Chapter 13
Bea
Bea had meant it when she told Cal how much she was enjoying her first shift at Butler’s.
Since quitting bartending in the spring, at Josh’s behest, she’d missed it.
Protestations to Josh that it was what she was familiar with, that the hours allowed her to get on with her writing, and that the tips were good, were countered with the argument that he could support her so she’d have all the time she needed to write.
In many ways, this was ideal for Bea as writing was her first love, but it didn’t take long for the subtle sideswipes to come from Josh about how exhausting it was being the main breadwinner.
As far as Bea could see, he wasn’t working any harder than before she’d given up her job; he just liked to wield power over her.
With the benefit of hindsight, Bea could see that he’d been manipulating her, although that insight wasn’t enough to make the legacy of inadequacy subside fully.
An additional positive of being back behind a bar and earning her own money came from working so closely in the presence of the beautiful Cal Butler.
Bea hadn’t expected the owner of a successful bar to be serving customers himself, but Cal liked to muck in with the rest of the staff.
A small part of Bea – the part affected by Josh – wondered if he might be a bit of a control freak.
‘Do you always work bar on a Saturday night?’ she asked at the end of the shift, as they tidied up.
‘Aye, of course,’ he’d said, shrugging as if it were a strange question. ‘It’s my bar. If I hadn’t wanted to work bar on a Saturday night, I’d have set up a cheese shop.’
‘A cheese shop?’
‘Or whatever. That’s just an example. Point is, I’m not in the habit of hiding in the back office while my staff toil out front.’
‘I wish some of my previous bosses were like you.’ Bea meant in terms of work ethic, although she was aware of the other interpretation of her words. Not that it mattered. A little flirting couldn’t do any harm, could it? Loosen the tension a little.
‘Speaking of working, best get on and get things cleaned up.’ Cal directed Bea’s attention to the empty glasses scattered across the tables. ‘Don’t want to be here all night.’
‘No, of course not.’ Surely, they could chat and clear at the same time, but for all his team spirit, he didn’t want to talk to her. Had she done something wrong?
‘Do you live near the bar?’ Bea decided to keep making an effort. She’d get through to this guy, eventually.
‘I’ve a flat upstairs,’ Cal said. ‘But I mainly live in a cottage out of town.’
Well, he’d answered her question, although it sounded like he hadn’t wanted to impart the information.
And he hadn’t asked her anything in return.
She supposed he already knew where she was living, since he’d seen her résumé.
But he could have asked if she’d settled in okay, or how she was enjoying Edinburgh.
‘Oh, how lovely to have a flat upstairs. So you can flop into bed as soon as work is over?’ Bea could have sworn he stiffened slightly.
Maybe he’d interpreted this as flirting and it made him uncomfortable, although she was simply being friendly.
There was no need for him to assume that she was suggesting they flop into bed together.
‘Yep, it’s pretty handy. But I prefer to get out of town.’
‘What’s your cottage like?’ Bea was genuinely interested.
‘Not much to describe. It’s small, but it’s home. Would you mind giving those tables a wipe please? I’ll do the ones over here.’
‘Sure.’
Cal passed Bea a cloth and their fingers touched momentarily.
She glanced up at him and the briefest of electrical storms crackled overhead.
But the skies were clear outside. This was something between her and Cal only, not experienced by the rest of the city.
His eyes flickered for a moment, before he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away as if nothing had occurred.
‘Thanks,’ he said.
Okay, that definitely wasn’t a one sided thing. But he’s ignoring it, trying to keep me at arm’s length. Either that or he’s not very friendly.
But Bea had seen Cal be friendly enough to all the customers. No, something else was going on. Well, she was here to write a book. So, if he was going to be frosty then so be it. It wouldn’t be an interesting book if the hero and heroine fell into bed together without a bit of tension, would it?
Bea wiped the tables. Hopefully time would warm things between her and Cal.
And it would be good for her to flirt a little with a guy after all the years of her personality being trodden into the ground by Josh.
Just gentle flirting, though. There was no need to play the pushy femme fatale now she was here with Cal and the fizz between them was established.
Softly would do it. If something happened, then great.
If it didn’t, then she would still have met a hot Scotsman to give her writing inspiration.
And the most wonderful thing about this whole experience was that she was thousands of miles from home and whatever was ahead of her, it would be like it wasn’t real.
It would be pure holiday escapism – like one of her stories.