Chapter Four
Rosemary
Why, oh, why did I agree to this?
Here Rosie was standing outside a bar. It wasn’t busy, and there wasn’t a line, so she could walk straight in.
She knew Hank and Spencer had arrived as she had seen them walk in together, shoving and teasing each other.
Like a coward, she had hidden in the shadows, so they didn’t spot her and invite her in with them.
Admittedly, that would have been better than nervously standing out here with no idea what to do.
Instead, here she was standing outside in the cold.
Without a coat on, to boot, since she hadn’t been expecting to be outside for long.
No, because she knew it would be warm in the bar.
The bar she could be standing in. The bar she had agreed to go to and have drinks with Louis, Spencer, and Hank so she could get to know them better and feel part of the team.
Taking a few paces from the safety of the shadows, she headed to the door.
Feeling silly, she suddenly felt like it had just been a polite invitation and nothing serious.
Her cheeks felt hot with humiliation, because now she was worried about wasting her time.
Or being laughed at because they had made it a joke.
Louis wouldn’t do that. Hank really wouldn’t do that. Spencer wasn’t cruel, either.
True. However, her mind was stuck in a loop. What if they didn’t really want her here and she was embarrassing herself by turning up? With that thought, she took steps back to hide deeper in the shadows to decide what to do once again.
At least it wasn’t raining. And she was in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved jumper, which provided some warmth, so it could be worse.
Sighing, she lowered her head and contemplated heading back home. Why was she here? Really, why? She didn’t have friends. She didn’t go out for drinks. This was something completely new for her.
Because Louis asked you, and you finally want to stay with a team. You want to make friends. Connect. You also want to stare at Louis.
That thought made her blush. So used to being alone and disliked, she kept far away from her colleagues.
She didn’t fancy anyone, because what would be the point?
No one would date her, not with nicknames like Harpy.
Although, the nickname did make her smile now.
It was said with kindness as opposed to anger.
And that was because the big, brooding hockey player came into her office and asked her to lunch even though she deserved his anger. A player that now wanted to work with her and invited her for drinks so she could relax on her controlling techniques.
That was it. Not because he wanted her to go out for the drinks, but so she could see them in the wild actually taking a break and relaxing.
Stiffening her spine, she was determined to walk back in. If she focused on the fact that this was for work, she could get herself through it. Taking a few steps forward, she then stopped. Uncertainty had returned, making her move away from the door yet again.
“What are you doing out here?” a male voice asked her, coming from behind.
A male voice she knew well. A voice that brought on a shiver. She really liked the husky tone of his voice. At least she could blame the cold if he noticed her reaction.
Busted, she turned around. Louis raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. Hands in his pockets, he looked so casual in his jeans, trainers, black t-shirt, and a leather jacket. His dark hair fell in waves over his face. Those dark blue eyes stared into her soul.
For a second, she was breathless. And also voiceless.
Stepping closer to her, he practically invaded her space, but she was not afraid.
His body leaned over hers slightly, making her feel small and dainty.
She had never felt small or dainty in her life as she had always had to be a warrior.
And he was warm. She could feel it, even with the small distance between them, and she wanted to step closer.
Pointing at the door, he smirked. “The bar is there. You are going past it.”
Giving him a sheepish smile, she shrugged. “Would you believe me if I say I got lost?”
Chuckling, one hand rubbed his face before tugging on his beard. Was he nervous? That was when she noticed his beard was freshly trimmed. It looked so good on him.
Getting distracted, Rosie.
Focusing on his eyes again, she tried to look confident.
“Perhaps,” he responded and stepped back again so he could lean against the wall. “But I am more likely to believe that you have changed your mind.” His gaze softened. “That’s okay. You turned up, so that is something. Baby steps.”
Rosie tilted her own head. He wasn’t intimidating her or demanding she go inside. Nor was he annoyed about her wasting his time. He was respecting her choices and was even giving her an out if she needed it. His words also confirmed that she had indeed been invited and was expected.
Eyes widening, he was suddenly alarmed. He asked, “But where is your coat? You must be freezing.”
Suddenly rubbing her arms with her cold hands did not help at all, but he had reminded her that she was cold. His gaze had warmed her until now.
“I thought it would be warm inside, so I didn’t want to bring an extra layer.”
“Logical,” he replied, bobbing his head in agreement. A small smile grew on his face. Not mocking her but amused. “If you were inside. Which you are not. You are standing outside.”
The tone he used to say that made her laugh. His eyes widened even more, and she realised it was because she was laughing. Smiling.
It wasn’t often she smiled or laughed anymore. And at least he didn’t say something annoying like, “You should laugh more.”
Taking off his jacket, he gently wrapped it around her shoulders. Instantly she inhaled the scent that came from it, it smelt like lavender.
“Lavender?” she asked, surprised.
“Reminds me of home,” he answered, not ashamed or embarrassed. “It reminds me of my childhood. Happy memories. My mum grows it. She grows many flowers, actually. At her own house, and mine.”
Her heart lightened at this new information. The fact that he trusted her with something so personal was special.
Pulling it closer, she enjoyed the warmth the jacket provided. She was staring at him again, this time at his arms. The muscles bunched up under the sleeves of his button-down shirt, stretching it slightly.
Shaking her head, she really had to learn to focus with him around. They were friends. Not even that, they were colleagues. They were here to work, not so that she could stare at the handsome hockey player.
“What if I don’t go inside?” she asked. “I would just have to give it you back.”
Now his shoulder muscles bunched as he shrugged. “Well, that means you have a nice warm jacket to keep the chill away during your journey home. You can always give it me back tomorrow.”
“Won’t you get cold?”
Waggling his eyebrows, he responded, “Nah. I can just steal Hank’s jacket.”
That made her laugh, imagining him doing it. Hank was such a sweetie, he wouldn’t argue.
That smile of his turned to a frown again. “Wait, do you live far? Do you want me to walk you home? Or call you a taxi?”
Touched that he cared about her safety, she had to smile again. And tease him. “Are you so convinced I am leaving? I am facing the bar, you know.”
Tilting his head again, he asked, “Do you want to?”
Staring at the door, she felt it then. The longing. She really wanted to go for drinks and make friends. She wanted to get to know them.
But the idea frightened her.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I have never been asked to go out for drinks before, so I don’t know how to act.”
Stepping closer to stand by her side, his expression showed surprise. “You’ve never been for drinks before?”
Shaking her head, she felt foolish. She refused to meet his gaze. “As you can imagine, I don’t have many friends. So, when you asked, I convinced myself it was a polite invitation. I didn’t know if you actually wanted me here.”
“I never give polite invitations,” Louis responded softly. “I asked because I wanted to ask. You are welcome here.”
That made her so happy. So happy she had to blink back tears. Still, her feet did not take her forward.
“Come in for one drink,” Louis suggested. “Just one. Even if it is just a soft drink. You have every right to be nervous if this is new to you. If you don’t like it, we get you home safely. Our job will be to see if we can change your mind and help you feel comfortable enough to stay.”
That wasn’t the only thing holding her back. She didn’t get out often, and that made her nervous. Having heard the stories in the news, and reading them online, it made her realise that she had no idea how to defend herself, or how to deal with unwanted advances.
If they happened.
But in a bar, with alcohol involved, it increased the chances.
That scared her.
If she wanted to feel comfortable, she had to trust the people around her. Closing her eyes, she took a chance to be honest. How he reacted would help her decide what happened next.
“I have heard horror stories,” she admitted. “Of women getting hurt. Drugged. I don’t know how to protect myself from that.”
Opening her eyes again, she waited.
His shoulders tensed and his gaze bored into her.
“You have every right to worry. It does happen. Thank you for trusting me with your worry. You are not alone. You are not. I promise.” His hands went back in his pockets, trying to make himself look as small as possible.
Less threatening. “If you decide to go in there, and you have any issues, you have the three of us to back you up. If you don’t want a scene, it is probably best you tell Hank or get his attention. He can deal with it discreetly.”
“Not you?” she teased.
But really, her heart was pounding. He hadn’t laughed; he was taking this deadly serious.