Saviour (Saviour #1)(4)
We make our way over to the bar area, order a round of shots to get us started and then our drink of choice: Vodka ... Me opting for my usual mix of lemonade with a twist of lime. We do the usual scan of the place, nod and smile at the faces we know and then move over to the edge of the dance floor, all of us now feeling relaxed, happy and in the mood to dance. The band starts playing a song I know and love ... The Clash....Should I Stay or Should I Go? And the irony isn’t lost on me, I swallow back the tears. The vodka tends to make me emotional…especially when mixed with wine…and cowboys. What? Please don’t make out this isn’t what all girls do on a girl’s night…well it’s a normal girl’s night to us. Anyway, emotions aside….. I’m not letting him spoil my night. So off comes the jacket and on come the dance moves.... And the singing... Oh the singing. I know I can’t sing, never have been able to but that fact has never been known to stop me and I pick up an empty beer bottle, holding it in front of me like a mic and start going for it at the top of my lungs. Jemma joins me and we know the looks of admiration we received as we walked in, are now stares of WTF but we don't care, we're having too much fun and I really need to vent. Should I stay or should I go is followed by an almost word perfect rendition of American pie, every verse! Luckily for the rest of the patrons the band is now stopping for a fifteen minute break. Jo is at the bar getting us another round of drinks and as I look over I can see she is talking to a bloke and I can’t help but smile. Jo is a joy to watch when she sets her sights on some poor young thing, she should hold classes…. ‘Cougar Classes’ Watch out Mornington…Jo Myer is on the prowl …Rarrrr
“Uh oh. Jo's on the pull lock up your sons”
“Naaa” says Lulu “He’s far too old for our Jo; he must be at least .... Thirty”
We all laugh at Jo’s expense, apparently a little too loudly as the bloke she is chatting to looks up and catches us all… WOW ... I’m not actually sure if I really have my mouth open as wide as it will go or if I’m just doing it mentally, in my head, I can only think…. WOW. The sight that beholds me... Is just ... He is just ... Perfection? Very tall, longish, dirty blonde coloured hair and even in the dimly lit bar, I can see he has the most amazing blue eyes....Yes definitely perfection!
“Loz, close your mouth...... Loz…... Lauren” Jemma elbows me
“What?” I snap, annoyed at her distraction, I can't unlock my eyes from his.
“Your mouth Lauren, Close. You’re. Mouth. It. Is. Wide. Open” She says each word slowly, as if addressing a child
“Fuck” How embarrassing. Did he notice, do I care? “Yes please” say Jemma and Lulu together, which results in the pair of them cackling with laughter like a couple of schoolgirls. Jo turns around from the bar and frowns at us as a reprimand. I actually feel annoyed with them too, not pleased with their interruption.
“Shit, I think we're being a bit loud, Jo's not looking happy”
The sex god leans forward and says something into her ear and they both look at me before she replies with a nod. He puts a couple of drinks on the tray she's holding, she shakes her head at him and then turns towards us carrying the tray loaded with shots.
“Surely she's is not knocking him back, he is f*cking hot, hot, and hot” Lulu says as she watches Jo head towards us.
“Who the f*ck is that?” Asks Jemma before Jo can even put the tray down. She laughs.
“Yeah, pretty easy on the eye isn't he? He’s actually one of three; the other two are just as fit but married unfortunately”
I say nothing as I know that he is still looking in our direction.
There is a gabble of noise and questions as the other two clamber for info, I am only half listening and have to tear my eyes from his unrelenting stare. “He's a client, well his company are clients, one of our biggest in fact” I keep sneaking little peaks but he is still just blatantly staring in our direction and I don’t want to get caught.
“He has a construction company that he runs with his brothers and sister, Jay probably knows of them Lauren, although they have expanded massively over the years, with jobs running all over the country nowadays and we manage their accounts for them, he's names Gabe, Gabriel Wilde and I think he's about thirty five and yes.... He is daaayam fine. Anything else ladies?”
The three of us pipe up together
“Is he single?” and burst into a fit of laughter at our unison, Jo laughs saying “yes actually he is, very much so, he was married years ago and has a daughter but he’s been single for a while, although he love, love, loves the ladies and has a bad rep for being a womaniser. Actually, he just asked me Lauren, who you were.... And, he bought you a drink”
She passes me a shot and smiles
“What? What did you tell him?”... What. The. Fuck...
“Chill, I said he would have to ask you himself as I didn't give out personnel info on my friends and I wasn't going to break his heart by telling him you have been happily married for like a hundred years”
I’m suddenly overwhelmed by her words. The tension at home, the alcohol, this gorgeous man buying me drinks and all the pretending to be happy in front of my friends. I knock back my shot and burst into tears.....
For a few seconds there is total silence. They all stare at me, it’s like a delayed reaction, then they close in. Lulu puts her arm around my shoulder; Jo and Jemma stand either side, blocking anyone else's view of my tears.