Girl and Boys (#Wattys2015 Winner - New Adult Romance)

Chapter 26

Leon James was doing his thing with the wires under the desk again to ensure we didn't have another Roxy Rogers sound issue. I'd anticipated this and wore my black skinny jeans for my debut on-air interview. Yes, they'd been the very same jeans I'd worn when we'd first hooked up and they had seen his bedroom floor, but they were my only decent pair of jeans and they made my legs look good. Also, he wouldn't be able to see my knickers.

I expected him to ignore me as usual, especially considering that the studio was filled with people. Mikey sifted through some papers, Loz was updating Twitter, Eric hovered around with the flip camera, Carlo was adjusting the lighting and Scott was setting up the main camera on the tripod. I caught him checking out Leon's arse as he did so and he winked at me when he saw me notice. However, Leon was definitely making his presence known to me.

'So Beth, I take it you've been busy working on all this, then?' he asked, peering up at me. I stared straight ahead. Those sexy eyes of his could break not only my focus on the interview, but also the cool and collected façade I wanted him to see. They were penetrating eyes, and they'd make me think of the times that he'd penetrated me if I looked into them.

'Yes, I've been really busy.'

I saw Scott make a face out of the corner of my eye.

'It took up your weekend then?'

What was he getting at? Was it at the fact that I hadn't texted him back on Sunday when he'd wanted me to come over?

'No, not really,' I shrugged. 'This interview only came up yesterday.'

'Right then,' he said with a grunt as he hoisted himself up to a standing position. The four men - and, admittedly, me - snuck a glimpse of his abs as his shirt rode up. Loz, impervious to the dubious charms of Mr. Leon James, kept twittering furiously away.

'It looks like you don't need me anymore,' Leon announced to the group while looking squarely at me. 'I'll go then.'

'Thanks Leon,' I chirped.

Four heads whipped in my direction as soon as he left the studio.

'Beth, that was awesome,' said Carlo.

'Here, here,' agreed Scott.

I laughed at Mikey and Loz's confused faces.

'I'll fill you guys in later,' I promised. It really wasn't the fact that there was someone else that had made me act so coldly towards Leon. It was because I didn't fancy more walks of shame and being ignored in public. Plus, I had more important things to think about right now as Eric tested camera angles and made my face zoom in and out. I looked into the lens and crossed my eyes to make him laugh.

At that moment, Kade burst through the door, waving his hands excitedly.

'Billy Johnson has arrived!'

Those four words whacked away the confidence I'd felt mere seconds ago. I gripped the edge of the table. Cam pushed past Kade into the studio and gave me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. I took some deep breaths and noticed Pete outside the window peering in, his fingers tapping against his pursed lips as if he was concentrating intensely on something.

I smiled brightly as I waited for Billy Johnson to make his entrance, hoping that Pete would notice how relaxed and charming I looked, even though on the inside I felt anything but.

I saw Sasha first. That is, my eyes were immediately drawn to her bright orange boobtube bouncing in underneath her outstretched arms.

'Bethy!' she squealed, running to give me a hug.