what name I sang under because they couldn’t find my
albums on iTunes, and Noah made a point of hugging his Beautiful Indian Diva as he left.
Sometime later
Jill pulled me away from well-wishers to give me back my silver purse with its
long shoulder strap. I slung over my head and across my chest so it would be
lost in the folds of my scarf, then she put a daiquiri into my hand and we both
grinned like loons.
“Bloody hell,” she
said, and we grinned some more. Then she nodded toward Finn. “Noah’s sending Finn
the contact details of an agent he wants you to ring. An agent!”
I blinked in
shock, but instead of feeling even more elated, that brought me back to earth.
Did I want an agent? The girls had always expected me to be a star, but I’d
never wanted that. I’d wanted babies with Danny and an occasional stint at the
club. With one dream lost, was another about to come true?
“Bloody hell,” I
repeated, because I didn’t know what else to say.
“I know. Right?”
Fritha came and
threw a stick-insect arm around both of us for a group hug. Then she winked at
me. “And just when you thought life didn’t get any better, I’ve got a gorgeous
specimen at the bar asking if he can talk to you.”
Jill’s eyes lit
up. “Want me to scope him out first? Check him for facial hair?”
Fritha shook her
head. “Smooth as a baby’s bottom. And chiseled.”
I felt a flicker
of nerves—I hadn’t expected this sort of attention—but I raised an eyebrow as
though I was interested. “Chiseled. Nice.”
Jill grabbed my
good arm. “Let me be your wingman. I’ll be discreet.”
Fritha snorted at
the very idea, then she turned to me. “His name is Jack. He said—”
“ Jack? ”
Jill practically shouted.
Fritha shook her
head in disgust. “Very discreet,” but I was too busy searching the crowd to pay
attention to her, and in the end he was easy to spot even though he was behind
me because he was almost a head taller than anyone else. And thankfully not
looking my way.
Sweet Shiva, the
moment I saw him I felt weak. It was a complete cliché, but when he smiled
politely at someone edging past him and I saw those sexy crows’ feet beside his
eyes, coupled with the white teeth and his amazing span of shoulders in a suit—a
suit! I just wanted to puddle, right there.
Jill had an arm
around me in an instant. “Breathe,” she instructed quietly, leaning in close.
“He can’t see you here. We can go if you want.”
“What?” Fritha
pushed between us as I turned back to face them. “He seems nice.”
“He is nice,” I
said softly.
Jill shook her
head. “You told me—”
I looked into her
eyes at close range. “I lied. He wasn’t drunk. I just didn’t want you to
match-make. I’m not ready.”
“Okay.” She
nodded, clearly surprised, but calm about my deceit. “So he’s nice. But you
still have options. Do you want to meet him now, or—”
“Angela?”
She stopped
talking to look up at someone behind me, and despite the fact that his voice
wasn’t as gravelly as it had been in the hospital, I recognized the deep
drawling tone, and for the first time I registered that it sounded like home.
The nurse had told
me he was from the outback, but I’d been so prejudiced against him, I hadn’t
wanted to acknowledge the fact that we were kindred. We both came from country
towns. We both spoke with that unmistakable country Queensland drawl.
Jill’s expression
went carefully blank as she said, “Jack, I presume,” and she held out her hand.
“I’m Jill.” She smiled at the irony as they exchanged a brief handshake. Then
she met my gaze. “I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”
“Sure.”
My voice sounded
small and frightened. Which was crazy. When I’d stopped singing, I’d been so
full of life that I’d felt like I was somehow bigger than the room. Was I that
terrified of lust?
CHAPTER FIVE
Jack stepped around
in front of me as Jill dragged Fritha away, and because
albums on iTunes, and Noah made a point of hugging his Beautiful Indian Diva as he left.
Sometime later
Jill pulled me away from well-wishers to give me back my silver purse with its
long shoulder strap. I slung over my head and across my chest so it would be
lost in the folds of my scarf, then she put a daiquiri into my hand and we both
grinned like loons.
“Bloody hell,” she
said, and we grinned some more. Then she nodded toward Finn. “Noah’s sending Finn
the contact details of an agent he wants you to ring. An agent!”
I blinked in
shock, but instead of feeling even more elated, that brought me back to earth.
Did I want an agent? The girls had always expected me to be a star, but I’d
never wanted that. I’d wanted babies with Danny and an occasional stint at the
club. With one dream lost, was another about to come true?
“Bloody hell,” I
repeated, because I didn’t know what else to say.
“I know. Right?”
Fritha came and
threw a stick-insect arm around both of us for a group hug. Then she winked at
me. “And just when you thought life didn’t get any better, I’ve got a gorgeous
specimen at the bar asking if he can talk to you.”
Jill’s eyes lit
up. “Want me to scope him out first? Check him for facial hair?”
Fritha shook her
head. “Smooth as a baby’s bottom. And chiseled.”
I felt a flicker
of nerves—I hadn’t expected this sort of attention—but I raised an eyebrow as
though I was interested. “Chiseled. Nice.”
Jill grabbed my
good arm. “Let me be your wingman. I’ll be discreet.”
Fritha snorted at
the very idea, then she turned to me. “His name is Jack. He said—”
“ Jack? ”
Jill practically shouted.
Fritha shook her
head in disgust. “Very discreet,” but I was too busy searching the crowd to pay
attention to her, and in the end he was easy to spot even though he was behind
me because he was almost a head taller than anyone else. And thankfully not
looking my way.
Sweet Shiva, the
moment I saw him I felt weak. It was a complete cliché, but when he smiled
politely at someone edging past him and I saw those sexy crows’ feet beside his
eyes, coupled with the white teeth and his amazing span of shoulders in a suit—a
suit! I just wanted to puddle, right there.
Jill had an arm
around me in an instant. “Breathe,” she instructed quietly, leaning in close.
“He can’t see you here. We can go if you want.”
“What?” Fritha
pushed between us as I turned back to face them. “He seems nice.”
“He is nice,” I
said softly.
Jill shook her
head. “You told me—”
I looked into her
eyes at close range. “I lied. He wasn’t drunk. I just didn’t want you to
match-make. I’m not ready.”
“Okay.” She
nodded, clearly surprised, but calm about my deceit. “So he’s nice. But you
still have options. Do you want to meet him now, or—”
“Angela?”
She stopped
talking to look up at someone behind me, and despite the fact that his voice
wasn’t as gravelly as it had been in the hospital, I recognized the deep
drawling tone, and for the first time I registered that it sounded like home.
The nurse had told
me he was from the outback, but I’d been so prejudiced against him, I hadn’t
wanted to acknowledge the fact that we were kindred. We both came from country
towns. We both spoke with that unmistakable country Queensland drawl.
Jill’s expression
went carefully blank as she said, “Jack, I presume,” and she held out her hand.
“I’m Jill.” She smiled at the irony as they exchanged a brief handshake. Then
she met my gaze. “I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”
“Sure.”
My voice sounded
small and frightened. Which was crazy. When I’d stopped singing, I’d been so
full of life that I’d felt like I was somehow bigger than the room. Was I that
terrified of lust?
CHAPTER FIVE
Jack stepped around
in front of me as Jill dragged Fritha away, and because
Similar Books
