Page 5 of Promise Me Ever After
Friday 28thOctober.
A chill settled over me, despite the warmth of the restaurant. Of all the dates it could have been, it had to be the one when Russ and I were meant to be getting married. My jaw tensed and I swallowed hard, trying to keep back the involuntary tears that pricked at my eyes. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, should be absolutely fine.”
“Are you sure? It’s just you look a little—“
“How’s it going? Have you scared Georgie off yet?” Tess came down the stairs, her arms full of empty packaging from party decorations.
Ellis laughed. “Not quite. Although I have just told her about the charity event.”
She sighed. “Yes, we can’t be there this year, which is a shame. It’s such a good night.” She dumped the wrappers into a bin behind the bar. “Will your sister be going?” We’d established all the family links in our first chat. Ealynn Sands was a small town and odds were you’d know people who were also in the business community. It also didn’t hurt that Darcy and Fraser were regular visitors to the restaurant.
“Yep.” I nodded enthusiastically, hoping neither of them would question my discomfort around the date. “Pretty sure she’s got prizes lined up for the auction.”
Tess grinned. “Ah, that’s lovely. It’s such a great event for the town and always a good turnout.”
The front door of the restaurant opened, and loud chatter signalled the arrival of more staff. I turned to see two guys in their twenties come in. The older looking of the two had honey-streaked blond hair, his locks tousled in a messy just-got-out-of-bed look. The loose-fitting hoodie he wore did little to hide his muscular body. His piercing sapphire blue gaze fell on me, his mouth curving up.
I swallowed.
I wished Darcy was here to remind me I’d sworn off men after Russ. That I shouldn’t be looking at this guy in a non-work-related manner. That I shouldn’t be checking him out. There should be no falling too hard, too soon and rushing into a relationship with the first guy that turned my head. Two failed engagements really didn’t need to turn into three. But…
Whoever this guy was, he had to remain firmly in the friend zone.
“Alex, Sid, come and meet Georgie Cavanagh.” Ellis waved them over. “She’s taking over the front of house role.”
They approached us, both of them grinning.
“Hi, Georgie. I’m Sid.” The younger dark-haired guy extended a hand for me to shake.
“Hi, Sid.” I shook his hand briefly, then turned my attention back to those glorious blue eyes. “Which makes you Alex, right?”
He nodded, his full smile practically melting my knickers. “Welcome to the team, Georgie.” I liked the way my name rolled off his tongue. His grasp was firm, thumb lingering over my knuckles what felt like a little longer than necessary for a first meeting.
Fuck the friend zone, I was in all sorts of trouble already.
2
Alex
“She. Is. Smoking.”
Sid raised one hand, circling his finger and thumb into an ‘okay’, the other hand fanning his face.
Spot-fucking-on.
Sid had stepped into the position left vacant by Justin and Curtis as my wingman since he started working in the restaurant this summer. Although only twenty-two, he possessed some pretty awesome skills in the kitchen. Not to mention he didn’t have a filter.
I could pretend I hadn’t been checking out her pert tits in her scoop neck burgundy t-shirt every time she came into the kitchen for something.
I could pretend I hadn’t been checking out her peach of an arse in her tight black trousers every time she went back into the restaurant.
I could pretend Georgie Cavanagh was of no interest to me whatsoever.
I would be lying on every single count.
A smile curled across my lips.
“Reckon she’s single?” Sid went on. He cracked open another can of beer and perched on the bonnet of his car.
