“Go nuts, you’ve got tomorrow off,” he winks.
“You sure you won’t stay for another?” I’m genuinely enjoying our talk. I like hearing his stories, so I’m a little disappointed he’s leaving.
“You don’t need an old fart like me hanging around,” he chuckles. “Are you coming, Dani?”
“I think I’ll stick around thanks Dad, but I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast?”
“Sure. Night, sweetheart.”
Bernie is definitely a little worse for wear, he’s never used a term of endearment with Dani while I’ve been around.
Now it’s just me and Dani left; Brett and Max have disappeared, and Tommy left with the woman he picked up. At this point, I’m pretty wasted, so I don’t mind Dani’s endless chit chat. That is until she moves in a little closer than I’m comfortable with. Her arm slides along the back of the seating while her fingers dance against the leather. I sense her staring at me, so I glance her way. “What?”
She laughs. “I’m just wondering how long you’ll last.”
I shake my head in confusion. “With what exactly?”
“This whole saintly boyfriend act. Calla isn’t here Ash; I don’t know what you’re waiting for. You could be a little sinful if you choose to be.”
Taking another mouthful of my Jack Daniels, I savour the burn at the back of my throat. “This is the only sin I’m interested in,” I say, holding up my glass. I twitch when I feel her nails graze the back of my neck. “What are you doing?”
She closes the gap between us, bringing her mouth to my ear. “Just being friendly. Don’t you like it?”
“Dani, come on, you know the score with Cal and me. This isn’t going to happen.”
“Only because you haven’t given it a chance.” Dani moves so fast, my head spins. She grabs my face, turns my head and her lips are on mine before I can do anything about it. My body freezes until her tongue seeks entrance to my mouth. I push her away. “Fuck Dani, that’s enough!”
She isn’t put off at all. “Come on, Ash, we could havesome fun. Nobody has to know if that’s what you want.” Again, she goes in for a kiss, but this time, I push her away and stand. I look down at her. “Jesus. Have some self-respect, will you.”
Her initial response is to glare at me with daggers in her eyes, but there is nothing more to say. Dani can see I’m not biting, so she pulls herself up and grunts in my face, “You’re not worth it.” I watch her leave in a rage, but I don’t know what she expected. What the hell made her think I’d cheat on Cal? Especially when she knows how crazy I am about her.
I take a seat at the bar to get a refill. I’m kind of shocked by what just happened and run my fingers through my hair. “Fuck,” I say out loud while I sit and think what tales she’s going to tell Bernie tomorrow, then swallow down the last of the amber liquid in one gulp. It isn’t enough.
“You look like you could with another of those.”
I look to my right and find the most stunning brunette on the stool next to me.
“Let me get that for you.” She holds up a finger to the barman who automatically refills my glass while she orders herself a cosmopolitan. “Thanks,” is all I say as I keep my focus ahead.
“Girl trouble?” she asks.
“You have no idea.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but I saw your girlfriend storm out.”
“Oh, she is not my girlfriend. I can promise you.”
There’s a silence for a beat, until she says, “Is that a British accent?”
I laugh, “Yep.”
“Oh wow, will you do me a favour?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“Talk to me, will you? I have a thing for accents.”
“You’re joking me.”
