date.” She clapped her hands together and squealed. “August thirtieth—make sure you book it off. And I want us to go dress shopping so book July seventh off too.”
I sighed and nodded my agreement.
She perched herself on the end of my desk, whispering as she asked me about Paul.
Right on cue, he strode out of his office, flashing me a winning smile. His eyes fell on Molly and in an instant, his smile vanished and his twinkling blue eyes clouded over with a prickly darkness.
Molly straightened her posture and twiddled her blonde hair round her finger. “Hi, Mr. Connors.”
Paul said nothing to acknowledge her and sauntered out of the office in silence.
I rolled my eyes at her typical flirt with me behaviour. “Molly, you’re getting married in a few weeks.”
“Nothing wrong with window shopping.”
With nothing left worthy of browsing, she left me in peace with my mountain of notes. I continued to plough my way through my work. It was only my growling stomach that made me glance up at the clock to see it was nearly seven. Muttering a curse as I surrendered to the fact I’d have to come in early, Paul strolled through the door with a mischievous grin.
“Working late?”
“I’m not going to even dignify that with an answer.”
A smile curved his delightful mouth before he thrust his hand out towards me. “Come on.”
I frowned. “What? I’m not in the mood for games, Paul.”
“Stop worrying about it. He’s not going to sack you for handing him his minutes in late, and if he does, then he’ll have questions to answer. Come on, you need food.”
“Paul…”
“Shut up and get your cute little ass out that door.”
Chapter Ten
Paul manhandled me into his sleek car, ignoring my futile attempts to tell him work needed to be done.
He sat in the driver’s seat, smiling. “Just shush. I know you need food so just indulge yourself.”
I sighed as I tried to calm my mind from stressing too much. Whilst more than glad he was taking me away from work, I was panicking about facing Mr. Collins with an unmet deadline.
I stared out the window as we trundled down the road. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a little pub I often come to when I’m not busy. They serve good food and it’s private.”
I grinned, watching the scenery fade from the hustle and bustle of town into winding back roads. After twenty minutes, he pulled into a gravel park sat round the back of a light green-coloured pub. A black wooden frame hung off the side of the building —‘ The Dog and The Bone .’
We walked in through a side door, its creaking hinges informing me of the aged setting I was about to step into. A roaring open fire warmed me from one side, old oil paintings hanging over its brick red breast. Red and gold wallpaper covered the walls, contrasting the aged floral carpet we stood on. A dark wooden bar to the right housed a stout, grey-haired man with a broad grin.
“Paul, how lovely to see you. We missed you last week.”
Paul smiled as he ambled over. “Hi, Phil. How are you doing? I was busy last week, sorry.”
“No worries. Usual?”
Paul nodded. “And a Tia Maria and Coke for my friend here, please.”
“Do I not even get a choice in what I want to drink?”
He grinned as he led us over to a table. “Stop being awkward.”
We browsed through the menu in silence, placing our orders with Phil before he left us alone with our drinks.
“Do you come here every week?” I asked.
He hesitated before answering. “Yes. If I can.”
“What do you mean if you can?”
He pursed his lips. “I have a family business to take care of after I finish at Collins’s.”
I raised my eyebrows, a mixture of surprise and intrigue pricking at me. “Oh. What kind of business?”
He scratched the back of his head, licking his lips before he answered. “Um, it’s a little difficult to explain.”
“I’m all ears.”
He attempted a smile but his eyes held
I sighed and nodded my agreement.
She perched herself on the end of my desk, whispering as she asked me about Paul.
Right on cue, he strode out of his office, flashing me a winning smile. His eyes fell on Molly and in an instant, his smile vanished and his twinkling blue eyes clouded over with a prickly darkness.
Molly straightened her posture and twiddled her blonde hair round her finger. “Hi, Mr. Connors.”
Paul said nothing to acknowledge her and sauntered out of the office in silence.
I rolled my eyes at her typical flirt with me behaviour. “Molly, you’re getting married in a few weeks.”
“Nothing wrong with window shopping.”
With nothing left worthy of browsing, she left me in peace with my mountain of notes. I continued to plough my way through my work. It was only my growling stomach that made me glance up at the clock to see it was nearly seven. Muttering a curse as I surrendered to the fact I’d have to come in early, Paul strolled through the door with a mischievous grin.
“Working late?”
“I’m not going to even dignify that with an answer.”
A smile curved his delightful mouth before he thrust his hand out towards me. “Come on.”
I frowned. “What? I’m not in the mood for games, Paul.”
“Stop worrying about it. He’s not going to sack you for handing him his minutes in late, and if he does, then he’ll have questions to answer. Come on, you need food.”
“Paul…”
“Shut up and get your cute little ass out that door.”
Chapter Ten
Paul manhandled me into his sleek car, ignoring my futile attempts to tell him work needed to be done.
He sat in the driver’s seat, smiling. “Just shush. I know you need food so just indulge yourself.”
I sighed as I tried to calm my mind from stressing too much. Whilst more than glad he was taking me away from work, I was panicking about facing Mr. Collins with an unmet deadline.
I stared out the window as we trundled down the road. “Where are we going?”
“There’s a little pub I often come to when I’m not busy. They serve good food and it’s private.”
I grinned, watching the scenery fade from the hustle and bustle of town into winding back roads. After twenty minutes, he pulled into a gravel park sat round the back of a light green-coloured pub. A black wooden frame hung off the side of the building —‘ The Dog and The Bone .’
We walked in through a side door, its creaking hinges informing me of the aged setting I was about to step into. A roaring open fire warmed me from one side, old oil paintings hanging over its brick red breast. Red and gold wallpaper covered the walls, contrasting the aged floral carpet we stood on. A dark wooden bar to the right housed a stout, grey-haired man with a broad grin.
“Paul, how lovely to see you. We missed you last week.”
Paul smiled as he ambled over. “Hi, Phil. How are you doing? I was busy last week, sorry.”
“No worries. Usual?”
Paul nodded. “And a Tia Maria and Coke for my friend here, please.”
“Do I not even get a choice in what I want to drink?”
He grinned as he led us over to a table. “Stop being awkward.”
We browsed through the menu in silence, placing our orders with Phil before he left us alone with our drinks.
“Do you come here every week?” I asked.
He hesitated before answering. “Yes. If I can.”
“What do you mean if you can?”
He pursed his lips. “I have a family business to take care of after I finish at Collins’s.”
I raised my eyebrows, a mixture of surprise and intrigue pricking at me. “Oh. What kind of business?”
He scratched the back of his head, licking his lips before he answered. “Um, it’s a little difficult to explain.”
“I’m all ears.”
He attempted a smile but his eyes held
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