Wanting His Girl

Chapter | 16

Jack stood by the fireplace with his wine glass full of water. Agony wasn’t the right word for what he felt at that point in time, dying perhaps? The steady chatter of the room was like a hammer to the head and as his brother sauntered towards him he could only glare.

“That wasn’t beer”

“Sure it was, you just been drinking that weak Australian stuff for too long” Stephen teased, spying how crooked Jacks tie was he reached over and fixed it up.

“We phoned Em didn’t we?” Jack felt even worse about that. He had slept all day until Stephen had booted him out of bed and into shower and now he had to hang around in a new level of hell. As soon as he could leave, he’d call her then.

“Oh yeah, pretty sure she said something about hating your sorry drunken ass and she wants to break up” Stephen thought he was being hilarious and the glare that Jack served him quickly shut him up. “Did I tell you I’m coming back with you? Sick of this wet and feel like having some summer and if I happen to go to the beach and find a willing little surfer girl to show me around so be it”

Jack only groaned, leaning against the wall beside the fireplace he closed his eyes to try and escape his siblings teasing and thinking it couldn’t get any worse, it did.

“Jackson?” The sultry voice had him opening his eyes as Stephen looked away to hide his smile.

“Victoria” Jackson faked a smile which looked more like a grimace to the woman who sauntered towards him. She air kissed his cheeks, the kind of thing Jack hated having to put up with these people.

“It’s so good to see you; it’s been way too long. Where have you been hiding?”

“Australia Vicky. How you doing?” Stephen jumped in then, coming to stand beside her he slipped his hand around her tiny waist. For the first time since his arrival, Jack was glad to see his brother.

“If only it wasn’t just looks but personality that ran through your family” She pushed his hand away and flicking the long black ponytail over her shoulder she inched closer to Jack.

“Ah there are my boys” Jack didn’t hide his groan as his father joined the trio, “Victoria, pleasure”

She smiled and greeted their father, stepping back slightly and in Jacks direction. The black cocktail dress left little the imagination in a room where the average age was mid- fifties and the hemlines hit the floor but all Jack could do was compare his former one night stand to Emily. They were about the same height but that was where the similarities ended. As green as Emily’s eyes were, Victoria’s were blue and the personalities were much like that of he and his brother, completely the opposite.

“Jack, good to see you son. Sad to miss you at brunch” Stephen sniggered and Jack made sure to stand up from the wall he had been using as support.

“I was jet lagged father, apologies”

“Jet lagged? Not the god awful hour and state your brother got you home in?” The grey eyebrow was raised in Jacks direction, challenging his lie.

“Not at all” His pocket vibrated then and as Victoria started to schmooze with his Dad he slipped it out of his pocket as another couple of messages came through and opening it, Sookie had had her puppies. “Please excuse me; it’s rather urgent I take this call”

Leaving the party he practically ran upstairs, nodding and smiling politely to his parent’s guests as he sought to find the sanctuary of his room in the back of the house. Before hitting call, he looked at the pictures again; nine puppies.

“Jack?” Emily answered hesitantly, not sure who might be on the other end.

“Hey Em”

“Did you get the pictures? Sookie has had her puppies!” He frowned, hearing the excitement in her tired voice made him miss her more and he wished he had been there for it.