28. Beau
Chapter Twenty-Eight
BEAU
I’m horrified. Like literally horrified. Kate’s just told me everything about her sleazy investor and how he ended up being Drew’s friend. Holy crap!
“So that’s it? It’s over now?” I ask.
Kate drops her head, and a tear spills onto her pretty, red dress. “I think so. It had to end sometime.”
Her phone vibrates on the bed, and the screen lights up with her London lover’s name. Drew Blake . Or Drew Fake, as she dubbed him earlier in a fit of anger. It’s the second time he’s tried to call. Seems like it’s not totally over for him. Kate stares longingly at the phone, and for a second, I’m sure she’ll finally answer. But she just lets it buzz and buzz and buzz.
“You’re not going to get that?” I ask.
Kate shakes her head. “I’m not sure what to say. Maybe it’s better this way. I needed something to snap me out of the love haze.”
“Did you say love ?”
“Yeah, but I meant sex haze or whatever. I’m leaving the country soon anyway.” Kate throws herself back against the pillows with a growl. “Ugh, I hate this. This is exactly why I don’t get involved in relationships. It’s so messy.”
“Yeah but look what came out of it. You would never have designed your new line if it wasn’t for this. I haven’t seen you that enthusiastic about sewing since you started your company. And you’re smiling again. You seem so much more relaxed, even in the midst of this chaotic week. And I don’t know if you noticed, but when you were working at the studio this week, you were humming. Freaking humming! If you ask me, it was worth it.”
Kate takes in a deep breath as she takes in my words. I know she feels something for this guy. Something real. She just can’t admit it yet. And maybe she will end up just like me, heartbroken over some sexy foreigner. Or maybe she’ll be one of the lucky ones. Maybe he’s not Drew Fake . Maybe he feels something real for her too.
“I want to go home,” she says.
I reach out and rub her shoulder. “Okay, we can go.”
“I need to get out of here. Being in this room is making me more depressed. Can we go somewhere?” Kate asks.
“Yes, I’m starving, and I know a pub that makes the best fish and chips. You down for some fried food?”
“I am now. I’ll get changed.”
Kate and I arrive at Anchors Cove, a pub along the Thames. The white concrete exterior and black wrought iron windows have a quaint charm. The sky is gray, but the rain has finally cleared. Inside the dimly lit bar are lantern sconces on the wall, illuminating old photographs and paintings of historical figures. None of which are recognizable. It seems only this pub maintains their unknown legacy. The place is exactly as I remembered, and it’s good to be back. If only we were here under happier circumstances.
Despite being a weekend in the middle of the afternoon, there’s plenty of seating. I lead Kate to a small table near the corner but stop short when I see a slightly familiar face. Is that Drew? Sitting at a table in a quiet corner having a pint with a mate ? No way. He’s at his brother’s wedding right now, so it can’t be. But it looks just like him.
Drew or his doppelg?nger notices us too, and his clean-shaven jaw drops. “Kate?” He slides out of his seat and walks past me to my friend’s side.
“Drew, what are you doing here?” she asks.
Dang, it really is him. The wedding must’ve been short and sweet.
“It’s a long story,” he says, looking at his pub buddy. “This is Kate and her friend, Beau. This is . . . Mick.” Drew introduces us to the man with ruffled, whiskey-colored hair. I meet the man’s blue-eyed gaze. And while I’m pretty sure he’s on his second pint, I can tell he has a gentle, sweet soul. And a very handsome jawline.
The man raises his glass. “How do you do?”
“Hi.” Kate waves but her voice is unsure. Uneasy. It makes me a little uneasy too.
“Can we talk outside?” Drew asks. Kate agrees and tells me she’ll be right back. I have no idea what Drew is doing here at the very moment we walk into this place, but it’s a fateful moment for sure. Now, I’m one hundred percent confident things are not over between those two. And that, to me, is a good thing.
Who knows how long this guy Mick and I will be waiting for them? I gesture to Drew’s empty seat. “Do you mind if I join you?”
He takes a sip of his brew. “Why not?”
“Kind of surprised to run into Drew here on his brother’s wedding day. I hope it didn’t get rained out. That would be a disaster,” I say, trying to make conversation with the few details I know.
“Oh, it was a disaster, all right,” Mick grumbles.
My stomach tightens. Sounds like tea time. Hope he’ll spill it. I lean in and find myself breathing in the man’s scent—a classic cologne and a hint of fresh soap. Like his hands are freshly washed. God, I love when men smell good.
“What do you mean? What happened?” I ask.
“Turns out the bride was cheating. The wedding’s off.”
I gasp. Whoa. I did not see that coming. “Oh my gosh! Is the groom okay?”
Mick looks up at me with a wrinkled expression. “Do I look okay?”
I smack my hands over my mouth. Omigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod. This is Drew’s brother. The groom. Who’s just called off his wedding! Now I’m really horrified. No wonder he looks a little drunk. I’d probably throw myself into the river if that happened to me. Poor guy. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were . . . that’s awful.”
“Yeah, it is.”
My shoulders droop along with the edges of my mouth. “When did you find out?”
“Right before the wedding. I caught them . . .” He looks away with anger in his gaze. “It’s humiliating.”
I reach over and place a comforting hand on his. Mick’s skin is warm, and our eyes meet briefly as if the moment takes us by surprise. But it doesn’t last long before he looks away, so I remove my hand.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
Mick leans back in his chair. “Has that ever happened to you?”
“You mean walking in on someone I love cheating on me?” I hope that didn’t come off as insensitive.
His cheeks burn red. “Yeah. That.”
“Yes,” I say, reliving those painful moments. “A couple of times, actually.”
“Same guy?” he asks, and I shake my head with a sense of shame. “Then you know how embarrassing it is.”
“I do. The first time it happened, I was crushed. The second time, I was furious. But both times, I felt like a complete and utter fool.”
“That’s exactly how I feel. All of it. How could I be such an idiot? How did I not see it before? I’m usually very astute. I’m a damn doctor.”
“I get it. Love makes us dumb. We ignore all the red flags in pursuit of that amazing feeling we get when everything is good and exciting. It happens to the best of us, unfortunately. The only reason it hurts so much is because you were brave enough to open your heart. That’s not a bad thing.”
“Well, I’m never doing that again. Ever.”
That’s what I say every time some guy breaks my heart. But for some reason, I keep going back for more. Hopefully seeking love. I don’t know much about this man but I do know that someday, this won’t hurt as much. And maybe then, he’ll be brave enough to open his heart again.
“I hope you’ll change your mind about that one day.”