The World According to Vince - Jane Harvey-Berrick Page 0,37

to look after the kids, but Tap headed straight for Gracie and Zeus jumped into Cady’s arms.

I was relieved Tyson didn’t try that trick or he’d have flattened her.

“You girls been hitting the booze already?”

“Yes, Dad,” snorted Cady, and thrust a plastic bag at me that rattled with the sound of bottles.

Gracie tottered inside with a massive pizza box under one arm and a bag full of donuts, chocolate, candies and Milk-Bones in the other. Tap followed her faithfully and they settled on the sofa together.

“So what’s the plan, ladies?” I asked with a grin. “Porn Hub and eating chocolate dicks?”

“Yes,” said Gracie, and my smile fell.

Cady sniggered. “Well, it’s a sort of porn: nostalgia porn.”

“What’s that?” I asked, wondering if this could be a niche market I hadn’t covered in my Fans Only IG.

“Well, let’s see: there’s Dirty Dancing, of course; followed by either Footloose—the original because, yeah, Kevin Bacon, why wouldn’t you?—or Step Up, although Grace put in a vote for Strictly Ballroom because she thinks Paul Mercurio is hot in it, but I’m still holding out for Magic Mike; and then Ghost when we get to the weepy part of the evening.”

I scratched my head. “Whatever grooves your truffles, ladies. Look after the kids. I’ll be back, um, some time.”

I kissed the kids goodbye, and even Tap seemed happy enough curled up between Grace and Cady, and Zeus was already snoring on Cady’s lap. Tyson was stretched out under the coffee table which made me wince. He always forgot where he’d fallen asleep, then tried to stand when he woke up and headbutted the table. Every time. I had no idea why it was his favorite place.

“Right, I’m off! Stay out of trouble,” I grinned at them.

“Enjoy the bachelor party, but not too much, Vincent,” Cady said. “I’m warning you!”

Gracie met my eyes for the first time even though hers were slightly crossed. “Don’t get arrested because I’m not coming. Or going. But definitely not coming.”

A squiffy Grace was very, very cute and I wanted to kiss the scowl off her face.

Sighing, I left them to it and jumped in the taxi they’d arrived by, then headed over to Rick’s.

Grace

“Ooh freeze and burn!” Cady snickered.

“What?”

“You were so cool with Vince, I could see icicles dripping from every word.”

I shifted on the large sectional, making myself more comfortable without moving Tap.

“No, I wasn’t. I just don’t want him getting any ideas, especially crazy ones,” I said defensively.

Cady shrugged. “Vince already has ideas: I see them flashing across his face every time he looks at you.” She paused. “At least tell me you don’t hate him, because I saw that steamy lip lock you had with him at the end of the fashion show. Everyone did. Woah, call the Fire Department and bring a bucket of water!”

I shook my head. “I don’t hate him. And it was a very nice kiss.”

“Nice? Damned by faint praise!”

“Okay, it was a great kiss,” I admitted sheepishly, “but that was just because of adrenaline from the show.”

“What if it wasn’t?”

“Excuse me?”

“What if it wasn’t just the adrenaline rush? What if you two have genuine chemistry?”

“I doubt it.”

“Well, Counselor, to test that theory, you’d need to stage a re-enactment.”

“I’ve had too many glasses of wine to have a sensible conversation,” I replied, dodging her suggestion.

Cady grinned at me. “Then don’t have a sensible conversation—tell me how you feel.”

“I don’t want to go to work anymore.”

The words leapt out of me before I had a chance to analyse them or call them back.

Cady blinked at me. “You don’t want to work at Kryll’s? What’s that got to do with Vince?”

“Nothing, everything! It’s hard to explain.”

“Grace, I’m your oldest friend. Have another glass of wine and try. I won’t judge you. Much.”

We each poured another glass of wine as in the background Baby announced, ‘That was the summer of 1963’.

Fascinating factoid: the actress Jane Brucker who played Baby’s older sister also co-wrote the epic talent show song, ‘Hula Hana’.

“Vince is really disorganized,” I began.

“True. And?”

“I’m super organized. I hate mess, I hate being late for things, I hate my to-do list not being finished at the end of the day. I work hard to be the best on details; I find mistakes in other lawyers’ work all of the time and I fix them. That’s why the partners pay me well. Their wages and bonuses have been enough to keep me from looking around elsewhere. They’ve hinted that next year I’ll make partner myself—in one of