With a slow nod, he took another sip of his drink.
“What about you?” I asked as another gin materialized in front of me. “Celebrating or commiserating?”
A small smile played on his lips. “Celebrating.”
“That’s great. Are you meeting with friends?” I panned my gaze through the bar, searching for others like him, but I doubted there were.
His panty-dropping grin faulted. “No.”
“Oh.” My brow furrowed, sensing something I had no business sensing.
“My brother just had a baby,” he added quickly. “I thought I’d have a quick celebratory drink before I head to bed.” His gaze penetrated mine. “My apartment is across the street."
“Well, congratulations,” I said, ignoring the seduction in his mesmerizing eyes. “First-time uncle?”
“Yep.” He gulped down another mouthful.
A surge of happiness rolled through me, clearly his, but he didn’t show it. “Niece or nephew?”
“Nephew.”
My heart lit up, but I refrained from elaborating about how great kids were, especially of the boy variety. My son, for instance, was an absolute legend and he’d only been in existence ten years. I could talk about him all day, but much to my heart’s utter discontent, today I had to pretend like he didn’t exist.
The three-month live-in position I interviewed for left no room for family. My sister told me they were looking for someone without external commitments, so my son would’ve been a massive barrier. So, in desperation, I manipulated my application just enough to hopefully get the job that was going to resurrect our old lives.
My phone vibrated across the table and I snatched it up, worried something had happened to Finn. I’d become accustomed to bad news, and my heart dropped every time my phone chimed after 10 p.m.
Unknown: Apologies for the delay. Please call my assistant tomorrow to make arrangements. I’ll see you at Harlow Manor in four weeks.
“Holy shit.” I covered my mouth as hope and dread churned through my body.
“What’s wrong?”
I stared at the screen. Numb. “I got it.”
“But that’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah…” My heart screamed no. “Yes…of course…it’s a great opportunity.”
The blue-eyed stranger’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t press. He didn’t care. Why would he? He hadn’t even asked my name.
“Now we’re both celebrating tonight,” he said, shifting closer.
I pushed past the guilt already gnawing at my heart. “I guess we are.”
He lifted his hand to the perky brunette behind the bar. “A bottle of your most expensive champagne.”
Her cheeks burst with color as her eyes bulged. She appeared starstruck, but how could you not be spellbound by this man? Men like this didn’t exist in my world. They featured in magazines and movies, or at the very least, some charity ball with a supermodel on their arm. Not here. Not with me. And not staring at me like I was his next meal.
Maybe my luck was changing. First the job, now this. Perhaps the universe was throwing me a bone (quite literally). I needed this. A night off. No worries. No stress. Just me and some handsome stranger clearly craving the same anonymous release. We didn’t need to know each other’s names. We knew what this was, and damn straight I was going to enjoy every second of it.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” I asked my new friend as he summoned over another bottle of champagne.
“Why would I want you drunk?”
“To loosen me up.” I giggled openly, embracing the buzz. I hadn’t felt this free in years.
His fingers brushed against my thigh. “Do you need loosening?”