by Melissa Hill
Jenny cleaned her face, got into bed, and cringed as she replayed events in her head. How could she ever face him again?
Chapter 6
It was a weary Jenny who arrived home the following evening after work. Her hangover was only just beginning to improve. She hadn’t looked at food all day and was looking forward to a nice quiet evening slobbing on the couch. As she came in the door, she stepped back in surprise. Standing on the kitchen counter-top was the biggest bunch of red roses that she had ever seen.
“Welcome home,” Karen grinned, from where she sat on the couch. “Somebody likes you – there are two dozen there.”
“You mean those are for me?” Jenny gasped delightedly. “I thought Shane might have sent them to you.”
“Are you mad? Shane Quinn doesn’t even know what roses look like. Open the card, will you? I’m dying to see who they’re from, although I have a fair guess.”
Sorry about last night – I panicked. Will dinner tomorrow night make up for it? Pick you up at eight. R
“Oh my God,” Jenny said, putting a hand to her mouth, “I can’t believe it. He wants me to go to dinner with him tomorrow night.”
“He sounds keen. What did you two get up to last night, then?”
Jenny relayed the previous evening’s events to her. “And I thought I had blown it completely jumping on him like that.”
“Obviously not,” Karen said. “Saving you from muggers, sending you expensive flowers, taking you out for posh dinners – your Sir Galahad is turning out to be a right Mr Romantic, isn’t he?”
The following evening, Roan rang the buzzer at eight o’clock on the dot.
“Do I look alright?” Jenny asked Karen, in a moment of anxiety about her clothes.
“You look terrific,” Karen said, envying her friend’s stylish flair.
That night, Jenny wore kitten heels, a lilac chiffon ruffle skirt and matching halter-top – a smattering of delicate sequins along its low neckline emphasising her generous cleavage. Karen thought the outfit was perfect for the occasion – not too overdressed or trashy. And Jenny always managed to carry her none-so-slim figure with perfect ease.
Roan didn’t look too bad either she thought, eyeing him as he came in. He wore black combats and a tan-coloured, linen, short-sleeve shirt.
Dinner was a lively affair. They went to a Chinese restaurant in the city centre, and from the minute they were seated, they chatted together like old friends meeting again after a long separation.
Jenny talked easily about her life, and told him about her family, her life as it had been in Kilkenny and her relationship with Karen. She learned that Roan’s father was a doctor and had hoped his elder son would follow him into the profession. However, Roan wanted nothing to do with it. His younger brother Christian had instead taken up the mantle and was currently studying medicine at Trinity College. His mother, it seemed, stayed at home and made her own career out of looking after the three men in her life.
“I think she’d like me to move home eventually,” he said, “but probably just so that she could keep an eye on me, or even try and get me married off. But I couldn’t see myself moving back there again. There’s so much more out there for me, you know?”
Jenny nodded. “Part of the reason I went to Australia in the first place was because my mother was so dead set against it. We have a strange relationship – sometimes we argue so much I can’t believe that we’re actually from the same gene pool. My dad though, he’s a different story.” She smiled fondly at the thought of Jim Hamilton. “He’d let me get away with murder – even help me commit it.”
Roan chuckled. “Will we get dessert?” he asked, signalling to the waiter.
She nodded, relieved that he was the kind of guy who didn’t stare in amazement at every morsel she put into her mouth. Her ex, Paul, who had known Jenny since childhood, and was aware that she had always struggled with her weight, used to make her feel like The Cookie Monster every time they went out for a meal.
‘Jenny, don’t get the sweet and sour, there’s too much batter on it,’ or ‘Do you really need that much fried rice?’ And he would never let her order dessert, yet was quite happy to sit in front of her with his banana fritters slathered in cream. Jenny didn’t know why she had stayed with Paul for as long as she had.
She stole a glance across the table at Roan, who was studying the menu intently. He looked especially handsome tonight, she thought. He had such long, dark lashes and a masculine face with a very sexy mouth. She shivered, as she remembered what it was like to be kissed by that mouth. Jenny noticed that they had attracted looks from nearby tables as they entered the restaurant. Everyone was probably wondering what someone like him was doing with a plain-Jane like herself. She topped up her glass.
The desserts arrived soon after, and Jenny eagerly tucked into her pineapple sorbet, pleased to see Roan do the same. They ended the meal with tea, and the obligatory chocolate mints, and afterwards Roan asked for the bill.
“We’ll split this one, will we?” he said easily. “After all, I think you ate nearly twice as much as I did.”
Jenny was a little startled. She didn’t quite know how to take that comment but hoped that he meant it as a joke. Wasn’t he the one supposed to be taking her out to dinner? Then again, maybe it was only right. It was an expensive menu, and they had ordered every course. And in this day and age, women couldn’t demand to be treated equally, and then expect to have it all their own way, could they? Jenny wasn’t an extreme feminist – she liked a little bit of chivalry now and again. But Roan wasn’t to know that, she supposed. Anyway, hadn’t he already spent a fortune on the roses?
“No problem,” she said, taking out her purse. “How much do I owe you?”
Afterwards, Roan managed to hail a precious taxi, and Jenny sat back beside him contentedly, pleased that she didn’t have to walk all the way back to Rathmines in her heels. She smiled when suddenly Roan’s hand rested on her thigh.
“Are you coming home with me tonight?” he mumbled, his breath warm as he nuzzled her neck, making her body tingle from the tips of her toes upwards to the top of her head. He was so very sexy.
They reached his flat, and as she got out, Jenny practically threw the fare at the taxi driver, so anxious was she to get inside and be alone with him.
But despite her excitement, she was astonished when she saw the state of the flat: the amount of dirty dishes, coffee mugs and empty food-cartons in the kitchen would put a teenager’s bedroom to shame. There were various items of clothing strewn all over the sofa, so much so that she couldn’t find any space to sit down.
“Sorry about the mess,” Roan grimaced. “It’s not normally like this, but one of my flatmates has his brother staying with us at the moment. He sleeps on the couch and there’s not much room for his gear. We usually take it in turns to clean the kitchen but …” He trailed off, exasperated.
She knew exactly where he was coming from. Although she and Karen hadn’t been sharing all that long, Jenny had soon realised that she and her friend had very different attitudes to housekeeping. Karen was woefully untidy – shoes and clothes strewn all over her bedroom, unused make-up bottles and face creams scattered all over the bathroom – but, despite her clutter, Karen somehow managed to stay organised. Considering the state of her bedroom, Jenny could never understand how her friend ever managed to get outside the door in a pair of matching shoes, not to mention matching socks. It seemed Roan shared her problem, she thought, remembering that he had mentioned his flatmates’ untidiness that first day they met.
Then Roan flashed his gorgeous, sensual, deep-dimpled smile, and from then on, the appearance of the flat paled into insignificance. He reached across the room and took Jenny in his arms, pulling her close to him and kissing her – gently at first, but becoming more and more intense as his passion deepened.
Jenny immediately felt a massive rush of desire course through her. She kissed him back, unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands across his
broad chest, feeling the taut muscles underneath.
“Stay with me tonight,” Roan said eagerly, when he eventually came up for air.
Jenny’s breath caught in her throat as he began planting tiny kisses on her neck, right on the sensitive spot just below her ear.
She didn’t need any more persuading.
Early the following morning, as she lay on the sofa watching breakfast television, Karen heard the key in the door. She looked up as a bedraggled but happy Jenny came in the door.
“Well, hello.” she teased. “Somebody had a good night last night.”
Jenny smiled bashfully and switched on the kettle. “We had a lovely time. The dinner was great – he’s great.”
Karen was pleased for her. “So are you seeing him again?”
She nodded. “He said he’d meet us in the pub tomorrow night. How did your night out with Shane go?”
Karen sniffed. “We had an argument – well, I should say, I had an argument. Shane usually just sits there, says nothing and pretends to listen, but eventually he just walks off on me.”
“Nothing serious, I hope?”
Karen was nonchalant. “Nah, just a typical night out with Shane Quinn. Anyway, tell me what happened with Roan? It must have been pretty passionate last night – you’re actually glowing.”
Jenny couldn’t help but smile. Passionate? Karen was right. If she thought about it properly, yes, it had been passionate. Certainly, she had been a bit taken aback when things had been over so quickly, but shouldn’t she take that as a compliment? After all it was only their first time, and Roan had wanted her so much he probably couldn’t help himself. And he was so lovely afterwards, so affectionate and gentle. Jenny loved the way he had snuggled up to her and held her close to him all night. Paul had never done that. No, she thought, the next time would be miles better. And more importantly, there would actually be a next time.
She poured herself a mug of tea and joined Karen on the sofa.
“So, if you’re not going out with Prince Charming again tonight, do you fancy watching a movie with me?” Karen said.
“Good idea.” Jenny said, the thoughts of a quiet night in appealing to her enormously. “What will we watch?”
“Something along the lines of Fatal Attraction,” Karen said, a wicked glint in her eye. “After the night I had last night, I’m in bunny-boiling mood.”
Chapter 7
Sitting in Boland’s pub the following evening, Jenny couldn’t figure out how the coarse, loud, redhead with the grating laugh sitting across from her could possibly be related to Shane’s friend. Aidan was an absolute sweetheart, but his sister Lydia was so far removed from sweet that she could be related to a family of lemons.
Lydia had been rude and obnoxious from the very first second she arrived, dismissing Jenny’s attempts at being friendly, and flirting openly with Aidan’s friends. Jenny had known by Karen’s glowering expression when Lydia joined the group, that there was no love lost between the two of them.
“Lydia and Shane had a bit of a fling a while back,” Tessa explained to Jenny, when Lydia was out of earshot.
“It wasn’t even a fling – it was just a one-night stand,” Karen clarified, “but if that one even looks at him sideways, I’ll level her.”
Within seconds, Lydia had indeed turned her attentions towards Shane and cheekily laid her hand on his knee, as she flirted shamelessly with him. Karen was trying her utmost to pretend she hadn’t noticed, but Jenny knew it was only a matter of time before she exploded. Whether she would explode all over Lydia, or all over Shane, was a matter yet to be decided.
“I still can’t figure out why Shane ever went near her,” Karen explained to Jenny. “It was just before we started going out – just before we met, actually – but I don’t think she’s ever forgiven me for putting a spanner in the works. She seems to think that Shane would’ve been all hers, if I hadn’t come along.”
“Well – beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder, and I seem to remember Shane having more than a few the night he went home with Loathsome Lydia.” Tessa joked.
Jenny groaned inwardly. She hoped Lydia wouldn’t start working her charms on Roan. She never knew how to handle things like that. It was all right for Karen - she and Shane had been together long enough for Karen not to be too much bothered about Lydia’s blatant attention-seeking, but Jenny knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it.
Still, things were going well so far. One evening, shortly after their first night out together, Roan had called to the flat with a shy smile and yet another huge bunch of roses. They had hardly spent a night apart since.
Their lovemaking was still a little ‘intense’, but Jenny believed that this was certainly no reflection on Roan. She hadn’t slept with all that many people, what with her and Paul being together for so long. People were different, and it wasn’t Roan’s fault that he didn’t seem to need that much foreplay to get in the mood. Nor was it his fault that it was always over very quickly. Jenny told herself that it was just a matter of getting used to the fact that not everyone would spend as much time on her as Paul had. And, after a while, things would surely improve, once she and Roan got to know one another’s needs better.
Just then, Roan returned to the table with another round of drinks. He sat on a vacant stool beside Jenny, gave her another of his full-dimpled smiles, and rested a hand on her knee.
“Roan Williams!” Lydia gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Roan looked up sharply, and Jenny saw a faint blush appear on his face as he recognised the other girl.
“Hello Lydia,” he said quietly.
“Where’s Siobhan?” Lydia asked, looking over his shoulder, as if the mysterious Siobhan might be hiding behind him. “I haven’t seen her in ages. Have you two set a date yet?”
Jenny felt her heart thump loudly in her chest and her throat suddenly felt dry. Set a date?
“Um, we’re not together any more,” Roan said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Lydia’s eyes widened with disbelief. “Really? I thought that was True Love. Remember the last time I met you together? You had just proposed – after a weekend away, wasn’t it? A romantic weekend in Paris.”
Jenny could tell by her tone that Lydia was clearly enjoying imparting this information to the group, and equally delighted that Jenny had no clue as to who this Siobhan might be.
“That’s it.” Aidan declared. “I knew I had seen you someplace before. I met you that time I went to collect Lydia from her boyfriend’s house – what was his name again?” He looked at Lydia for assistance, but then remembered. “Mark – that was it. You were the bloke going out with his sister.”
Jenny tried her best to look nonchalant in front of them all, but her insides were churning. Was Roan already in a relationship with somebody else?
“We broke up shortly after that,” Roan said quietly. “It turned out that neither of us were ready to get married. We’re still friends though, no hard feelings.”
“You let a stunner like Siobhan get away – after eight years?” Lydia was incredulous. “I can’t believe I never heard anything about it.”
“Well, it’s finished anyway.” Roan drained his pint in a single mouthful and stood up. “Anyone want another drink?”
He was obviously anxious to change the subject, Jenny thought. Well, she wouldn’t blame him. If she had split up with someone after eight years, she wouldn’t want to broadcast it either. No wonder he hadn’t wanted to tell her. He must be still hurting.
“You should have seen Siobhan,” she heard Lydia say. “She’s absolutely stunning. She’s a model, you know, always jetting off to London, Milan, and places like that. She has such a fabulous figure – size six, I’m sure. Roan must be heartbroken over her.”
“I’m sure he is,” Jenny said, trying her utmost to lighten her tone.
“Especially after eight years,” Lydia continued, warming to her subject. “They’d been together since school, apparently, and everyon
e thought they’d be together for good. Of course,” she said conspiratorially, “Roan was always out for a good time, and I don’t know how many times I’ve had to turn him down myself.” She giggled coquettishly. “But there was no way I’d go near him – I couldn’t do it to Siobhan. And, needless to say, I was going out with her brother at the time, so it would have been more than a little weird.”
Jenny nearly choked on her drink. This girl was completely deluded.
“Jen, will you come with me to the ladies’?” Karen asked suddenly. “I need to borrow some more of that lipstick you gave me earlier.”
Lydia looked disappointed to lose her audience when Jenny gratefully got up and followed her friend towards the end of the room.
“Phew, thanks, Karen – I thought she’d never shut up,” she said airily, checking her reflection in the mirror.
Karen was silent.
Jenny looked at her. “You don’t believe her, do you? You don’t think that Roan was actually engaged?”
Karen shrugged her shoulders. “Lydia seems to know a lot about him – more than the rest of us do, and I remember that she was going out with some guy called Mark from Kildare, not so long ago.”
“But why would he lie to me? Surely if the guy is engaged, he’s not going to be making dates and sleeping with other women, is he?”
“Just be careful. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I don’t think that is all you’re saying, actually,” Jenny said, realisation dawning, when Karen wouldn’t meet her eyes. “You don’t like him at all, do you? I noticed that you haven’t exactly been falling all over him when he visits the flat.”
Karen grimaced. “I don’t know Jen – I know you really like him, but there’s just something about him that I can’t quite put my finger on.”
Jenny looked at her. “Well, thanks, but I think I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I know he’s a decent guy.” With this, Jenny picked up her handbag and flounced out the door, leaving Karen standing open-mouthed with bewilderment.