She knew Darcy was her best friend and all, but right now she felt like jamming her salad fork into Darcy's eye and walking away.

And she really wanted to be chowing down on a big steak like Jamie had on his plate, instead of munching on rabbit food and trying to be healthy. And skinny.

This wasn't going well at all.

Jamie had returned to the Hebridean Shadow a little before dinner, perfectly in time to escort all three of the girls into the grand dining room and seat them. Darcy and Viv looked like homecoming queens in their short skirts and high heels, while Juno was happy just to be dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a different shirt than she had been wearing for the past two days.

Jamie had spent the better part of their dinner together charming and delighting Darcy and Viv with stories and tales of Scottish life, charming them just by being himself.

No wonder Juno had fallen under his spell, she thought dryly. He's good.

"So." Jamie said, taking a sip of his wine. "Tell me a good story from when you all were roommates in college. Something involving cheerleading outfits, preferably." Jamie raised an eyebrow and grinned, looking over at Juno, who quickly looked down at her plate, refusing to fall under the same spell as the other two clearly had.

They were practically throwing themselves at Jamie.

Forget practically, Juno thought darkly. They just were throwing themselves at him.

And it's like Jamie took in all in stride, didn't even notice.

Maybe he was used to women throwing themselves at him.

Ugh.

"Cheerleading outfits!" Darcy squealed. "Is that a turn on to buff Scottish guys like you? We don't have any good cheerleading stories, but I'm sure we could make one up." She purred, running her hand up and down Jamie's arm in an entirely too intimate manner.

Gag, Juno thought. Gag me.

"If not cheerleading, how about a story involving sexy coeds, and maybe some sort of illegal activity." Jamie grinned and again tried to catch Juno's eye, failing miserably as she dodged his gaze. She had been virtually silent all through dinner, as though she had disappeared and this hologram of Juno had taken her place. Gone was the chatty, sexy girl with an opinion on everything, replaced by this clone with two overzealous friends.

Darcy and Viv were nice, but they were no Juno, Jamie told himself. He missed the real Juno.

Hell, he just missed seeing her smile.

"Illegal in a sexual sense, or just in a legal sense?" Viv joked, making everyone laugh.

Everyone but Juno, of course.

Juno rolled her eyes as Viv told Jamie he 'had an eyelash on his cheek'.

Oldest trick in the book, girlfriend, Juno thought grimly. She couldn't think ill of her friends, though. She's the one that had told them Jamie was just a helpful stranger, and that were was absolutely nothing between them.

Juno was sort of regretting that informative decision now, though.

Juno wondered if she were to hold up her soup spoon and look at herself, would her skin actually be green, or was that just a myth?

Blah blah

"Juno?" Jamie asked during a lull in conversation, looking across the table and waiting until she finally lifted her head and looked at him. "You've hardly eaten of your dinner? Are you feeling alright?"

Juno blushed a little at his perception. "Sure. I just… you know, I'm not that hungry." She added unconvincingly.

That's one thing about hanging out with Viv and Darcy, Juno thought. They were great for her diet – she always felt exceptionally chubby when she stood next to their tall, willowy frames. No matter what she did for the rest of her life, she knew she would always be several dress sizes bigger than them, but it didn't stop her from trying and trying to be a little more svelte where she could.

"I thought you hated rabbit food." Jamie prodded, still watching her with narrowed eyes.

Juno smiled a little at his good memory of her lambasting lettuce as a way of life. "Just watching my girlish figure." She said with an entirely bright, entirely fake smile.

Jamie clucked his tongue. "You need to order something else, darling. Don't eat that." He chided, gesturing to her rapidly wilting bowl of lettuce.

"Darling?" Viv asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He calls everyone darling." Juno explained quickly. "It's a… a thing of his."

Jamie's eyes narrowed further as he watched her, but said nothing at her quick look to him.

"You haven't called us darling." Viv said, batting her eyelashes comically and laughing. "I'm very disappointed. You'll have to rectify that."

Jamie said nothing to Viv's teasing, his eyes still trained on Juno's down turned face.

"Besides…" Juno continued, trying to sound convincing as she finally raised her head again. "I've eaten terribly the last few days, I'm sure I've gained weight. I need to fit into my clothes for the flight home, right?"

"Oh honey…" Darcy said with a warm smile for Juno. "You don't look like you've gained that much weight."

Juno wanted to crawl into a hole and die, right here at the table.

"You haven't gained weight." Jamie argued. "You look smashing. I love a woman with a little meat on her bones. Brings out all the right curves."

Juno met Jamie's dark eyes for the briefest of moments, unwilling to let herself fall back under his spell.

She couldn't fall again.

It would break her.

Absolutely break her.

There was only one way to avoid that.

"You know what?" Juno said, putting down her fork and wiping her mouth with her napkin. "I think I am feeling a little under the weather after all. All the excitement has finally worn me out. Maybe I'll just head back to the room and go to bed early. I'm just spoiling dinner for all of you."

Jamie opened his mouth to protest but Darcy beat him to it. "Oh honey, are you sure? Are you really not feeling well? We were going to go dancing after dinner. Are you sure?" She lay a hand on Juno's arm, her eyes filled with genuine concern for her friend. "Do you want me to come back with you to the room?"

"Or me?" Viv volunteered. "We don't want you getting sick. We've done enough of that for all three of us."

Juno's heart swelled at the concern in the voices of her friends, but her voice was firm as she replied. "I'll be fine, I just need an early night, I think. You guys have some dessert and then have Jamie take you dancing. I insist." She said, standing up and pushing in her chair. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Juno…" Jamie said, automatically standing up when she stood. "Are you alright? Let me walk you back…"

Juno interrupted him. "I'm fine, I just want to lie down. You go ahead – keep Darcy and Viv entertained. I'd feel terrible if I ruined the night for everyone. I'll see you in the morning."

Juno turned on her heel and fled the restaurant, unable to see Jamie's pained expression as she walked away from him.

1381 / 35001 / 50000

before . after