Two Weddings and a Fugitive (The Chanel Series Book 4) by Donna Joy Usher Read Free Book Online Page A

since you set eyes on me. You can’t be friends with short people.’
    ‘That’s ridiculous.’ I put my hands on my hips. ‘One of my best friends is an orangutan and he’s about the same height as you.’
    I’d thought he’d been angry before. ‘Are you saying I’m an animal ?’
    I saw Billy put his knuckle into his mouth and bite it. ‘Of course not. I’m merely pointing out that I’m not sizest.’
    ‘Well if you’re not sizest you won’t mind if I have your bed.’ He darted past me towards my room.
    I grabbed his arm and yanked him back. ‘My room,’ I said, as I struggled with him.
    ‘Mine, now.’ He grunted and threw his body weight towards the door.
    My grip slipped and, holding onto its ends, I threw my towel out, hooking it over his head like a lasso. He growled and yanked at it with both hands, trying to uncover his eyes. It gave me the time I needed to manoeuvre back past him to my room.
    ‘You’d get lost in this bed,’ I said. ‘Besides, I’ve already slept in it. Naked.’ The last part was a lie, but he wasn’t to know that.
    ‘Urrrh,’ he said, ‘girl germs. He threw my towel on the floor and stomped to the bathroom. ‘I might be a while,’ he said, smiling at me. ‘I haven’t crapped for days.’
    I looked over at Salindra and Billy. ‘I’m not sizest,’ I said.
    ‘I’m sure you’re not,’ Salindra replied. But her voice was the sort you used when you were trying to soothe a deranged person.
    I blew at a piece of hair that had escaped during my struggles and decided to move my nap up the priority list.
     
    ***
     
    Mum looked stunning in a low-cut, emerald dress. She was pressed up against Harry, sipping a cocktail and staring out to sea. Billy and I stood in the door to the bar watching them for a few moments before either of us moved towards them.
    ‘Beer? Or are you going to have a cocktail?’ Billy asked.
    ‘Surprise me.’ I wandered over to Mum and Harry.
    ‘Chanel, Baby.’ Mum threw her arms around me. I was guessing that wasn’t her first cocktail. ‘Isn’t this fantastic. How’re your rooms? Ours is wonderful isn’t it darling? It has a plunge pool on the balcony with the most wonderful view.’ She smirked and leant towards Harry. He obliged her with the kiss she was after.
    ‘Nice enough,’ I said. ‘We have to share a bathroom.’ None of us had been game to go into it for an hour after Nick had finally emerged.
    ‘And your flat mates?’ She made little air quote motions as she said the word flat mate, and then looked around to make sure no one was listening.
    I sighed. ‘They’re fine.’
    A cocktail appeared in front of me at the same time that a hand grazed my back. The touch lingered on the tip of my shoulder blade while I reached out for the drink. ‘Thanks,’ I said to Billy. Tingles spread along my spine and I shivered, feeling bad that I was getting so much out of what was, on his part, an innocent touch. I was a dirty, dirty girl.
    ‘Mojito,’ he said. ‘Chanel’s already had a run in with one of our flat mates.’
    ‘Oh Chanel,’ Mum tisked, ‘you need to learn to play nice.’
    Geez Louise. How many of those cocktails had she had? She seemed really happy though. Perhaps I should try to catch up.
    I took a big slurp and said, ‘I am playing nice. He’s got a bad attitude.’
    Billy snorted. ‘I can vouch for that.’
    ‘Well you stay away from him,’ Mum said, as if that would solve all my problems.
    ‘Oh that’s going to be easy.’ I pulled a face at Billy. ‘Seeing as how I have to pretend he’s my boyfriend and everything.’
    He let out another snort and hid his mouth behind his glass. But I could tell he was smiling by the way his eyes danced at me over the top.
    My phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my bag and looked at it. It was Martine.
    I held it up so that they could all see who it was and then answered it. ‘Hey,’ I said.
    ‘Where are you?’
    ‘Hamilton Island.’ Wow, I mean I had told