Loverboy

Hennessey shook her head in disappointment as she looked around at the fancy restaurant. The boys and her stuck out like a sore thumb in their jeans and t-shirts. While everyone else had on suits and formal dresses. "Gemma is going to kill me." Hennessey said nervously, biting her thumbnail out of habit.

"Don't worry," Jay said, putting his arm around her waist. "If you go down, we all go with you." Jay beamed at her reassuringly as she looked on at the other boys.

"There they are!" Max shouted, pointing at a table that sat Gemma and her date which was the older gentleman that she had met at the bar from earlier in the week. Nathan felt a pang if jealously shoot through his body. "Gemmaaaaa!" Max yelled, as he walked over with the rest of the group.

Gemma's head snapped up in their direction and a look of horror washed over her face. "Oh, no." She muttered, watching them walk up; Max having the biggest smirk. The boys began to pull empty chairs from the vacant tables around them and set them up at the small table Gemma and her date were seated at.

"Fancy meeting you here." Tom said, as he and Siva began to take various foods from the appetizer that was laid out in front of them.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Gemma hissed quietly, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her silverware tightly ready to stab it in the closest eye socket she could find.

"We got hungry." Max shrugged, as if he did this sort of thing all the time.

"Friends of yours?" The deep voice that belonged to Gemma's date spoke. He looked at Gemma then the rest of the group bemused.

"Y-yeah." Gemma said nervously, looking at him. "I am so sorry about this." She apologized to him. Things were going good on her date so far. This guy, William, was a successful lawyer, drove a Bentley, and despite his ego, Gemma found him completely charming. And now she was sure he wouldn't want to see her again thanks to her date crashers.

"So how do you all know Gemma?" William asked no one in general. "Are you her bodyguards?" He joked, only making himself laugh. Gemma followed suit, just a bit more nervously.

"Something like that mate." Tom said, looking at him seriously. William stared, obviously not intimidated.

Jay picked up on the tension between the two immediately and answered, "Gemma is our manager actually." Hennessey nodded at him encouragingly, eager to break up a fight before it began.

William nodded, not paying attention as Jay continued to speak. Nathan watched William closely. Something about this guy gave him a bad vibe. He seemed detached throughout the conversation, paying more attention to his phone to Gemma. Nathan looked at Gemma who looked longingly at William. He would love to have her look at him like that: like he was the only guy in the room.

William looked at his watch bored. "I better get going." He said, looking at Gemma. "I had a lovely time, really. It was nice meeting you all." He said, standing up and pushing his chair in. Gemma stood up as well and walked over to him.

"I am so sorry. I had no idea this would happen." She apologized profusely. She knew this night was beyond repair and wouldn't doubt it if he never wanted to see her again. She made a mental note to murder all the guys later in their sleep.

"It's alright." William smiled down at her. "I'd like to see you again, that is if your boyguards will allow it." He joked.
Gemma blushed and looked down at her feet trying to get her cheeks back to their normal color. "I'd like that." She smiled at him. Nathan's face twisted into a scowl of jealousy and anger as he listened to them talk to each other. William hugged Gemma and kissed her cheek and gave her a promise to call her to schedule a future date, then walked out of the restaurant.

Gemma sat down and sighed contently. "I think I'm in love." She said dreamily.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Nathan rolled his eyes, but Gemma paid him no attention.

"With that bloke?" Max scoffed. "You could do better, Gem."

"If he was able to put up with all of you, then he's a keeper." Gemma slammed her napkin down and pointed her finger at him. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to." Max heled his hands up defensively, trying to hold in his laughter.

"He seems very nice." Hennessey said, looking at Gemma hopefully.

"And you!" Gemma turned around on her. "Don't think I don't know who brought them here!" Gemma was mad at everyone, mostly Hennessey. She knew she would easily get over it, but right now she was ready to rip everyone a new ass. She knew Hennessey knew how much the dste meant to her. Gemma, though she would never admit to it, had always wanted a romantic happy ending. She had high hopes for each date she went on, thinking that maybe, just maybe the guy would be her prince charming. And she would be damned if her friends were going to ruin it.

"They pressured me!" Hennessey said, beginning to bite on her thumbnail again. Jay grabbed her hand and held it in his, giving her a reassuring smile.

"C'mon, Gem," Siva smiled over at her. "How can you be mad at our faces?" Gemma looked at each of them, as they put innocent smiles on their faces. She tried to keep her face serious, but found herself laughing at them all.

"Are we forgiven?" Tom asked, pouting out his bottom lip. Gemma threw her napkin at him as the rest of the group laughed.

No one noticing Nathan had left.