The first time April Reeves saw him, she simply knew that Blake Harrington was The One

Chapter Two

2008

The first time April Reeves saw him, she simply knew that Blake Harrington was The One. Handsome, sweet, intelligent and kind, Blake was exactly the kind of man that she had always imagined herself with. He was the first guy she’d kissed – behind the bubblers in year 4- the first guy she’d had sex with and she’d sworn that he would be the only man that she could, or would, ever love.

However, when he was eighteen, Blake left to join the army. April spent a year pining for Blake, but when she heard stories of his engagement to a billionare’s daughter, she gave up hope and forced herself back down to earth. After this revelation, April did very well for herself. She went to University, put herself through a business/ law degree, and was now a partner in a prestigious business law firm- the biggest in the area.

On a Friday night, April found herself getting all dolled up for a night on the town. It was to be her last weekend as a single woman, and instead of settling down with a good book and a glass of wine, April’s friends, Minnie, Crystal, Bella and Zoe had somehow managed to convince her to get down and party with them while she still could.

‘Before Joshua has turned you into one of those 1980 housewives with three kids, a screaming baby and curlers in your hair.’ Minnie had said to persuade her. It had worked.

April was applying her lipstick, wondering how she had got into this mess, when the phone rang- the same time as a car horn blared from below her flat building. Sighing in frustration, she threw the lipstick down without uncapping it and snatched up the phone, hurrying to the window.

‘Hello.’

‘Hi, darling. How are you?’ Joshua’s raspy voice greeted her. Whenever she heard that voice, April shivered, goose bumps creeping down her arms.

‘Hi, yourself. What are you doing?’ April pushed the curtains on the front window aside and peered down upon the street below. Sourcing out Minnie’s car, with Crystal standing beside it, tapping her foot, April waved with her fingers spread out. Five more minutes.

‘Missing you. Oh, baby, I wish you were here.’

April giggled as she walked down the hall into her bedroom. ‘You saw me two hours ago,’

‘That’s so long ago,’ Joshua complained. ‘Are you sure you can’t come over for a nightcap?’

April smirked as she rummage around for her three – inch heels. ‘Not in your life. I promised the girls that tonight was a guy – free night. It’s been ages since we’ve gone out.’

‘Killjoy,’ Joshua muttered. ‘But I miss you.’

April smiled in triumph, grabbing her shoes. ‘You mentioned that.’ She said, scrambling to put her shoes on as she hobbled down the hall again.

‘So what?’ Joshua demanded incredulously. ‘I really miss you,’

April laughed outright. ‘Find your own amusement. Look, I gotta go. The girls are waiting.’

‘Can you drop by about one?’

April was confused. ‘Why one?’

‘Well, you said you wanted a guy – free night. At one, it won’t be night any more- it’ll be the early hours of the morning.’

‘I’m hanging up now,’ April warned.

Joshua laughed from the other end. ‘I better go, anyway sweetheart. Greg just IMed me. He wants some documents drawn up.’

‘Now?’ April asked doubtfully.

‘Well, unless you come up with a better offer…’

April just smiled.

‘Hmm, I thought now.’ Joshua said, disappointed. ‘Ok, well, have fun darling and I will see you tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow?’ April didn’t remember any arrangements.

‘Mother wants to have morning tea with us.’ Joshua reminded her.

‘Oh, of course. Sorry, darling, I forgot. Well, best dash.’

‘Love you,’ Joshua said.

‘Love you,’ April echoed before hanging up.

‘Oh, now he is fine.’

Picking guys out of a crowd that were extremely kissable and take-home- able was a customary single girl tradition. For these girls, it was mandatory. It was actually how Joshua and April had first met, which gave the other girls reason to hope.

The guy that Minnie had just picked out was fine. He was nicely built- not too muscley, nor too lanky – reasonably tall without being a complete giant, with curly brown hair and a tight rear-end- which, of course, was the only thing that mattered to a woman who was looking for a brief affair.

‘Yep, he’s good.’ Crystal agreed. Her eyes wandered to his friend. ‘But he is just begging for it.’

Out of the group of girls, Crystal had created an image of herself as an official man eater who went out on the prowl almost every night. Two years ago, she’d emerged from a five- year relationship, and since then she made a strict policy for herself: get in, get out. In other words, she ‘used and abused’. Her friends hated this about her, could see that she was just protecting herself from getting hurt again.

‘You think every guy’s looking for it,’ April pointed out, taking a sip of her Vanilla Dream cocktail.

‘Well, he doesn’t know it…’ Crystal fluffed up her hair and downed the rest of her own cocktail. ‘Yet.’ She stood up and grabbed her clutch- purse off the table, ready for the inevitable kill. She was right, really- guys just couldn’t resist her. April used to think it was a gift.

‘Good luck,’ Bella toasted her, raising her glass.

‘Oh honey, I don’t need luck.’ Crystal retorted, licking her lips and wicking at her friends. ‘It’s all about skill.’

Minnie, Bella, April and Zoe watched as Crystal sauntered over to her prey and asked, as she usually did, if the man wanted to buy her a drink. It was her thing.

‘So, now that we’re one girl down,’ Zoe said, a tad disappointed. She hated the thought of losing any of her friends to a single guy, who, in her opinion, were all bad news. ‘We know that April said that she didn’t want a proper hens’ night, but we do have something up our sleeves.’

April groaned, taking a gulp of her cosmopolitan. She had a feeling that she wasn’t going to like this.

‘We have reservations at that new Japanese restaurant down in Yamba that you’ve been dying to go to, and…’ Zoë paused for emphasis. ‘We have tickets for Hot Power,’

April gasped, and took back her reservations immediately. She squealed. ‘Oh, my god, really? I’ve wanted to see them for ages! How did you manage?’

Hot Power was the newest and hottest male strip act to hit Australia since the 90s. Well, that’s what April had read, anyway.

Minnie smiled slyly. ‘The Manager has a thing for me.’ She declared proudly. Minnie was the Entertainment co-ordinator for the local council, and Hot Power was sure to encourage tourist activity. It was the most in – demand show of the year.

‘Thank you guys so much. You really are the best friends a girl could ever hope for.’ April gushed.