“Well, now you’ve finally had the pleasure of admiring my handsome face in person, I know you’re going to want to see a lot more of it. How about that date?”
I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Ha ha. I’m sure I will. Are you going to keep bugging me until I agree to go out with you?”
He winked at me. “Yep. It’s easier just to agree.”
Ethan stared between us, amused, and I shook my head, smiling. “I said I’d think about it.”
My phone chimed and I pulled it out of my bag, as Ethan pulled Alex into a conversation about the next day’s London Hawks vs Gloucester rugby match. I had a message from Nick, the director of the youth centre I volunteered at, asking if I could help out the following evening as they were short-staffed. I replied to say I’d be happy to help, then browsed through my social media app on my phone as I sipped my wine. Scrolling through images posted by my friends and relatives, I tapped on the screen, adding a heart reaction to my brother’s latest photo of his dinner—really, what was the obsession with posting pictures of food?
“Are you actually considering going on a date with Alex?” Luke bit out, his tone low.
“What?” I glanced up, startled. His gaze was focused on the pitted surface of the table, as he played with a beer mat between his fingers.
“You heard me.”
“I heard you, but I’m not sure why it’s any of your business.” I kept my voice quiet so I didn’t attract the attention of Ethan or Alex.
“Morbid curiosity.”
I took a fortifying gulp of wine. “I’m thinking about it, yes. He seems nice, and we’re both single.”
“I would have thought he’d have better taste in women,” he muttered into his pint glass, frowning.
“This may come as a surprise, but not everyone finds me as repulsive as you seem to.” I gritted my teeth, trying to control my irritation. “I don’t understand why you seem to dislike me so much. What’s your problem?”
“You’re my problem,” he hissed. “You think you know better than everyone else, swanning around the office without a care in the world. You won’t listen to anyone else if they have opinions that differ from your own. Shall I go on?”
I reeled backwards as if I’d been slapped. “Is that seriously how you see me? Because that is so far from the truth, it’s laughable. I don’t think I know better than everyone else, at all, and I certainly don’t swan around anywhere. I’m happy to take suggestions and direction, but I don’t appreciate the way you speak to me. Has it occurred to you that maybe you’re the problem?”
His dark and stormy gaze trained on me, eyes glittering with animosity. We sat silently, our eyes locked, the air between us turning thick with tension.
With effort, I managed to tear my gaze away from his, frustration and hurt racing through me.
“Sorry, guys, my bus is due. Thanks for the drink, Ethan. Alex, it was a pleasure to meet you.” Rising to my feet, I fixed a smile on my face.
“Th
e pleasure was all mine, babe,” Alex said. “If you can just put your number into my phone before you leave, I can text you later to arrange our date.” He gave me a flirty grin.
“Oh, go on, then.” I couldn’t help the amusement filtering through in my voice. What did I have to lose? “Pass your phone over.”
“You won’t regret it.” He handed his phone to me, and I added my number.
“There you go. Right, I’m off. Enjoy the rest of your night.”
With a small wave at the table, other than Luke, as petty as it was, I weaved through the crowds and stumbled outside.
As the fresh air hit me, I took a deep breath to compose myself, then coughed, breathing in traffic fumes. Ugh. Fresh was a relative term when it came to the air quality in central London.
My bus wasn’t due for another eight minutes according to my travel app, but I couldn’t bear to hang around outside the pub in case Luke appeared. Sighing, I tugged my coat around me to ward off the evening chill, then trudged in the direction of the next closest bus stop.
My phone rang as I neared the stop, and I smiled, my mood already improved as I saw my best friend’s name appear on the screen.
“Avery, hi,” I said, happy to hear from her. “I’ve just been for a drink with your boyfriend.”
“So I heard.” Her amused chuckle warmed me. “What did you do to upset Luke this time? He didn’t sound very pleased on the phone. I had to call him to get hold of Eth, and he almost bit my head off.”
“Who knows? I manage to upset him just by existing.” I snorted. “I can’t believe Ethan forgot to charge his phone, meaning I had to actually call Davenport.”