‘Too long, probably.’ He worked the dates out in his head and experienced a small jolt. Where had the time gone? ‘Worked behind a bar since I left school, and behind this bar for nearly ten years. Took it over from Bill a month ago, though you’ll still see him here when he covers my days off.’ He flashed a grin. ‘Older guy, bit of a belly. Hopefully you’ll notice the difference. Assuming you come back, of course.’ When she didn’t reply, he added, ‘I promise not to force a cocktail on you if you do.’
She laughed and he liked the sound of it; warm, natural. Some of the women he’d met laughed to get attention. This one seemed to laugh for her own joy, just as she seemed to dress how she wanted to, not to please others.
‘I suspect I’ll be back.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m new around here, so it’s been good to talk to an actual person for a change. I’ve been relying on Facetime and Skype for the last three weeks.’
‘Ah, I thought I hadn’t seen you before.’ He made sure to catch her eye. ‘You’re kind of hard not to notice.’
She didn’t blush, or give him a coy smile. ‘It’s the green hair.’
He shook his head, gaze not leaving hers. ‘It’s more than that.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You’re really going to call me out on my tracky bottoms?’
‘What?’ He could honestly say he’d forgotten what she was wearing.
She gestured down her body. ‘Come on, nobody else in here is wearing their slob-in-front-of-the-TV clothes.’
He glanced around him and nodded towards the group who were sitting at the back. ‘How do you know they don’t watch TV wearing a tight dress and five-inch stilettoes?’
‘Because they couldn’t breathe?’
‘You make a good point.’ Leaning against the counter behind him, Luke took a mouthful of beer. This didn’t feel like work, not now. ‘So … wait, I don’t know your name.’
‘Mia.’
He smiled. ‘Nice. Pretty, easy to spell, but not ordinary. So, Mia, what brings you to this metropolis, beside the lure of a great bar?’
‘Ah.’ She avoided his eyes and took a slow drink of her beer. ‘I fancied a change of scenery.’
He could bullshit with the best of them, and frequently had done. Mia’s evasive reply wouldn’t fool anyone. Just because he knew there was a story behind her move though, didn’t mean he had a right to prize it out of her. Even if he was surprisingly interested. ‘A change from where?’ he asked, figuring it was less contentious than the question he wanted to ask: why?
‘Somerset. Famous for cider, Cheddar cheese, Glastonbury and the country’s smallest city.’ Her face relaxed as she spoke, seeming to back up his theory that her move was more about getting away from something or someone, than moving to Manchester.
‘They’re quite compelling reasons to stay. Then again, we have got Coronation Street, Oasis, Vimto and the best football club in the world.’
She grinned, pointing her bottle at him. ‘Now that’s what sold me.’
‘You’re a fan of the reds?’
Laughter spluttered out of her, her eyes crinkling with mirth. ‘You’re sadly deluded if you think the reds are the best club in the world, when they haven’t won a Premier League title in ten years. Arguably right now the blues are the best.’ He wanted to butt in, tell her Man U had won other trophies since then, but even diehard United fans like him had to admit, as of now, that she was right. ‘What is indisputable,’ she continued, her face as animated as he’d seen it all evening, ‘is that Oasis are a brilliant rock band.’
It was his turn to be amused. ‘Thank God you went for that. If you’d said you were a fan of Corrie, I’d have to assume you were drunk on one bottle of beer.’ From the corner of his eye he saw Mateo waving at him. Yep, he was drowning under a sea of punters wanting another drink. ‘Sorry, looks like duty calls.’ He gave her his best, slow smile. ‘What do you say we carry on this chat another time, when I’m not working?’
Surprise flashed in her eyes, and she gave him another of her quiet appraisals. ‘Maybe.’
Before he could push any more, she’d slipped off the bar stool. For a moment he thought that was that, but as he watched her head towards the ladies, he relaxed. Hopefully he’d get his date before the end of the evening.
Chapter Three
As Mia washed her hands with green liquid soap, the green walls of the ladies reflected back at her in the mirror. He’d not been kidding about it being their colour. She stared at her face; flushed cheeks, bright eyes. Yep, for the first time in months, over a year’s worth of months, certainly since she’d begun to realise Pete wasn’t as advertised, she looked excited. That’s what a little light flirting with a dishy guy could do.
The door pushed open and two women almost fell inside, giggling away.
‘Ooops, sorry.’ The dark-haired one glanced over at her. ‘Hi.’
Mia smiled back. ‘Hi. I’m Mia.’ Her mum would be proud of her, she thought wryly. That’s two people she’d spoken to tonight.
‘Donna,’ she pointed to herself, ‘and the wasted one with me, is Chloe,’ she added, nodding to the blonde standing next to her.
‘Four cocktails doesn’t make me wasted,’ Chloe complained. ‘Just makes me horny.’
Donna groaned. ‘Oh God, don’t get her started. One more and she’ll be hitting on Luke again.’
Mia wasn’t sure why her heart jumped at the sound of his name. ‘The bartender?’
Chloe raised her perfect eyebrows. ‘You know him?’
‘He served me, that’s all.’ He hit on you. For a few minutes he made you feel special.
‘Did he flirt with you?’ Chloe asked, then shook her head. ‘Don’t know why I bothered asking, he must have. He flirts with everyone.’
‘He was friendly, yes.’ He basically asked you on a date. Maybe he hadn’t though. Maybe he’d suggested meeting up because he’d taken pity on the new girl.
‘That’s Luke for you. Friendly and flirty.’ Chloe sighed. ‘And sooooo dreamy. He’s got this sexy as fuck smile. And a body a girl just wants to get her hands on.’ Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes. ‘Tanya says he’s great in the sack, too. Like he really knows what to do with his hands, his mouth and his—’
‘We got the message.’ Donna opened the door to one of the loos. ‘Go and pee some of those cocktails out.’
Chloe staggered into the cubicle and the door bounced shut behind her.
‘Excuse her.’ Donna smiled. ‘She’s a nightmare when she’s drunk.’
‘Hey, I heard that. I’m not drunk.’ There was a loud curse from the cubicle and a roll of loo paper rolled under the door, landing at Mia’s feet.
Donna frowned and bent to push it back under before turning to face Mia. ‘I don’t think I’ve noticed you here before. Are you local?’
Mia pulled down a paper towel and dried her hands. ‘I am now. I moved here from Somerset a few weeks ago. I live in one of the flats.’