The Cost of Love Read Online Free

of herself. Which was why she didn’t drink much.
    Jason waved the bartender over. “Two cokes,” he said.
    Charlotte turned to look around the room. A small stage at the far end was set up for the gig and a few posters dotted around the walls proclaimed how proud Club Jupiter was to be presenting up and coming band Brakedown, and they’d be onstage at nine. A pounding bassline blared from the sound system and the dancefloor in front of the stage was writhing with people.
    The interior decorator had obviously had a thing for chrome. It was everywhere, reflecting the multicoloured lights sweeping over the room. Every non-chrome surface was shiny and black.
    A young woman wearing a dress made of what appeared to be two pieces of string, a handkerchief and air, pushed past her and straight up to Jason. She laid her hand on his bicep and leaned forward, presumably to give him a prime view of her bust, which really wasn’t necessary as everyone in the club had one anyway, whether they wanted it or not.
    Charlotte looked down at her skinny jeans and paisley patterned top. In comparison, she felt like a frump.
    “I haven’t seen you in here before,” the woman purred at Jason. “And I definitely would have noticed.”
    “I’m just here to see the band,” he replied, turning away to hand the bartender the money for the drinks.
    The woman pressed herself up against him as he turned back. “Dance with me,” she said. It didn’t sound like a question.
    Charlotte was normally a gentle, peaceful person, but right now she wanted to scratch out the woman’s eyes and make her eat them.
    Jason backed away and moved to stand next to Charlotte, sliding his arm around her waist. “Sorry,” he said, “I’m with my girlfriend.”
    A flutter shimmied up Charlotte’s spine. She had to stop herself from leaning against him and gazing up at him with a sigh. Girlfriend.
    The woman looked her up and down. “Her? No wonder you’re sorry.”
    Jason looked furious and for a moment Charlotte thought he was going to say something. But then he turned his back on the barely dressed woman, took their drinks from the bar, and guided Charlotte away.
    They found a vacant table and sat beside each other. After a few seconds of silence, Charlotte gave voice to her thoughts.
    “What a bitch.”
    He burst into laughter, slid his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
    The almost naked woman wasn’t the first to hit on Jason, despite the fact that he was very attentive to her and they were obviously together. Charlotte assumed they just thought he was out with his dull sister.
    His response to each woman was the same, sliding his arm around her and telling them he was with her. It set her heart racing every time, to the point where she was actually looking forward to it happening.
     
    “Stop everything! It’s well known that the singer always gets the hottest girls. So what are you doing with this loser?”
    The gig was over and they were backstage, which in the small club meant a magnolia dressing room sparsely furnished with a mirror, a small table, two wooden chairs and a sofa with some suspicious looking stains. Charlotte watched, astounded, as the drop dead gorgeous lead singer of Brakedown approached her and held out his hand with a smile. When she took it, he rapidly turned her hand over and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss onto the back.
    “I’m Sam,” he said, winking.
    She couldn’t help smiling. “Charlotte.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Charlotte,” he said, still holding onto her hand.
    Jason slid his arm around her waist while extricating her hand from Sam’s. “Sorry, Sam, but Charlie has standards.”
    “What’s she doing with you then?”
    “Ahaha. Charlie, that’s Johnny.” He indicated a man with a goatee and his afro hair in a ponytail who waved at her while chugging back a litre bottle of spring water. Charlotte recognised him as the