J & P Book 1 - Say You Need Me

Chapter 6

Tossing and turning, Jenny tried desperately to get to sleep, but could not. She just was not sleepy. She knew that she would regret it the next day, as she was so tired.

She rolled over once again, and stared at the clock on her wall, just visible with the light from the moon shining through her curtains. Four o'clock. It would be getting light again very shortly.

Jenny could only think of two activities that might help her to sleep. One was listening to her personal CD player, for which the battery had run out, and the other was recreating the night's activities in her head, which usually bored her so much that she could not stop herself from dropping off into a deep sleep. She decided to give it a go.

She had arrived at the Hideaway at about quarter past nine, and could recall looking around for Paul. She had not seen him.

Deny must have been on his way there at that time. He had called over at Yolana's en route. Jenny was still not happy with this situation. There should be a law, she thought, prohibiting your best friend from hiding the fact that she is dating your brother. There should be a simultaneous law for brothers. Becky, who she had walked up with, was waiting impatiently at the door for Matt to make an entrance.

Jenny had bought herself a drink and wandered around, hoping to find someone she knew. This process took longer than she had anticipated, and, without any assistance, she had to ward off a gang of particularly creepy guys. Telling them that Dennis Dunral was her stepbrother usually did the trick. He was infamous around town for starting fights. And winning them. Jenny couldn't understand why he hadn't been arrested more frequently. He'd spent one night in a police cell, not long after he left school. That had been funny, though Ellie, his then girlfriend, hadn't thought so.

Eventually, she found Nicky and Rick. Nicky was one of Becky's university friends, and Rick was a friend of Jenny's. At one time in sixth form they had been good friends, but an incident involving Joe had distanced their friendship. One that Jenny wasn't even going to think about right now.

The two were not the greatest company, and Jenny soon tired of their pathetic in-jokes and nudges at each other. She decided to finish her drink perched on a tall barstool, waiting for some more of her friends to arrive. She could see a couple of free barstools, and set off.

Lucy had said she would be out tonight. She was bringing her new boyfriend, Anthony, for Jenny to inspect.

On her way to the bar, she noticed Paul, sitting on a side chair, alone, with his head in his hands, looking unhappy, as usual. She saw no harm in sitting down and chatting to him. She was beginning to feel sorry for him. He had absolutely nothing going for him.

"How's it going?" she asked him before taking a seat next to him.

He looked up and straight into her eyes. "Jenny, I'm not going to bother. It's too much of an ordeal. I mean she's..... overwhelming."

"Paul," she asked, sternly. "What have you got to be afraid of?" She placed her drink on his knee.

"Just look at her," he said, distantly.

He stared into the distance, and Jenny followed his line of sight. She saw Claire, with Zamian. She was dressed very suggestively, almost bursting out of her shirt, and wearing a leather belt. All she needed to complete her outfit, thought Jenny, was a whip. She did look very intimidating. Claire was talking to Zamian, and as Jenny watched, she pulled him towards her by the shirt. It was obvious that Claire was in pursuit of Zamian. Paul was too busy staring at the wall behind them, and saying nothing.

"What are you going to lose if she says no?" asked Jenny. Paul was still silent. Jenny watched as Claire slinked away in the direction of the ladies toilets.