The taxi pulled up outside the palatial Harbourside mansion and Joaquin felt panic rise in her chest. This was not the kind of event she was equipped to deal with and she flinched as a statuesque woman in a very tiny peach frock sashayed past the taxi, her heels clicking on the imported Italian pavers.

“You ok there, Bliss?” Ben asked as he leaned forward to pay the driver.

“Y’know, we could just forget the whole thing and grab some burgers and watch the hotel sports channel,” she breathed, clutching her purse tightly.

“Are you kidding?” he mused as he opened his door and swung his legs out. “How often do you get to hang out at mansions in Australia?”

“I’m cool with never.”

“Get out the car, JoJo, or I will haul you out myself.”

Joaquin sighed and opened the door, doing her best to not trip over her dress as she climbed out. She allowed herself a small victorious smile on completing this transition without embarrassing herself. Ben offered her his arm to take and as they stepped forward Joaquin found herself pulled back and let out a startled squeak. Her purse strap had managed to attach itself to a wayward bird of paradise. “Oh, Jesus.”

“Only you,” Ben chuckled as he dislodged the strap and they headed toward the bustling mansion entrance. A surly looking woman in a grim black dress was waiting at the door to check invitations. She barely glanced at the shiny paper invite as Joaquin pulled it from her purse, and she ushered them through the door.

Inside there were a lot of people bustling about with glasses of various alcoholic beverages, all talking far more loudly than was necessary. A young server stopped in front of them with a tray of champagne flutes. Ben thanked him and grabbed a glass each for him and Joaquin. Joaquin drank most of hers immediately as another server appeared with canapés.

“What do I do now?” she asked, leaning into Ben so he could hear above a group of women who were screeching with laughter.

He glanced around the room. “Ah ha!” he declared and led her across the room toward a well stocked table of food. “Do you think they’d be offended if I ate that entire plate of sliders?” he mused and stuffed an entire slider in his mouth and waved one at Joaquin. “Eat,” he said through his mouthful. She took the slider but just stared at it for fear she’d choke. Instead she finished her champagne as another server appeared and took her glass and replaced it with a pink cocktail in a bulging glass with an umbrella.

“Be careful with that, it’s pretty lethal,” a voice piped up and Joaquin turned to see the woman she’d been seated next to at the protest poster seminar.

“I’m fine with lethal,” Joaquin shrugged. She took a sip and stifled a cough.

The woman laughed. “I’m Angie by the way. I run a small local company specialising in local product advertising.”

“Oh I’m Jo,” Joaquin glanced at her full hands. “I’m clearly not local and at the moment I seem to specialise in book covers.”

“Well if you ever want to branch out,” Angie smiled and held out her card. Ben grabbed Joaquin’s cocktail, freeing her up to take the card.

“Thanks,” she smiled as Angie wandered off to speak to a lady in a dark green dress.

“Look at you industry mingling,” Ben teased and nudged her arm.

“I don’t have any business cards. I didn’t even think to do that,” Joaquin frowned as she tucked the card into her purse.

“You don’t need a bit of cardboard,” he smiled, “you’ve got me.” He passed her cocktail back and snatched a canapé from a passing server.

“Wow,” Adele mused as she, Aidan and Dale spilled out onto the kerb in front of a dodgy looking club. She immediately caught sight of a woman with teased hair and acid washed jeans striding toward the entrance. “Oh my god I’ve seen a mullet already,” she added, stifling a laugh at a small, beer-bellied man who clearly hadn’t changed his look since 1984.

“Oh honey,” Dale laughed. “It gets better.”

Aidan whimpered and dropped his head. “I hate you both right now.”

“Aww,” Adele cooed and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

“Ok, I just hate him,” Aidan chided as he sighed and lifted his head. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

The trio headed toward the burly doorman who smiled broadly. “Aidan, long time no see, brother.”

“Carl, keep up the good work,” Aidan smiled as they passed into the lobby.

“The doorman knows you by name?” Adele gasped. “I think I’m discovering a whole new side of your life right about now.” They stepped into a low lit bar area with an assortment of tables. A man who clearly thought he was George Michael was belting out “Faith” while gyrating his hips in a completely unnecessary manner.

“Let’s get a table,” Dale declared and indicated a table to the far side of the room.

“Ade!” a woman wearing a lot of fishnet half shrieked. “What are you singing tonight?”

“I’ve no idea, Jen,” he shrugged and Adele raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Are you a minor karaoke celebrity?”

“I’m getting booze. I’ll be back,” he announced and hurried off toward the bar.

“What universe is this, Dale?” Adele asked, looking wide eyed. “I thought he was this sensitive artist type and now I’m finding out he’s some sort of karaoke god.”

“I feel as Ade’s closest friend I should educate you on all his endearing qualities because he will squirrel them away from you because he never thinks he’s good enough.”

“What other endearing qualities am I yet to learn about?”

“Oh one at a time sweetie, one at a time.” He patted her hand as Aidan reappeared with three beers. “Did you take a number?”

Aidan raised an eyebrow and waved the ticket stub in his hand. “And because I’m such a good friend I got one for you too, mate,” he added and slapped a stub down in front of Dale.

“Harsh,” Dale feigned annoyance.

“And you.” He narrowed his eyes at Adele. “I haven’t decided if I’m forcing this second ticket on you yet,” he added, producing another stub.

“Ooh, I think I like this mean side of you,” she smiled grabbing the front of his shirt and eagerly engaging him in a kiss.

“I love you both but can you not paw at each other all night,” Dale mused. “I don’t want his tongue broken before the singing.”

Aidan giggled and nuzzled Adele’s neck. “Shut your face, I could down two jugs of beer and spend an hour snogging twins and still be amazing.”

“Excuse me,” Adele flinched from Aidan’s nuzzling. “Twins?”

“It’s a long story from a long time ago,” Aidan said quickly and Dale snorted into his beer.

“It was when we were at university,” Dale added. “They were sisters from I think Japan.”

“Were you slutty at uni?” she asked, taking a sip of her beer and glancing at Aidan who looked like he wanted to crawl under the table at this point.

“I wouldn’t say slutty…”

“Big man whore,” Dale chided. “What about that time we went to a party and you—” He was cut off as Aidan lobbed a coaster at him, forcing Dale to duck. The coaster clattered to the floor but no one seemed to notice as the two men glared at each other.

“TWELVE…NUMBER TWELVE!” A voice yelled over the loudspeaker. A man with a moustache jumped up from his seat and headed for the stage.

“Oh here comes a Freddie Mercury.” Dale sighed as the music for “Another One Bites the Dust” started playing. “Told you.”

“So what did Ade do at the party?” Adele piped up, her curiosity now piqued.

“Don’t…” Aidan warned, cocking his head in Dale’s direction.

“He had sex with a girl in the kitchen at a party and then went home with an entirely different girl.”

Aidan screwed up his face. “I was high as fuck.”

“Who are you?” Adele gasped, taking a long drink of her beer. “In his defense, though, he’s hot and I’ve had sex with him in a kitchen too.”

“My girlfriend is amazing,” Aidan smiled and winked at Dale who laughed into his beer.

“Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met yet,” an older man announced as he sidled up beside Joaquin. He extended his hand. “I’m Mike Van Gastel.”

“Joaquin Owen.” She shook Mike’s hand and then paused. “Oh my god, you’re the one throwing this shindig.”

“I certainly am,” he smiled warmly. “Jensen told me you’d be here.”

“He did?” Joaquin gasped as Mike extended his hand to Ben.

“Ben Saxon, lawyer.”

“Which field do you specialise in?”

“Mostly criminal, but I’ve worked in civil rights as well.”

“Impressive,” Mike beamed. “We clearly need to steal a man of your talents from the States. I’m sure any law firm would be happy to take you on here.”

“Thanks,” Ben nodded. “But I’m just on holiday.”

“Well if you change your mind, I can introduce you to people.” Mike handed Ben his card. “And as for you Miss Owen, I’ve been told your talents are wasted on book covers.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s where my talents belong.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Mike protested. “Any kid can learn to use Photoshop, but not all of them can take their skills back to sketchpad and charcoal. I would hire you for those basic skills over a fresh faced kid with a computer any day.”

“She’s still taking art classes,” Ben piped up. “Her work is pretty amazing.”

“I’d love to see some,” Mike enthused. “Please email me some photos, won’t you,” he added before turning to the room. “Let’s head into the ballroom and turn up the music.”

“No one warned me there would be dancing,” Joaquin frowned as she downed the rest of her – fourth was it? – champagne. “Oh god and they’re playing Bryan Adam, unacceptable.”

Ben laughed, grabbing Joaquin’s hand as he led her into the ballroom. People were beginning to slow dance. A couple of dunk women were swaying on their own. “Shall we?”

“Do we have to?”

“Yep,” he smirked and pulled her toward the floor as he began mouthing the words to Bryan Adam’s “Heaven,” much to her horror.

“Y’know, I think I need the restroom,” Joaquin declared as she wriggled out of Ben’s arms just as Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” took over the room. “I’ll be back,” she added and hurried out of the room with absolutely no idea where a bathroom might be. She decided the most likely place was upstairs and pushed her way past the increasingly drunk partiers on the stairs until she found a landing and a queue. This was clearly an indication she’d reached the correct location of said bathroom. After five minutes of waiting in what appeared to be an unmoving queue, Joaquin decided this mansion must have more than one bathroom and decided to try her luck elsewhere. She wandered several halls until she found a quiet one and then tried a few doors. The first two were locked but the third creaked open and revealed a large bedroom. Joaquin slid inside and found the light switch and happily a very vacant ensuite. She was washing her hands when she heard the bedroom door open and muffled voices. She switched off the ensuite light and opened the door a crack only to see a man hurriedly undoing his pants as a woman kicked her underwear across the floor. Joaquin closed the door and quietly sunk to the floor as she tried to ignore the very loud sex noises coming from the other side.

“Oh my god why is he torturing ‘Take On Me’?” Adele groaned as number 17 seemed to not know how to sing an in-tune low or high note.

“I don’t think he’s managed a correct note in the entire song,” Aidan added as the man took the high notes to a very wrong and shrill place.

“He’s only marginally worse than that woman who sobbed through ‘Eternal Flame’,” Dale sighed. “I had not drunk enough beer to cope with that tragedy.”

“NUMBER 23.”

“Oh fuck,” Aidan hissed and downed the rest of his beer as he snatched up his ticket.

Adele watched him walk toward the stage and stop to tell the man in charge which song he wanted before he sauntered up to the microphone. “This one is for a very special girl,” he declared as the music kicked in.

I’ve got a pocket full of holes

Head in the clouds, the king of fools

You’ve got a ribbon of rainbows

The sun in your eyes, burning through

Could be I’m happy and sad

Could be I’m losing my head over you

“He’s singing me Icehouse,” Adele gasped and clutched Dale’s hand.

Well, you’ve gotta be crazy, baby to want a guy like me

Yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind – crazy

So if I’m dreaming don’t wake me tonight

If this is all wrong, I don’t want it right

‘Cause you’re the one sure thing

When I get lost in the game, once again

Hey, I’m a lucky guy without a reason and I don’t understand

“He’s amazing,” Adele breathed. “I mean you said he was good but I wasn’t expecting this good.”

Well, you’ve gotta be crazy, baby

To want a guy like me

Yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind – crazy

Well, there must be some kind of mistake to give your heart away

Yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind crazy

“What level of turned on are you right now?” Dale mused as Adele clutched his hand tighter.

“I’d ravish him on the table to be honest,” she replied, not taking her eyes from Aidan crooning on the stage.

Well, you’ve gotta be crazy, baby to want a guy like me

Yeah, you’ve gotta be out of your mind – crazy

Well, there must be some kind of mistake to fall in love with me

Well, you’ve gotta be out of your mind – your crazy crazy

Well, you’ve gotta be crazy, baby to want a guy like me

Yeah, you’ve gotta be crazy, baby.

Aidan finished to rapturous applause and pleas of encore. He shook his head. “Maybe later kids,” he purred down the microphone before putting it back in the stand and wandering back to the table where he casually sat back in his seat and glanced at the other two. “How did I do?”

Adele, unable to actually form words, all but climbed into his lap and brought her lips lustily to his.

“Arsehole,” she breathed against his lips. “Sexy, adorable fucking arsehole.”

“I love you too baby,” he smiled as they fell into another kiss.

“I will throw water at you two if you start dry humping,” Dale declared as he plonked three more beers on the table.

“Where the hell have you been?” Ben mused as Joaquin finally reappeared looking flushed. She bumped into a passing waiter and grabbed a flute of champagne that she downed in one gulp.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh no, you have to talk about it,” he grinned as he did a little sway to “Every Breath You Take”. She moved close to him and stood on her toes to speak as quietly as she could into his ear.

“I got trapped in an ensuite as two guests decided to play hide the hot dog in the attached room.”

He snorted with laughter. “Only you Bliss, only you.”

“The dude kept announcing what he was doing, like a football commentator, and it was the worst.”

“Does this mean we can have a dance now?” he purred and slipped his arm around her back to pull her closer. The opening bars of “Lady in Red” began to fill the room to the excitement of many guests.

“It certainly does not,” she frowned, but didn’t pull herself away. It was probably the copious amounts of alcohol in her system, but she was very much enjoying the warmth of Ben’s muscular body against her own. “Could we get some air?

“It is getting a bit hot in here,” he smirked as he glanced down at her body pressed into his.

She pulled away and cleared her throat. “The air-conditioning must be broken,” she managed to swallow and led the way back out into the ridiculously huge foyer. Ben caught up to her as she reached the door and took her hand.

“Adventure!” he declared and almost dragged her out into the lavish gardens. “Wow that’s a very ornate statue of a naked child.”

“It’s a cherub,” she remarked. “So it’s slightly less creepy and weird.”

“It’s a fat baby with its dick out,” he countered. “It’s a bit weird.”

“Well yeah…” he shrugged as they walked through a very manicured rose garden with a fountain. “Is that marble?”

“Well we can assume it’s not made out of cheese.”

Yes but there’s a history of marble sculpting, including fountains and I’d be interested…” Joaquin paused as they rounded a hedge and came to a pool. Empty sun lounges, a cabana and dim lighting gave her a sudden longing for her home in California. “…in knowing if it was a semi-famous work.”

“Yeah, if you even think about that I am hurling you into the pool,” he declared as he cocked his head to the side.

“More exciting than a pool,” she huffed as she stepped back, lost her balance and fell onto a sun lounger. “Ow, my dignity.”

“We should go for a swim.”

“Uh, no, we shouldn’t.”

“But there’s an empty pool calling us,” he grinned as he slipped off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.

“We don’t have our swimsuits.”

“Who needs a suit,” he shrugged as he slipped off his shirt and chucked it at Joaquin. He sat on the end of the sun lounger and began removing his shoes and socks.

“Oh no, no, no,” she gasped as she leaned forward to give him back his shirt but Ben was already standing and undoing his belt. “Ben, people might catch you.”

“Are you kidding? They’re too liquored up to even notice.” He dropped his pants on the end of the lounger. He turned away and removed his shorts.

Joaquin immediately buried her face in her hands and then shamelessly looked through her fingers as Ben stood silhouetted on the pool deck. He looked so good naked and she felt every nerve in her body tingle as Ben’s muscles flexed before he dived in. Ben popped up at the edge of the pool and leaned into his arms that rested on the pool deck. His muscles twitched as water droplets glided over his now very bare flesh.

“Are you going to join me or what?” he smiled and pushed his hair back out of his face. “You can’t tell me a hippy girl has a problem with a bit of flesh.”

“My therapist would say otherwise,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Come on, live a little,” he enthused and disappeared back under the water.

Joaquin unravelled her arms and studied her hands for a moment. Her brain was listing all the many reasons that even contemplating this was a very bad idea, while her body was screaming for her to get in the water. She slid off the sun lounger and kicked off her shoes and jacket then stopped.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

“Problems?” Ben poked his head out of the pool again to see Joaquin looking like she was trying to pop her shoulder out of its socket in a weird kind of crazy yoga.

“In my attempt to be fancy free I forgot I had a zip.”

“Turn around,” he ordered and she heard him heave himself out of the pool and pad toward her. His damp fingers fumbled with the zip on her dress before he could clasp it properly and gently pulled it to the bottom of her spine. Ben’s fingers tickled her now exposed flesh before she heard him retreat and dive back into the pool.

“I guess I’m doing this now,” she breathed as she slid her dress off her shoulders and onto the pool deck.

“So why did you stop your 80s cover band?” Adele purred as she rested her hand on Aidan’s thigh as the man who appeared to be hosting the evening wandered over to the microphone.

“Everyone got old and moved on,” Aidan shrugged. “I’m willing to give you private concerts though,” he added and dropped a kiss on the side of her head.

“I’ve heard that before,” Dale chided as he took a long mouthful of a green cocktail no one remembered him buying. Aidan frowned at him and Adele raised an eyebrow at Aidan who gave her a reassuring smile.

“Ok kids, it’s one of those rare nights where we have a draw,” the man suddenly announced as the microphone gave a quick shriek making the bar’s patrons wince in unison. “So we have a sing off!”

The audience cheered and whistled. “So I invite Carl and then Aidan up to sing again.”

“Wait there’s prizes?” Adele gasped, almost choking on her mouthful of beer.

“It’s a meat tray, love,” Dale sighed, shaking his head. “Who the fuck is Carl?”

The three friends paused to watch the Freddie Mercury wannabe strut back up on stage and begin a passable rendition of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”

“I expect you to beat that jerk,” Adele declared. “I want free steak.”

“You know what you have to do,” Dale sighed into his drink,

“Pull out the big guns,” Aidan agreed and got to his feet. “Back in a minute.” He hurried off to the toilets, leaving Adele confused.

“What’s the big guns?” she asked, blankly looking at Dale who smiled into his drink as Carl finished gyrating against the microphone stand.

“Wish me luck,” Aidan declared breathless as he thrust his shirt at Adele and hurried toward the stage.

Adele looked at the shirt in her hands and then realised Aidan was on the stage shirtless in his leather jacket and his hair extra mussed. “Oh my god,” she gasped. “Who is this man?”

The music kicked in and he began a very sexy rendition of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself”

On the floors of Tokyo

A-Down in London Town’s a go go

A-With the record selection

And the mirror’s reflection

I’m a-dancin’ with myself

A-when there’s no one else in sight

A-in a crowded lonely night

Well, I wait so long for my love vibration

And I’m dancing with myself

Aidan leapt off the stage and began dancing though the people already on their feet singing along.

Oh oh, dancing with myself

Oh oh, dancing with myself

Oh oh, Dancing with myself,

Oh oh, dancing with myself

Well, there’s nothing to lose

And there’s nothing to prove, well,

Dancing a-with myself

He danced over to Adele and Dale. Dale pulled a very startled Adele to her feet and nudged her with a hip thrust to dance. She could barely comprehend Aidan grabbing her and forcing some Dirty Dancing style moves before he went back to the jumpier, head banging moves of Billy Idol.

If I looked all over the world

And there’s every type of girl

But your empty eyes seem to pass me by

And leave me dancin’ with myself.

Aidan winked at her as he snatched Dale’s drink and held it aloft. He paused to scull it and Dale looked like he was ready to bitch slap his best friend.

So let’s sink another drink

Cause it’ll give me time to think

If I had the chance I’d ask the world to dance myself

Oh oh, dancing with a-myself,

Oh oh, dancing with myself

Well, there’s nothing…

The song finished with Aidan back on stage, slipping he microphone back in its holder and bouncing about until the host killed the music. The audience erupted as Aidan smiled, bowed and swaggered off stage back to Adele and Dale.

“Say something?” he demanded after Adele blinked at him in silence for a moment.

“I approve of all of this,” she breathed, watching a bead of sweat trickle down from his neck, over his chest and settle below the waist of his pants. “I also really need to take you home and get you all kinds of naked.”

“I was wrong, Dale, this was a great idea,” he smirked at his friend shook his head.

“Excuse me,” a voice butted in. “I don’t know how many of these you’ve won now,” the host grinned as he thrust a large meat tray overflowing wth every cut imaginable at Aidan. “Enjoy.”

“Now can we go?” Adele perked as she got to her feet and grabbed her purse. “I was serous about the naked thing.”

Aidan glanced at Dale. “Go you crazy kids. I want to chat to Carl anyway.”

“I’ll save you a sausage,” Aidan chided as he leaned over the table and kissed the top of Dale’s head.

“Tease,” Dale laughed.

Joaquin dove under the water and popped up confused and then pushed all the hair off her face. This had been an amazing idea before she remembered she couldn’t see, which in some ways was a bonus.

“Ben?” she called as she saw his blurry figure paddle over to her. “I’ve just remembered I can’t actually see much without my glasses.”

“Oh no, gosh,” he mused as she felt his fingers creep around her waist. “You’ll just have to use your other senses, like touch,” he added as her legs became intwined with his as they worked to keep her afloat. “And taste, you should definitely try taste,” he continued as she felt his warm breath on her lips before his mouth crashed onto hers. She felt a moan escape her throat as she eagerly kissed him back. At this point she was pro using her other senses to discover him and let her fingers trace their way down his bare shoulders and back.

“Did you just feel my ass?” he said breathlessly against her neck.

“My hands slipped in the water,” she gasped as she eagerly sought his lips again. Somewhere between her grabbing handfuls of his hair and Ben grabbing handfuls of her breasts it occurred to Joaquin while she was 100% on board with having sex with Ben, she didn’t want to do it in some stranger’s pool. “We have to stop,” she panted, pulling away.

“Oh god, why JoJo?” He took in large gulps of air to steady his breathing.

“I don’t not want to have sex with you,” she reassured him. “Let’s go back to the hotel so I can fall asleep with you after.”

Ben smiled and brushed his lips against hers. “I like that idea very much, but I’m going to need a few minutes.”

“Oh,” Joaquin bit her lip. “OH!” She felt her cheeks redden and decided to remove herself from the pool and try to get her underwear on her damp skin as Ben was muttering unsexy thoughts to himself.

October rolled about in Aidan’s discarded Pseudo Echo shirt as Adele and Aidan lay wrapped in each other’s sweaty embrace.

“I’ve never had a woman that aggressively remove my pants,” he mused as he stroked her hip.

“You do crazy things to me, Aidan Murdoch,” she breathed as she brought her lips softly to his.

“Speaking of crazy things,” he sighed. “How do you plan to explain all the meat in the freezer to Jo?”

“I’ll tell her I hooked up with a hot butcher who reminded me of Billy Idol.”

“Will she believe that?”

“Well she believed that I got all my indoor plants from a hot Swedish gardener.” She pressed herself against him and nibbled at his neck.

“Do I want to know how you came to own indoor plants?”

“Probably not,” Adele purred as she guided Aidan onto his back and moved on top of him as her lips moved to his chest.

“I feel like I do…”

“Oh honey, you really don’t,” she smirked as she kissed him quickly to stop him asking any more questions.