Choosing Her Lover

Chapter 13

*****

I wake to sunlight streaming over the bed. My view is blocked by Ryan, standing over me, offering me a mug.

“You like coffee on a morning?” he asks.

“I sit up to take the mug from him. “It’s one of the food groups.” I grin.

When was the last time I woke up in a man’s bed?

He sits by me, sipping from his own cup. He doesn’t speak, but repeatedly, his glance strays my way before he looks away again, smiling.

The obvious question finally looms. “What time is it?”

“Ten to eight.”

“Jeez! I’ll be late to work!”

“Hey, calm down. I’ll drive you there.”

“I can’t go like this….”

“The shower’s through there….”

As it is, Ryan delivers me on squealing wheels to Haswell Building at two minutes to nine,

And as I swipe my entry card, James Alexanders is coming in right behind me. He must have seen Ryan drop me off and he wears the kind of half-smile that says he knows exactly why I am wearing yesterday’s blouse and a rapidly painted-on expression of dignity.

“Morning, Kirstie.”

“Morning Mr Alexanders.”

*****

That evening, walking the dogs on the beach, Ben jogs up to me, and Scruffy barges in to meet up with my canine gang again.

“Hi.” he puffs, bending to rest hands on knees for a minute as he catches his breath. “How are you? Great to see you again.”

“I’m fine.” In truth, I am a little uncomfortable. The speed, and for that matter, the direction in which my ‘relationship’ with Ben is progressing is unnerving me. He seems to believe that we are a lot closer than I do, and I am not at all sure that I want to take things with him any further.

What’s a safe topic of conversation?

Oh, yes….

“I was surprised when I met Charlotte at work and realised who she is. You and your brother aren’t much alike, are you?”

He frowns. “Sorry? You’ve met my brother?”

“Yes, I saw him with Charlotte in the lobby a few days ago.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. He must have been picking her up.”

“Er, no. They were on their way out actually. I would never have taken the pair of you for brothers….”

“I don’t think we’re that unalike, are we? I know he’s a lot blonder than I am….”

Blonder?

“No, the man I saw was dark; much darker-haired than you. “

He shakes his head. “Mike’s blond, very blond. He looks like something from a toothpaste advert. You know, the kind with the sunshine-healthy family, all corn-fed, and eating wheat germ and yoghurt.”

Mike….? Not James then….

Time to tread carefully….

I saw Charlotte with a

“I know who you saw. It was the Haswells. Beth Haswell is the spit

my mistake

shut my

spinning overtime, running on whirring red-hot axles. The Charlotte I met was certainly

opt for changing the

“She seems nice.”

“I suppose.” Ben shrugs.

Doesn’t he like her?

very pretty isn’t

so. Mike certainly thinks so. She’s a bit er…. ginger for

laughing.

eyes slide sideways. “I prefer

*****

front doors swish open and a blond, strikingly good-looking man enters the lobby. He is tall, although not

as I

Oh, God. It’s him….

Alexanders’ friend from the Club. Am I going

This could be embarrassing.

his brilliantly blue-eyed gaze sweeping past me as instead, he heads straight

abruptly slows, turns and looks back at

seem rude, but do we

met two or three years ago. You were with

clears. With the most charming of smiles, he stabs a finger at me. “Debbie. That was it,

Moving closer, he peers in and grins. “Ah, Kirstie.” He

brain scrambles for something to say that is not related to this amazing looking man

anyone if you have an appointment or

worry. They know me here. I’m just going to find

friend said

You’ve met him

the

grins. “Was he

yes. He was a

hear it. He’s a good man; one of

I laugh. “He’s a Dom, isn’t he. If you cut him in half, it’d say ‘Dom’ running

to the lifts, turning back as the doors open, and

What a great guy….

Shame he got married….

*****

very good. But I prefer to get out for a while for a change of air, so I head for the coffee bar over the road, ordering myself a latte and a

I’m halfway through my lunch, staring into space and pondering the

up. It’s Charlotte, carrying a

she says. “Mind

at all.” I shuffle up my chair to make

mind?” she says as she seats herself. “I saw you from across the road and thought we might as well take the opportunity to get to know each other, since it looks as though we’re going to be seeing each other

“Sure…. er….”

me over her coffee.

my words. What can

Ben’s your brother-in-law, but I barely

barely know him? He’s not shut up about

had a couple of dates. Please don’t

looks pensive. “I don’t think it’s my impression

from above us.

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