“I’m rarely wrong Ella, but with you I was.”

I kept my head down and carried on working, Colin was weirding me out right now.

12

Friday night, my favourite night of the week. Our plans were set in place and we were going to paint the town red. First stop Après, and a few cheeky shots of tequila to get us in the mood. The place was packed with a good crowd and the music was pumping throughout the place. I grabbed a table by the dancefloor as Robyn got the drinks in and Chris… well he looked like he was stalking around the bar looking for someone.

“You expecting company tonight?” I asked him as he begrudgingly sat on a tall bar stool next to me with a face like thunder. He was fidgeting like a child and looked uncomfortable being here.

“Edward, that hot boss guy I told you about said he’d be here tonight. I was hoping to catch him but it looks like he bailed.”

Ah, he was more serious about this guy than he wanted to let on. He was in panic mode at the moment thinking he’d been stood up. I could understand that completely. I really hoped that this guy would show up and make Chris’s night. He deserved to be settled and happy.

“He’s probably running late, you know city traffic and all that. Don’t panic Romeo I’m sure he’ll make it eventually.”

Robyn came over with a tray piled with shot glasses and glasses of wine.

“I like your thinking.” I winked at her.

“Start as we mean to go on hey.” Robyn replied downing a shot and winking back at me. Chris wasn’t bothered with the drinks in front of him, he was like a cat on a hot tin roof and couldn’t stay still.

Soon the drinks were really flowing and Robyn and I were part gossiping and part dancing at the table. Chris was distracted, his eyes on the door constantly. His poor little face a picture of anxiety.

“Oh great! Bang goes our night.” He suddenly groaned and I looked over my shoulder at the door behind us.

“What the hell is he doing here? He knows this is my girls night with you two.” I jumped off the stool I was precariously balanced on and turned round to face Joe and Max who were heading to the bar. I glared over at Joe, narrowing my eyes and put my hands on my hips in a show of irritation. Max looked sheepish, but Joe had a smug look plastered on his face. He turned to face me and smirked. I growled to myself and turned my back on him. He was really trying his luck tonight if he thought he could get round me on my one night out of the week. This was friend time, my time. I wasn’t going to get sucked into his impenetrable bubble of lust and bail on my friends, no way, never, not happening at all.

“Hey Robyn, Ella, do either of you two know this guy coming towards us?” Chris asked nodding over to someone behind us.

We both turned round to check out who he meant and my heart sank to my feet. One bossy male was enough for me to cope with tonight, but now fate had thrown in another curve ball just for me. Striding purposefully towards me in his best suit and looking slightly terrified of his surroundings was Simon. His eyes locked onto mine as he pushed his way through the crowd of people by the door and around the bar, straight past an unsuspecting Joe and Max and before I knew it he was stood right in front of me.

“Simon. What are you doing here?” I gasped. I couldn’t keep up with tonight. It was all going downhill fast and it was only half past eight.

“Your Nan said you always come to a bar in the city on a Friday night called Après, so I figured I’d take a chance and here you are.”

“Here I am!” I shrugged nervously and peered over Simon’s shoulder to check that Joe wasn’t storming over here to knock him out. I couldn’t find Joe or Max so I tried to put them out of my mind and focus on one problem at a time.

“What’s up Simon? Is everything okay?”

I couldn’t for the life of me think why Simon, who hated loud music, and wouldn’t normally be seen dead in a place like this, was now standing in front of me after making a three to four hour journey to be here.

“Well you did say to visit so…”

“Hold onto your hats shits about to go off.” Chris whispered but loud enough for us all to hear. I knew exactly what Chris was telling me.

“Ella, who the fuck is this?” Joe was standing behind me, facing Simon and looking like he was about to take him out, and not in a ‘let’s have a drink mate’ kind of way. More a wrestling smack down of epic proportions. Simon stuck his hand out, ever the polite gentleman.

“Simon Tate, pleased to meet you.”

Joe just looked down at Simon’s hand like it was the most disgusting thing he’d ever seen. I had to step in. I swung around to face Joe, putting Simon safely behind me.

“I swear to God, if you lay a finger on him I will call the police and have you charged myself. Back off Joe!”

Joe looked shocked at my outburst.

“Please tell me he isn’t the father.” Simon said. Did he have a death wish?

I spun round to face Simon this time, as Joe told Simon to ‘Fuck off’ aggressively behind me.

Tags: Nikki J. Summers Joe & Ella Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net