Ava gasped in mock indignation and swiped her hand in Mary’s direction, ‘Bog off, you! I was just admiring his look, very—’
‘Sexy?’
‘Greased Lightnin’ I was going to say. So don’t start.’
Mary laughed and sipped her drink. ‘OK, so I’m not allowed to get you so drunk that you spend the night with Gino. How about just enough to get you dancing?’
Ava lifted her hand. ‘No! No way am I dancing. I agreed to a night out, to support Gino and to keep you quiet. It’s meant to be fun and making a fool of myself in front of this lot is not my idea of fun.’
‘I bet you’d have a blast if you gave it a try. Look. How hard can it be?’
Ava glanced over at the energetic jivers still filling the dance floor. ‘In this outfit? Very!’ Besides from the fact all of the dancers seemed to know exactly what they were doing, Ava didn’t fancy attempting to jive in the black figure-hugging pencil skirt, slightly-too-fitted blouse teamed with a wide belt and kitten heels that Mary had picked out for her. Content with watching from afar, Ava lifted her Bay Breeze. Wondering if it would taste as good as it smelt, she removed the umbrella before taking her first sip. The tang of the fruit hit the back of her mouth, while the alcohol warmed her throat. ‘Wow. That slips down easily.’ She grinned, removing the straw to take a proper swig.
When the bell rang for last orders, Ava slumped back on her chair, attempting to regain her equilibrium. Several Bay Breeze cocktails and a bit of persuasion from the Jive to Thrive dancers, as she learned they were called, had eventually seen her slipping off her shoes, hitching up her skirt and, along with Mary, giving it her all on the dance floor. Her cheeks were flushed, and ringlets of her hair were escaping her ponytail. As they had stepped out of the charity shop, mere hours before, Ava had felt demure. While Mary’s outfit gave a shout-out to Marilyn Monroe, she had felt her own gave a subtle nod to Audrey Hepburn. Now a sweaty mess at the side of the dance floor, she felt far removed from the iconic film star and in much need of a glass, maybe even a jug, of water.Oh, Audrey, I’ve truly let you down!
Ava dabbed her forehead and called out to Mary — who was still giving her all on the dance floor, ‘I’m going to grab some water, do you want anything?’
Mary shook her head and winked as she twirled into the arms of her very proficient dance partner.
Slipping her shoes on, Ava attempted to tidy her hair and made her way to the bar; avoiding Pauline she decided to seekGino out, instead. As he passed her a glass of ice-cold water, Ava gulped it down.
‘Blimey, I needed that.’
‘You never told me you were such a good dancer.’
‘I’m not sure you can call what I was doing dancing, but I’ve had a lot of fun. Thank you.’
‘Well, you’ve certainly got some moves. You’ve drawn a fair bit of interest tonight.’ Gino nodded, directing Ava’s attention along the bar.
She followed his gaze, but the stools he gestured towards were empty. Ava shrugged. ‘Glad to have provided some entertainment.’ She smiled at Gino and drank down the rest of her water before placing the glass back on the bar. ‘It’s been a great night.’
‘You’re not going, are you? I’ll be closing up soon. Thought we could catch up.’
For the briefest of moments, Ava thought how nice it would be to catch up with Gino. He had proved a good listener after her mum’s death, a trait he insisted came from being a bartender since leaving school. And then she remembered the shop, the need to get the sale underway and the bags and boxes she still needed to sort through. She would have to be up early in the morning. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got heaps to do tomorrow.’
‘Dashing off before the clock strikes midnight?’
‘Something like that.’ Ava smiled. ‘But really, thanks for tonight. You must be so pleased it’s gone well.’ Ava knew The Brown Dog, like every business in the village, was under pressure to draw in more revenue. With the health of the current Lord Bramlington in question and so many residential lettings owned by the estate, everybody feared looming changes to the status quo of the village.
‘Hmm, I’ll let you know when I’ve crunched the numbers, but on the face of it, it’s been a good night.’
‘I’d say so. I think you’re going to have to chase this lot off the dance floor.’ Ava turned to see Mary being lifted, her legs being flung first to the left and then the right of her dance partner. She had being single down to an art form. Ava knew Mary wouldn’t be wondering if she should take things further, or what the consequences might be if she did. She prided herself on being an independent spirit who lived in the moment.
‘Are you going to lend a hand, or do I have to do everything around here?’ Pauline interrupted the conversation and Ava’s thoughts.
Gino pulled a face. ‘You’d never guess I’m the one in charge, would you? Landlord duties call. I’d best get to it.’
‘Of course.’
As Ava turned to leave, Gino called after her, ‘But we’ll catch up soon, right? Maybe breakfast.’
‘Breakfast . . . sure.’ Ava’s cheeks flushed as her thoughts ran amuck with the implications of having breakfast with Gino.
‘It’s easier to escape earlier in the day.’
‘Of course.’ Ava turned a darker shade of red.Ava Flynn, a few drinks and your mind is in the gutter!
Chapter Five
