Read Oxford Blood (The Cavaliers: Book One) Page 34
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The following night, once everyone had finished their Collections, it was time for the first bop of term. The toga theme was easier than most. It required no shopping, just creative use of the bed sheets. At the thought of dressing in white, Caroline had hit the tanning salon even harder than usual and for once had persuaded Harriet to join her.
As usual, they gathered in Josh’s room. Harriet wondered whether to ask if she could invite Tom to the pre-party, but thought that might just push Josh too far. Tom was having his own gathering of his second year friends anyway, so they agreed to convene at the bop itself.
On arrival at the bar, Harriet found copies of the new edition of the college’s gossip magazine, The Outhouse, which detailed all the scandal of the last week of the previous term. She couldn’t decide whether to be pleased or embarrassed that she and Tom had got a rather raunchy mention, as had Ben and Caroline.
Harriet drank a couple of glasses of wine. She danced wildly with her group and slowly and closely with Tom, remembering how she’d tried to dance with him at her first bop, and enjoying the thought of how well things had progressed since. Katie stared at them furiously but didn’t say anything.
Josh looked handsome in the toga, the white cloth setting off his olive skin. The tan looked rather cheering after the vampires’ eternal pallor. His invitation to dance caught Harriet by surprise. Since she’d got together with Tom, he’d been rather reticent with her.
The first song was Summer of 69, and they just jumped around whilst holding hands, singing along to the chorus and laughing. A sudden rush of affection towards Josh surged through her. But as the song continued, Josh pulled her in closer and slipped his arm around her waist. At first Harriet, lost in the music and the moment, danced against him and didn’t complain. When the song finished, she tried to pull away to go to the bar, but he kept hold of her hands.
“Come on, one more dance. I hardly see you nowadays.”
Harriet frowned. “Josh, no. We’re having fun. I liked dancing with you, but I can’t cope with the way you’ve got to either hit on me or cause a scene every time we spend time together.”
Josh turned red. “Bloody hell Harriet, I think all the attention you’ve been getting has gone to your head. You don’t have to worry. I don’t fancy you, okay.”
Harriet took a step back. “But you’re always trying to spend time with me alone. And you’re so hostile towards Tom and so ridiculously over-protective of me.”
“It’s called being a good friend,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I’m worried about those posh bastards you insist on hanging around with, and maybe it does make me a bit over-protective, but you’re just not my type. If you really want to know, there’s someone else I’ve got my eye on.”
“Oh God, Josh, I’m so sorry,” Harriet said. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. “I’m not the sort of arrogant bitch who thinks she’s so gorgeous and special that everyone’s in love with her, I swear.”
Josh shrugged and walked off to speak to a group of music students. She didn’t see him again all night. For a while, she just stood there, almost trembling with embarrassment. After a while, however, she found Tom again and they danced more romantically than ever, her shame fading with every step.
The party finished at two, but Tom issued an open invitation to his room for more drinks and music. The large sitting room area soon reached capacity, and the noise of the party reverberated all over the quad. Harriet wondered again why his parties never got broken up – did he use mind control on the college authorities or simply have some agreement with them? By the time the last guests left, it was close to dawn, and Tom had to get into his coffin. All the close dancing they’d done at the party had made her horny, and she wanted to curl up in bed with Tom. She briefly considered suggesting that she joined him in his coffin, but wimped out before the words left her mouth.