Beautiful Rose (Beautiful Rose 1)

Rose burst out laughing.

“Project Runway? Is it a Heidi thing?” she sputtered. She laughed, as her cheeks went pink and her eyes sparkled. Why did I just admit that to her?

“No. I had nothing to do one day and ended up sitting through an eight hour marathon. It was all over for me from there,” I joked. ‘Now, you’re turn. No holding back either,” I warned her.

“Right. I’m addicted to ice-cream, I hate shopping and I have

an irrational fear of butterflies.” She nodded her head, as if she were happy with her answers.

“Butterflies? But that’s like being scared of kittens!”

“Butterflies are evil little creatures, thank you very much. They stalk you, then wait until you’re vulnerable and then BAM! They attack.” She shook her head sadly. “Don’t look at me like that,” she accused, noting my expression.

“Like what?” I asked, amused. “Like you’re insane?” Great choice of words there, Jack. I groaned internally. Rose seemed oblivious to my slip up, poked her tongue out at me.

“Hey, I’m not the closet Project Runway fan,” she retorted. Fair point. I glanced at my phone. Shit! It was nearly three in the afternoon. Time sure flies when you’re having fun. I should have been at the bar, getting ready for tonight, but I couldn’t bring myself to leave her.

“I guess we better go, hey?” she said, sighing. “I do have a job to get to, you know.”

I paid, and we walked outside to my car. The drive back to her place was quiet. I pulled up out the front, and waited for her to get out. She flashed me her smile. My heart pounded as I stared at her mouth…those lips. God I wanted to kiss her.

“See you later,” I said as she let herself out. She leaned against the window.

“Thanks Jack. I had fun. And your secret? It’s safe with me.” She winked, then walked toward the front entry. I smiled wistfully as I watched her go. Now I felt more confused than ever. Somehow, I didn’t think this ‘friendship’ was going to end well.

Chapter Thirteen

Jack

It was the end of the second week after The Chill Bar's opening, and things were going well. Really well. Nearly every night the place had been booked out and, as of yesterday, we were fully booked for the next six weekends. A few of the entertainment sections in some big name newspapers had given the bar a great rap, which I'm sure was part of its success.

Not that you would know it, looking around the place now. Wednesday nights were shaping up to be our quiet night, and most of the staff was standing around trying to look busy. I'd already sent two of the part-timers home, and now it was just Darcy, Ash and Rose.

“Look, there’s no point all three of you guys being here. Two of you can go, if one of you doesn't mind staying back to helping me clean up.”

“Ash and I will go. Rose can stay,” Darcy piped up.

Rose and I both turned to her, eyebrows raised.

“What? She needs the money more than us.” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke. Ash, oblivious to whatever was going on in Darcy's head, shrugged and grabbed his keys.

“Need a lift?” he asked Darcy. She nodded, and raced over to the bar to grab her purse.

“See you later,” she called out.

I turned to Rose and shook my head. “Sorry, I have no idea what that was about.”

Bullshit Jack. You know exactly what Darcy was trying to do.

“Me neither.” She smiled awkwardly. We hadn’t really spent any time alone since our trip to the beach. I’d missed her more than I was ready to admit.

“So. We still have an hour till closing, and the place is empty . . .” I raised my eyebrows suggestively.

Her jaw dropped, just as I realized how inappropriate that sounded. Bloody great, now she thinks I was propositioning her for sex.

“God no, I meant music. I thought I could play and you could sing.” I explained.

I wanted to crawl under the nearest table and die. Why did I always sound like such a dick around her? If there was one thing I did well, it was play it smooth. Not with Rose though. She laughed at my embarrassment.