Chapter Thirteen
Hayley
H ayley snagged two drinks from a server carrying a tray. This place was the stuff of dreams. If Amber and the girls from work were here, it would be even better, or make that Genevieve, Felicity, Willow, Lilah, or any of her other friends. She turned to head back and caught sight of Oliver again. Being out with him wasn’t that bad. He was good eye candy to start with. Who was she kidding? He was hotter than hell, and it was taking all of her energy not to notice or care. But how could she help it?
Shaving him earlier had been verging on foreplay. Such close touching. His soft, warm skin. Why had he agreed? She’d been so sure he’d say no. It had taken all her energy to keep her hand steady. London-Oliver was like a different man. He’d always been good-looking, but she’d discarded him as dating material because he was so gruff and unsociable. Plus, he’d always disliked her, hadn’t he? That argument was wearing thin. Had she unkindly dismissed him without properly getting to know him? Not that it really mattered. He was London bound, and she was a Glenbriar girl through and through. Dating him would be impractical, at the very least. And probably not what he wanted. According to Finlay, Oliver was serially single and had no desire to change that. The opposite was true for Hayley. She wanted love with roses, champagne, and possibilities – a wedding, a house in the country, a family.
She returned to Oliver and Nathan. A pleasant-looking woman stood next to him. She had dark curly hair, glasses and a pretty black dress covered in red flowers that clung to her curves.
‘This is Emma-Jane, my wife,’ Nathan said as Hayley handed a drink to Oliver.
‘Hi. I’m Hayley. Lovely to meet you. Are you a lawyer too?’
Emma-Jane nodded. ‘For my sins, yes. Are you?’
‘No. I’m a hairstylist.’
‘Really? Oh wow. I’d love to have a talent like that. I can see from your hair you’re good at it.’
‘Thanks. I enjoy it. I’m here for the Hair Show this week. It just happened to coincide with Oliver being here, so I tagged along.’
‘Oh.’ Emma-Jane gave them a slightly puzzled look. ‘So, you two aren’t together?’
‘No.’ Hayley took a sip of her champagne, and the bubbles danced on her tongue.
‘How do you know each other?’
‘Oliver is my brother’s friend.’
‘Nice,’ Emma-Jane said.
‘I got the wrong end of the stick too,’ Nathan said. ‘I mean, I’m probably overstepping completely here, but you look like a couple.’
‘Do we?’ Hayley winked at Oliver, on the side Nathan and Emma-Jane couldn’t see. ‘Must be the way you look at me. Those long, loving glances.’
‘What?’ Oliver almost choked on his drink.
Hayley laughed, and the others did too.
‘Forgive me for saying.’ Nathan patted Oliver on the arm. ‘But it looks to me like you’re in trouble.’
‘Maybe.’ Oliver took a sip of champagne. ‘But getting people out of tricky situations is my speciality. I think I can manage it for myself.’
Hayley gave Emma-Jane a brief grin, hopefully giving off unconcerned vibes. Why should she be bothered if Oliver wanted nothing from her? It was mutual, right? A little sting of rejection caught her where it hurt though, and her smile wasn’t completely genuine.
They moved from the top of the stairs into the upper bar that led out onto the roof. Even on a cold November evening, it looked inviting, with a Christmas tree and fairy lights all around the balcony and the glowing patio heaters.
‘Can we go outside?’ Hayley said.
‘Sure.’ Oliver put his empty glass on the table. ‘Do you want another drink? I’ll get them, unless you want to spend the night knocking back the free stuff.’
‘I’d love a cocktail,’ Hayley said. They approached the bar and waited in the short queue. ‘I spotted on their website that they make some amazing ones.’
‘Ok. What do you fancy?’
She ran her eyes over him before she could stop herself. Why lie? She fancied him something chronic… Maybe she always had from a distance. Probably pure lust, because the urge to kiss him was suddenly strong. She burned to have his lips on hers and didn’t want it to stop there. A harmless fling might be just the tonic. Except it wasn’t like she could make him vanish from her life afterwards. They still had a wedding to get through, even if he was in London and she was in Glenbriar. This wasn’t the time for a crazy fling. Or was it exactly that?
How bloody confusing.
‘Hayley?’ His low voice was questioning and made her bounce back into the bar. The soft jazz version of Christmas songs echoed in her ears like someone had fired up the volume.
‘Oh, I’d love to try the gingerbread white Russian.’
Oliver watched her as he leaned on the bar. ‘What are you thinking?’ he asked quietly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘You looked like you were deep in thought about something.’
Should she tell him the truth? What would he make of it? ‘I was.’
‘And are you going to share?’
‘What can I get you?’ the bartender interrupted, and Oliver made the order before turning back to Hayley.
‘Well?’
‘Maybe.’ She tapped her nail on the bar, not sure what to say.
He arched an eyebrow.
‘Why do you want to know what I’m thinking?’ she said.
‘Curiosity, I suppose.’
‘You’re not normally curious about me. Normally you don’t speak to me or even look at me.’
‘Self-preservation,’ he muttered, turning back to the bar.
Hayley moved closer and leaned on it beside him. ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’
‘Isn’t it obvious?’
She froze, putting the comeback she had ready on ice because his response wasn’t what she’d expected. ‘Obvious? Isn’t what obvious?’
‘You’re a very attractive woman,’ Oliver told the bar, not making eye contact. ‘You have been for a long time. But it never seemed right for me to notice.’
Hayley put her hand to her forehead. ‘Oh my god.’
‘Yup. Should probably have kept that to myself, but now you know.’
‘I do,’ she said. ‘And would it surprise you to know I was thinking something similar about you?’
He glanced back at her. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Completely.’
‘So, it’s mutual?’ He cast her a look and frowned. ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it difficult to ignore it.’
‘Me too.’
Two cocktails landed in front of him, and he lifted them, handing one to Hayley and wrapping his fingers around the other. ‘Let’s get some air.’
She walked towards the doors leading outside. Oliver was very close behind her and she sensed the heat. The delicious scent of the aftershave she’d clapped on his cheeks earlier wafted into her consciousness. The sensory overload was driving her crazy. Please, please, let him keep talking! Do not clam up now. Not when they were getting somewhere. Even if where they were going was a dangerous path, or at least not a sensible one.
As she reached the door, he leaned past her and pushed it open, holding it for her.
‘Thank you.’ Hayley went out into the chilly night air, put her glass on the thick rail surrounding the roof terrace, pushing a gap in the thick foliage and fairy lights decorating it. London lights sprawled around them, Westminster all lit up in the near distance and the bridges over the Thames still packed with buses. ‘So, we’ve established the attraction between us is mutual.’
‘We have.’ Oliver stood beside her, cradling his cocktail.
‘So, what happens now?’ Hayley fiddled with the strap of her dress.
‘Nothing.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Yes.’ He took a sip of the creamy cocktail, wiping some from his lips with his fingertips. Hayley tried not to stare or imagine herself licking it off. ‘I mean, what can we actually do about it?’
He had a point. While she could imagine many things, they all had consequences that weren’t quite so appealing. ‘Maybe just one kiss,’ she said. ‘One kiss to acknowledge this exists and to nip it in the bud before it drives one or both of us crazy.’
Oliver looked back at her with a wry smile. ‘You honestly think that’ll work? You’ll accept one kiss and leave it there.’
‘Won’t you?’
‘If that’s all you want, then yes.’
‘And what do you want?’
He looked away again. ‘I don’t know.’
Hayley lifted her cocktail and sipped it. The beautifully sweet and spicy taste of gingerbread and cream tickled her tastebuds, and she took some more, letting its warmth seep into her. Out here was cold, and she wasn’t dressed for it, but between the drink, the patio heaters and Oliver, she was coping. Her heart was working a little too fast, and she tried not to imagine Oliver pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her. They’d shared a lovely hug the other day, but what she wanted now had carnal undertones, which she really needed to put a stop to. Perhaps Oliver was right to hold back.
‘Ok,’ he said.
‘Ok? Ok, what?’
‘One kiss.’
Hayley’s heart hammered again. ‘Right here? Right now?’
He glanced around, perhaps checking for Nathan or anyone else he recognised, but very few people had ventured outside. ‘Yes.’
She gazed into his deep, dark eyes. His pupils were very wide. Her heart thudded against her chest like it was trying to get out. She leaned closer as he did the same until they were too close to stop unless someone burst through the doors screaming. But nothing happened to prevent it and with the soft jazzy version of ‘Winter Wonderland’ playing in the background, Hayley pressed her lips to his. The instant heat sent an electric shock zinging through her, but it was gentler than she’d expected. Soft and sweet, almost like an extension of the richly flavoured cocktail. His hand slipped around her cheek, and he deepened the kiss, just a little, but his tongue caught hers enough to make her pulse flicker. Her eyelids closed, and she abandoned herself to the dreamy scent of his aftershave and the lingering taste of the white Russian on his tongue. He pulled away first, their faces still close, his dark brown eyes boring into hers. She let out a shaky breath but didn’t move away.
He slipped his arms around her waist and drew her close to him. For a second, she held her breath. Would he kiss her again? Gently, he embraced her, leaning his super smooth jaw on the side of her forehead. He inhaled deeply and shifted slightly, like he was nuzzling her hair. She let out a little moan. ‘This is… nice,’ she murmured.
‘Indeed.’ Slowly, his hands fell away, and he stepped back. ‘Very nice indeed.’ A smile grew on his face. Not huge, but enough. A little wistful and uncertain, but present. God, he’d been handsome before, but that smile multiplied it tenfold.
Hayley smiled back for a long moment. Eventually, he looked away with a sigh. She blinked and returned to her drink, suddenly a little shivery. The air still fizzed around them. Now they’d crossed that barrier, it would be too easy to keep going. They had a hotel room together. Why waste it? But that would be really silly, and she knew it.
‘Let’s go inside,’ she said. ‘It’s getting cold out here.’
‘Ok.’ Oliver glanced at his phone as he moved closer. He didn’t put his arm around her but was near enough to be a comforting presence. Really, it didn’t come close to what she wanted. This was what they’d agreed on though, and she didn’t have any excuses to do anything further. The attraction would just have to simmer on in the background, then fizzle out and die once they went back to normal. ‘We should find our table,’ he said.
Once inside, they found it and sat quietly for a while. Hayley sipped her cocktail, digesting what had happened, and assumed Oliver was doing the same. Other people joined them, and Hayley chatted with them in her usual way. Oliver occasionally chipped in if the topic was work related, but mostly he was silent… even more so than usual.
Apart from the kiss, it turned out to be a somewhat underwhelming night. The venue was amazing, but the company had been as uninteresting as Oliver had predicted. All the legal talk wasn’t really Hayley’s thing, though she might have enjoyed it more if her head was in a better place.
Oliver remained quiet in the Uber on the way back to the hotel and they got ready for bed separately with barely a word passing between them.
Despite knowing she was tired, sleep wouldn’t come. Hayley’s mind was too buzzed and she couldn’t switch off. It kept coming back to the kiss, over and over again. She lay staring into the darkness, listening to Oliver breathing… so close, but so far. She wanted him next to her so they could hold each other. A laugh almost escaped her. Like he’d ever do that. He so obviously wasn’t a cuddler… but then, there had been that moment after the kiss when he’d held her. It had been brief, but he’d initiated it and it had made him smile. Maybe he had a softer centre than she thought. He definitely had self-control. If she’d gone on dates with guys and had a kiss like that, the majority of them would have expected it to go further, especially if they were sharing a hotel room. But there was Oliver in the next bed. Just out of reach.
Friday morning arrived like a bus colliding with a wall. How had their last day in London come round so soon? Oliver was still quiet and Hayley packed up her case as he got ready in the bathroom.
I’m not ready for the return of grumpy Oliver yet , she thought. But he was here whether she liked it or not.
‘We can put the luggage into the lockers at Euston Station this morning.’ He tugged on his tie. ‘Then we’ll be hands free for the day.’
She caught him watching her in the mirror and raised her eyebrow at him.
‘Unless you want to be lugging that case around the Hair Show.’
‘No thanks,’ she said.
They ate a quick breakfast. Hayley couldn’t face much and was still full from the night before. Oliver appeared to be the same. They left the hotel together and checked their luggage into the lockers at Euston Station. Hayley hadn’t been able to get tickets for the after-show party that evening, and it was maybe just as well. It would have been a rush to get there, then get the train after. And another party with Oliver was probably not a good idea, especially with him in this mood.
‘Should we meet back here later?’ she said. ‘The train isn’t until late and I’ll be away from the show around five.’
‘Let’s meet somewhere for dinner.’ Oliver checked the time on his phone. ‘A farewell to London.’
‘Ok.’ She met his gaze. A farewell to an all-too-brief encounter more like. ‘Message me if you think of somewhere good.’ Should she kiss him goodbye? She sucked on her lower lip. No, that was over the top, so she gave a little wave and made her way to the underground for ExCeL.
The last day of the Hair Show was always good, and the demos were incredible, but Hayley couldn’t stop yawning. Her thoughts were all over the place and she was too tired to concentrate. She’d barely slept a wink last night. Maybe she was disappointed in not getting to sleep with Oliver, but in the cold light of day, she was glad she hadn’t. The awkwardness would be off the scale.
Midway through a show on bridal hair – the one she’d been most invested in all day – a text buzzed in. She guessed what it was before she opened it.
OLIVER: I got the job!
A sharp pain shot through her like a knife had caught her. Everything would change now. Just as things between them had moved on, they’d be even more like strangers than ever.
Why did I even have to come here?
She put her head in her hand and rubbed her forehead. If she’d just not bothered, none of this would have happened and she wouldn’t have cared about Oliver getting a job in London. In fact, she’d have been thrilled to have him far away. Not so much now.
Why had everything got so complicated?
As soon as the demo was done, she got to her feet, shuffled along the row, and left. Maybe she should just leave altogether. She wasn’t exactly taking stuff in. But what else would she do? A café area was nearby, and she ordered a flat white, took it to a table and sat down before replying to his message with as much gushy cheer as she could. But inside, her heart was achy and energy gone. Nothing looked interesting anymore, and she wanted to be far away… Though she wasn’t sure where.