“Hold you to it.” Keren gave her a wink and drifted over to the pool table that Scott had just vacated.
It was quicker to walk back to Jake’s and stay in his spare room than head up to his small two bedroomed house on the outskirts of town. The three women had left to return to Rayah’s with the promise of prosecco and pizza, the invitation not extended to any of the other Maynards.
“You like her, don’t you?” Jake said as he passed Zack a bottle of water and two paracetamols in an attempt to ward off any hangover.
“She’s just split from her fiancé,” Zack took them gratefully. “I’m not sure she’s interested in anything other than setting up her business.”
Jake stuck four slices of thick bread under the grill. Another hangover preventative. “So don’t rush her. Just get to know her. Maybe just watch how you look at her. And she doesn’t seem heartbroken. A fling might be what she’s after.”
Zack nodded, getting the butter and jam out of the fridge. “Maybe. We’ll see.” He wasn’t holding out any hopes. And he wasn’t sure a fling was what he was after, either.
Chapter 9
Sorrell took a step back and surveyed the room. The chairs were an eclectic mix of textures and patterns, sticking to the grey colour theme with hints of pastels and then vibrant and colourful cushions. The furniture was simple and modernist, while the light fixtures were copper, with lightbulbs that had fancy filaments.
She was pleased with it and even more pleased with the fact that it was all her own design. If Mark had been involved it would’ve been completely different and she knew she wouldn’t like it as much.
That was the weird thing: she wasn’t missing him. When he called it off, by text messages after going AWOL for four nights with no contact, she’d had a small meltdown and then pulled herself together. At first she’d worried about doing it on her own when she’d always planned to be setting up the hotel with him, or even for him. It had taken her just a few days to realise it was a lot easier without him. She didn’t have to consult him on her ideas and when she’d found that the tasks that he’d undertaken hadn’t been done, she’d seen that this had never been going to work with them together since the start. He’d been playing at being an adult.
The strands of fairy lights were left draped over the leather corner sofa for Zack to come by and help her attach them to the ceiling. It definitely was a two-person job, and although she could’ve asked Rayah, or even Keren, to come over and help, she’d been curious to see if Zack would turn up.
She hadn’t missed the looks he gave her, or the way he was quietly attentive without being overbearing. Nor had she missed the heat that radiated from him when she’d touched his arm, or how he’d made sure that his brothers or Jake did not get to buy her a drink.
He’d tried to keep it subtle, but they’d all noticed and Keren and Rayah had brought it up as soon as they’d got back to Rayah’s and opened the prosecco. Then she’d tried to pretend that she wasn’t interested in Zack.
Which was a lie.
She was totally interested.
And completely terrified.
Which was why she was heading to the little one bedroomed building she’d pinned as her own to get changed into something that didn’t look like she’d been spray painted all over and apply at least a little make-up so she felt half human.
Litton Manor was set in two acres of land with three outbuildings. One, the largest, would be suitable to be converted into a small restaurant at some point in the future. The other two were residential buildings, one of which was habitable, the other less so, although it was liveable. The second was larger, three bedrooms and the potential to be extended. It also stood at the edge of the grounds and could be separated from the main building and sold. Sorrell had it as a plan should she need any extra finance in the future, if the hotel didn’t project the numbers she expected.
She changed into skinny jeans and a fitted sweater, swapping into underwear from Victoria’s Secret that she bought two days after her engagement ended. She hated the thought of wearing underwear that Mark had seen or touched for some reason, so had blown a fair bit of the allowance she allocated herself on new bras and panties. They made her feel womanly and more desirable, even if there was no one she planned on showing them to. And there wasn’t, because Zack was not on her agenda. No one was on her agenda.
Raw was how she’d described herself after Mark. Now she felt as if she was healing, but healing was a process and a rebound relationship with someone who was coming into her friendship circle was something she would advise other people to avoid. She needed to take her own advice.
Zack’s car pulled up onto the wide drive as she reached the manor house. She waited for him as he climbed down, his long legs having no problem with the high car. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater that was tight enough to give a hint as to the muscled form underneath and she tried not to stare.
“Sorry I’m a bit late,” he said.
He wasn’t. They’d agreed half past two, as he’d needed a trip into the city and she’d been into town to speak to Abby from Scott’s bar about some shifts at the hotel. The woman was in need of any extra she could get and Sorrell wanted reliable staff.
“If you are it’s by about thirty seconds,” she said. “You ready for some climbing?”
“I thought I was holding the ladders?” He gave her a wicked grin.
“Ah,” she smiled. “You didn’t say you were afraid of heights.”
This time his grin was smug. “There’s not much I’m afraid of. Am I actually putting up the fairy lights?”
“And these lantern things,” she said, slightly nervous.
When she knew she had help to put the fairy lights up she’d bought a few extra fiddly bits that she wouldn’t be able to sort on her own. Everything apart from the finishing touches were done now; she felt a cocktail of anxiousness and excitement about tomorrow when her first guests would check in, which was fuelling her to get everything absolutely perfect. Then maybe next week when she felt more regulated, she would treat herself to a massage and a facial at the beauticians in town.
Zack’s eyes glinted in amusement. They were a light hazel with green flecks, and would have been the only eyes she’d seen that colour had she not met his brothers.
