She huffed and walked towards the cabinet where they kept the menus. ‘What if I’d said Match of the Day was on?’
‘Same answer.’ Fact was, the picture of domestic bliss she’d painted suited her, suited his brother and yeah, suited a lot of people. Didn’t mean it suited him.
Chapter Two
Mia glanced again at the clock on her computer. How sad did it make her that she was still sat in front of her computer at nine o’clock on a Saturday night?
Her mum would go ballistic.
Stuff it though, it wasn’t like she was working. Monday to Friday she designed websites, but at the weekend, she created. Well, she had been, up until the last half an hour, when the words to the rom com she was trying to write – maybe she should add a still in there, because a year on and she was only a third of the way through – anyway, the words had dried up and the time spent gazing out of the window had increased exponentially. There wasn’t even anything to look at. Immaculate Woman wasn’t at her desk. Hot Guy Opposite was probably out somewhere showing his diligently acquired muscles to some lucky woman. Or man.
With a resigned sigh, Mia rose to her feet. Her mum was right, not that she’d ever tell her. Sitting here all day, and all night, would lead to a pretty lonely existence. Sure, she didn’t lack friends, she’d talked to both Heather and Gill only a few hours ago, but it was all on the phone. When was the last time she’d spoken to someone face-to-face, other than Stan? Even that conversation had been three days ago, and had revolved around the best local supermarket. According to Stan, the Co-op was the closest, but it was more expensive than Lidl, though neither were as well stocked as Sainsbury’s when it came to ready meals for one.
Yep, she’d officially reached rock bottom.
Walking to the bathroom, she gave her face a cursory glance in the mirror, mainly to check there was no evidence of the tomato sauce she’d shoved all over her sausage and mash dinner. Don’t mock. At least she’d cooked it herself. Satisfied she was clean, if not looking her best – the green dye she’d streaked her hair with had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now looked like someone had emptied grass cuttings over her – she grabbed her trusty black handbag and walked out of the flat.
A few minutes later, she stood, staring, at the bar beneath the flats. It was early June and many people sat outside. The area had a continental feel, with strings of lights wrapped around pots of bay trees and flickering tea lights on tables. A brightly lit sign depicting the name, The Bar Beneath, cast a green light across the space.
Inside was similar; green plants, tea lights, dark wood furniture.
It looked warm, inviting. Yet the laughter, the constant buzz of chatter, the sheer numbers of people … it was intimidating as hell to walk into alone.
The alternative was crappy TV or another chat with Stan. Maybe this time about the residents’ association.
Suck it up.
Squaring her shoulders, she walked up to the bar, slipping onto the only free stool. When she looked up to catch the bartender’s eye, she nearly fell off the ruddy thing.
It was Hot Guy Opposite, far taller than she’d thought, muscles threatening to burst out of his black fitted shirt. Chestnut brown hair, sparkling green eyes.
‘Hey there, welcome to The Bar Beneath.’ Her stomach cartwheeled as he flashed her a smile. White even teeth and dimples. Honest to God, dimples. That wasn’t a smile, it was an invitation to have sex. ‘Luke Doyle at your service. What can I get you?’
Mia swallowed to get the saliva working in her mouth. ‘A bottle of whatever beer you recommend.’
‘Beer?’ For a split second, his smile faltered, before returning in full force. ‘Are you sure I can’t tempt you into a cocktail?’ Reaching behind him, he grabbed a cocktail shaker and flipped it up in the air, catching it neatly. ‘An Alabama slammer? Black velvet? Campari and soda?’ Another grin. ‘I can go through the whole alphabet.’
There was something about the high-watt smile, the easy bartender chat, that helped Mia relax. Hot Guy Opposite was a fantasy she’d created and yes, Luke looked like the man she’d been ogling across the courtyard, but he was just a guy. And she’d been handling them, one way or another, all her life. ‘Thanks, but I’ll stick with the beer.’
‘Your loss.’ He bent to slide a bottle from the chill cabinet, unscrewed the cap and placed it in front of her. ‘Slice of lemon? Snappy little green umbrella?’ He picked up one and whirled it round with his fingers.
‘Thanks, but no.’ She cocked her head at him. ‘Out of interest, if I’d wanted a cocktail beginning with z?’
‘I’d have mixed you a Zombie. Light rum, dark rum, grenadine, a mix of different juices.’ He winked. ‘Honestly, it’s a right pain to make so I’d probably have told you to pick something else.’
‘What about beginning with x?’
He laughed. ‘Then you’d have had our Xellent martini.’
‘Okay, I’ll take the bait. What’s so excellent about it?’
Another wink. ‘The name.’
She rolled her eyes, and he disappeared off to serve someone else. Mia tried not to feel too self-conscious, but it was hard when she knew people were giving her sideways glances. The girl sitting by herself with odd green streaks in her hair. Belatedly she glanced down at what she was wearing. Crap. She’d not even changed out of her slobbing-at-home outfit; leggings and an oversize shirt.
‘Regretting the beer yet?’ Luke was back, giving her another of those big, Tom Cruise-like smiles.
‘Nope.’ He gave the cocktail shaker he was holding a final shake, and poured a vivid green mixture into a cocktail glass. ‘And now I’ve seen that, definitely no. Is it radioactive?’
He laughed. ‘Well it can scramble your brain, but only if you have too many of them.’ He leant across the bar. ‘Between you and me, it’s a screwdriver, with a dash of blue curacao.’
‘What is it to the customer you’re serving it to?’
‘It’s the house special.’ He nodded towards the brightly lit green sign on the wall behind the bar, and then to the one in the window. ‘Green is our colour, but then you knew that.’
‘I did?’
His eyes skimmed over her. ‘Your highlights were for our benefit, yes?’
His attention was caught by someone at the end of the bar and he murmured an ‘excuse me’ before heading off. And yes, her eyes did stray to his bum. It was … damn, it was perfect. No wonder the clientele were mainly female. The sexy, flirty bartender was a total cliché, but it also worked. Even if she didn’t talk to anyone else all evening, already this was better than sitting on her own in her flat.
Luke served the next customer quickly, keen to get back to the newcomer. There was something about her that appealed. She wasn’t his type – he tended to go for tall, slender women who dressed up to go out, and who flirted back – but she intrigued him. Turning up to a bar by herself, dressed in clothes she might have gone to bed in, not a trace of make-up, she was … unusual. Different from the women he saw in the bar most nights.
And he’d enjoyed sparring with her.
Indicating to Mateo, currently picking up empties from the tables, that he wanted him to take over at the bar, Luke headed back to the girl with the green stripes in her hair.
‘Ready for something radioactive yet?’
Her gaze jumped to his and she smiled. ‘I like my brain unscrambled, thank you.’
Freckles. How had he not noticed them earlier? A cute dusting of them across her nose. Bending to pick up a beer from the fridge, he twisted off the cap. ‘Mind if I join you?’
‘Aren’t you supposed to be working?’
He grinned. ‘The boss is very understanding.’
She angled her head, scrutinising him, and he wondered what was going on behind those big blue eyes. He was used to being appraised by women, but usually it was accompanied by a flirty smile and a glint in their eye. Not this sober appraisal. ‘Let me guess,’ she said finally. ‘You’re the underst
anding boss.’
He laughed. ‘Why do I get the feeling nothing gets past you?’
A cloud seemed to cross her face. ‘That would be great, if it was true.’ Her eyes fell to the beer bottle and she wiped at a drop of water before glancing back up at him. ‘So how long have you worked here?’
‘Too long, probably.’ He worked the dates out in his head and experienced a small jolt. Where had the time gone? ‘Worked behind a bar since I left school, and behind this bar for nearly ten years. Took it over from Bill a month ago, though you’ll still see him here when he covers my days off.’ He flashed a grin. ‘Older guy, bit of a belly. Hopefully you’ll notice the difference. Assuming you come back, of course.’ When she didn’t reply, he added, ‘I promise not to force a cocktail on you if you do.’
She laughed and he liked the sound of it; warm, natural. Some of the women he’d met laughed to get attention. This one seemed to laugh for her own joy, just as she seemed to dress how she wanted to, not to please others.
‘I suspect I’ll be back.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m new around here, so it’s been good to talk to an actual person for a change. I’ve been relying on Facetime and Skype for the last three weeks.’
‘Ah, I thought I hadn’t seen you before.’ He made sure to catch her eye. ‘You’re kind of hard not to notice.’
She didn’t blush, or give him a coy smile. ‘It’s the green hair.’
He shook his head, gaze not leaving hers. ‘It’s more than that.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You’re really going to call me out on my tracky bottoms?’
‘What?’ He could honestly say he’d forgotten what she was wearing.
She gestured down her body. ‘Come on, nobody else in here is wearing their slob-in-front-of-the-TV clothes.’
He glanced around him and nodded towards the group who were sitting at the back. ‘How do you know they don’t watch TV wearing a tight dress and five-inch stilettoes?’
‘Because they couldn’t breathe?’
‘You make a good point.’ Leaning against the counter behind him, Luke took a mouthful of beer. This didn’t feel like work, not now. ‘So … wait, I don’t know your name.’
‘Mia.’
He smiled. ‘Nice. Pretty, easy to spell, but not ordinary. So, Mia, what brings you to this metropolis, beside the lure of a great bar?’
‘Ah.’ She avoided his eyes and took a slow drink of her beer. ‘I fancied a change of scenery.’
He could bullshit with the best of them, and frequently had done. Mia’s evasive reply wouldn’t fool anyone. Just because he knew there was a story behind her move though, didn’t mean he had a right to prize it out of her. Even if he was surprisingly interested. ‘A change from where?’ he asked, figuring it was less contentious than the question he wanted to ask: why?
‘Somerset. Famous for cider, Cheddar cheese, Glastonbury and the country’s smallest city.’ Her face relaxed as she spoke, seeming to back up his theory that her move was more about getting away from something or someone, than moving to Manchester.
‘They’re quite compelling reasons to stay. Then again, we have got Coronation Street, Oasis, Vimto and the best football club in the world.’
She grinned, pointing her bottle at him. ‘Now that’s what sold me.’
‘You’re a fan of the reds?’
Laughter spluttered out of her, her eyes crinkling with mirth. ‘You’re sadly deluded if you think the reds are the best club in the world, when they haven’t won a Premier League title in ten years. Arguably right now the blues are the best.’ He wanted to butt in, tell her Man U had won other trophies since then, but even diehard United fans like him had to admit, as of now, that she was right. ‘What is indisputable,’ she continued, her face as animated as he’d seen it all evening, ‘is that Oasis are a brilliant rock band.’
It was his turn to be amused. ‘Thank God you went for that. If you’d said you were a fan of Corrie, I’d have to assume you were drunk on one bottle of beer.’ From the corner of his eye he saw Mateo waving at him. Yep, he was drowning under a sea of punters wanting another drink. ‘Sorry, looks like duty calls.’ He gave her his best, slow smile. ‘What do you say we carry on this chat another time, when I’m not working?’
Surprise flashed in her eyes, and she gave him another of her quiet appraisals. ‘Maybe.’
Before he could push any more, she’d slipped off the bar stool. For a moment he thought that was that, but as he watched her head towards the ladies, he relaxed. Hopefully he’d get his date before the end of the evening.
Chapter Three
As Mia washed her hands with green liquid soap, the green walls of the ladies reflected back at her in the mirror. He’d not been kidding about it being their colour. She stared at her face; flushed cheeks, bright eyes. Yep, for the first time in months, over a year’s worth of months, certainly since she’d begun to realise Pete wasn’t as advertised, she looked excited. That’s what a little light flirting with a dishy guy could do.
The door pushed open and two women almost fell inside, giggling away.
‘Ooops, sorry.’ The dark-haired one glanced over at her. ‘Hi.’
Mia smiled back. ‘Hi. I’m Mia.’ Her mum would be proud of her, she thought wryly. That’s two people she’d spoken to tonight.
‘Donna,’ she pointed to herself, ‘and the wasted one with me, is Chloe,’ she added, nodding to the blonde standing next to her.
‘Four cocktails doesn’t make me wasted,’ Chloe complained. ‘Just makes me horny.’
Donna groaned. ‘Oh God, don’t get her started. One more and she’ll be hitting on Luke again.’
Mia wasn’t sure why her heart jumped at the sound of his name. ‘The bartender?’
Chloe raised her perfect eyebrows. ‘You know him?’
‘He served me, that’s all.’ He hit on you. For a few minutes he made you feel special.
‘Did he flirt with you?’ Chloe asked, then shook her head. ‘Don’t know why I bothered asking, he must have. He flirts with everyone.’
‘He was friendly, yes.’ He basically asked you on a date. Maybe he hadn’t though. Maybe he’d suggested meeting up because he’d taken pity on the new girl.
‘That’s Luke for you. Friendly and flirty.’ Chloe sighed. ‘And sooooo dreamy. He’s got this sexy as fuck smile. And a body a girl just wants to get her hands on.’ Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes. ‘Tanya says he’s great in the sack, too. Like he really knows what to do with his hands, his mouth and his—’
‘We got the message.’ Donna opened the door to one of the loos. ‘Go and pee some of those cocktails out.’
Chloe staggered into the cubicle and the door bounced shut behind her.
‘Excuse her.’ Donna smiled. ‘She’s a nightmare when she’s drunk.’
‘Hey, I heard that. I’m not drunk.’ There was a loud curse from the cubicle and a roll of loo paper rolled under the door, landing at Mia’s feet.
Donna frowned and bent to push it back under before turning to face Mia. ‘I don’t think I’ve noticed you here before. Are you local?’
Mia pulled down a paper towel and dried her hands. ‘I am now. I moved here from Somerset a few weeks ago. I live in one of the flats.’
‘Ah. Not far to stagger home then eh? Result.’ She gave the closed cubicle door a wry look. ‘Maybe Chloe should buy one.’
The toilet flushed and Chloe lurched out, cursing again. ‘Bollocks. I’ve caught me bleeding nail in the frigging door. I think it’s broken.’
Mia’s eyes widened as Chloe waved the offending nail at Donna. She had talons on the end of her fingers. Honest to God, talons.
‘Don’t panic.’ Donna gave the nail a quick glance. ‘It’s not that bad. We can fix it with glue and a teabag. But first, I’ve got to pee.’
A tea bag? Mia’s mind boggled.
‘Cool.’ Disaster seemingly averted, Chloe turned to wash her hands. ‘We’re staying for one more, yeah?’ She called over her shoulder.
‘Maybe.’ Donna pushed open the cubicle door. ‘As long as you’re still on your feet when I come back out.’
Chloe shrugged at Mia in the mirror. ‘She used to be a right laugh. But then she,’ Chloe raised her fingers and mimed quotation marks, ‘fell in love. Now she’s a party pooper.’
‘Up yours, Chlo’.’
Donna’s voice echoed from behind the door and Chloe giggled. ‘Don’t take notice of her, I’m not wasted. Just got my happy on.’
Mia watched as Chloe proceeded to take out her lipstick and draw a wonky line around her lips. ‘Err, you’ve kind of missed a bit.’
Chloe frowned, and rubbed her lips together, spreading some of the vivid pink lipstick even further from her lips. ‘Better?’
Mia winced and pulled out another paper towel. ‘Can I?’
‘Go for it. Make me look so gorgeous Luke’s gonna want to shag me.’
Ignoring the twist in her gut, Mia carefully rubbed off the smudges. ‘There you go.’
‘Fab, thanks sweetheart.’
Donna emerged from the loo and after washing her hands, she turned to Mia. ‘Are you here with anyone?’
‘Nope, just me.’
‘Then you have to come and join us.’ She nodded towards Chloe. ‘We’re not all as bad as this one.’
‘I’d love that, thanks.’
Wait till she told her mum, Mia thought a few minutes later as she was introduced to Michele and Tanya. She now knew the names of five more people. And so what if one of them had slept – or was it present tense? – with the guy who, for a few moments, had made her feel a little bit special?
‘Who’s for another drink?’ Michele looked like a model. She had shiny auburn hair, like they did in shampoo adverts, and though Mia wasn’t an expert on nails, unlike everyone else’s Michele’s perfectly varnished red nails actually looked like they could be real.
Mr Right Across the Street: The perfect escape for lockdown and from one flat to another share in the most feel good romantic comedy of 2021! (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection, Book 4) Page 2