Mia smiled and walked over, feeling a little burst of pride. She’d been here, what, ten weeks, and she could walk into a bar by herself and see familiar faces. They weren’t friends, not like Heather and Gill back at home … oops, back in Somerset, but they’d been kind enough to take her under their wing.
Unconsciously her eyes strayed back to Luke. He caught her gaze and directed a full-watt smile at her that she was sure had most of the female customers wondering what she had that they didn’t.
Aside from blue hair.
‘Who’s ready for another drink?’ she asked as she joined them.
Tanya shook her head, slinky straight hair cascading over her shoulders. ‘I’m getting this round.’ She winked at Mia. ‘You can do the next one.’
Inevitably the conversation veered to what they’d been up to and it was only when she mentioned she’d been to the cinema with Luke, that Mia realised quite how it sounded. ‘Oh no, it’s not like that,’ she added hastily when she saw their jaws drop. ‘He’s promised to show me Manchester, that’s all.’
‘Who’s showing you Manchester?’ Tanya asked as she arrived back with the drinks.
‘Luke. As a friend,’ she clarified quickly, wondering quite how sharp Tanya’s long nails were. And if she was about to find out.
‘Oh?’
Tanya’s cool response made everything inside Mia tighten. ‘Yes. Somehow I’ve been conned into making him a website. Frankly, him showing me the occasional Manchester hot spot in return is the least he can do.’
It was the right thing to say. Tanya rolled her eyes. ‘That sounds like Luke alright, using his charm to wangle something from you. I suspect he wants something from me, too, as he’s asked to meet me for coffee tomorrow.’ She took a large swig of her cocktail. ‘But here’s hoping it’ll be less about work and more about pleasure, if you know what I mean.’
Everyone laughed and the moment passed, but the happiness Mia had felt earlier had been dented. She didn’t want to resent Tanya, to feel this sting of jealousy knowing the other woman, the one Luke enjoyed seeing from time to time, was, in fact, seeing him tomorrow.
She wanted to laugh it off, to take the piss out of Luke for living up to his playboy reputation when she next saw him, as friends would surely do. She just wasn’t sure she was that good an actor.
And damn it yes, she had just admitted her friends-only claim was an act.
It was frustrating, seeing Mia and not being able to talk to her. Yet Luke couldn’t complain, not when the reason was a busy bar and ringing tills.
He winked when he caught her looking in his direction, and felt a twinge of worry at the weakness of her answering smile.
Whatever Tanya et al. were saying, she wasn’t happy about it.
‘Can’t take your eyes off, her I see.’ Mateo smirked over at him.
‘Just being friendly to our website designer.’
Mateo laughed. ‘I’m sure that’s all she is to you, boss. Like I’m sure Man United are just a football team.’
Luke opened his mouth to argue that Man United were far more than a team, they were a religion, a family. A love affair. Then snapped it shut when he realised Mateo’s devious trap. ‘Exactly.’ He slid the guy a superior smile. ‘Sometimes things are just what people say they are.’
At that moment he spotted Mia walking to the bar, and immediately blew his own theory by almost falling over his feet in a dash to get to her first.
‘Hey there.’ Behind him he could hear Mateo chuckling loudly, but he ignored the bugger and kept his eyes on Mia.
‘Hi.’ She gave him a suspiciously bright smile. ‘You’re busy tonight.’
‘Are we?’ He flashed her a flirty grin. ‘I hadn’t noticed. All I see is you.’
She groaned, shaking her head. ‘Does that line really work?’
He waggled his eyebrows. ‘I don’t know, you tell me.’
‘I can’t, because we’re friends, remember? Friends don’t try corny pick-up lines on each other.’
‘Corny? You wound me.’ Automatically, because he knew what the group usually ordered, he began lining up the cocktail glasses. ‘And anyway, why can’t friends try out chat-up lines on each other? Aren’t they there to help?’
‘I don’t think you need any help in that department.’
It was the slight edge to her voice, rather than the words themselves, that caused him to pause. ‘Why do I get the feeling that isn’t a compliment?’ Her eyes avoided his and once again he wondered what the group had been discussing. ‘Mia?’
She seemed to shake herself. ‘Because you’re feeling weirdly sensitive?’
Was he? ‘Maybe.’ He twirled the cocktail shaker – Tom Cruise eat your heart out – and poured it into the glasses. ‘So, what have you ladies been discussing?’ he asked casually.
She arched a brow. ‘You think we’ve got nothing better to talk about than you?’
Crap. Clearly his casual needed some work. Still, if he was going to be accused of being a closet narcissist, he might as well own it. ‘Why wouldn’t you want to talk about me?’ He grinned to show he was joking. ‘I am fascinating.’
‘You’re something,’ she muttered. When her gaze found his again, it was guarded. ‘They asked what I’d been up to, and I told them about our trip to the cinema.’
‘Okay.’
‘Is it?’
‘Of course.’ He frowned, not quite understanding. ‘What’s the issue? It’s not a secret that we’ve been out a couple of times.’
‘As friends,’ she added, and yes, he hadn’t missed that that was the second time she’d emphasised the friends part. ‘So you haven’t deliberately kept our non-dates from Tanya?’
‘What? No, of course not.’ He waited until she looked back at him. ‘I told you before, Tanya and me, we’re just—’
‘People who have sex with each other from time to time,’ she cut in quietly. ‘It’s clear that’s what you think, but is it what she thinks?’ Before he could answer, she held up her hand. ‘You know what? Forget I said anything. It’s really none of my business. I just thought, as your friend, you should know Tanya wasn’t happy when she heard I’d been out with you. Obviously I made it clear you were only showing me Manchester as payback for me doing your website.’
‘Obviously,’ he returned wryly, disappointment settling in his gut. He’d hoped Wednesday night, when she’d melted in his arms, would prove to be a turning point and she’d realise how dumb her friends-only rule was. Hell, the chemistry pinging between them was so palpable even Mateo had picked up on it.
She might be aware of it, but she doesn’t want it.
He sighed. There was that.
‘So, thanks for the drinks.’
As he took her card and rang up the drinks, he reminded himself ‘friends’ was better for him, too. Women were complicated; they didn’t always think the way he did. They were like a puzzle, and just when he thought he’d found the answer, he’d be blindsided by something he’d not expected. The bar was providing enough complications, he didn’t need more.