Ahead of the Darkness Page 16

  “I ... do you want me to?”

  “Ye know what I want Mia.” My heart beat painfully fast as Drew stood up and walked off. I watched his retreating form, lost in thought.

  “Mia? Mia!”

  My head snapped around to find Georgia looking at me with a frown.

  “Sorry, Georgia, what did you need?”

  “We’re out of ... some things.”

  “Things?”

  “Yes. Things. I need you to come to the storeroom with me and help me get them. Would you?”

  I looked at her and frowned. She stared at me intently until I got what she was saying. I sighed as she took my hand and led me out the back.

  “Okay, spill.”

  “Spill what, Georgia?”

  “Drew never mopes, and he hasn’t stopped watching you all night. What happened between you? And don’t say nothing, because something happened. He’s not himself and ... well, I don’t really know you well enough yet, but something is amiss too.”

  I sighed and sat on down on a crate.

  “Did Drew tell you how he feels, and you told him you don’t feel the same?”

  “What?”

  “It’s obvious Drew is crazy about you. I’ve known him for a few years, and there’s never been anyone Drew seemed to particularly like. Girls are always throwing themselves at him, and he just laughs it off. Not once has he ever gotten jealous with Jules, not like at the beach.”

  “You told Jules to leave it alone, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. He wasn’t all too pleased, but he’d noticed as well that you two seemed to have this pull towards each other, and Drew is his best mate.” She shrugged as if to say of course he’d let it go.

  She looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to confess, but all I could do was shrug at her. She frowned at me, and put her hands on her hips.

  “Well, go fix it.”

  “Fix it?”

  “Yes. I’ll cover the bar for you. Go in there, and tell him the truth.”

  She pulled me up and practically pushed me out the door. “I know you like him too, so stop pretending you don’t, and go make up.”

  I had really starting to slip if I’d become so damn transparent around everyone, but I couldn’t stand the thought of Drew sitting in his office “mopping” because of me. Georgia noticed me wavering and smiled, nudging me out the storeroom.

  “Go already.”

  I shook my head at her but headed off to the office, struggling with what to say. I knocked quietly on the door, secretly hoping he was busy and wouldn’t answer. My palms were sweating, and I didn’t know why. I was just coming to tell him I’d stay and work for him a little longer, wasn’t I?

  “Aye?”

  I slowly opened the door, and I tentatively walked in. Drew sat back in his chair, looking at me, waiting.

  “Sorry. If you’re busy, I’ll come back.”

  I turned around to leave, and I heard Drew’s chair scrape along the floor as he stood up.

  “Mia, Dinnae leave.”

  I paused with my hand on the door, and took a deep breath.

  “I’m not.” I turned around and wavered a little when I found Drew standing so close. “I mean, I’m not leaving, I Georgia just wanted to know everything. I’ll stay for—”

  Drew had captured my mouth before I could finish my sentence and add for a little while longer. He kissed me fiercely, and I completely forgot why I wanted to leave in the first place.

  Drew crushed me to him and lift me up, spinning us around. I pulled my lips away to laugh as he continued to spin us in circles.

  There was a knock at the door, bursting our bubble.

  “Go away. We’re busy.”

  “Shh, Drew!”

  He chuckled lightly against my throat as his kissed my neck.

  “Drew, I need Mia. Someone’s requesting cocktails I can’t make.”

  Thank goodness it was just Georgia. “I’m coming,” I yelled through the door, trying to extract myself from Drew’s arms.

  Drew chuckled. “Not yet, ye’re not.”

  “Drew!”

  My eyes widened as I pushed at Drew’s chuckling chest, and he begrudgingly let me go with a slap on the bum. I opened the door to find Georgia trying to hide her laughter, and I felt my face went bright red. I narrowed my eyes at Drew as I closed the door, and could still hear him laughing through it.

  “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I wasn’t going to say a thing.” She laughed, bumping shoulders with me.

  “You don’t need to. It’s written all over your face.”

  “I could say the same thing to you,” she whispered as we walked out.

  “Can we keep it between us, please? I ... we aren’t ... I don’t even know, but it’s not, we’re not, a thing. So, there’s nothing to tell.”

  She laughed out loud and everyone looked at us peculiar, especially Jules and Mac.

  “Jesus, Georgia,” I whisper-shouted at her.

  “I’m sorry, but that was a right laugh. You are a weird one, aren’t you? Wait ...”

  She stopped right in front of the entrance to the bar, and studied me for a moment. Her eyes softened when she saw whatever it was she was looking for, and I frowned, lost. Opening the latch door, I pushed her through to the far side, away from everyone else.

  “Okay, so I don’t date, ever, but Drew and I aren’t dating. It was just ...” Intense sex, all night and morning ...

  “Uh-huh. You’ve both got it bad. Let’s see how well the not-dating works out, but I’ll keep mum about it.”

  Drew picked that moment to come out of the office, and like every other time we were in a room together, our eyes were drawn to each other. Drew’s whole face lit up with a look of—

  “If that’s not a promise for later, I don’t know what is,” Georgia whispered in my ear, giggling slightly. My face warmed at exactly what that promise would hold.

  I turned around to whisper at her. “Don’t ... don’t let him near me.”

  She laughed so hard I thought she might wet herself, and I frowned again. She had no idea at just how much he affected me.

  “Don’t laugh. I can’t concentrate on teaching you if he’s hovering. What did you need, anyway?”

  “Oh, nothing, but I thought it was best to interrupt before something really got started.”

  She tried to hold in her laughter as Drew entered the bar. I made myself scarce, to the other side near Jules, quickly busying myself with the clean dishes. I bent down, pulling the tray out, and nearly dropped them when my arse grazed someone’s front as I stood up.

  I gasped, almost falling forward as Drew’s hands shot out from behind me and secured the tray. He was impossibly close and I couldn’t move, completely stuck between the tray and Drew.

  “Jesus, Drew. Stop doing that.”

  “What’s gotten ye all worked up?” He lowered his voice, and leaned closer in. “If I dinnae know any better ...”

  I elbowed him in the ribs, and he chuckled lightly in my ear. I quickly pulled my hands out of Drew’s and ducked under his arm.

  “Where ...?”

  “You seem to have that under control, Boss.”

  I mouthed bugger off and scurried to the other side of the bar, leaving Drew chuckling to himself.

  The rest of the night continued on in most of the same way, with Jules looking on curiously and Georgia trying not to laugh. Mac, thankfully, was completely oblivious; she’d been acting totally unlike herself, but at least I didn’t have to deal with her. It was hard enough trying to avoid Drew and his ‘innocent’ hands for the rest of the night. It was one of the longest shifts I’d ever had to work, and I was on edge until we could close the doors and call it a night.

  “Nighty-night,” Mac sang on her way out.

  “Jules, hurry up and take me home, would you? I’m exhausted. Goodnight, guys.” Georgia winked at me as she pushed her brother out the doors after Mac, leaving me all alone in the staffroom. I turned around to find Dr
ew leaning in the door of his office, looking like he wanted to devour me. I swallowed hard, remembering all too well being in this exact situation, only in dream form.

  “Can I touch ye now?”

  “You are such a shit.” It lacked the conviction I would have liked.

  Drew smirked, his dimples making an appearance as he stalked towards me. My heart raced, for all the right reasons. His fingers slowly trailed up my arms.

  “Aye, but ye got me all worked up in my office, so it was only fair I did the same.”

  His hands continued up to cup my cheeks, and I struggled with getting any words out.

  “You’re my boss ...” Face and palm.

  “Aye, so we best take this to the office, then. I have a proposal waiting for you on my desk that needs your full attention.” Oh God!

  And with that, he kissed me, ending all conversation for the rest of the night. And it was, a very, very long night.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Do you sing, Mia?”

  “Me? God, no.”

  It was Wednesday night, karaoke night, and my heart raced at the thought of Georgia wanting us to do a duet. I didn’t like her that much. I didn't like anyone that much.

  “But you dance?”

  “Yeah ... how did ... ah.”

  “Yeah, the guys are still talking about it but, you know, just not around Drew.” She smiled an all-knowing smile.

  “I don’t quite understand that. How do they know? There isn't anything to know.” OK, that was a lie.

  For weeks, the men had stopped flirting with me and I couldn’t work out why, not that I cared. Drew and I had kept our ... whatever it was, under the radar for the last month. Well, I thought we had. I’d tried to fight the pull Drew had on me but it was impossible; Drew made it impossible. He’d always find ways to get me alone to kiss me, but kept touching in public innocent enough, especially when at the gym. Then, his hands were always touching me.

  If it wasn't Drew jumping me at the end of the night once everyone left, it was me jumping him. We couldn't get enough, and there hadn't been a spare inch of the club we hadn't defiled. As desperately as Drew tried to get me to come home and stay with him, I couldn't bring myself to. I’d always manage to make some lame excuse or distract him.

  “Well, Drew storming out with you over his shoulder was quite a display of ownership. I think the guys got the message, loud and clear.”

  I owe ye.

  Drew’s words to me that night still lingered with me. I instinctively looked to Mac, who was singing to herself while wiping down tables, and I frowned.

  “Don’t worry. Mac has been in her own little world lately. She hasn’t noticed a thing. She also can’t carry a tune. Who knew?”

  We quietly laughed to ourselves and covered it quickly before Mac turned around, still singing with a blissed-out look on her face. She really was in a world of her own, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

  I didn’t wonder for too long as we soon picked up. For some reason, the locals went nuts for singing out of tune to worn-out hits. Making a fool of myself was never really my thing. Drew, on the other hand, didn’t seem to give a toss.

  “Mia?”

  “Georgia?”

  “I didn't know Drew sang?” I paused my filling of the dishwasher and looked at her.

  “What?”

  I stood up, turning to the stage and sure enough, Drew was on the stage, talking to the KJ guy and playing with the mic. I frowned further.

  “I don’t know. Can he?”

  I hadn’t been paying enough attention when he’d whispered the lyrics in my ear as we danced in his living room all those months ago. His accent and hands had been too distracting.

  “Well, we’re about to find out.”

  My eyes widened when he stepped up to the mic stand and the room went crazy, everyone stopping to cheer as he started to sing.

  “Ye were working as a waitress in english bar, when I met ye...”

  “Oh God. He’s not?” The human league, really?

  “He doesn't sound bad.” Georgia tried to fight her laughter and I looked at her, mortified.

  “... Now few-months later on ye've got the world at yer feet. Success has been so easy for ye ...”

  “Oh, now I know the song. He’s changing all the words.” She laughed loudly, clutching at her stomach.

  “Georgia? This isn't funny. He’s doing this on purpose.” Isn’t he?

  “Oh yes, most definitely.” She couldn't contain herself.

  “... Don't, don't ye want me? Ye know I cannae believe it when I hear that ye won't stay-with-me.”

  “Oh God.” He didn't.

  “Don't, don't ye want me? Ye know I dinnae believe ye when ye say that ye don't love me.”

  Georgia gasps and burst out laughing again. “It's out now.”

  “I’m going to throttle him.”

  “You’re going to have to sing.”

  My head snapped to Georgia. “What?” No, no. NO.

  “Ye'd better get up here, or we will both be sorry.” Drew sang out of step.

  If I hadn’t been so befuddled, not to mention slightly panicked, I would have laughed at him changing the lyrics to suit. Georgia was still laughing hysterically as she started pushing me out of the bar and towards the stage.

  “You were in on it? You're a right cow, you know that, right?”

  “Just get up there. You know you want to. Go on, have a laugh.”

  “I know ye want me baaaaaby?”

  I shook my head at him.

  “I know ye want me—oooooh?”

  He reached for my hand, and being the petulant child I so often seemed to become around him, I folded my arms and shook my head again.

  “I know ye want me, baaaby?”

  Damn it, he could actually sing, or maybe it was just the accent, but my resolve was crumbling. Drew was struggling hard not to laugh while he sang all the wrong lyrics and bent down to sing the line in my face.

  “I know ye want me—ooooh?” Nope, nope ... nope.

  The next thing I knew he’d reached out and picked me up under the arms, putting me on the stage in front of the microphone. A slight squeal escaped me, and I turned to whisper-shouted at him.

  “I don’t sing, Drew. Don’t make me sing ...” As if that would stop him.

  “Sing,” he whispered, covering the microphone. He was getting too much amusement out of this. God damn it!

  “... Working as a waitress in a english bar, that much was true ...” I mouthed I hate you. “... But I knew I'd find a much better place, either with or without you.” Hmmm. “The few months we have had have been such good times. I did like you.” He laughed while mouthing the correct words: you still love me.

  “But now I think it's time I live my life back on my own. I guess it's just what I dooo.” I laughed at Drew’s frowning face. “You, You can’t have me?”

  “Ye know I cannae believe it, when I hear that ye willnae have me.”

  I scoffed, and rolled my eyes at him. The cat was totally out of the bag now. Screw it. I sang my heart out with him for the rest of the song, changing the words as we went. Something about if you can’t beat them, join them. I still had every intention of beating on him later, but I thought I might wait till after he sang to me some more ...

  “Don't.”

  “Yeee want me—baby?”

  “I don’t, want you—ooooh?”

  “Ye want meee—baby?”

  “Nope, I dooooon’t—ooooh?. . .”

  The song ended, the cheering duplicated, turning into catcalls and wolf whistles as Drew kissed me, as if we were the only two people in the room. I was too stunned to do anything other than let him, and tentatively kiss him back.

  “Come home with me,” he whispered for only me to hear as he let me go, and I almost forgot we weren’t alone.

  “You did all that, just so I’d spent the night?”

  “Mostly.”

  “Mostly? You’re impossible.”

>   “Ye love me, and ye know it.”

  I shook my head at him, but I was struggling to hold any weight behind it. A stupid goofy grin was cracking through the surface, so I walked off before Drew could see it.

  “Where are ye going? We need to sing another.”

  I turned, walking backwards, and mouthed so only he would could see, You’re crazy, not a chance!

  Ye loved it, he mouthed.

  I kinda did ...

  I walked through the stage door, and the smile slipped from my face. For two reasons: I’d just sung, in front of a room full of people, with Drew, and kinda loved it? The second: Mac.

  Her dazed, blissed-out bubble had burst, and she was looking up from her paper with such scorn I’d frozen in my tracks. She quickly ripped out whatever it was she had been reading when I came in and got up, storming of towards the door.

  “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

  I wasn’t even sure I heard her right as she threw the words over her shoulder as she stormed out the door, leaving me completely stunned and with a sick sort of sinking feeling in my gut.

  “Was that Mac?” Drew was right behind me.

  “Yeah ... she’s ...”

  “Aye, I’m going to have to have a word with her. It’s getting out of hand, but I dinnae want to talk about Mac.” He arms wrapped around my middle. “Ye never answered me before.”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Come home with me tonight.”

  I turned around in his arms to look up at him. His eyes flicked back and forth between mine, his playful smile from earlier gone. He looked so unsure, and that’s when I realised it meant something to him.

  “Okay ...”

  “Okay?”

  “Yes. I’ll stay with you.”

  He smiled brightly, his dimples popping out, and leaned in to kiss me.

  “Only, if you sing to me.”

  He paused cocking an eyebrow. “Are ye going soft on me?”

  I laughed. “Me? Soft? Never. You’ve been holding out on me. What other talents do you have that I’m missing out on?”

  He smirked at me, and my heart rate spiked.

  “I ah, know about those.” His bedroom skills I knew well.

  “Not all of them.” Oh ...

  I quickly started walking backwards, away from Drew’s approaching form.