bottle of champagne. She had changed from her skinny jeans and tiny T-shirt into a plunging halter-neck. And when I walked over I saw that her denim skirt was very, very mini. The worst was that she looked sensational. Her long black hair cascaded down her back and her eyes were beautifully made up. Frikly frokly frak.
‘I think the boys will be more interested in the Veuve Clicquot,’ she said to me.
‘Not likely,’ said Jack. He took the pomegranate juicefrom me and unscrewed the lid straight away. ‘I want to be fully compos mentis tonight,’ he said. ‘Save that for later, Jazz.’ He opened a cupboard, pulled out some glasses and began pouring juice.
‘Sure, Jack,’ crooned Jazz. ‘
Later
.’
It was a serious act of will for me not to narrow my eyes and pull my lips back in a tiger snarl, but Forest must have seen something in my face.
‘I hear you’re a special lady,’ he said to me.
‘Er . . .’ I replied.
‘Jack tells me your grandma was a witch.’
‘Yes,’ I said, and Jazz snorted quietly. She’d put the champagne bottle down and was staring at me in a scary psycho way with her arms crossed.
‘My mama’s got some voodoo,’ noted Forest.
‘Whoa,’ I said. ‘Guess you were a well-behaved kid.’
He boomed with laughter. ‘You got some witchiness from your grandma?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘definitely no.’
Forest laughed again. ‘That’s what you think, missy. Got to have some magic to pull this guy here.’ He slapped Jack on the back, and Jazz’s face turned to thunder.
Jack’s grin faded when he caught sight of her expression. ‘Oh, Jazz! I’m sorry – you want some juice too?’ he asked, handing us our glasses.
‘No thank you, darling. I’m saving myself for thebubbly,
later
,’ replied Jazz, the thunderous face fading to a flirty twinkle.
Jack’s mobile rang and he pulled it out of his back pocket. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, and stepped out of the back door.
I noticed that Forest and Jazz were staring at each other. And not in a good way.
‘Careful, Jazz,’ said Forest.
‘Oh, I’m being
very
careful,’ she whispered. ‘
You
,’ she shot me a look, ‘you’re the one who needs to watch out. Wouldn’t want your headmaster hearing how you’ve been drinking with students.’
I was struck dumb.
How unbliddybelievable was this woman?
Forest took a step towards Jazz. He was so close to her that she had to tip her head right back, which she clearly didn’t like. Her hands went to her hips, and she leaned away. ‘You mess with the witch girl, and you mess with the voodoo man,’ he rumbled. ‘Jack might be blind to your games, but the rest of us know what you’re all about.’
My jaw had dropped now, for sure.
‘Oh, I doubt that,’ breathed Jazz. ‘You think you can intimidate me? A brainless pile of brawn and a pathetic schoolgirl?’ She strode over to the telly and pointed a finger at an armchair just as saggy as the sofa. ‘See that chair,
Tatty
Bird? That’s Jack’s. The chair next to it is mine. That’s my place, next to Jack, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.’
I raised my eyebrows. Could this girl
hear
herself? Sheesh.
Forest laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. ‘You should know I’m not brainless,’ he said, smiling at me. ‘Just a little forgetful.’
Suddenly Jack yelled from outside: ‘AAAAAARGH!’
It sounded like he’d been run over twice by that hulking GTI.
‘JACK?’ I shrieked, bounding outside. ‘
Are you okay?
’
Please
let the jinx not have come back!
Yes! He was upright.
Yes! He had all his limbs – fingers, toes, everything.
I bounced up to him and gripped his biceps, staring into his face. ‘What happened? Is everything all right?’
He smiled at me as Forest loomed in the doorway behind us.
‘Man,’ he said to Jack, coming over to clap him on the shoulder. ‘Your girlfriend worries about you.’
Jack kissed me on the forehead, grinning from ear to ear. ‘I gave you a fright?’
‘I think the boys will be more interested in the Veuve Clicquot,’ she said to me.
‘Not likely,’ said Jack. He took the pomegranate juicefrom me and unscrewed the lid straight away. ‘I want to be fully compos mentis tonight,’ he said. ‘Save that for later, Jazz.’ He opened a cupboard, pulled out some glasses and began pouring juice.
‘Sure, Jack,’ crooned Jazz. ‘
Later
.’
It was a serious act of will for me not to narrow my eyes and pull my lips back in a tiger snarl, but Forest must have seen something in my face.
‘I hear you’re a special lady,’ he said to me.
‘Er . . .’ I replied.
‘Jack tells me your grandma was a witch.’
‘Yes,’ I said, and Jazz snorted quietly. She’d put the champagne bottle down and was staring at me in a scary psycho way with her arms crossed.
‘My mama’s got some voodoo,’ noted Forest.
‘Whoa,’ I said. ‘Guess you were a well-behaved kid.’
He boomed with laughter. ‘You got some witchiness from your grandma?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘definitely no.’
Forest laughed again. ‘That’s what you think, missy. Got to have some magic to pull this guy here.’ He slapped Jack on the back, and Jazz’s face turned to thunder.
Jack’s grin faded when he caught sight of her expression. ‘Oh, Jazz! I’m sorry – you want some juice too?’ he asked, handing us our glasses.
‘No thank you, darling. I’m saving myself for thebubbly,
later
,’ replied Jazz, the thunderous face fading to a flirty twinkle.
Jack’s mobile rang and he pulled it out of his back pocket. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, and stepped out of the back door.
I noticed that Forest and Jazz were staring at each other. And not in a good way.
‘Careful, Jazz,’ said Forest.
‘Oh, I’m being
very
careful,’ she whispered. ‘
You
,’ she shot me a look, ‘you’re the one who needs to watch out. Wouldn’t want your headmaster hearing how you’ve been drinking with students.’
I was struck dumb.
How unbliddybelievable was this woman?
Forest took a step towards Jazz. He was so close to her that she had to tip her head right back, which she clearly didn’t like. Her hands went to her hips, and she leaned away. ‘You mess with the witch girl, and you mess with the voodoo man,’ he rumbled. ‘Jack might be blind to your games, but the rest of us know what you’re all about.’
My jaw had dropped now, for sure.
‘Oh, I doubt that,’ breathed Jazz. ‘You think you can intimidate me? A brainless pile of brawn and a pathetic schoolgirl?’ She strode over to the telly and pointed a finger at an armchair just as saggy as the sofa. ‘See that chair,
Tatty
Bird? That’s Jack’s. The chair next to it is mine. That’s my place, next to Jack, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.’
I raised my eyebrows. Could this girl
hear
herself? Sheesh.
Forest laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. ‘You should know I’m not brainless,’ he said, smiling at me. ‘Just a little forgetful.’
Suddenly Jack yelled from outside: ‘AAAAAARGH!’
It sounded like he’d been run over twice by that hulking GTI.
‘JACK?’ I shrieked, bounding outside. ‘
Are you okay?
’
Please
let the jinx not have come back!
Yes! He was upright.
Yes! He had all his limbs – fingers, toes, everything.
I bounced up to him and gripped his biceps, staring into his face. ‘What happened? Is everything all right?’
He smiled at me as Forest loomed in the doorway behind us.
‘Man,’ he said to Jack, coming over to clap him on the shoulder. ‘Your girlfriend worries about you.’
Jack kissed me on the forehead, grinning from ear to ear. ‘I gave you a fright?’
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