– my wedding, and that Christmas party we went to when we were a couple, when I was playing for United. The club Christmas party, remember?’
‘How could I forget? You should never have let me have that Long Island Iced Tea. It was lethal.’
Ronnie smiled, and Amber loved the way his eyes crinkled up at the edges when he did that. ‘You had such a good night, Amber. You were the life and soul of that party, so I know you can let your hair down, when you want to.’
‘When I’m drunk, you mean,’ Amber half-smiled as she took another small sip of champagne.
‘Well, maybe you should get drunk more often,’ Ronnie sighed, sitting back in his seat. ‘Everything doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, y’know.’
Amber put her glass down and crossed her legs, quickly pulling the hem of her dress down over her thigh. ‘I just want to be taken seriously, Ronnie. I want to be a success, I want to be good at what I do…’
‘You are good at what you do. But sometimes you need to shake off this cold exterior you give off.’
Amber looked at him. ‘Is it really that bad? Do I really come across as cold?’
‘Not all the time, no. But you always come across as incredibly professional.’
‘And what’s wrong with that?’
Ronnie leaned forward again, smiling as he looked at her. ‘Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I know you, Amber. And I know you’re anything but cold. I just think you put up too many barriers. It’s almost like you’re afraid to let anyone in.’
Amber said nothing, just took another sip of champagne.
‘Don’t you get lonely?’ Ronnie asked. She was such a beautiful woman, he found it difficult to understand how she was still alone after all this time. Since their brief relationship all those years ago he didn’t think she’d been seriously involved with anyone. She’d certainly never spoken to him about any relationships she’d been in or any of the men she’d met. Yet, she spent her life around men. So surely she couldn’t have been alone for all that time?
‘I haven’t got time to be lonely, Ronnie. I’m a busy girl.’
He sat back again, pushing both hands through his hair, his brown eyes still looking straight at her. ‘Hmm… well, you know what they say – all work and no play makes Amber one very boring young lady.’
She stuck her tongue out at him before taking another sip of champagne. She could get a taste for this, she thought, as the cool bubbles slid effortlessly down her throat. She could feel it going to her head already, but it was a nice feeling. Maybe Ronnie was right. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy herself for once.
‘Refill?’ Ronnie asked, knowing for sure he’d hit a nerve now. She listened to him, so he hoped that she’d taken what he’d said the right way. He didn’t want to criticise her, he just wanted her to know that he cared about her, and all he wanted was for her to be happy. To make the most of her life. To have some fun.
‘Yeah. Why not?’ Amber smiled, holding out her empty glass for him to fill up. ‘I might as well start the night as I mean to go on.’
‘Is that a promise?’ Ronnie grinned, filling up his own empty glass.
‘Yeah. It’s a promise,’ she laughed. She just hoped it wouldn’t be one she’d end up regretting in the morning.
*
Ryan pushed his way through the crowd, for once glad that it was so busy hardly anyone recognised him. If he saw someone he wanted to get to know better he’d make himself known. Why attract all and sundry when he didn’t really have the energy to fight off the ones he couldn’t be bothered with? Ryan Fisher was picky when it came to women, despite what the papers might say to the contrary.
‘Shit! Jesus, will you look where you’re going?’
Ryan stopped and turned around, coming face-to-face with the last person he’d expected to see in a busy Newcastle bar on a Wednesday night. He just hadn’t had her down as the type of person
‘How could I forget? You should never have let me have that Long Island Iced Tea. It was lethal.’
Ronnie smiled, and Amber loved the way his eyes crinkled up at the edges when he did that. ‘You had such a good night, Amber. You were the life and soul of that party, so I know you can let your hair down, when you want to.’
‘When I’m drunk, you mean,’ Amber half-smiled as she took another small sip of champagne.
‘Well, maybe you should get drunk more often,’ Ronnie sighed, sitting back in his seat. ‘Everything doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, y’know.’
Amber put her glass down and crossed her legs, quickly pulling the hem of her dress down over her thigh. ‘I just want to be taken seriously, Ronnie. I want to be a success, I want to be good at what I do…’
‘You are good at what you do. But sometimes you need to shake off this cold exterior you give off.’
Amber looked at him. ‘Is it really that bad? Do I really come across as cold?’
‘Not all the time, no. But you always come across as incredibly professional.’
‘And what’s wrong with that?’
Ronnie leaned forward again, smiling as he looked at her. ‘Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with that. But I know you, Amber. And I know you’re anything but cold. I just think you put up too many barriers. It’s almost like you’re afraid to let anyone in.’
Amber said nothing, just took another sip of champagne.
‘Don’t you get lonely?’ Ronnie asked. She was such a beautiful woman, he found it difficult to understand how she was still alone after all this time. Since their brief relationship all those years ago he didn’t think she’d been seriously involved with anyone. She’d certainly never spoken to him about any relationships she’d been in or any of the men she’d met. Yet, she spent her life around men. So surely she couldn’t have been alone for all that time?
‘I haven’t got time to be lonely, Ronnie. I’m a busy girl.’
He sat back again, pushing both hands through his hair, his brown eyes still looking straight at her. ‘Hmm… well, you know what they say – all work and no play makes Amber one very boring young lady.’
She stuck her tongue out at him before taking another sip of champagne. She could get a taste for this, she thought, as the cool bubbles slid effortlessly down her throat. She could feel it going to her head already, but it was a nice feeling. Maybe Ronnie was right. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy herself for once.
‘Refill?’ Ronnie asked, knowing for sure he’d hit a nerve now. She listened to him, so he hoped that she’d taken what he’d said the right way. He didn’t want to criticise her, he just wanted her to know that he cared about her, and all he wanted was for her to be happy. To make the most of her life. To have some fun.
‘Yeah. Why not?’ Amber smiled, holding out her empty glass for him to fill up. ‘I might as well start the night as I mean to go on.’
‘Is that a promise?’ Ronnie grinned, filling up his own empty glass.
‘Yeah. It’s a promise,’ she laughed. She just hoped it wouldn’t be one she’d end up regretting in the morning.
*
Ryan pushed his way through the crowd, for once glad that it was so busy hardly anyone recognised him. If he saw someone he wanted to get to know better he’d make himself known. Why attract all and sundry when he didn’t really have the energy to fight off the ones he couldn’t be bothered with? Ryan Fisher was picky when it came to women, despite what the papers might say to the contrary.
‘Shit! Jesus, will you look where you’re going?’
Ryan stopped and turned around, coming face-to-face with the last person he’d expected to see in a busy Newcastle bar on a Wednesday night. He just hadn’t had her down as the type of person
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