Page 87 of Toy Boy

“You didn’t want to go to the charity dinner alone?”

“Jesus, no! Some boring, stuffy dinner with Russell’s friends and their uptight wives?” She shakes her head and glances around. “I’d much rather be here, even if it’s not exactly party central.”

“You haven’t come to spy on me, then?”

“You might want to tame that ego, Sis. It’s not always all about you.”

I roll my eyes and start to look around for Xander. He’s been gone a while, and in my experience there’s never been a queue for the male toilets anywhere, ever.

“Where’s the toy boy?” Laney asks, settling back in her seat as she continues to scan the packed terrace. And I really wish she wouldn’t keep calling Xander that.

“Inside, somewhere.”

“And what about Scott?”

Her eyes meet mine, and I frown. “What about him?”

“Is he here with his new squeeze?”

I can’t help laughing. “His new squeeze?”

She shrugs. “What else am I supposed to call her?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what they are. Whether they’re a proper couple or not.”

“Would it bother you if they were?”

I look at my sister through narrowed eyes, why does everybody keep asking me that question? It’s starting to irritate me now. “What are you doing, Laney?”

“I don’t know. Trying to get you to admit that Scott Warren is still taking up room in your head?”

“Really?”

She just stares at me, and widens her eyes, and I start to look around for Xander again.

“What about you and Xander?”

“What about us?” I sigh, wishing this conversation would end.

“How are things going there?”

“Fine.”

“That’s it? Fine?”

“What do youwantme to say, Laney? I like spending time with him, he makes me smile, but it’s nothing serious. You know as well as I do that he probably won’t be here for much longer…”

“And then what happens?”

I narrow my eyes even further. “I’m sorry?”

“If Xander leaves, goes back to whatever life he had before he came here, what happens then?”

“I go back tomylife. With a lot of very happy memories.”

“Okay…”

“What’sthatsupposed to mean?”

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