Page 69 of Strictly Friends
‘The waiter looks busy,’ she fibbed. ‘I’ll go to the bar and order another sangria. Can I get you anything?’
Looking slightly put out at the interruption, Barry glanced at his almost empty glass. ‘Another shandy would go down a treat.’
Ruby was waiting at the bar for her order and enjoying the brief respite from Barry when she heard a deep voice behind her say quietly, ‘This place is pretty tragic, don’t you think?’
She spun around to find herself facing the man in the blue suit. Up close, his eyes were even sexier, and she could smell the spicy notes of his cologne. He was tall enough to look her straight in the eye, she noted approvingly, and, as if he’d guessed what was going through her mind, he winked cheekily.
She bit her lip, trying not to laugh. ‘So why are you here, then?’
‘I had it on good authority that the tapas is fantastic, but they didn’t warn me I’d have to eat in beige hell.’
This time, she couldn’t help giggling, and then she caught herself. ‘I really shouldn’t be chatting to you. I’m on a date.’
‘Blind?’
She nodded. ‘You?’
‘The same. How’s yours going?’
‘Let’s just say it’s reminding me of all the reasons why I hate blind dates.’
Although her drinks were waiting on the counter, Ruby couldn’t bring herself to pick them up and return to Barry. Instead, she rummaged in her bag, pretending to look for her bank card, while the barman took the sexy stranger’s order.
‘I’m Leo, by the way.’ His slow smile was devastating, and she resisted the urge to toss her hair.
‘Ruby.’
Leo pulled out his wallet from inside his jacket and tapped his card on the payment machine the barman pushed towards him. Before putting his wallet away, Leo extracted a business card and held it out to Ruby.
‘If you’re still feeling the same way about your date at the end of the evening, please give me a call. Since we’ve already met, maybe you’d like to go on a non-blind date.’
‘Smooth.’ Ruby arched an appreciative eyebrow as she plucked the card from between his fingers and slipped it into her bag.
‘Nothing ventured and all that. Seriously, you’re gorgeous, and I’d love to chat some more.’
Sitting in an Uber half an hour later, Ruby took out Leo’s card and fingered it thoughtfully.It’s time to take a chance, Rubes.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone.
49
Ruby took another sip of her latte and tried to focus on the conversation. Unfortunately, it was hard to concentrate on Leo’s words when his eyes reminded her of pools of melted dark chocolate, and his lips curved seductively around the rim of his cup whenever he sipped his steaming cappuccino. Even the way he broke off a piece of the cookie on his plate was ridiculously sensuous, she thought, observing him surreptitiously from under her lashes.
Leo eyed her thoughtfully. ‘Okay, so I’ll just come right out and say it. Why was a hot babe like you out on a blind date?’
Ruby choked, bringing her napkin to her mouth just in time to avoid spitting coffee over him.
‘You’ve got a nerve!’ she protested, laughing. ‘You were on a blind date too! What’s your excuse, then? It’s not likeyou’rehard on the eyes.’
Which was putting it mildly. In a black blazer over a white t-shirt and jeans, Leo looked even more stunning for their coffee shop date than at the restaurant the previous week.
He met her questioning glance with a shrug. ‘For the past couple of years, I’ve been too obsessed with setting up my business to even think about a relationship. But now the company’s takingoff, my business partner insists I need to get out more, which is why he set me up with his friend, Harmony.’
‘Harmony?’ Ruby did her best, but her lips twitched anyway.
‘Are you being name-ist?’ Leo sounded reproachful, although his eyes twinkled with humour.
‘Just a bit. But seriously,Harmony?’
