Catch My Breath

Stephanie rolled her eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Apply. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“You know if I do, Darren will make certain I get hired,” she fretted, her face turning white.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Well,” she shrugged. “Not really. I mean, I have a built-in friend and stuff, but … I don’t know.”

“Do it. Darren wouldn’t suggest it if he thought you weren’t up for the challenge.”

Stephanie’s ice blue eyes lit up. I knew she couldn’t back down from anything that remotely resembled a challenge.

“Maybe I will, Amelia Grace. That way, you can move here with me and go on fabulous dates with one Alastair Holden.” She started digging through her purse. "What time are we getting up tomorrow? Will I have time to pack after breakfast, or should I do it now? I want to get to Glasgow at a decent hour. Darren's expecting us by mid-afternoon."

"There’ll be time to pack in the morning. We'll catch the one o'clock train and be back in Glasgow by three. No worries."

"Perfect. I'll see you at breakfast. Sleep well.”

Stephanie bounded out of the room as exuberantly as she entered. I leaned my head back a little too abruptly, hitting the headboard.

“Honestly,” I grumbled, grabbing for my phone to set the alarm. It beeped the second I touched it.

1:06am I hope you had a cracking time at the wedding. I’ll meet you at 8 tomorrow night. Wear something sexy.

1:07am Don’t push your luck, Holden.

1:10am Fair enough. Good night, Amelia

1:11am Good night

I set the alarm and tossed the phone on the nightstand. Curling up under the blankets, I let my mind run a bit, thinking about what was in store for tomorrow night.

Sleep? Not possible.

CHAPTER FIVE (#u0a54b365-2b51-5473-98e5-bae33eb7a3dc)

The cocktail bar was crowded when we arrived Saturday night. It looked very chic with its rich purples, deep grays and cocoa browns draped over velvet couches and leather booths. The whole room gave off a very seductive, captivating vibe. I was wound up tighter than a drum and needed something to take the edge off. Darren and Stephanie ended up coming too. His company was invited, so they took it as an excuse to have a fun night out. I followed them to a reserved table.

“Fancy a drink? I’ve already got us a bottle of Riesling.” Darren motioned to the table.

That was more than enough for me. I poured a generous amount for myself and downed it. Stephanie rolled her eyes.

"Easy on the booze tonight, Lia. I know how you get when you’re pretending not to be nervous.”

Ignoring the ferocious tremor of nerves in my stomach, I poured another glass and took a sip. “I’m not pretending.”

Some of Darren’s co-workers joined us, saving me from Stephanie’s scrutinizing glances.

“Lia, Steph this is Cassie Zanor. She’s one of the graphic designers at the agency,” Darren said.

Cassie smiled warmly and greeted us. Petite and curvy with dark cocoa skin, she was adorable. Stephanie chatted with her about the open job position. Another one of his co-workers took a shine to me right away. He seemed nice enough. I think he said his name was William, but it could have been Jack for all I knew.

Three minty flavored martinis later I was laughing at everything Bill-Jack said. He was cute in a scruffy way. His features were a bit too delicate for my taste, but he had extremely kind brown eyes. He’d recently gotten a buzz cut and was quite keen on getting me to rub his peach fuzz head.

“I bet you’ve never felt a head like this before. Give it a go.”

“I don’t want to be responsible for messing up your hair,” I smiled half-heartedly.

“Ah, good one.” He angled toward me. “Just once.”

Christ. “Okay. Just once.”

I brushed the palm of my hand across his head quickly. It tickled a little.

“See? Feels good right?” His eager smile made my skin crawl. Your scruffy cuteness is fading, Bill-Jack.

“Can I get you another drink?”

“I think I’m going to get the next one myself, but thanks. I need to stretch my legs a bit.” I smiled at him and went over to the bar. While I waited for the bartender, I whipped my phone out. Nine. I’ve totally been ditched. Or was it stood-up? Either way, this wasn’t a real date so it didn’t matter.

“Why is such a pretty girl getting her own drink?” A dark-haired man with a friendly enough rasp to his voice was standing next to me. These Scottish accents kept getting more and more attractive each time I heard them.

“I felt like walking around a bit.”

“Did you now? I’m Brent Garrison,” he extended his hand. I shook it firmly and introduced myself.

“What brings you to Glasgow, Lia?”

“Vacation.”

“How long will you be here?” He rested his arm lazily on the bar.

“I leave tomorrow morning.”

“And I’m just meeting you now? That is a shame.” He tilted his head, causing some of the wavy, chocolate brown hair framing his face to flop to the side. “What are you drinking? It’s my treat.”

“No, thank you, that’s not necessary.”

A hand suddenly found itself on my lower back. The sensation sent a crazy jolt through me.

“What’s not necessary?” Alastair looked sharply at Brent who returned his chilly stare.

“I was just offering her a drink. Problem?” He smiled tightly.

Alastair remained silent for several seconds, keeping his hand pressed to my back.

“Not at the moment,” he finally said.