Summer of Like // Farleigh Start x OC

10: You Called This Before You Knew The Number

I swear it only gets hotter as the summer goes on. I'm grateful for the lake - the last refuge of solace in the unbearable heat of the midday sun. The water is by no means cold - but it's cooler than the air, and therefore better.

I float next to the little dock that Venetia is using to sunbathe, lounging on a tube that's supposed to look like a watermelon, sunglasses perched on my nose so that I'm not blinded every time I tilt my head up to talk to Venetia. I have no idea how she's not absolutely dying, just laying out in the open like that, but she seems perfectly content, propped up on her elbows to look down at me. On the shore, Farleigh sprawls over a beach chair, flipping through Harry Potter. Felix and Oliver are splashing back and forth, knee deep in the lake.

Out of the blue, Felix asks. "Do you think Harry, Hermione, and Ron all have threesomes?"

I snort, and turn my head to look at Felix, sure that he's joking. But the look on his face makes it seem like the thought just dawned on him, and he simply has to know the answer.

Venetia laughs, more of a cackle than her usual giggle. "What?"

Farleigh barely moves, simply tilting his head down to look over the top edge of his sunglasses. "Oh, without a fucking doubt."

Felix, even though he was the one who asked the question, seems surprised. "You think they all fuck?"

Farleigh idly turns a page. "They're missing out on an opportunity if they're not." He says. There's a pause as a wry smile plays at his lips - the kind I've come to associate with a jab at Oliver of some kind. "I mean - it's not like we all haven't had a threesome."

"What are you on about mate?" Felix laughs. "I've not. Ollie's not - right Ollie?"

Oliver dutifully shakes his head no.

"Sorry." Farleigh drawls. "It's not like the cool ones of us haven't had a threesome." He amends, shifting his gaze towards me and Venetia.

"Have you had a threesome, V?" I ask, turning to her.

Her cheeks are red - but I can't tell if it's the beginnings of a sunburn or an embarrassed blush. "Yeah." She admits.

"And I wasn't invited?" I ask, indignant.

Venetia laughs. "Sorry - I'll be sure to let you know next time, since you're so desperate to come."

"Well, I've got to get a threesome under my belt if I want Farleigh to think I'm cool." I say.

From the shore, Farleigh makes a disbelieving snort. "Please. You're telling me V and I are the only ones? Really Eves? Never? You've got to have loads of boys - hell, girls too probably - wrapped around your fingers." He turns his attention towards Felix. "And really Felix I'm disappointed - you've got girls falling all over you and you've never had a threesome? Really, you should use your powers for good and get Oliver in one - get rid of that pesky virginity."

Felix's face falls into a disapproving frown. "Farleigh. Play nice."

Oliver turns a deep shade of red that reaches all the way down his chest. "I'm not..." He says.

Farleigh squints at him over the top of his sunglasses. "Oops." He says, obviously not sorry about his mistake at all. "Who would have guessed?"

"Not me." Venetia says, quiet so that only I'll hear it.

"Me either." I say, snickering back to her. "I thought you were going to have to pop his cherry-"

"I'm not going to fuck him." Venetia groans.

"You're in denial-"

"Will you shut up about it-"

"I only tease because it's true-"

"It's not true-"

"You look at him like you want to eat him, V-"

"I don't tease you about Farleigh-"

"What about me?"

Too lost in our back and forth, I don't notice that Farleigh's left his beach chair until he's behind me in the lake, the water lapping at his thighs. I tilt my head back to look up at him, only to find him already gazing down at me, his sunglasses left on the shore. "Nothing." I say out of instinct, and only barely stop myself from cringing at how totally stupid it sounds.

"Evie thinks you're fit." Venetia says, grinning.

I am very glad that my sunglasses are big enough to cover a significant portion of my cheeks, and hopefully hide the blush that I'm sure is spreading over my face. I could deny it - but what's the point, when it'll just sound more incriminating than accepting it?

Farleigh smiles, and I watch as his gaze traces over me. "Join the club." He says.

Venetia rolls her eyes. "So humble."

Farleigh shrugs. "It's not my fault I'm model material." He says, wading off towards Oliver and Felix.

As soon as he's out of earshot, I round on Venetia. "Why would you say that?"

"To get you to shut up about me and Ollie." She hisses back. "It's not like it matters anyway - you haven't even made up your mind about whether you want to fuck him yet."

"And what now, if I decide that I do?" I say.

"Then I've already completed a step of the process for you, you're welcome." She says.

I roll my eyes. "I'm totally not inviting you to my threesome."

She scoffs, a grin stretching over her face. "Wow." She drawls. "Then I'm not inviting you to my next threesome."

"Fine." I say.

"Fine."

I hold her gaze for as long as I can until we both break out into giggles.