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ChapterTwo
At first, she’d thought the date had been going surprisingly okay. He’d arrived on time, had dressed-up, and opened her car door for her. A good start. Great, even. She’d tried her best in the car to convince him to go to another restaurant or bar, but there weren’t many people who would pass up the chance to go toThe Hummingbird… including her date. It wasn’t an exclusive bar, but it was high-end and often booked out weeks in advance unless, like Rose, you knew the right people.
Uneasily, she’d settled back into the car ride, nodding in the appropriate places as her date spoke to her about his work in the private security sector – not something that Rose really had much expertise in so there wasn’t much she could say. This seemed to suit her date just fine though and Rose ignored the unease running through her the closer they came to the bar and the more her date spoke – chances were that this guy shared Sam’s views on marriage and kids and a woman’s ‘place’.
She couldn’t climb out of the car fast enough when they arrived, but her eagerness faded as she spotted a familiar dark-blonde head inside. David Blake. Better known as the bed-warmer of most of the women in Cincinnati, he was currently seated at a table with three other women that Rose paid very little attention to as Blake looked up like he could feel her gaze. Rose clenched her jaw and turned away sharply, only to run right into an even bigger disaster as a shockingly tall, blonde woman strode over to her with her arms held wide.
“Darling!I’m so glad I caught you. I decided to cover for Lola tonight.” Annabel DuLoe patted non-existent stray hairs back into place before pulling her daughter into a bone-crushing hug and Rose wanted to scowl at the theatricality of it all. She knew her mother had likely been lying in wait and had rushed out as soon as she’d spotted them come in.
“Yes, well, I–”
“Your father’s upstairs, if you wait just a second, I can go and get him and he can meet this lovely young man!”
Her mom looked like she was seconds away from sprinting towards the office upstairs when her date took her hand in his and pressed a bold kiss to the back. At first Rose was relieved, she didn’t need any more spectacle surrounding this car-wreck, but when the guy’s lips lingered for too long to really be appropriate Rose wanted to gag and only barely resisted the urge.
“Oh my, what a… gentleman,” her mother said at last, retrieving her hand and looking almost sorry that she’d covered for Lola, the Maitre’d who wassupposedto be greeting her and…Tim? Was that her date’s name?
But of course, Cal wouldn’t have told her when Rose had called that her mother was covering for Lola – not when it would be more amusing for him to watch Rose rock up with a date and get snared by her mom. Rose shot a narrowed eye look at her cousin and he smirked at her from behind the bar. She couldn’t be too annoyed with him really though. With the prospect of Rose’s dating life in the mix, there had been no way her mom was going to miss this.
“I’m sure Dad’s busy. We’re just going to head to the bar.” Rose cast a furtive look at her date and held back a groan as Tim (Tom? Todd?) stared around with appreciative eyes, clearly aware that not only was he inthemost up-and-coming bar in Cincinnati, he was on a date with the DuLoe heir. It was something she usually waited until the fourth or fifth date to drop into conversation, though it wasn’t often that Rose got to that point as the gossip columns or the paparazzi usually did the honors for her. Plus, she was a workaholic and everyone knew it, more likely to be out for business than pleasure. A dark smile twisted her mouth as she caught a glimpse of David Blake out the corner of her eye again.He definitely couldn’t say the same.
The last time she’d been within five feet of David Blake was her ill-fated graduation celebration. By this point, Rose had begun to feel that perhaps her and Samantha weren’t well suited to a friendship given that Sam had beamed up at her after Rose had walked across the stage and said, “Well, you were bound to do well. Only an idiot could fail Fashion and Events Coordination.” But to make matters worse, Sam’s eyes had fixed immediately onto Blake once they’d arrived at the party and Blake, man-slut that he was even back then, had obviously noticed. His smile had been big and toothy and Samantha had blushed so hard Rose had wondered if she was having an aneurysm. Sam had been attached to Blake all night, stirring a sense of nausea in Rose’s stomach every time she saw Samantha laugh becauseew, it wasDavid Blake.
So Rose had ignored them for most of the night, other than shooting the occasional glare Blake’s way, and instead opted to chat with Blake’s undeniably cute friend Christopher. She’d actually harbored a small crush on both Chris and Blake when she’d been about eight. Of course, then she grew up and realized Blake was a dick. Case in point, the unfortunate ending of that night –Blake had spouted off some garbage about Rose’s taste in classy friends as well as some other things.To be honest, she’d been deep into several glasses of champagne and couldn’t remember what specifically he’d said… only her reaction. She’d been absolutely enraged that Blake had hijacked her friend – even if she didn’t like her very much – and that Sam had let herself be taken. Then he’d wound her up further and Rose had reached behind her for the crystal bowl full of bright pink punch and assorted fruit before promptly dumping it over his head.
And that had been the last time she’d been in spitting distance of Blake, which was generally how she preferred it.
Wiping her damp palms discreetly on her pale pink slip dress, Rose raised a haughty pale blonde eyebrow when she turned and caught Blake unabashedly staring her way. God, the man had no subtlety.Three women at his table and he was still looking over here?Her eyes had no trouble picking him out in the early evening crowd, which was slightly unnerving but was likely just because he was a familiar face.
“Let’s head to the bar, Todd.”
“Tom.”
“Right, yes, sorry.”
Tom’s arm hooked through her own tightly and she delicately coughed at the overpowering minty aftershave he seemed to have bathed in. Where had Samantha found this guy? Cal smiled politely, but Rose could see the humor in his eyes as he pushed away from the back counter behind the bar and towards them.
“Good to see you, Rose, lots of familiar faces in tonight.” His dark eyes shifted to Tom, who was still ogling her mother, and a slight curl of Cal’s lip betrayed his disapproval even as he teased her. Callum had also been at her now-infamous graduation party and while he hadn’t been around as much when she was a child to see her grow up with Blake, he knew enough stories to know Blake’s presence would be riling her up.
She straightened her shoulders and stopped herself from rolling her eyes with a great deal of effort, simply muttering, “Blind date,” while Tim remained distracted.
“What can I get you tonight?”
Rose opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Tim’s hand patted her arm and he said, “I can take care of this, honey. She’ll have wine, a merlot if you have it. I’ll take a beer, easy on the foam.” Cal shot her a mocking look and she grit her teeth. Cal knew she couldn’t stand red wine and Tad’s behavior made her want to throw it straight in his face. She was going to kill Samantha. This date already sucked and they hadn’t even made it to dinner yet. She would happily take being called ‘uptight’ if it meant avoiding painful experiences like this. Tom pulled out one of the dark-wood barstools and steered her into it by the arm, and she wasn’t sure if it was because he thought she was incapable or to stop her from running away.
“You know, I’m actually not a big fan of red wine,” she said hesitantly and Tom blinked muddy gray-brown eyes at her as he settled into his chair.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He smiled at her and she honestly didn’t know what to say. “Girls like you love red wine.”
Girls like her? What did that even mean?
“Look, Tim, I don’t think–”
“Ohmygosh,Rose!Is that you?”
She let out a long breath, the voice triggering a slew of happy memories that instinctively made her body relax even as Cal set the red wine down in front of her with a wink. What was it he’d said?Lotsof familiar faces, god, she’d been so wrapped up in her annoying date and Blake being there that she hadn’t even noticed her old college roommate in the crowd.
Rose gratefully spun around and gave a delighted squeal when she confirmed that it was exactly who she’d thought. “Katie! You’re here, oh my god,howare you here? I feel like it was forever ago that I saw you at that party.” Katie was one of the few people Rose actually missed from college but they both led busy lives, often traveling, and before you knew it, you fell out of touch.
