Taylor's POV
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"So Christopher" I begin looking at how he is sitting with my best friend, his arm draped around her shoulder. The ultimate hot boyfriend for my bestie.
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The big 8 is heaving tonight, it adds to the atmosphere of being out all together. The guys are on their first beer, Olivia refused to share a bottle of Prosecco with Rachel and is sipping Pineapple juice. Jay got me a mocktail, it's a virgin pina colada and it has a little pink umbrella.
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Rachel looks at me pointedly. Don't embarrass me her expression screams. I eye her laughing slightly, Matty to one side of me Jay on the other, Rachel is opposite me next to Olivia and Chris who is opposite Jay his arm draped around my best friend.
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"What did you study at university" I venture and he smiles charmed. I eye Rachel and she looks up at him, adoringly.
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"I studied business" he begins eyeing Jay briefly, as he shifts in the booth at the mere mention of the word business.
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"Oh nice" I say softly.
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"What did you guys study" he asks and I notice he has smile lines. An open, easy attitude complete with sandy blonde hair. He's perfect for my bestie I've already decided.
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I look to Matthew first and he looks into my eyes briefly. Olivia assesses him and I feel uncomfortable, he looks away quickly. Rubbing his hands slightly, I notice the ring I bought him. Looking away and back at Rachel I decide is my best move.
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"Art" Matty smiles.
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"Photography and media" he finishes.
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"Dance and psychology" I say and Chris nods.
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"Business, psychology, politics and sport" Jay laughs and I hold onto his arm. He's the whole package isn't he? Deep, academic and sporty, I sigh.
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"I was supposed to be a track star" he jokes and everybody laughs. He's funny too. I kiss him.
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"Love you" he whispers very quietly in my ear and I smirk at him, his tan skin and blonde hair looking golden in the soft lighting of the restaurant.
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"Nice man" Chris says looking at Jay briefly before he glances down at Rachel again.
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"What did you study?" He chuckles interested in her.
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"We haven't yet got to that conversation" he laughs looking up at us and I like his sense of humour. He's really easy going, confident and not in an annoying way. I smile at Rachel and she laughs.
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"I studied politics too" she says and we all scoff.
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"I'm kidding I studied hair and beauty" she laughs and Olivia shifts uncomfortably. Have a laugh I think to myself, I eye Matty and he shrugs a little.
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"What about yourself" Chris asks Olivia openly.
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"I studied nursing" she says simply ending the conversation. I put it down to nerves but Matthew scrapes his hair back. He's frustrated by her. I just hope we can keep this evening amicable.
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"Another beer" Jay asks Matty looking at Chris too.
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"Yeah man I'll come with you" Matty smiles.
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"I'm in" Chris says and he stands too, kissing Rach before he goes. I practically swoon for her. Olivia sighs. I watch as the guys leave and then turn back to Rachel, her smug expression.
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"Hey so I like him" I say excited.
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"Right" she says enthusiastically.
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"He's super chill, easy going. Such a contrast to Nate" I begin glancing at Olivia feeling bad and like I need to include her in girl talk.
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Rachel returns my look and starts a conversation, downing the rest of her Prosecco. Olivia looks at her shocked and I sigh slightly.
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"How's things with Matty" she begins going straight in for an inquisition. I wince slightly but decide to see how it goes.
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"It's going pretty well, he's just quite guarded" she explains and I listen, intently. Matthew is the least guarded person I've ever met, he's practically an open book.
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"Have you both ? You know ?" Rachel asks and I nudge her under the table with my foot. What she mouths to me flicking her hair before looking back at Olivia to continue the inquisition.
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"Have we what ?" Olivia asks and I can't tell whether she is confused or annoyed.
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"Had sex" Rachel smiles, slightly drunk.
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"Olivia you don't have to answer her questions" I laugh, trying to reassure her.
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"Oh it's okay Taylor" Olivia says rather short and clipped with me. On your own then, I think to myself.
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"We've had sex yeah twice" she explains and I smile not shocked in the slightest.
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"Matty is amazing" Rachel laughs and Olivia looks at her appalled.
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"What!? girl calm down it's a compliment" Rachel laughs.
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"We've all had him here" she adds and I cringe slightly. Remembering how I felt when I first met Rachel and she decided to tell me everything she'd done with him. I was not impressed then either.
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"Shh" I say to her eyeing the guys as they return.
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"I've ordered the food" Jay says taking a seat back down next to me. His arm going around my shoulder, confidently. I notice Matthew slip in next to me eyeing Olivia briefly.
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"What did you order" I say getting excited by food. I let Jay order for me whilst we're out. I love the surprise.
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"No that's the whole point of me ordering for you darling" he says softly and I laugh.
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"What you trust him enough to get your meal" Rachel laughs eyeing Jay up.
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"Yes we always do it, he orders for me. Sometimes I order for him to get him back, like that time I ordered you prawn linguine instead of your usual steak" I say laughing.
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Christopher laughs and comments on how that sounds like a nice dish anyways, I team up with him and Rachel snickers at Jays misfortune.
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"What did you guys order" Rachel asks trying to be interested in Olivia again, she is quiet.
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"I ordered steak" Matthew says for her.
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"And cod" he says looking at Olivia.
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"Is it fried in clean oil" she asks him. He looks at her baffled, pushes his hair back frustrated.
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"I think Olivia means is it fried in oil that hasn't been contaminated by any other meat products" I say in an attempt to help him out.
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"Thanks Taylor" she says rather sarcastically. I shut my smart mouth just as Jay places his beer down rather forcefully.
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Olivia stands and heads to the bar without another word and I look into my lap.
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"I should have asked" Matthew says and I glance up at him, seeing somebody completely and utterly drained.
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"Nah man" Chris says easy breezy.
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"I wouldn't have thought to ask either" he adds and I smile at him.
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"She needs to calm down" Rachel adds and Jay eyes her agreeing.
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Olivia approaches the table again, and I smile up at her weakly.
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"All sorted" Matthew asks.
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"Yeah sorted" she says flippantly.
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"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you at all interjecting earlier" I say quietly, she looks at me and then back to Matthew. Rachel turns to Christopher and brushes his hair back.
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"No it's all good" she says brusquely and I decide to let it slide.
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Jay looks at me seriously, and I kiss him softly. I sit back in the booth determined not to get on anybody else's nerves this evening.
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"What happened to your buddy, Ross" Chris asks changing the conversation entirely. I smile up at him grateful for dissipating the awkward tension.
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"He had a car accident" Rachel says softly.
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"Ah man sorry to hear that" Chris says looking down at her and she melts.
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"Lorry went into his car unfortunately" Matthew says, and his tone is different. Withdrawn.
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"He's very lucky then, I'm sure that is down to you isn't it?" Chris says attempting to be nice to Olivia.
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Her cool exterior lifts just slightly as she regards him. It's like watching a pensioner in a young women's body.
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"He's very lucky to have survived, yes" she says like a clinician. Rachel rolls her eyes.
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"Taylor and Jay were on their honeymoon at the time of the accident" she explains and I know she's going to go on about my dream.
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"Where were you again" she turns to me.
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"Tasmania, in the wilderness." I smile.
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"That's the one, and Taylor had a dream without knowing about it. And turns out it happened whilst she was dreaming about Ross" she says and it sounds wrong.
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"I had a dream, that Ross was in some kind of trouble that's all" I say reasonably, trying to not look like a weird witch psychic type.
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Jay strokes my thigh and I look up at him. Olivia looks at me like I'm stupid and airy fairy.
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"Perhaps he was in a state of fear or whatever, and he was calling out to her" Rachel says, over wrought.
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Olivia scoffs; she can't help it she's a woman of science and medicine. Not psychic visions. I think it was all just a weird coincidence. Myself and Ross do not have a mental connection to one another.
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"I'm sorry it's just not possible" Olivia says to her disdainfully, calmly.
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"It's not yet it happened" Matthew counteracts and she eyes him with daggers.
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"Somethings are inexplicable" easy breezy Christopher comments.
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"Yes, things that can be explained and dealt with are true, are real. Visions, psychic connections they're fictional" Olivia says.
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Jay rubs my leg but remains quiet, he's logical. But he did witness me waking up crying at the time of the incident. Rachel goes awkwardly quiet and Matty breathes out exasperated.
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"Not everything is black and white" he says simply further annoying her.
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She glares at him but remains quiet.
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"So honestly it was all just a coincidence" I say quietly not wanting to further their argument.
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Thankfully the chef appears with our dishes and I smile up at Jay. He rubs my back loving how excited I am at the prospect of food.
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"Yes" I smile when the epic chicken burger I had been going on about at the hospital is placed in front of me. I smile up at him again and he chuckles.
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"See I listen darling" he smirks and I kiss his lips.
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"Please may we have another mocktail for the wife too" he asks the waiter politely and I smile looking down at my burger.
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"That looks great Chris" I say looking over at his ribs and smiling.
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"Yeah why not" he smiles easily and I like him. I like him for Rachel, he's calm. Attentive to her and friendly.
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"The cod looks nice too" I say to Olivia as she squeezes the lemon over her meal.
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"Do you do this a lot Taylor" she asks and I smile taken aback.
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"Do what?" I ask her, halving my burger.
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"Talk through everybody's meal choices" she laughs but there's an edge to it.
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"I do" I say deciding to bite back.
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"I like to cook, it interests me what people order. And I always think about ways I would cook it" I explain as if she is a child.
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She looks at me bored and I smirk.
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"This one always had steak. And this one always orders steak to this day" I say looking from Matty to Jay in turn.
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"So I cook them different meals" I say and she rolls her eyes.
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I take a bite out of my chicken burger and look at her, she backs down.
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"How's this particular steak" I turn to Matthew and he smirks.
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"Good. Nothing on yours" he laughs.
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"It's the peppercorn sauce she does" Jay nods looking up at Christopher smiling.
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"I'll have to try it" he laughs and Rachel smiles up at him. He's ingratiated himself with her friends.
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We eat fairly quietly, I sit back and watch Rachel and Chris smile at each other occasionally. It makes me happy that she has found somebody that see's all of the good in her. It makes me feel better about leaving, less like I'm abandoning my friend.
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"Oh next weekend, Christopher and Olivia" I look up at them both, Christopher's easy smile and Olivia's cold stare watching me.
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"Jay and I would love you to come over to ours for a party" I say nicely.
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Olivia places her knife and fork down, looks at Matty. He lounges back resting his arm over the side of the booth, as if to say come at me I'm done. And I must diffuse this situation that I've clearly caused.
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"You didn't tell me about this" she comments plainly.
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"Honestly it's my baby shower, so I hadn't formally invited Matthew either. I just felt it would be a nice thing to do, to have everybody there, for Jay too" I explain calmly. Why does she make everything a problem?
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She assesses me and I smile, I will not make you my enemy Olivia. I will not, once again be the reason another girl hates Matthew James Henderson.
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"There will be a lot of alcohol, I'm going to do a BBQ. So I'll get in some veggie skewers, some grilled salmon too" Jay backs me up, eyeing Matthew and then Olivia.
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"Thankyou Jay" she says and there's not a girl on earth that can resist my man's charm. I smirk at Matthew and he returns my grin, a look in his eye. Jay nods.
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"Oh I could buy another BBQ" Jay laughs looking at me and I chuckle. Christopher chuckles and Jay smiles at him.
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"Love a BBQ, we'll be there right babe" Christopher says smiling checking in with Rach who nods at him, happy at his excitement.
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"Two BBQs are better than one man" Christopher laughs.
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"Don't encourage him" I say.
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"I was just thinking" Jay says grabbing his phone and I sigh.
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"One for meat, one for veggies and stuff, right Olivia" he says laughing and I smirk at him.
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"He's got a good idea" Olivia says and the tension from earlier eases off completely.
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"Christopher can attend to one of them for me right man" he laughs.
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"You're impossible to rein in" I laugh.
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"Don't worry I'll do one of the Barbie's for you" Christopher laughs.
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"Matty you're on drinks" Jay laughs and I love this side to him. He's infectious when he's happy.
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"Ross can, I dunno help open the babies presents" he smirks at me and I shake my head laughing.
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"Can we make it a pool baby shower" Rachel laughs.
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"We can make it a pool party baby shower" I say getting excited.
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"They have a very nice swimming pool" she informs Christopher as the waiter collects the plates.
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"I love you so much" I whisper in Jays ear.
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"It's not going to be a risqué party is it" Rachel says demanding my attention, pulling me away from kissing my man's neck.
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"All of my parties are risqué. However not quite that risqué." I laugh and she smirks at me.
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"What!?" Christopher laughs.
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"Don't worry, she just wants to have sex with me again that's all" I laugh and she looks at me embarrassed. I cover bumps ears and she smirks.
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"Don't worry babies don't understand the terms scissoring and lesbian sex just yet" she laughs and I swat her.
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Jay strokes my arm. The waiter serves up more beers.
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"Well this is something I'm going to have to ask for more information on" Christopher says sipping his beer.
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"My wife occasionally likes to get with your girlfriend it's all good" Jay laughs and Christopher looks at both of us totally floored.
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"Taylor and I have had a long open relationship with one another" she lies and I smirk.
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"Oh stop it" I smirk as she winks at me and sips her Prosecco.
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"We are not in an open relationship" I say and she looks at me mock offended. I laugh, glancing at Olivia who is horrified.
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"Before I got married" I look at Jay and he kisses me.
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"We all came here, and discussed what things I'd like to try before being a married woman. And before Jay became my husband, I decided I wanted that" I laugh.
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The guys go silent and I sip my mocktail, I used to think Rachel was worse than me but really we're just as bad as one another.
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"Was pretty darn hot" Jay laughs and I rest in his chest.
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"What's the riskiest thing you've done Christopher" I ask him and Rachel winks at me.
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He looks at Rachel for approval and she laughs.
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"I just told you I've fucked my best friend, go ahead your turn" she laughs.
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"Mines sex behind the bleachers at a game" he laughs.
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"Oh I like it" Rachel laughs.
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"What about you guys" Rachel says getting carried away turning to Matthew and Olivia. I sip my mocktail inconspicuously.
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"I'm yet to experience anything like that" Olivia says, clipped.
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"I think you know mine, Rachel" Matthew laughs sipping beer.
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"Oh yeah I forgot, a threesome” she says drunk.
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"Was that you three?" Christopher laughs looking at Jay, Matty and I. I love how open he is talking about sex, he's not closeted. He's a gentlemen, but he's not opposed to talking about naughty stuff. Perfect for Rachel.
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Jay nods laughing slightly and Christopher high fives him.
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"Well you've gotta do it before you're married right" he laughs.
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"Exactly that man" Jay says and I kiss him, again.
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