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Chapter 1
Sophie
It’s one o’clock and I am running out the door. My half day shift as a dental receptionist is over. It’s Friday and I have plans for my weekend starting now. I want to make it to the corner café before the lunchtime rush. McCarthy’s is always super busy. When I get there, there isn’t a queue for once. I order my sandwich and cup of tea to go. I am in the middle of a good book, the final instalment of The Santiago Series by Catherine Wiltcher. Today I fancy sitting in the park reading while I eat my lunch.
As I am walking out the door with my head down in the book, I walk into something hard, and stumble back, landing on my ass. My tea has gone flying from my hand. Where is my book? Please! Don’t let it be ruined! A hand touches my shoulder, and it makes me jump.
“Are you ok, Miss? Can I help you up?” says the most hypnotic voice I’ve ever heard. It’s so very husky. As I look up, I see blue eyes staring at me with concern. There is a tiny scar under his left eye. I wonder what happened there. His hand is held out and I grab it. His hands are like monster hands over my little dinky ones. As I stand up, I take in all of him in. Tall, dark, and mysterious. Also, very sexy, maybe a little too handsome. Mm, I wonder how much he works out?
His white t-shirt could be a little tighter to show off his body better. Black tattoos sneak around his arms, I think it might be Celtic design or just swirls. And those jeans, with holes in the knees, oh my, oh my. Could hebeany more perfect? I laugh at myself, it’s such a Chandler Bing fromFriendsthing to say.
“Hmmm, Miss, are you ok?” he asks again, this time with a smirk. I have been caught red-handed checking him out.
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I was so busy trying to read I didn’t see you. I am so sorry. But I’m ok. I will just get going now.”
I try to dust myself down and unravel my skirt. I spin around, spying my book I pick it up. I hope to get going before I embarrass myself anymore. Lauren, my best friend and roommate, would laugh at me and tell me that’s what I get for not paying attention.
As I’m about leave, Mr. Hottie touches my shoulder and spins me round.
“Come on, I will grab ya another drink. Least I can do since I knocked ya over,” he says with a wink in his husky smooth voice. I follow him like a little lost lamb.
He orders himself a gingerbread latte. Seriously? I wouldn’t take Mr. Hottie for such a girlie drink, but who am I to judge? He looks at me with those dazzling blue eyes.
“Tea please, milk, with two sugars. Thank you.”
Don’t tell the clients I take sugar. Do as we say not as we do in the dental world. Our tearoom is full of chocolate and biscuits, but we don’t tell patients.
I end up waiting outside for my cuppa and Mr. Hottie. He walks outside with a sense of belonging and authority about him.
He hands me my cup. “I’m Cahill by the way, nice to meet you…”
“Sophie, I’m Sophie. Hi. Sorry. I’m super awkward with these things,” I reply nervously, I am useless with men. He’s just smirking at me, as if I’m so amusing to him.
“Thanks for the cuppa. I will get going, I don’t wanna keep you back any longer than I have. Thank you again, Cahill.”
As I go to walk toward the park, Cahill stands in my way. I need to tilt my head back to look up at him, he has got to be like seven feet tall. He looks down at me with his big blue eyes, and I notice the little scar near his eye again.
He smiles. “I think I will be seeing you round, Sophie.” And with that he walks off. Like what was that all about?
“I think I will be seeing you round…Sophie.” I mock him as I walk to the park. Silly man. Handsome, gorgeous, book boyfriend material kind of man but still silly. And he drinks gingerbread lattes, what kind ofmandoes that?
I find a little spot under a tree and open my book to start reading and have my lunch. Before I get into my lunch and book, I snap a picture and upload it to my bookstagram account to update my two thousand followers on what I am currently reading. The bookstagram community is so welcoming. They feel like my internet family. I’ve made so many amazing friends on there through my love of books. Once I get the perfect picture and add a nice tag line to go with it, I then enjoy my lunch in the sun.
It’s not very often we have sunny days in Ireland, it’s mainly rainy and overcast, but we have lush grass for it. This is just us Irish trying to spin some positivity on the factit’s always wet. Some days I wish I could be in sunnier parts of the world like Italy, drinking wine, eating pizza, and relaxing by the pool with a good book. Maybe a handsome, muscle-bound tattooed man lying beside me, big arms crossed behind his head, relaxing as we soak up the sun; hey a girl can only dream.
Maybe my man in Italy could be Cahill? Did I just think about him? I must look crazy to passers-by because I am giggling to myself. Yes, there is the weird girl again.
By the time I finish eating lunch, I have stopped daydreaming and got some reading done. It’s nearly half past four. All the things I had planned—which granted wasn’t a long list besides finish this book—will have to wait. I was meant to do a little shopping but that will wait till another day. I need to head home to get dinner on and catch up with Lauren. I am sure she needs a drink. And I can tell her all about my clumsy bump with Mr. Hottie Cahill.
