Page 29 of The Chance
Staring at his name, I felt faint when a gush of blood rushed to my head. Pressing dial, I brought the phone to my ear and waited. It rang, and then went to voicemail.
I thought about leaving a message, but my heart told me this needed to be sorted out face to face. I had to see him - to touch him and make him listen.
"Do you have his address?" I handed the phone back to Monica.
"In Dublin, yes. Are you going down to see him?"
"I have to, Monica. I can't stay here without telling him how I feel."
* * *
It wouldn't have mattered if I'd boarded a train or a plane to Dublin, because a mere minute of time was painfully long. Sebastian thought I wasn't interested in more - he had no reason to think otherwise, but I was hurt that he didn't try harder. Why would he chase me? We’d never spoken of a future together.
Dublin was buzzing with tourists. By the time I bounced off the express bus, it was late afternoon. Monica advised me to try the office before going to his city apartment, as he'd more than likely be working late.
My stomach was in knots, twisting and churning with a fear of rejection as the taxi navigated the streets. Pulling up outside his office building, I drew in a deep steadying breath. I was plucking up the courage to lay all my cards on the table.
The bronze plaque to the right of the doorway was inscribed with the name, ‘Cooper & Devlin Consultancy'. He’d accomplished so much at such a young age. I was determined to give him the added bonus of a love life to complete his already impressive achievements.
The bright reception was airy and welcoming with a homely scent of coffee. Walking to the front desk, I was greeted by an enthusiastic well-groomed male. His pinstripe shirt looked like it has been pressed with starch and his beard was neat and tidy.
"Hello. How may I help you?" He smiled warmly.
"Hi, I'm here to see Mr. Cooper." My voice seemed alien as I said his name.
The receptionist’s manicured brows knitted together. "Oh goodness, I don't have a record of any meetings this afternoon. Can I take your name please?"
"It's Lexi Knight. He's not expecting me." My cheeks pinked and my lashes fluttered.
"Oh, that explains it. I nearly had kittens! Mr. Cooper is currently out of the office and won’t be back. For a second there, I thought I’d double booked you." He puffed air past his lips.
"Is he at home?" I sounded all too keen.
"No, Miss. Knight. He's having drinks with a client."
"Would you be able to tell me where?" I raised my brows and dished out a syrupy sweet smile. "I came all the way down to Dublin to surprise him and..."
"That's confidential information." He looked at me with an odd twist of his mouth.
"I appreciate that. Sorry. I'll wait for him at his apartment."
"Would you like me to contact him, to let him know you've arrived?"
If I said no, then I'd look like a stalker. "If you wouldn't mind."
"Of course!" The receptionist pouted and nodded his head courteously. "Mr. Cooper, this is Michael. I have a Miss. Knight at the office who wishes to see you. When you get this message can you kindly call me back?" He set the receiver down and looked up with a hint of pity on his tight lips. "I left a message. He doesn't answer the phone during business meetings. I thought he might’ve finished up already. You can wait here. I’ll make you coffee.”
I sighed loudly and dragged a palm over my face. This had become a wild goose chase, and I was living off my last reserve of adrenaline. "Thank you."
"Are you alright? You seem upset?"
Resting an elbow on the reception desk, I smoothed down my untamed locks. After all this time, Seb didn’t need to see me bedraggled. "More frustrated than anything. I really need to find him. To set the record straight. All this hanging around is killing me.”
"Are you in love with Sebastian Cooper?" Michael narrowed his eyes, watching me carefully.
How the hell did he know that? Was it written all over my face? "It’s too soon to talk about love...but fuck it, yes, I'm head over heels in love with the guy. I travelled all the way down here to tell him."
"Lexi Knight, is that you?" A familiar female voice came from behind. "Oh my goodness, are you here to see Sebastian?"
