Page 14 of A Little Light

Bar Hütte. In the park.

Rachel knew the place well. She and Kelly often ventured there around Christmas time. It was known for its German beer and alpine appearance. The atmosphere was pretty good, too. But Andi was right. Being there alone wasn’t ideal. It was either full to the brim with stag and hen parties or with cosy couples out on a date night.

I’ll be there in five.

She rushed across the street. The signs for Bar Hütte were already visible around her. Really, Andi couldn’t have timed her offer better. Although, if Rachel had already reached her place before she’d received the text, she still would have gone back out to meet Andi. Seemed she enjoyed her company far more than Rachel would deem acceptable.

It could be worse. She could be your client, and this could be another Juliet moment all over again.

Rachel pushed Juliet from her mind. Had she thought about being here with Juliet recently? Of course she had. But had Rachel accepted they would never be together…and that she was moving on? She was pretty much there. Having Andi in her life certainly helped her to forget.

She reached the entrance to Bar Hütte, pushing through the heavy wooden door as she scanned the room. Andi was waiting at the bar, looking ever so cute tonight. Black jeans, Chelsea boots, a gorgeous woollen overcoat. But it was the makeup Andi wore—and what Rachel assumed to be a new haircut—that caught her attention. God, she looked radiant. That dark hair and those dark eyes…she was a sucker for an older woman exactly like this. Hence her stint with Juliet.

Stop thinking about her!

Rachel approached the bar, smiling when Andi turned with two steins in her hand. “Did the honours and assumed you like beer.”

“Thank you.” Rachel took a stein from Andi and followed her through the growing crowd of people. For a Wednesday night, the place was rammed. “What made you come here?” Rachel asked as Andi slid into a private wooden booth.

“I was bored. And who doesn’t want to come to an alpine ski bar in the middle of a city during Christmas?”

Rachel grinned, sensing a much less tense Andi tonight. “You make a very good point. It’s good to see you. Thanks for inviting me.”

Andi lifted a shoulder, her eyes focused on the stein she’d just placed on the table. “I wasn’t sure if I should, but I figured if you were busy, you just wouldn’t have responded.”

Rachel remained standing at the end of the small rectangular table, wondering whether to sit opposite Andi or beside her. She opted for the bench next to her, slipping in as best as she could given the fact she wore a dress that finished mid-thigh. “I’ll always respond. But your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I’d just left a client.”

Andi’s gaze swept down Rachel, stopping at her thighs. She saw Andi swallowing, and then she lifted her eyes again. Darker and only more intriguing. “You must be freezing.”

“I’m…used to it. And I’ll warm up soon now that I’m inside.” Rachel felt a slight blush settle on her cheeks, her neck heating as Andi continued to stare at her. She was used to women checking her out, it came with the job, but Andi’s appraisal felt different. It felt natural and real. “So,” Rachel said, clearing her throat and then shivering.

“No.” Andi got to her feet and removed her overcoat. “I’m not sitting here watching you shiver.” She draped her coat around Rachel’s shoulders, the inside warm and snuggly. “Wear this.”

“Andi, you don’t have to do that.”

Andi smiled as she sat back down, her cream sweater showing each and every gorgeous curve. “I do. You’re cold, and I’m not. Now, drink your beer and tell me something about yourself.”

Oh. Women rarely asked Rachel about herself. This was new territory.

“I, uh…”

Andi sat with her hand fisted under her chin, resting her elbow on the table. The way she gazed at Rachel sent another shiver through her, followed by a welcome warmth.

“I don’t really know what I should say.”

Andi shrugged. “Anything. I’m intrigued by you. From the moment we met, I don’t know…”

Rachel hadn’t expected that. Andi was intrigued, but why? Or was this potentially Andi’s way at maybe hinting to be a client? If that was the reason, she only had to ask. “I’m really not very interesting. I’m just your average woman who works and goes home to an empty house.”

“Family? Friends? Hobbies?”

“I have one sister. She has a three-year-old who I adore. Little Emily. Named after our Nanna.”

“That’s sweet.” Andi lifted her beer and sipped. “I have two nephews. Much older, though. One has just started university.”

“Oh, that’s great. What’s he studying?”

Andi’s eyes lit up as their conversation continued. She was a family woman, and that went a long way in Rachel’s estimation of her.

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