Page 4 of Burning Embers
I’ve always thought of her that way…up until she had Molly-Mae, anyway. But then she started working at the deli for Sophie—my boss, Charlie’s, girlfriend—and I guess I saw glimpses of her I hadn’t seen before. I definitely pretend otherwise, but I go out of my way on occasion to drop by and grab a sandwich or a cake in the hopes Rachel will be there. I always manage to get a rise out of her without even trying, and I can’t deny I secretly enjoy I have some sort of effect on her.
“Jase, if you see the bloke who left with Rachel again, make sure to let him know he’s barred.”
“You got it,” he replies.
I should leave her well alone, but truth is, she’s piqued my interest and my curiosity. The more I see glimpses of a side to her that she tries so hard to conceal, the harder it’s becoming to stay away as I should. She always seems irritated by me when I’m around, and damnit, I’m finding myself wanting to remedy her animosity towards me.
Chapter Three
RACHEL
I was mortified last night with Olly’s eyes staring after me as I drove away from the bar. But it made me think I need to consider a self-defence class. I hate that I even found myself cornered by Neal. He has to be one of the sleaziest guys I’ve met. I was shaken, and yet at the same time, so grateful Olly turned up when he did…though I was a little surprised, too.
It was one of the first things I googled when I returned home to a sleeping Molly after seeing the babysitter out. I booked a self-defence class for tomorrow, which works perfectly for me. Marcus said he’d take Molly, fingers crossed he doesn’t bail out. Again. Being a single parent is bloody hard, and it makes dating that much more difficult to wade through. Marcus and I are more-or-less on friendly terms for Molly’s sake. The break-up was hard, but it was doomed from the start—we were paired off as infants, our parents pushing for the relationship that never actually ended in real love…just a mixture of hormones and intrigue. And a beautiful little girl.
I enterSofia’sto find Sophie mixing up some butter icing, singing along to the radio. She waves the wooden spoon in the air, spinning on the spot when her eyes collide with mine.
“Hey, lovely,” she says, turning the volume down.
“Hey, yourself, Hot Mumma.”
She laughs off my comment, propping a hand on her hip. “Well?”
“Well, what?” I ask, dropping my bag onto one of the stools.
She rolls her eyes. “Your date—how was it?”
I eye the icing in the bowl and lean on the counter. Without asking, Soph grabs another spoon and scoops some mixture onto it before holding it out to me. I’m weak when it comes to sweet things, so I gladly take it from her. Sticking it into my mouth, I allow it to soak on my tongue—butterscotch. Smiling, I lick the spoon clean and place it in the dishwasher. “Dreadful. He was an absolute arsehole.”
“What happened?”
I take a seat and give her the low down. When I’m finished regaling her, a look of mischief crosses her face.
“What is that look all about?”
She shakes the spoon in my direction. “Oh, you know… Olly being your knight in shining armour.”
I scoff, but I don’t have a retort. Sophie and her boyfriend, Charlie, are friends with Olly. He’s worked for Charlie at the bar for years. Her suspicious smile makes me wonder if Olly has ever mentioned me… I shake the thought from my head. She’s right, though, about him. I hate to think what might have happened if Olly hadn’t come along when he did last night.
“I don’t care what you say. I think he likes you,” she says.
I hop off the stool and turn my back to her to hide my smile while I wash my hands. Guys like Olly and girls like me aren’t a good match. Besides, he hasn’t made the slightest notion—not even an inkling—that he’s attracted to me.
I think of what he told Neal about jalapeños. How he knows they make me break out in hives…
I shake it off. I need to stop overthinking it, and maybe I should give up on dating for a while. Having a daughter seems to have one of the following reactions: run for the hills in case I’m trying to find Molly another daddy, or even better, they think I am an easy lay.
“I think it’s easier to swear off guys for the foreseeable future.”
Sophie’s shoes squeak as she comes towards me, and I face her as I dry my hands.
“Let’s not be too hasty now,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Some days I wonder if I should’ve stayed with Marcus—at least the sex was good.” But I wanted to set a good example for Molly; I don’t want her ever settling.
Sex was never the issue between Marcus and me—trust was. And it wasn’t all Marcus’s fault. I pursued Sophie’s best friend’s now-husband, Nate, while Marcus and I were still dating. Mostly because Marcus was already fooling around, and I was young and reckless. Felicity wasn’t in the picture at the time, and I relished Nate’s ability to stroke my broken ego. I’m glad that didn’t last. And that Felicity never held our past against me when they finally settled down. She and Sophie are now two of my closest friends.
“You are all talk Rachel-Mae, you know that?”
