matter that it’s a girls’ night,’ she opens her mouth to retort but closes it again when I say the last sentence, and she moves away from my side, leaving me cold as she turns to face me. 
For some reason the safety of the girl in front of me is becoming increasingly important and I’ve only known her two days.
‘I didn’t know she was going to abandon me on the dancefloor,’ she retorts and I bite back a smile, raising my eyebrows and taking a step toward her.  Kudos to her that she doesn’t move away from me, only titling her head up slightly to keep her eyes on mine.
I want to pull her back into my arms but the ruse is over so I opt for just looking into blue irises challenging me to refute her argument.
“Hmm. I’ll accept that excuse, but only because you couldn’t have known.  But I mean it, ask me along next time to keep creeps like that away from you,’ and to make sure that you don’t get hurt, I add silently. When Gwen nods in agreement, relief washes through me, and we start making our way to Alyssa, having gave up on trying to find Gwen, is standing at the edge of the dancefloor; gently swaying to the music.
She’s passed drunk and even Gwen notices it, pointing it out and I shake my head.  I know grants her the freedom she wants and he doesn’t mind spending a little alone-time with Clarissa, but he knows Alyssa tends to make a fool of herself when she’s drunk.
I bend down and haul her over my shoulder and she dissolves in a fit of giggles and braces her hands on my back as she lifts her upper body off of mine.  I look over my shoulder in alarm as Alyssa starts teasing me about living with Gwen and Gwen just shrugs at me.  I’m not letting her get away with not telling me how Alyssa knew, but I let it go as we reach the door of the club and I walk outside with Alyssa swaying against my back.
I put her down as gently as possible and Gwen immediately goes to support her by putting an arm around her shoulder while I order an Uber.  Alyssa looks up slightly and pouts at Gwen saying something about work, but Gwen smiles and she’s that she should be fine the next day before turning her attention to me and flinging herself into my arms.
I barely have time to catch her as she stumbles to me and wrapping her arms around my waist.
‘Thank you for taking care of Ris this week,’ she slurs and I cringe at the smell of alcohol on her breath.  I meet Gwen’s eyes over Alyssa’s head and she shrugs sympathetically and we wait for the cab.
‘I’m gonna let them the take us to mine, where I’m getting a change of clothes, then I’m telling him to stop at hers.  We can walk to yours.’  she looks at me questioningly but I can’t bring myself to tell her that I want to spend more time with her.  It doesn’t matter that she’s engaged, I want to get to know her for her.
It’s my turn to shrug and she scowls teasingly and drags Alyssa out of my arms as the Uber driver pulls up and looks at Alyssa wearily.
‘We’ll put her at the window,’ Gwen says and the guy nods at her, his eyes travelling up and down her body hungrily.  I scowl at him when his eyes fall on me and he looks away.  I send a quick text to Howard, Finn, and Albert; letting them know that I’m bailing to take care of Alyssa.
They shoot back their support and Gwen wrestles Alyssa into the car and slides into the middle seat, declining when the driver invites her to sit up front.  I slide in next to her and put my arm around her shoulder to let the guy know that she’s spoken for, and she surprises me by leaning against me and resting her head on my chest.
‘Thank you, for taking care of that creep,’ she says softly and I look down at her, surprised at the thanks.  When I don’t reply, she looks up at me through false lashes and meets my eyes.  A flash of desire courses through my veins and I fight down the urge to lower my head and kiss her.
I can see that she’s not the type to fuck around in a committed relationship.
And for that I envy Mark.
‘You’re welcome,’ I reply in the same low tone she used and I feel Alyssa lean her head back on my arm.  I cast a look at her to see her dozing and I take the opportunity to talk to Gwen.
‘Is it okay if I stay the night?’ I ask her softly and she lifts her head to look at me, a small smile on her lips.
‘It’s fine.  I wouldn’t feel too great knowing that my hero had to find his way home after helping me,’ she says and my heart skips a beat when she calls me her hero. 
‘How else do you tend to thank your heroes?’  I can’t help but tease her but I’m not prepared for her to respond in kind.
‘I tend to make sure it was worth their while,’ Gwen says, her voice carrying a seductive tone before she chuckles and tells me that she’ll make us a coffee and a joint.