Page 49 of The Wedding Pact
Flynn laughed, agreed, and let the dream-like moment go without saying another word.
At the end of that week, a week in which Flynn had worked from dawn until dusk with the exception of one morning when he’d had a quick wedding on the beach (and had needed to work even later to get through his mass of paperwork), two of his co-workers invited him to The Bath Brew House – a smart pub in the centre of town with a rustic vibe and a lively Friday evening drinks crowd.
He was tired, and as much as he liked the company of these guys, he wanted to at least try and put anything work related behind him for the weekend.
Flynn went up to the bar – it was his turn to buy a round, and then he’d probably call it a night – and found himself wondering what August was doing this evening. Maybe when he headed back to the flat, if she was there, he could see if she fancied going through some her lines for the audition next month. Or even just watch a movie and switch off altogether.
He sighed. He had to shake off these thoughts of August that kept floating through his mind since their ‘wedding shoot’. She’d made it clear she was just acting, and yes, he’d had a moment of feeling like there was something more between them, but it was nothing but his imagination. Perhaps he was just lonely. Perhaps he was beginning to feel ready to move on from Yui, and he was just projecting it onto August because she was right there.
‘Has she stood you up?’ a voice said beside him, and he looked over to see a pretty redhead smiling at him.
‘I’m sorry?’ he replied. He knew a pick-up line when he heard one, but he was never very prepared with a slick answer.
‘Your wife, has she stood you up?’
She looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place her. She definitely didn’t live in any of the flats in his house. Maybe she worked on a different floor of his office or something. ‘I’m not … no, I’m not waiting for anyone, just getting some drinks for some friends.’
‘My mistake,’ the redhead shrugged. ‘You just looked like you were waiting for someone.’
‘Oh,’ he nodded, and went back to trying to catch the barman’s eye, which was difficult in this crowd.
‘So you aren’t married?’ she persisted, and then leant in closer and said, ‘Indulge me, will you? I’m with that hen party over there and they’re doing dares, and my dare was to come and chat you up. Very high school, I know. And so even though this doesn’t have to go anywhere, I still don’t want to be batting my eyelashes at somebody’s husband.’
‘Ah, I see,’ Flynn relaxed and gave her his full attention for the first time. ‘Well, no, not married.’Unless you count a fake wedding on Weston-super-Mare beach a few days ago.
‘Girlfriend?’
‘No.’ It still stung him though to be reminded that he was no longer part of a couple. August never pressed him on it, so Yui was beginning to cross his mind less often. When she did though … Maybe he wasn’t as over her as he thought.
‘Great,’ the redhead propped herself against the bar, creating a place for herself amidst all the business. ‘I’m Poppy.’
‘Poppy,’ he repeated. ‘Named after the hair or is the hair to match the name?’Smooth, Flynn, could you sound any more like a sweaty-palmed retired businessman?
But she just laughed and said, ‘Don’t tell anyone, but the hair is dyed, so it came afterwards. What’s your name?’
‘Flynn.’
‘Good to meet you, Flynn.’ She studied him for a moment while he racked his brains for something to say. He felt so unpractised at flirting with a stranger.
‘What’s the end goal here? Of the dare, I mean; what are they expecting from you?’ he asked.
‘Honestly?’ Poppy gave him a direct look, her eyebrows raised. ‘I don’t think they’d be satisfied unless you threw me on this bar and made out with me.’
‘What can I get you, mate?’ the bartender interrupted them at that moment and Flynn had to splutter out a response.
‘Erm, three pints of London Pride, please, and … ’ he looked at Poppy. He hadn’t intended to buy her a drink too, but he could hardly not after that line.
‘I’ll have a Merlot, thanks,’ she said over her shoulder, her eyes on Flynn, a teasing smile on her lips. ‘Don’t worry though,’ she said to Flynn as the bartender went to fix their drinks. ‘I’m not about to accost you. Maybe you could just take my number instead?’
‘Okay,’ Flynn replied, and opened up a new contact on his phone, handing it to her to input her number.
‘Until next time, Flynn,’ Poppy said, taking her wine and heading back to the table with a wink.
Flynn paid for the drinks and paused for a moment, feeling like a whirlwind had just hit him.
Back at the table, he tried to focus on the conversation, but, like it or not, his eyes kept flitting towards Poppy, the redhead in the corner, surrounded by friends. And she seemed susceptible to glancing his way too. Flynn didn’t even mean to, it’s not like he was looking to meet someone, but it was one of those situations where you want to keep your eyes fixed forward but accidentally keep being drawn towards the flame.
He drank his pint swiftly, tiredness and confusion taking over, and made his exit.
