Atonement(18)

“Nothing much, just roughed up by your drunk brother but what else is new?”

“What can I get you to drink?”

I thought long and hard before I answered, “An Evian. I have to drive back home.”

He snickered at this comment. “So many of these guys do and they are so beyond two sheets to the wind, it isn’t even funny.” Colin walked away and came back shortly with a bottle of Evian, a glass filled with ice and a twist of lemon at the top.

“Okay, so what’s going on? You never visit me here at work so it has to be serious.”

“Not serious,” I murmured. “Just a bit silly on our part for not thinking about it until now. It’s my own fault. You told me to just go with the flow but I had to start charts and maps and how much each ticket is going to cost, et cetera. I am an idiot.”

“What the hell did you do that could be so horrible?

“Neither one of us ordered the tickets to get over there. It’s three days before Sunday and those tickets are going to be beyond outrageous. What’s more, we probably won’t sit next to one another,” I explained in an exasperated manner.

Colin smiled until the whole grin too over his face. “Deirdre, I bought the tickets ages ago—at least four months ago—and although I didn’t have a clue who I was taking, it made buying the tickers that much easier. So, to put your mind at ease, the tickets have been bought.”

I couldn’t dare hide my embarrassment or the sudden rush of blood to my cheeks and face. I probably resembled a beetroot with a slight olive sheen but to say I felt like idiot of the year was an understatement.

So why did that same shame turn to an almost intense dislike and a feeling of being played a fool? It wasn’t funny he hadn’t decided to tell me he’s purchased the tickets and how the hell did he know to get two? We hadn’t even known one another when he’d bought them for Christ’s sake!

“Listen, don’t be angry. There was this insane deal Air France offered and I just snatched up two seats in La Première and figured if worse came to worse, I would have to go by myself. I certainly wasn’t looking forward to an experience like that but I would have done it.”

His crystal blue eyes stared into mine before he leaned on the bar until we were mere inches apart. His breath smelled like peppermint and his cologne was almost as intoxicating but I held myself back.

“Listen, I know I am going to sound like a world class jerk but I just knew someone would accompany me on that flight. I never dreamed in a million years it would be you but I am not going to apologize and tell you I’m sorry we’re going together. Where would the fun be in that? I am apologizing for not letting you know beforehand about the tickets. Can you forgive me?”

A warm, hard body pressed against my back and leaned into my ear, “Just forgive him for God’s sake. He made a mistake. You two seriously need to just f*ck and get over it already. All this chemistry and all the time you two have spent together—that is way more than enough time to decide whether you’re compatible or not.”

Colin rolled his eyes. “How about another shot, Liam?”

“Sure but only if the lady has one too!”

I turned to face Liam and he looked better than I remembered, even though he was well beyond the legal limit. He stared at me lasciviously as I inquired, “What are you drinking?”

“Grey Goose.”

“A man after my own heart,” I teased before I looked over my shoulder at a quietly fuming Colin. “Two shots of Grey Goose, bartender!”

If he could, he would have gone through fifty shades of crimson but he settled on beet red and turned away as he threw a white hand towel over his shoulder and began to prepare the drinks.

Liam pulled me into his arms, his prominent erection way too uncomfortable against my body despite the clothes I wore. “Listen, I know how much you two are into one another but…seriously, I have a little proposition to discuss with you. We can get a booth and I could tell you all about it.”

Colin set down the two shots of Grey Goose and I downed mine at the bar while Liam eyed me before doing the same. “Hey Colin, can you make us two dirty martinis please?”

“Sure thing, bro,” he said as if the words were poison.

“So, what is this you want to talk to me about?”

Liam winked at me. “Let’s wait for the drinks, darlin’. So, you excited about this trip you and Colin are taking?”