Cal brought up Elisabetta’s number on his phone – this needed sorted and sorted now. His stomach pitched as the ringtone kicked in, but Elisabetta didn’t answer and the call diverted to voicemail. Cal redialled.
Again, the phone went to voicemail. Cal tried four more times before leaving a short message.
‘Betta, it’s Cal. Call me when you get this, please. We need to sort this thing. You know what I’m talking about.’
Cal laid the phone on the table. A baby. He sipped his coffee and considered the possibility for a moment, before deciding it was best not to. The rational part of his brain told him that if he got too attached to having a child and it turned out it wasn’t his then he would face disappointment. He also deduced that although Elisabetta was no doubt enjoying the limelight granted by her social media tease posts, her followers would soon grow bored and she’d need to find a new angle. If Cal were the father, she’d probably use that as her next publicity strategy, name dropping her baby-daddy as ‘one of Scotland’s most eligible bachelors,’ as stated byScottish Bar Managermagazine, or something else utterly meaningless if you were of Cal’s mentality, but impressive if you were of Elisabetta’s.
A shadow moved across the table and Cal glanced up to see Kitty, one of his employees, and Cara’s best friend, standing at the window. He got up to let her in for her 11a.m. shift. Could he be imagining it or was there a lightness about Kitty that wasn’t usual for this hour of the day?She had a funny expression on her face and was suspiciously jolly as she wished him good morning. He suspected that she had already been on the phone to Cara discussing the baby situation. Kitty and Cara were best friends from primary school and knew each other inside out. His sister had probably confided in Kitty that she would be an auntie before she’d even called Cal to discover if it was true. Well, he wasn’t about to confirm or deny to Kitty, no matter how many knowing smiles she might give him. He was her boss and a professional distance was required.
Kitty made her way behind the bar towards the staff area to take off her coat and bag. As she did she hummed a song Cal was sure had the word baby in the title. He tried coughing loudly as a signal that he knew Kitty’s game, but she appeared not to notice, instead asking him if he had a sore throat.
‘Um, aye, a wee bit.’ Cal supposed that being grumpy about such a minor detail would draw more attention to the issue and he’d be better taking a step back to let his mind settle. ‘Listen, I’m going to pop out for a bit,’ he said. ‘Get some, um, Lemsip. Are you all right to set things up here? I’ll be back before opening.’
‘Sure,’ said Kitty. ‘I can get the Lemsip if you’d rather. I’m sure you’ve piles of emails and stuff to deal with. Plus, it’s bucketing outside.’ She pointed out the window as if Cal hadn’t noticed the rain.
‘Thanks for the offer, Kitty, but it’s all in order.’ Cal shrugged on his coat. ‘And I can cope with a wee bit of rain. Plus, I’ve got an umbrella.’
A minute later, completely forgetting the umbrella, Cal headed out of the bar, up the close and onto the Royal Mile where he turned in the direction of his favourite coffee shop.
Chapter 5
Bea
Bea plucked a napkin from the box on the table and wiped away a streak of condensation from the window.Give me inspiration from somewhere.She peered through the clear streak to see if there might be a glimpse of sunshine struggling through the clouds.Don’t let this mission be a complete waste of time.
There was no sunshine, but Bea saw something else on the street that made her sit up. A tall, striking figure, his collar up against the wind and rain, passing by the window of the coffee shop. This could be her hero, on his way to make up with the heroine. To take her by the rain-sodden hand and lead her up the stony stairs of a dark tenement and into a warm bed, to make passionate love to her while rain battered the window and the fire roared in the hearth. Bea swallowed hard. She should pack her laptop up and follow him. He could be her muse. But what would she do if she caught up with him? In her dreams she would follow some guy, accidentally bump into him, lock eyes and hold his gaze a moment too long: long enough for him to realisehe’d fallen in love at first sight. In reality, Bea had little confidence to do this.
Fortunately for Bea, making chase was unnecessary because, moments later, the tall, striking man pushed open the door of the coffee shop.
Bea inhaled sharply as his presence fill the room. He was well over six foot with dark blond hair cut short at his neck, sharply dressed in a light-green tweed coat paired with jeans and brogues. He strode to the counter with confidence. It was like she was being given a second chance. What should she do? A glance at her coffee cup reminded Bea that she’d only drunk a few sips and it wasn’t time for a refill. But what if she went up to the counter and got him to notice her? Almost orchestrated a meet cute. It would be super-difficult because it wasn’t in her nature to be out there like that, but there could be an amazing story in it for the readers. And not just the novel itself but the story of how she met her muse. She had to do it – for those waiting for her next book. Bea slid out of her chair and headed to the counter, gripping her empty cup.
The man was ordering a latte. Bea noticed the bank card he was ready to swipe across the payment machine. She moved in, stood next to him – heart beating so loud he must be able to hear it – but didn’t acknowledge his presence.
‘Excuse me.’ Bea held her coffee out to the barista. ‘I don’t think this is analmondmocha, and I did ask for an almond mocha.’
‘Um…’ Bea’s commanding voice made the barista forget about her original customer, and the fact that the drinkwasmade with almond milk. ‘Sorry about that,’ she said. ‘I’ll get you a new one right away.’
As the barista turned to the coffee machine, theman sighed. Bea sensed him tense and bristle. There was an intoxicating energy emanating from him. He also smelled divine: wafts of warm lime and cedarwood filled her senses.
‘Oh, and while I’m here,’ Bea continued to the barista, her jaw almost shaking, ‘is that chocolate cake dairy free also?’
The barista leaned back from the coffee machine and examined the labels on the cakes in the glass-fronted cabinet. ‘Yes, it is.’
‘I’ll have a slice of that as well.’ Bea beamed with gratitude and commended herself for holding her nerve. How some people behaved like this daily without thinking twice, baffled her.
‘Seriously?’ The man’s stare was boring into the side of her head.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ Bea turned, pretending to notice him for the first time, although she hadn’t accounted for his eyes being the greenest she had ever seen. She could stare into those forever. ‘Were you…?’
‘Being served? Aye, but I think you knew that.’
And the deep Scottish accent. It made Bea’s core vibrate. She could sail away on those tones, across a loch the colour of his eyes.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘I should have noticed you. That’s so rude of me. I can only apologise. It’s just, when you can’t have dairy and they give you dairy, well… it’s frustrating.’ Hopefully now, if she played it sweet, he would come round.
But the man’s gorgeous greens were choppy with annoyance and Bea sensed a reprimand coming. She wasn’t wrong.
‘By all means, stand up for your dietary rights but do itwhile waiting your turn.’ The man simmered with annoyance. ‘Unless you’re allergic to that?’
