Our Little Secret

Chapter 18

Sarah
The elevator ride down to the lobby is quiet, the tension between Jack and I is back, making my fingers twitch. Once we are down in the lobby, we see mum waiting for us in one of the sofas.

"Mum! You look lovely." I say as we walk up to her.

"Thank you, dear, you had me worried for a while," she glances at her watch.

"Told you that we would be on time." I smile at her and then turn to Jack.

"There is one problem though." I say and mum raises a brow. Jack reluctantly holds up the bow tie. Without a word, mum takes it from him and knots it around his neck. Jack stares boringly away while she does this, clearly not appreciating the help.

"There you go," she says and fixes it.

"Great. Told you she could help you." I tell Jack, who looks dully my way.

"Time to go. I don't like being the first one to arrive, but rather that than being late," mum urges and walks out of the hotel. The lady behind the desk smiles at me, a little surprised I give her a smile back.

"Now I want you two to behave," mum tells us, sitting beside the taxi driver. I roll my eyes but nods.

"This is a very important event for me and my job, so don't do anything stupid."

"Mum, you already know half the people that are coming."

"Exactly, that is why it will be utterly embarrassing for me if you don't behave."

"Since when do we not behave?" I grin at her and she turns to look at me.

"Seriously, Sarah."

"Okay, mum, seriously, we will behave." I assure her with a smile.

"Jack can you promise that too?"

Jack's head snaps away from the road when he hears his name.

"Yeah sure," he says absently, not entirely sure about what he just promised. He lifts his eyebrows at me, but I just shake my head at him.

We arrive outside the hotel, where the charity event is held, and I start to feel nervous. I don't like being around such high amount of humans, you have to talk to people that you barely know and I suck at that. Luckily I don't have to speak in front of them all at once, like Mrs. Stones has too. I think I would have fainted if I did that. Jack looks uneasy in his suit and he doesn't wear that usual look of confidence on his face.

"Hey, don't worry. It will be okay." I tell him as we walk into the lobby.

"I still don't understand why I had to come," he mutters and looks around. This place sure is nice, in the middle of the lobby hangs an enormous chandelier.

"They sure didn't bother to save on the expanse of building this place." Jack points out.

"This is just the lobby, wait until you see the rest of it."

"You have been here before?"

"Yes, the charity event is always held here." I tell him and we follow mum through the lobby. She greets some friends of hers that I believe I've met before but can't remember their names. Suddenly a pair of hands covers my eyes.

"Guess who?" A familiar voice says.

"Charlie!" I squeal and turn around, removing the hands. In front of me stands a tall guy with a foolish grin. His bright blue eyes shine at me and before I can say anything he embraces me in a hug. I hug him back, giggling.

"Hi! Oh my goodness, Charlie! I wasn't expecting you! What are you doing here? I thought you were in London?" Charlie smiles down at me and drags a hand through his brown hair.

"I was, but mum has been nagging me about attending to this for months and the only way to shut her up was by coming. So here I am," he laughs and I do too. Embracing him once more.

"It is so great to see you!" Releasing him I turn to Jack, who's glaring at Charlie. He, on the other hand, hasn't realised that Jack was with me and is staring at him curiously.

"You have a boyfriend?" He frowns, turning to me.

"No."

"Yes."

Jack and I spoke at the same time and I stare at him. What the hell? I mouth at him and he smiles at me. Charlie looks between the two of us, not following one bit.

Jack walks up to me and puts an arm around my waist.

"We are not together." I blush and try to break free, but Jack's grip tightens. I step lightly on his foot.

"Well, it depends on who you ask." Jack says charmingly and holds out his hand.

"Hi, I am Jack."

"Charlie."

They shake hands, but it looks more like a competition between them than a friendly greeting.

"Pleasure to meet you," Jack says with a fake smile and I frown at him.

"Yeah you too," Charlie says, still looking puzzled and a bit uncomfortable. "Well Sarah... Uh, I got to go. I'll catch you later?" He says and hugs me one more time, forcing Jack to let go of me.

I hug him back tightly. "Of course. Bye, Charlie."

I turn to Jack as soon as Charlie is in the far distance. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You didn't tell me I had competition." Jack says with a frown, staring at Charlie's back.

"Competition?"

"He is older, how old?" Jack ignores my question.

"He's twenty-one, currently studying at Oxford University."

"Oh."

"What did you mean with competition?"

"He obviously likes you." Jack shrugs.

"What? No! Don't be stupid!"

"Oh yeah? Then why did he look at me as if I was intruding on forbidden property?"

"He was not!"

Jack doesn't answer; instead he just looks at me as if it were obvious.

"Was he?" I ask confused.

"Yep."

"That is ridiculous. He is like my older brother." I say puzzled. Jack is about to answer, but is interrupted by another person coming up to me.

"Sarah, hi! How lovely to see you dear, where is your mum?" It is Clara O'Niell, one of mum's work buddies.

"Hi Clara!" I greet her with a hug. "No, sorry, I haven't seen mum, she disappeared the second we got her."

"Ah, you are so used to this now that you can walk around alone?"

"Yes, sort of, but actually I am not alone." I smile and turn to Jack. Clara's eyebrows shoot up when she sees him, checking him out discretely.

Seriously? She is like twenty years older!

Gross.

"Hi, I am Jack," he holds out his hand once again.

"Hi Jack, I am Clara. Karen's colleague," she says and flatter her eyes.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Clara, but I must ask for your age? Because you can't possibly the same as Sarah's mother." Clara blushes and gives him a big smile.

I just gape at him.

"Oh, Jack! Aren't you charming? Sarah, you better hold on to this handsome boy," she tells me and then, with a wink, continues her search for my mum. Turning to me, Jack grins when he sees my expression.

"Oh. My. God! You just flirted with a woman whose at least twice your age!"

"She was pretty hot." Jack shrugs and I make a disgusted face. Anger building up inside of me. Why the hell did he flirt with her, when he obviously was trying something with me?