It’s not who you want to spend Friday night with ...
Blake had met Julian in passing at several events in the two years they had been together, but Reilly had never gotten them together for more than a few minutes of small talk. It was something her friend liked to feign offense over, almost as much as he liked to tease her about her complete lack of natural instinct in dealing with his children. There was not much she could do about the latter - children had always been an enigma to Reilly, and that wasn’t likely to change from a few scattered interactions with Julian’s spawn - but she could give her lover and her friend a chance to know each other better.
That was what led to their arrival at Pandora’s Box, her hand in Blake’s as she guided them through the club to Julian’s private seating area. Reilly gave Edmund a smile and a nod in greeting as he let them into the back. The man had worked for Julian since he’d purchased his first nightclub, and she knew him to be a discreet and trustworthy employee. Too trustworthy to ever respond to any of her attempts to woo him into her own employ with more than a polite demurral.
“I’ve tried for years to steal Edmund from Julian,” she mentioned casually as she and Blake passed the large bloke, “but he’s far too dedicated to his current employer. One day I suppose I’ll have to give up entirely.”
“You talk about him like he’s a piece of meat,” Blake mused, lips twitching when he added, “and here I was thinking I was the only one you wanted to sink your teeth into.”
“If I thought I could woo him into my employ that way, you might have something to worry about,” she teased, brow raising in cheek.
“Plays for the other team?” He asked, more to himself than anything, as they approached the bannister, and the view of the happenings of the club from above. “Huh. Shows what I know,” he said, grinning at his girlfriend as he lifted blue eyes to meet her own. “That’s why you do what you do, and I kick stuff for a living.”
A soft snort escaped her at the idea as she stepped further onto the balcony. “That was not quite what I meant. Edmund’s just too loyal to be lured into such a trick. Ah well, I have Taylor. I suppose I can’t complain too much.” Her eyes flicked to Blake. “That is not an invitation to wax poetic on my ability to grumble.”
He grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her flush against him. “You know me too well. Rob me of my bachelorhood, most of my dignity, and now my opportunities to dig at your failings.” He nuzzled the spot just beneath her ear where she’d dabbed her perfume. “Fun hater.”
Reaching for his hand, Reilly twined their fingers before lifting it into her beau’s line of vision. “First of all, your bachelorhood is still in place. You’ll note there is no band adorning your fair hand. Second, I believe you and Stewart gambled away most of your dignity years ago in Las Vegas. Third, when has my desire not to be poked at ever held you back? And fourth, you’re quite forgetful for a man who benefitted from my sort of fun just a few hours ago.”
His grin went crooked. “I take it back. You’re the best kind of fun,” he said, as he brought their twined hands up further so he could press a kiss to her skin. “Naked, willing, never will regret giving up my bachelorhood, kind of fun.” Blake knew this probably wasn’t the right place or time, but he’d been waiting to spring it on her, had been carrying the ring around with him for months. Given the way they’d started their relationship, perfect for them seemed to be romance laced with a healthy amount of mischief. He really couldn’t help himself. It was nice she loved him anyway.
“That is if you’ll have me even though I lost most of my dignity with Stewart in Vegas,” he added. “We can make it official anytime you want. I’ve got the hardware.” His blue eyes were bright on hers.
For a long time she just stared at him, running the words in her head over and over until she was certain he was asking what she thought he was asking. ‘Giving up his bachelorhood’. ‘Official’. ‘Hardware’.
Yes, he was proposing. Reilly sighed heavily. He always did this. Well, not this, but Blake could never pass up an opportunity to catch her off guard.
“You’re an ass,” she said, though there was a large smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her new fiance, “and when I’m officially a royal, I’m going to lock you in our dungeon. We have a dungeon, right?”
“I feel like it’s not in my best interest to answer that question honestly,” he said, his grin matching hers. That Reilly had done nothing more than sigh and call him an arse was exactly why she was the woman for him.
He kept an arm around her waist, but pulled back enough to dig in his pocket. “I’m glad to be rid of this, to be honest,” he said as he produced the ring for her to see. “It’ll be much safer with you.” The truth was he’d put several charms on it and it was nearly impossible for him to lose it, barring death, but seeing as he wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon, the ring had been quite safe.
Reilly was legitimately speechless as Blake slipped the large sapphire, surrounded by smaller diamond in a platinum band, onto her finger. It was beautiful, clearly an estate piece, and it meant she was going to marry the man she loved. Sentimental was never a word Reilly would have applied to herself, but her heart was full to bursting with happiness just that moment, and as footsteps alerted her to her friend’s arrival, she called out, “I’m getting married, Julian!”
“Really, Reilly, if you’d wanted champagne instead of whiskey, all you had to do was ask,” the older Slytherin commented dryly as he entered the private suite overlooking the burlesque. His gaze dropped down to the antique sapphire ring weighing his friend’s hand down, then back to her face. His lips twitched at the look she was aiming at him.
Julian leaned down to brush a kiss over her cheek. “Complimenti, bella.”
“Thank you,” the brunette said, the smile she still wore lacking her typical reserve. “I’m sorry if I’m a little flustered. Once in awhile Blake manages to completely knock me off track, and this is probably his largest accomplishment at that sort of thing yet.”
When the were seated, green eyes flashed to the smirking blond at her side. “Ass.” It was a redundant comment, but just as accurate as when she’d said it a few minutes before.
“Oh, don’t apologize,” Julian replied with a smirk as he settled into the plush seat opposite the happy couple. “Really, it is quite amusing. I may even have to preserve this moment in my Pensieve. For posterity, of course.”
For the past two years, Reilly had made comment upon comment about his children and his ‘settling down,’ something he’d hardly done. The twins had, of course, changed his life, but not as much as one might think. They lived with Penelope, but he was able to see them often. They were nearing their second birthday and, as such, were able to be away from their mother overnight.
But now his old friend was engaged. Oh, the tides were turning.
Reilly was currently tucked into his side, calling him in ass, and radiating happiness. Blake was content.
He’d been carrying his mother’s ring in his pocket for ages waiting for the right moment, and now that it had arrived and the ring was finally where it belonged -- for good -- Blake found he was also really happy.
It didn’t stop a smirk from curling his lips at Julian’s comment, however. “I like the way the man thinks.” At Reilly’s huff, he lifted his hand from where it rested on the back of the sofa behind her and tugged lightly on a lock of her dark hair. “You’re the one who insists on surrounding yourself with irritating, insufferable men,” he reminded her, blue eyes bright with a happy sort of mischief. “We’re only holding up our end of the bargain.”
Giving Julian a significant look, Reilly commented, “And we come to the reason I haven’t set up this little meet and greet sooner.”
She couldn’t deny Blake’s words, though. All the men she cared about were pains in the arse, and Merlin help her, she liked it. “So you’re saying I’m the Pied Piper for jackasses? I play a little tune and you all flock to me?” she asked, nose crinkling.
“You’re jackass catnip,” Blake said, grinning. “We get progressively worse the longer we’re around you. Or maybe you’re our muse?” he theorized. “You inspire us to find new and inventive ways to irritate, annoy and vex the shite out of you.”
“Just one of my many talents,” the brunette said, her tone dry for all that she was not able to keep the grin from her face for long. With a shake of her head, she refocused on her friend. “It’s good to see you, Julian. It’s been too long. How are you and the youngsters? Their mother? I can see the club is doing very well.”
His gaze sliding to a figure behind the happy couple, Julian gestured for the woman with the bottle of Dom Perignon to join them. The bottle was presented for his approval, and he nodded before his employee stepped back to open the bubbly.
“Business is doing very well, yes,” he replied as Tia poured glasses of champagne over three flutes that hovered at her side. “As are the children. They’ll celebrate their second birthday in a few months.” Their walking and talking skills improve by the day, giving Nana quite the workout as she kept up with double the mischief. Reilly’s inquiry about Penelope, he chose to ignore.
Taking one of the flutes in her hand, Reilly raised it aloft. “Well, then, a toast to your thriving children.” Julian had never been the sort of man one looked at and thought about how good a parent he would be, but he’d acclimated well to parenthood. Much as he downplayed his emotions, Reilly knew him well enough to see the pride and love he had for Carter and Cassandra. It pleased her to see him doing well in that sort of personal matter. It gave her hope that when the time came, she might not be a terrible mother.
Julian raised his glass and clinked it against the other two. “To your upcoming nuptials,” he offered in congratulations.
"We're such a humble group," Blake mused after tasting the champagne, his first and last sip of the evening. "Basking in the essence of our own excellence."
“Why bother with false modesty?” Reilly posited with a shrug before taking another sip from her glass.
She knew Blake was teasing, and she was hardly a woman prone to showing off, but neither did she hide her confidence. So long as her pride was rooted in those things for which she worked hard, rather than those which were simply the result of fortunate genetics, she didn’t see much problem with having an ego. Her fiance was perfectly willing to strut when the opportunity arose, and it would be a lie to say she found it unappealing. “We’re all successful as a result of our own efforts. We’re entitled to a little basking.”
And that was why Blake loved Reilly. She didn’t see a landed aristocrat when she saw him. She saw the things about him that few others ever saw, or even tried to.
There was the barest of smiles curling his mouth as he set his glass down on the low table before them and then sank back against the cushion. His fingers danced lightly against her shoulder with the beat of the music, but he turned his attention to the man sitting across from them.
Blake didn’t know Julian Vaisey well, but the man was important to Reilly and so he paid attention when she spoke of him. He owned several entertainment venues in Britain and on the mainland, had run into a bit of legal trouble a few years back for black market trafficking, and the mother of his children was the one who had turned him into the authorities. Charles Dunstan would not approve of his association with the man.
Which, besides Reilly’s affection for him, only served to further incline Blake toward the man.
He hadn’t seen much of the burlesque club yet, but what he had seen reminded him of his time in Vegas with Stewart right after he graduated from Hogwarts. It was every young man’s dream to live up their bachelorhood somewhere like this -- and Reilly had said this was one of his more tame ventures. He smirked. “So this is your office then?”
“No. My office is a few rooms down.” Julian took a sip of his champagne, then set the flute down on a low table next to his chair. “This is one of the private areas. I prefer entertaining friends here rather than in my office.” The private areas at Pandora’s Box all afforded spectacular views of the revelry below but had the benefit of being secluded enough for conversation and other... things if patrons were so inclined.
He studied the man sitting with one of his oldest friends. He didn’t know much of Blake Dunstan from school; they’d been in the same House, of course, but Blake had been a few years behind Julian and often missing from the common room for Muggle football practices in London. His father was one of the highest members of the Muggle nobility -- Julian would freely admit he knew (and cared) very little about the gentry, as titles and such carried little to no weight in their world.
But the idea that the future Duchess of Devonshire was a madame amused him greatly. He would have to let the news of Reilly’s engagement slip to Penelope soon. No doubt Gertrude would do a backflip to know that one of the twins’ godmothers was marrying a marquess.
It pleased Reilly that both men were making an effort to get to know each other. Blake and Julian didn’t have much in common other than her, and it warmed her heart that they considered her important enough to spend time with each other despite that they likely wouldn’t choose one another for company if left to their own devices.
That she was newly engaged had done quite a bit to make her cheery and sentimental, however. She’d probably be less impressed with them once the newness of her new plans wore off. For the moment, Reilly was feeling kindly toward both men.
“Blake prefers a pitch to an office. He was top scorer in the league last year, and he’s on track to repeat it.” She smiled, pride in her man’s accomplishments evident on her face.
“No, am not one to sit still often,” he agreed with her. Blake didn’t like to play up his accomplishments. He was of the opinion actions spoke louder than who birthed you, or the words you said. It was one of the reasons he chose to pursue a career outside of law or politics as was expected, after all.
But he couldn’t deny that he was pleased that Reilly was proud of him and wasn’t afraid to say so. His pressed a kiss to her jawline to show his appreciation, but otherwise left her alone. It wasn’t the time or the place for more than that.
Shifting her weight to enjoy a little more of her lover’s closeness, Reilly rested a hand on Blake’s leg. It was, for her, a fairly demonstrative act in the company of another person, but Julian was an old friend and she wasn’t feeling the need to be as restrained with her affection as she might be elsewhere.
“I’m better at sitting still for work, but I’ve tried to remember to leave at a decent hour most days. Sometimes I’ll indulge my inner workaholic when Blake’s on the road. What about you, Julian? Have you curbed your late nights now that the children are old enough to be with you more?”
If only the twins’ age was the main factor in determining how often they stayed at Wolborough House with him. “They spend Tuesday and Thursday nights with me, as per our agreement.” The custody terms hadn’t changed since the twins had been born, though it was only recently that they’d started to spend the night. It had been prohibitive for infants still nursing to be away from their mother overnight, but with their second birthday on the horizon, they were comfortable with the bottle. Gertrude was still making a fuss about the arrangement, noting that it wasn’t stable for the twins to shuttle back and forth.
Julian suspected she’d rather he be completely out of the picture, but she’d been polite enough to refrain from saying so thus far.
“Though I’m sure I could arrange it so they could spend an evening with their favorite godmother,” he commented, lips twitching upwards in a smirk. The unease Reilly felt around his children, coming from a woman who was eternally collected and poised, was amusing.
Reilly could practically feel the amusement coming from both the smug arses in the room. It wasn’t that she disliked children, but her maternal instinct seemed to be buried far, far below others - like the instinct to hex her current and former lovers. Marshalling her restraint, the Ravenclaw smiled. “Sure. I know a number of my employees have prior experience as nannies. Penelope wouldn’t mind if I called them in in the event I find myself out of my depth, would she?” Her lips twitched. She was pretty sure Penelope wouldn’t be pleased with Reilly watching the toddlers at all, much less with a gaggle of escorts on hand.
He lifted his shoulder in a shrug, amused. His former lover and the mother of his children would likely never get along. As long as he wasn’t in the crosshairs, it was fun to observe. “I don’t know. Why don’t you owl her for tea?”
“We should do that,” Blake said, lips quirking into a small grin when Reilly glanced at him. A lot of his mates on the team had children and he always enjoyed when they brought them around. “I like munchkins, especially once they’re big enough to nudge around a football. No employees necessary.” He winked at her.
The initial glare that had been forming at Blake’s latest ‘poke’ - he knew very well what she thought of Penelope Clearwater - faded into something more perplexed as he seemed genuinely interested in spending time with the twins. It wasn’t really a surprise that he liked children; Reilly had seen him interact with young fans many times, and there were occasional days when underprivileged children got to come out and learn football from their heroes, which Blake was always happy to participate in. He hadn’t really spoken much about it though, and despite her dislike of the woman who birthed Julian’s spawn, she found she was curious and strangely interested to see her husband-to-be around the little ones. Whether this was a curiosity born of the vague idea of Blake as a father was something she didn’t think too hard on just now.
“Maybe I will,” Reilly replied with a hint of challenge in her tone. “Maybe I’ll be fabulous at this whole child care thing.”
“That requires going within five feet of them,” Julian reminded his friend wryly. His green gaze slid to the employee who unobtrusively set a bottle of Veen on the side table next to Blake, then withdrew just as quietly as she’d arrived.
His lips twitched at Reilly’s piercing look. It would be amusing to be a fly on the wall at tea between Penelope and Reilly. He might have been apprehensive about the idea of his children spending an extended amount of time with their godmother, but Blake seemed keen on the idea -- keen and fairly capable. The blonde could likely be counted on to make sure the twins came to no harm under Reilly’s care.
It was not common for Reilly’s feelings to be injured, and the feeling inevitably warred with irritation when it did arise. Julian wasn’t just teasing her, as she’d always assumed. He really didn’t think she could care for his children. “Yes, that’s true. Best not to risk it, I guess.” The petulant tone in her voice annoyed her further. She was not a woman prone to sulking.
Blake bit back his immediate response to the dig at Reilly. The only sign of his own agitation was his firmer touch as his hand shifted from where he’d been idly running his fingers through her hair to slide around her shoulder so he could pull her a bit closer into the curve of his body.
“Hey, we’ll just have to rent some before we have a go at the special spawn,” he said, lips twitching as he caught her gaze.
“Lisa brings hers around to the studio from time to time,” she returned, letting herself be pulled from her funk by the subtle reassurance of her lover. “Perhaps she could be prevailed upon to offer young Noah up for practice.”
“Baby steps,” he said, blue eyes bright.
Reilly’s mouth twisted as she tried to hold back a snicker at Blake’s pun. It was all in vain though, and all her efforts managed to do was turn the snicker into a snort. Elbowing him lightly in the ribs, she shook her head. “That was really bad.”
Julian rolled his eyes slightly at the two lovebirds wrapped up in one another sitting across from him. He’d spoken in jest -- as he always did when he teased Reilly about her aversion to his children. The bit of sulk in her tone gave away her misunderstanding, as did the slight tic of irritation her lover made in response. Reilly had been his friend -- one of the few he could call such -- for over a decade and a half. She knew better than that.
Merlin save him from overly moody women and their knights in shining armor. He’d never thought to see Reilly as such, but there was a first time for everything.
He took a sip of his champagne and sighed. “Reilly, dolce, I was jesting. I apologize if you took offense as you know it was not meant.”
Green eyes shifted to the man across from her. She was a little embarrassed at having let her emotions show, but Julian had known her a long time. If she didn’t trust him, she wouldn’t have spent so much time with him over the years.
“You’d trust me to take care of your children?” Reilly clarified, “I’m not looking to become the nanny, but it would be nice to know that if you needed someone to look after them for a bit, you wouldn’t spend the evening fretting that I’d let them lick the bin and drink from the toilet.”
He raised one brow. “Of course I would trust you with them,” he replied, his tone matter-of-fact. For as often as he teased Reilly about her non-maternal instincts, he could readily admit that his own paternal instincts were not that much stronger -- nor were Penelope’s. There was a reason Nana shuttled back and forth between their houses with the twins. She was much more capable of caring for Carter and Cassandra than either one of them.
His lips twitched again. “But if something happens to Nana, I have your CV on file and will review it accordingly.”
Reilly seemed appeased which did much to ease Blake back into a more relaxed mien himself. The two long-time friends were back to comfortable banter, and left to his own devices, he reached for the glass bottle of water set out for him - his favorite brand - and then settled back into the cushions, fingers once again idly playing with the dark locks resting on Reilly's shoulder.
There were worse ways to spend an evening. There were also fantastic ways to finish one he thought, his gaze finding its way to where the hem of Reilly's skirt was riding high on her thigh. He smirked.
That was what led to their arrival at Pandora’s Box, her hand in Blake’s as she guided them through the club to Julian’s private seating area. Reilly gave Edmund a smile and a nod in greeting as he let them into the back. The man had worked for Julian since he’d purchased his first nightclub, and she knew him to be a discreet and trustworthy employee. Too trustworthy to ever respond to any of her attempts to woo him into her own employ with more than a polite demurral.
“I’ve tried for years to steal Edmund from Julian,” she mentioned casually as she and Blake passed the large bloke, “but he’s far too dedicated to his current employer. One day I suppose I’ll have to give up entirely.”
“You talk about him like he’s a piece of meat,” Blake mused, lips twitching when he added, “and here I was thinking I was the only one you wanted to sink your teeth into.”
“If I thought I could woo him into my employ that way, you might have something to worry about,” she teased, brow raising in cheek.
“Plays for the other team?” He asked, more to himself than anything, as they approached the bannister, and the view of the happenings of the club from above. “Huh. Shows what I know,” he said, grinning at his girlfriend as he lifted blue eyes to meet her own. “That’s why you do what you do, and I kick stuff for a living.”
A soft snort escaped her at the idea as she stepped further onto the balcony. “That was not quite what I meant. Edmund’s just too loyal to be lured into such a trick. Ah well, I have Taylor. I suppose I can’t complain too much.” Her eyes flicked to Blake. “That is not an invitation to wax poetic on my ability to grumble.”
He grinned and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her flush against him. “You know me too well. Rob me of my bachelorhood, most of my dignity, and now my opportunities to dig at your failings.” He nuzzled the spot just beneath her ear where she’d dabbed her perfume. “Fun hater.”
Reaching for his hand, Reilly twined their fingers before lifting it into her beau’s line of vision. “First of all, your bachelorhood is still in place. You’ll note there is no band adorning your fair hand. Second, I believe you and Stewart gambled away most of your dignity years ago in Las Vegas. Third, when has my desire not to be poked at ever held you back? And fourth, you’re quite forgetful for a man who benefitted from my sort of fun just a few hours ago.”
His grin went crooked. “I take it back. You’re the best kind of fun,” he said, as he brought their twined hands up further so he could press a kiss to her skin. “Naked, willing, never will regret giving up my bachelorhood, kind of fun.” Blake knew this probably wasn’t the right place or time, but he’d been waiting to spring it on her, had been carrying the ring around with him for months. Given the way they’d started their relationship, perfect for them seemed to be romance laced with a healthy amount of mischief. He really couldn’t help himself. It was nice she loved him anyway.
“That is if you’ll have me even though I lost most of my dignity with Stewart in Vegas,” he added. “We can make it official anytime you want. I’ve got the hardware.” His blue eyes were bright on hers.
For a long time she just stared at him, running the words in her head over and over until she was certain he was asking what she thought he was asking. ‘Giving up his bachelorhood’. ‘Official’. ‘Hardware’.
Yes, he was proposing. Reilly sighed heavily. He always did this. Well, not this, but Blake could never pass up an opportunity to catch her off guard.
“You’re an ass,” she said, though there was a large smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her new fiance, “and when I’m officially a royal, I’m going to lock you in our dungeon. We have a dungeon, right?”
“I feel like it’s not in my best interest to answer that question honestly,” he said, his grin matching hers. That Reilly had done nothing more than sigh and call him an arse was exactly why she was the woman for him.
He kept an arm around her waist, but pulled back enough to dig in his pocket. “I’m glad to be rid of this, to be honest,” he said as he produced the ring for her to see. “It’ll be much safer with you.” The truth was he’d put several charms on it and it was nearly impossible for him to lose it, barring death, but seeing as he wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon, the ring had been quite safe.
Reilly was legitimately speechless as Blake slipped the large sapphire, surrounded by smaller diamond in a platinum band, onto her finger. It was beautiful, clearly an estate piece, and it meant she was going to marry the man she loved. Sentimental was never a word Reilly would have applied to herself, but her heart was full to bursting with happiness just that moment, and as footsteps alerted her to her friend’s arrival, she called out, “I’m getting married, Julian!”
“Really, Reilly, if you’d wanted champagne instead of whiskey, all you had to do was ask,” the older Slytherin commented dryly as he entered the private suite overlooking the burlesque. His gaze dropped down to the antique sapphire ring weighing his friend’s hand down, then back to her face. His lips twitched at the look she was aiming at him.
Julian leaned down to brush a kiss over her cheek. “Complimenti, bella.”
“Thank you,” the brunette said, the smile she still wore lacking her typical reserve. “I’m sorry if I’m a little flustered. Once in awhile Blake manages to completely knock me off track, and this is probably his largest accomplishment at that sort of thing yet.”
When the were seated, green eyes flashed to the smirking blond at her side. “Ass.” It was a redundant comment, but just as accurate as when she’d said it a few minutes before.
“Oh, don’t apologize,” Julian replied with a smirk as he settled into the plush seat opposite the happy couple. “Really, it is quite amusing. I may even have to preserve this moment in my Pensieve. For posterity, of course.”
For the past two years, Reilly had made comment upon comment about his children and his ‘settling down,’ something he’d hardly done. The twins had, of course, changed his life, but not as much as one might think. They lived with Penelope, but he was able to see them often. They were nearing their second birthday and, as such, were able to be away from their mother overnight.
But now his old friend was engaged. Oh, the tides were turning.
Reilly was currently tucked into his side, calling him in ass, and radiating happiness. Blake was content.
He’d been carrying his mother’s ring in his pocket for ages waiting for the right moment, and now that it had arrived and the ring was finally where it belonged -- for good -- Blake found he was also really happy.
It didn’t stop a smirk from curling his lips at Julian’s comment, however. “I like the way the man thinks.” At Reilly’s huff, he lifted his hand from where it rested on the back of the sofa behind her and tugged lightly on a lock of her dark hair. “You’re the one who insists on surrounding yourself with irritating, insufferable men,” he reminded her, blue eyes bright with a happy sort of mischief. “We’re only holding up our end of the bargain.”
Giving Julian a significant look, Reilly commented, “And we come to the reason I haven’t set up this little meet and greet sooner.”
She couldn’t deny Blake’s words, though. All the men she cared about were pains in the arse, and Merlin help her, she liked it. “So you’re saying I’m the Pied Piper for jackasses? I play a little tune and you all flock to me?” she asked, nose crinkling.
“You’re jackass catnip,” Blake said, grinning. “We get progressively worse the longer we’re around you. Or maybe you’re our muse?” he theorized. “You inspire us to find new and inventive ways to irritate, annoy and vex the shite out of you.”
“Just one of my many talents,” the brunette said, her tone dry for all that she was not able to keep the grin from her face for long. With a shake of her head, she refocused on her friend. “It’s good to see you, Julian. It’s been too long. How are you and the youngsters? Their mother? I can see the club is doing very well.”
His gaze sliding to a figure behind the happy couple, Julian gestured for the woman with the bottle of Dom Perignon to join them. The bottle was presented for his approval, and he nodded before his employee stepped back to open the bubbly.
“Business is doing very well, yes,” he replied as Tia poured glasses of champagne over three flutes that hovered at her side. “As are the children. They’ll celebrate their second birthday in a few months.” Their walking and talking skills improve by the day, giving Nana quite the workout as she kept up with double the mischief. Reilly’s inquiry about Penelope, he chose to ignore.
Taking one of the flutes in her hand, Reilly raised it aloft. “Well, then, a toast to your thriving children.” Julian had never been the sort of man one looked at and thought about how good a parent he would be, but he’d acclimated well to parenthood. Much as he downplayed his emotions, Reilly knew him well enough to see the pride and love he had for Carter and Cassandra. It pleased her to see him doing well in that sort of personal matter. It gave her hope that when the time came, she might not be a terrible mother.
Julian raised his glass and clinked it against the other two. “To your upcoming nuptials,” he offered in congratulations.
"We're such a humble group," Blake mused after tasting the champagne, his first and last sip of the evening. "Basking in the essence of our own excellence."
“Why bother with false modesty?” Reilly posited with a shrug before taking another sip from her glass.
She knew Blake was teasing, and she was hardly a woman prone to showing off, but neither did she hide her confidence. So long as her pride was rooted in those things for which she worked hard, rather than those which were simply the result of fortunate genetics, she didn’t see much problem with having an ego. Her fiance was perfectly willing to strut when the opportunity arose, and it would be a lie to say she found it unappealing. “We’re all successful as a result of our own efforts. We’re entitled to a little basking.”
And that was why Blake loved Reilly. She didn’t see a landed aristocrat when she saw him. She saw the things about him that few others ever saw, or even tried to.
There was the barest of smiles curling his mouth as he set his glass down on the low table before them and then sank back against the cushion. His fingers danced lightly against her shoulder with the beat of the music, but he turned his attention to the man sitting across from them.
Blake didn’t know Julian Vaisey well, but the man was important to Reilly and so he paid attention when she spoke of him. He owned several entertainment venues in Britain and on the mainland, had run into a bit of legal trouble a few years back for black market trafficking, and the mother of his children was the one who had turned him into the authorities. Charles Dunstan would not approve of his association with the man.
Which, besides Reilly’s affection for him, only served to further incline Blake toward the man.
He hadn’t seen much of the burlesque club yet, but what he had seen reminded him of his time in Vegas with Stewart right after he graduated from Hogwarts. It was every young man’s dream to live up their bachelorhood somewhere like this -- and Reilly had said this was one of his more tame ventures. He smirked. “So this is your office then?”
“No. My office is a few rooms down.” Julian took a sip of his champagne, then set the flute down on a low table next to his chair. “This is one of the private areas. I prefer entertaining friends here rather than in my office.” The private areas at Pandora’s Box all afforded spectacular views of the revelry below but had the benefit of being secluded enough for conversation and other... things if patrons were so inclined.
He studied the man sitting with one of his oldest friends. He didn’t know much of Blake Dunstan from school; they’d been in the same House, of course, but Blake had been a few years behind Julian and often missing from the common room for Muggle football practices in London. His father was one of the highest members of the Muggle nobility -- Julian would freely admit he knew (and cared) very little about the gentry, as titles and such carried little to no weight in their world.
But the idea that the future Duchess of Devonshire was a madame amused him greatly. He would have to let the news of Reilly’s engagement slip to Penelope soon. No doubt Gertrude would do a backflip to know that one of the twins’ godmothers was marrying a marquess.
It pleased Reilly that both men were making an effort to get to know each other. Blake and Julian didn’t have much in common other than her, and it warmed her heart that they considered her important enough to spend time with each other despite that they likely wouldn’t choose one another for company if left to their own devices.
That she was newly engaged had done quite a bit to make her cheery and sentimental, however. She’d probably be less impressed with them once the newness of her new plans wore off. For the moment, Reilly was feeling kindly toward both men.
“Blake prefers a pitch to an office. He was top scorer in the league last year, and he’s on track to repeat it.” She smiled, pride in her man’s accomplishments evident on her face.
“No, am not one to sit still often,” he agreed with her. Blake didn’t like to play up his accomplishments. He was of the opinion actions spoke louder than who birthed you, or the words you said. It was one of the reasons he chose to pursue a career outside of law or politics as was expected, after all.
But he couldn’t deny that he was pleased that Reilly was proud of him and wasn’t afraid to say so. His pressed a kiss to her jawline to show his appreciation, but otherwise left her alone. It wasn’t the time or the place for more than that.
Shifting her weight to enjoy a little more of her lover’s closeness, Reilly rested a hand on Blake’s leg. It was, for her, a fairly demonstrative act in the company of another person, but Julian was an old friend and she wasn’t feeling the need to be as restrained with her affection as she might be elsewhere.
“I’m better at sitting still for work, but I’ve tried to remember to leave at a decent hour most days. Sometimes I’ll indulge my inner workaholic when Blake’s on the road. What about you, Julian? Have you curbed your late nights now that the children are old enough to be with you more?”
If only the twins’ age was the main factor in determining how often they stayed at Wolborough House with him. “They spend Tuesday and Thursday nights with me, as per our agreement.” The custody terms hadn’t changed since the twins had been born, though it was only recently that they’d started to spend the night. It had been prohibitive for infants still nursing to be away from their mother overnight, but with their second birthday on the horizon, they were comfortable with the bottle. Gertrude was still making a fuss about the arrangement, noting that it wasn’t stable for the twins to shuttle back and forth.
Julian suspected she’d rather he be completely out of the picture, but she’d been polite enough to refrain from saying so thus far.
“Though I’m sure I could arrange it so they could spend an evening with their favorite godmother,” he commented, lips twitching upwards in a smirk. The unease Reilly felt around his children, coming from a woman who was eternally collected and poised, was amusing.
Reilly could practically feel the amusement coming from both the smug arses in the room. It wasn’t that she disliked children, but her maternal instinct seemed to be buried far, far below others - like the instinct to hex her current and former lovers. Marshalling her restraint, the Ravenclaw smiled. “Sure. I know a number of my employees have prior experience as nannies. Penelope wouldn’t mind if I called them in in the event I find myself out of my depth, would she?” Her lips twitched. She was pretty sure Penelope wouldn’t be pleased with Reilly watching the toddlers at all, much less with a gaggle of escorts on hand.
He lifted his shoulder in a shrug, amused. His former lover and the mother of his children would likely never get along. As long as he wasn’t in the crosshairs, it was fun to observe. “I don’t know. Why don’t you owl her for tea?”
“We should do that,” Blake said, lips quirking into a small grin when Reilly glanced at him. A lot of his mates on the team had children and he always enjoyed when they brought them around. “I like munchkins, especially once they’re big enough to nudge around a football. No employees necessary.” He winked at her.
The initial glare that had been forming at Blake’s latest ‘poke’ - he knew very well what she thought of Penelope Clearwater - faded into something more perplexed as he seemed genuinely interested in spending time with the twins. It wasn’t really a surprise that he liked children; Reilly had seen him interact with young fans many times, and there were occasional days when underprivileged children got to come out and learn football from their heroes, which Blake was always happy to participate in. He hadn’t really spoken much about it though, and despite her dislike of the woman who birthed Julian’s spawn, she found she was curious and strangely interested to see her husband-to-be around the little ones. Whether this was a curiosity born of the vague idea of Blake as a father was something she didn’t think too hard on just now.
“Maybe I will,” Reilly replied with a hint of challenge in her tone. “Maybe I’ll be fabulous at this whole child care thing.”
“That requires going within five feet of them,” Julian reminded his friend wryly. His green gaze slid to the employee who unobtrusively set a bottle of Veen on the side table next to Blake, then withdrew just as quietly as she’d arrived.
His lips twitched at Reilly’s piercing look. It would be amusing to be a fly on the wall at tea between Penelope and Reilly. He might have been apprehensive about the idea of his children spending an extended amount of time with their godmother, but Blake seemed keen on the idea -- keen and fairly capable. The blonde could likely be counted on to make sure the twins came to no harm under Reilly’s care.
It was not common for Reilly’s feelings to be injured, and the feeling inevitably warred with irritation when it did arise. Julian wasn’t just teasing her, as she’d always assumed. He really didn’t think she could care for his children. “Yes, that’s true. Best not to risk it, I guess.” The petulant tone in her voice annoyed her further. She was not a woman prone to sulking.
Blake bit back his immediate response to the dig at Reilly. The only sign of his own agitation was his firmer touch as his hand shifted from where he’d been idly running his fingers through her hair to slide around her shoulder so he could pull her a bit closer into the curve of his body.
“Hey, we’ll just have to rent some before we have a go at the special spawn,” he said, lips twitching as he caught her gaze.
“Lisa brings hers around to the studio from time to time,” she returned, letting herself be pulled from her funk by the subtle reassurance of her lover. “Perhaps she could be prevailed upon to offer young Noah up for practice.”
“Baby steps,” he said, blue eyes bright.
Reilly’s mouth twisted as she tried to hold back a snicker at Blake’s pun. It was all in vain though, and all her efforts managed to do was turn the snicker into a snort. Elbowing him lightly in the ribs, she shook her head. “That was really bad.”
Julian rolled his eyes slightly at the two lovebirds wrapped up in one another sitting across from him. He’d spoken in jest -- as he always did when he teased Reilly about her aversion to his children. The bit of sulk in her tone gave away her misunderstanding, as did the slight tic of irritation her lover made in response. Reilly had been his friend -- one of the few he could call such -- for over a decade and a half. She knew better than that.
Merlin save him from overly moody women and their knights in shining armor. He’d never thought to see Reilly as such, but there was a first time for everything.
He took a sip of his champagne and sighed. “Reilly, dolce, I was jesting. I apologize if you took offense as you know it was not meant.”
Green eyes shifted to the man across from her. She was a little embarrassed at having let her emotions show, but Julian had known her a long time. If she didn’t trust him, she wouldn’t have spent so much time with him over the years.
“You’d trust me to take care of your children?” Reilly clarified, “I’m not looking to become the nanny, but it would be nice to know that if you needed someone to look after them for a bit, you wouldn’t spend the evening fretting that I’d let them lick the bin and drink from the toilet.”
He raised one brow. “Of course I would trust you with them,” he replied, his tone matter-of-fact. For as often as he teased Reilly about her non-maternal instincts, he could readily admit that his own paternal instincts were not that much stronger -- nor were Penelope’s. There was a reason Nana shuttled back and forth between their houses with the twins. She was much more capable of caring for Carter and Cassandra than either one of them.
His lips twitched again. “But if something happens to Nana, I have your CV on file and will review it accordingly.”
Reilly seemed appeased which did much to ease Blake back into a more relaxed mien himself. The two long-time friends were back to comfortable banter, and left to his own devices, he reached for the glass bottle of water set out for him - his favorite brand - and then settled back into the cushions, fingers once again idly playing with the dark locks resting on Reilly's shoulder.
There were worse ways to spend an evening. There were also fantastic ways to finish one he thought, his gaze finding its way to where the hem of Reilly's skirt was riding high on her thigh. He smirked.