Page 80 of Falling for Grace

Looking forward to it. X

And so that’s it. An impromptu date with a hot guy with dark eyes I could swim in. But, Brandon’s niggling at me, and even though I want to try and move on Theresa is right. There is an element of “What about Brandon?” Before I jump back into my work, I dial Brandon, my heartrate building at the thought of him answering – even though I know deep down that he won’t. It rings until his voicemail clicks in and I hang up throwing my phone onto the desk letting out a big defeated sigh.

I’m late, but then I’m always sodding late. I stumble into Sully’s at 5:45, scanning around the busy bar looking for Ben. I hesitate for a second…you know how it is. You spend a night drinking with a guy, you end up puking your guts up, you wake up next to him, but then you don’t see him for a while, and a moment of fear runs through your head that maybe, just maybe you can’t remember what he looks like.

That would be awkward.

Epically awkward.

Luckily for me, I remember, and I don’t think my drunken hazy memory of him did him justice at all. He stands up as soon as he sees me and waves me over. Even from here I can tell he’s tall. Well over six feet and all muscle. The physique of an athlete. He’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that hugs his torso like a second skin. He is all chest and arms, but not in an overpowering way. I’ve seen what’s under that shirt and I think I want to see it again.

I wave back as I walk over, navigating through little groups of office workers who have escaped the nine to five for another week and are enjoying a Friday night drink.

“Grace,” he says, standing and kissing my cheek. I kiss his back and his scent washes over me. He’s freshly showered. The ends of his hair look damp and he smells of cool water.

“Hi, Ben.”

“I got you a beer. I seem to remember you and T are slight beer hounds.”

I smile and pull off my black suit jacket, revealing the silky white top underneath. I am mentally high fiving myself for wearing this outfit today. Who would have known I would end up on a casual date?

I’m wearing tight-fitting black Capris with beige high heels, and a white silky top with a beige scarf. I have brushed powder on my cheeks and reapplied my mascara and nude lipstick, my hair in loose curls.

I slide into the booth opposite him and sip my beer.

“Do you want a glass?” he asks.

“And ruin the taste? Hell, no.”

He laughs and then looks at me, becoming serious. “Without sounding melodramatic,” he says, “I’ve been worried about you. Is that weird? I don’t really know you.”

I blush, warming at his admission.

“I think because T has been telling Rob stories about you, Rob has kinda told me, and then when I didn’t hear from you...”

“Sorry about that.”

“No, I don’t mean anything by that. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Well, I actually think I owe you an apology. Our first meeting didn’t exactly have a happy ending.”

He tips his head back and laughs, the rich sound filling me with something I haven’t felt in a while. “So are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m getting there. It will take time, but I’m going to be okay.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He nods, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So, Grace from London, England. Tell me about yourself.”

So I do.

I censor some of it, of course, but I tell him. I even open up about my childhood, because if there’s one thing my therapist taught me, it’s that talking helps.

“So, Danny was your best friend?”

I nod and grin, taking a sip of my third beer. We’ve been talking easily over the last hour and enjoying each other’s company. It isn’t just one-sided, either—he’s telling me things about himself. About his dreams, and his own childhood.

“He was. We were inseparable from when he moved onto the road when I was about 12. There was a little gang of us.”

It’s nice to be asked about Danny and not feeling as much pain as I once did.

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