Game Girls Read Online Free PDF Page A

smiles back at her brother. He's
brought three amazing guys with him. All
gorgeous beautiful spunk hunks. Aaron might
not be into girls but his mates usually are. The
mates he lets her meet, anyway.
    'This is Nathan, Dale and Tom.' Aaron
comes forward, goes to hug her and then stops.
'Sorry, fair sister – don't want to get that dress
wet. It's thumping down out there, and look at
me – I'm dripping. But anyway – happy
birthday. And hey – you look stunning.'
    Warm wonderful Aaron. She doesn't care
what his secrets are. He's the one guy in the
world she'll never get bored with.
    'Thanks.' She squeezes his hand and smiles
round at the spunk hunks. She loves it that
they're beautiful. Loves it that they've made the
effort to come. She still can't decide which one
she wants to go for, but time stretches ahead.
There's no hurry.
    They've got to be better than the college
rabble anyway. The guys there are decent enough
but . . . She rolls the thought round her head,
trying to decide what she's thinking. Not enough.
That's it. Decent enough, but not enough.
    'We've got you refreshments – stashes of the
King's best beer,' Aaron is saying. 'It's all out in
the carriage.'
    'Bring it in. Bring it on. I've made up some not-so-royal
chilli, and there's garlic bread and rice
and salad.' She knows she is glowing. Knows the
spunk hunks are taking her in and looking her
over. The shimmer-blue dress clings in all the
right places. They are probably trying not to stare
at her breasts. The thought of this makes her
warm and shivery, and she bites back a smile.
    The night is young, and it belongs to her.
    'Sounds like a banquet. I'll bring the booze
in.' Aaron grins, and goes off.
    'I'll go and help. I'm Tom, by the way.' The
spunk hunk who was the driver shoots a grin at
her, and heads back outside. He's got a smile to
die for. A bit short for her, but who cares about
height tonight.
    Nathan and Dale turn and follow him.
    Alix raises her eyebrows at Courtney, who
raises her eyebrows back.
    'Kitchen,' says Alix. 'Let's make sure
everything's ready.'
    She closes the door, trying to use the
moments between lighting the oven and
manoeuvring the salad from the over-stuffed
fridge, to gauge a reaction from Courtney.
    'What d'you think?'
    ' I think they look . . . ' Courtney gets glasses
down from the cupboard. Lines them along the
top of the washing machine. Then she fills up a
bowl of frothy hot water and starts cleaning
the sink. '. . .OK.'
    'OK? Come on – they're gorgeous. Which one
would you go for? I promise to give you a free run
if you just say the name.' Alix pulls some garlic
bread from a carrier bag on the floor, wraps it in
tinfoil, and pokes it on the bottom shelf of the
oven. It's too long and it crushes up against the
door as she jams it shut. She shrugs. It doesn't
matter. Everyone will be too drunk to care soon
anyway.
    'Sorry.' Courtney jerks a look round at her,
her expression strained, as if she'd been
somewhere else in her head. 'What did you
say?'
    Alix pulls a frozen pizza from the freezer,
tearing open the box. 'Surely you—' But the
question is sliced short by spunk hunk Tom
staggering in with a box of beers.
    Alix steps slightly to the side but the space is
tight and Tom brushes her arm as he passes,
pressing into her.
    'We've got plenty of vodka.' Alix smiles at him
and sweeps her hair back from her face. It splays
down over her shoulders, and she can feel its silk
touch on her skin. 'And some soft drinks. Of
course.'
    'Of course.' Tom edges Courtney's newly
lined up glasses to one side and plonks his box
beside them. 'Many coming?'
    'Just a college crowd. They'll bring drinks
too. Do you think I've got enough though?'
    'Oh, I think so.' Tom gives her the to-die-for
smile. 'You've got plenty.' He looks at her.
They are very close. He has tawny eyes, gold
flecks among the brown. The rain has curled
his hair slightly. Dampened his shirt. She
wonders if she should slip off her heels.
    'Food, glorious food.' Aaron