Three's a Crowd by Sophie McKenzie Read Free Book Online Page B

head. “Poor Marco.”
    I shrugged. But inside, I had to admit I was pleased. Well, why shouldn’t I be? Cat was gorgeous. And it didn’t mean anything was going to happen – after all, I was with Eve, whatever stupid games we had to play to hide it from her dad.
    Cat left at the end of the shift, having extracted promises from both of us to turn up at the Garito that night.
    “It start later Tuesdays,” she said, looking up at me seductively. “Open Mike Night is popular. So many staff no free until late.”
    Ryan and I went back to our room to change. On the way we met Chloe who told us that Eve was having tea out with her dad and Lola.
    I swore. “When am I supposed to see her?”
    Chloe gave me a pitying look. “She said she’d catch us in the nightclub at nine. Her dad’s offered to buy us some beers at the Open Mike. What are you going to sing?”
    “I’m not,” I said shortly. Personally, I thought the idea of an evening where people could get up and sing whatever they wanted sounded stupid.
    Chloe put her arms round Ryan and gazed up at him adoringly. “What about you, Skankface?”
    Ryan grinned. “I am surprising you,” he said, “with my awesome talents.” He pulled her into a snog as we reached the trees.
    I stomped on ahead, muttering darkly to myself.
    The nightclub was buzzing when we turned up at nine. The whole place was dark, with soft wall lighting and a big disco ball over the dance floor. Tables and chairs had been placed around the raised stage, which was set with piano, drum kit and several chairs and microphone stands.
    Chloe told us that the open mike session ran from nine-thirty to eleven-thirty. “Then Jonno says they take the tables and chairs away and it turns into some middle-aged disco.”
    A waiter showed us to Jonno’s table, right at the front by the stage. We sat down and Chloe and Ryan started chatting excitedly. The atmosphere was tense with anticipation. Loads of people were already in the room and more were flooding in.
    My mind drifted to Catalina. I wondered if Ryan was right about her liking me. Probably. Ryan was rarely wrong about things like that. Knowing that she fancied me but that nothing would happen because we were both going out with other people was kind of exciting. Like a secret we shared that no-one else would ever know.
    Except freakin’ Ryan, of course.
    Then I looked up. And saw Eve walking towards me.
    And I forgot I’d ever met Catalina.

 
8
Open Mike Night
    Eve was wearing a short, shimmery dress that clung gently to her body as she glided across the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
    She drew closer, smiling at me. Her face was so beautiful. Her soft, slender body so naturally, effortlessly, mesmerisingly sexy. My heart pounded. What did she see in me? How was I ever going to stop some other guy from stealing her away?
    As she sat down next to me, I leaned over to kiss her. She drew back sharply. And I remembered.
    Jonno.
    He strode up behind her, cigar in one hand. “Hi guys,” he grinned. A waiter appeared at his elbow and he ordered a round of drinks. Whisky for him. Beers for us. He winked at Ryan. “Maybe something stronger later,” he said. Then he strode off again.
    I ground my teeth. “I’ve had such a shit day,” I said to Eve.
    “Me too,” she said. “I had to spend the whole afternoon after work with Dad and Lola. She’s hideous. She’s twenty-three and she was all, like, ‘let’s be friends Evie’. That’s what she called me. ‘Evie’.”
    “Where’s she from?” Ryan asked.
    “California,” Eve said. “Via the nearest plastic surgery clinic.”
    This was surprisingly bitchy for Eve. I looked at her, shocked.
    “What?” she said. “She’s had her nose done as well. She told me. Oh, God, Luke. She’s a total cow. And she’s the singer with the band here.”
    She seemed close to tears. I wanted to put my arm round her, but I didn’t dare. So I leaned towards her and was about to tell her how