Her music was blaring all throughout the apartment, and her clothes were strewn in big piles all over the floor and on the top of the bed. Hannah danced up and down her bedroom, flicking her hair and singing along and she was so full of energy and bounce that she felt like she could shout out in happiness.

Over the past few hours, she had spent plenty of quality time on just looking after herself. She felt as if she had been transported back in time to when she had first come to the city and she was getting the buzz and the high that came with the anticipation of a night out. She hadn’t experienced that in such a long time, it had really brightened her mood and had made her feel more relaxed.

She had sat in her living area and listened to music while she had given herself a manicure and a pedicure. She had painted her nails a lovely dusky pink and she felt feminine and refreshed from head to toe. She had lit her scented candles and opened a bottle of white wine which was cool and crisp, and she sipped it as she flicked through her closet and pulled out potential outfits for the night ahead.

With spring coming in fast, the nights were beginning to draw out and the sun was still out at 6PMwhen she had slipped into the tub and soaked herself to the calming sounds of her favorite album. She had lay back in the water and felt thankful. Thankful for all the good she had in her life, and for all the possibility that lay ahead.

Now, it was 7:30, and she only had thirty minutes to go before she had to head downstairs and meet Scott.

Scott.

His name bandied around in her head and it made her heart flutter and her go all giggly. Now she knew it, she couldn’t believe she had ever imagined it to be something else. It fitted him so perfectly and it suited him down to the ground.

Scott was a sexy name. And he was a sexy guy. It was bold and strong and it spoke to her. It showed his masculinity.

She smiled as she took another sip of wine and looked out her bedroom window and across the cityscape. The sun had set and all the lights inside the surrounding buildings were shining bright out ahead of her. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and wondered what the night would have in store and whether they would hit it off or it would be as awkward and infuriating as the past two encounters had been.

Her excitement was mounting, and she took a step back and looked at the last two outfits that were hanging up on the outside of her closet and pondered over them for a moment more.

One of them was black leather pants, a black camisole and a black jacket, and the other was a pair of jeans with the same options. Her heart wanted to wear the leather pants, but her head was telling her not to be so out there and sexual.

“Just go for it,” she coached herself as she reached out and pulled them down. She didn’t need to reign herself in for some man. If she wanted to show off her figure in a tight pair of trousers, then why the hell shouldn’t she?

She slipped them on and zipped them up, before she pulled on the top and reached for her jewelry box. She settled on a plain pair of diamond studs for her ears, a black thin choker, and a gold and black bracelet. She finished off the outfit with a pair of black court stilettos with a red sole and as she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but grin.

She looked stunning and striking and she knew she was going to turn heads. She smiled and flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder before she reached for the jacket and put it on too. She spritzed perfume on her wrists and the pulse points on her neck and then she reached for a small black clutch bag. She slipped in her lipstick, some mints, eye liner and a mascara, and then she took another sip of wine before she left her room and headed back into the living area.

She had fifteen minutes to go, and her nerves had quieted down. Now, all she felt was excitement.

She had been on so many dates over the past few months, and none of them had made her feel like this beforehand. She had never felt so excited or raring to go as she had while she had been prepping to go meet Scott.

“Maybe it’s just because it’s unexpected and spontaneous,” she smiled to herself. “Or maybe it’s because he’s hot as hell…”

She closed her eyes and tried to remember what he looked like, but his features kept escaping her. It was as if he had wormed his way into her psyche and then he was torturing her all over again by staying just out of reach.

She laughed. From what she knew of Scott so far, this seemed like exactly the kind of thing he would do.

She grabbed her cell phone off the counter and started to write a text to Rebecca…

H: Okay, I’m ready and all set. I can’t believe how much I’m building this up!? It’s ridiculous! X

R: Just relax and have a good time you nutcase! And remember, keep me updated at regular intervals ;) xx

 

Hannah smiled and slipped the phone into her purse and then she turned and checked the clock again. Now, she was well and truly pacing the apartment and not feeling, in any way, calm and collected.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she whispered. “It’s just a drink with some guy. It’ll probably be a complete disaster, just like all the other dates you’ve forced yourself to go on lately.”

She took a moment to think about the past few times she had been out and of how disappointed she had been. Taking stock of the situation helped her feel calmer, and in no time at all, she had almost forgotten what she had been so worked up over in the first place.

She picked up her things and headed toward her doorway as she cast a glance back over her shoulder to see the clock just striking eight. She wouldn’t be massively fashionably late, but what did she care? He was the one who needed the help, not her. If he wasn’t down there, she would just head on out by herself and let him find her somewhere in a bar close by.

As she waited for the elevator to come up to her floor, she smiled to herself and giggled. She was in full-on war mode, but she was also quite glad to have something to do. When she thought of the alternative of what she would have been doing if she hadn’t run into Scott, it only would have involved her flannel pajamas, an overrated boxset, and a huge tub of ice cream.

She checked out her hair in the mirror in the elevator and for once, it was pretty much perfect. The first time Scott had seen her, she had been a bedraggled mess, so he was bound to get a pleasant surprise when he saw her all preened and polished.

The doors began to open, and she looked down to the floor as she exited the elevator.

“Oh wow, you’re here on time!” His voice cut through the silence and she couldn’t help but smile.

“And you’re as delightful as ever,” she joked as she let her eyes meet his and he smiled across at her.

He was leaning against the windowed wall of the front of the building and he looked polished and fresh himself. He hadn’t shaved, but it didn’t matter, he had slicked his dark hair back and his skin was radiant and clean. He was wearing a black shirt, open at the neck which exposed his tanned skin underneath and a curl of chest hair. Hannah tried not to stare too hard, but she could see the muscle definition beneath and it was pushing her buttons. She was starting to feel hot under the collar and she had to take a breath and divert her eyes. His jeans were crisp and looked expensive, and she could see on his wrist he was wearing a nice watch.

He kept continuing to surprise her. The rough and ready man who had been hanging around before seemed to have well and truly disappeared.

“So,” he said as she stopped in front of him and she looked up into his eyes.

Her heart was beating faster but she was trying to deny it. Inside her head, she was screaming at herself to just chill out and be cool, there was nothing exceptional happening, she was just having a casual drink with some guy.

“So…” she mirrored back to him.

“Like I said earlier, I don’t know where to go around here, so it’s your choice.”

He stepped backward and reached for the door and as he pushed it open, he stood back and let her pass through it first. It was the first bit of chivalry he had shown her, and it didn’t go unnoticed. She just wondered how long he could keep it up.

She walked through and didn’t thank him, and then she flashed him a wicked grin.

“Well, we’re in a pretty good area for nightspots,” she said as she looked up and down the street.

Scott came and stood beside her and he put his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and looked up and down the road too.

“How about just there,” she pointed toward the end of the block and to the wine bar on the corner. It sometimes had bands on the weekend, and she was sure she could hear the sound of a saxophone drifting out from inside.

“Sure,” he said, and he began to walk off in that direction.

Hannah narrowed her eyes and started to walk after him. She could tell he was going to be testing her patience time and time again. She clutched her bag and did her best not to reach up and slap him over the head with it. The thought made her giggle.

“What’s funny?” he asked as he smiled at her over his shoulder.

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled and then he slowed slightly and waited for her to catch up.

“So when did you move in?” she asked.

“Literally just last week,” Scott said as their paces matched up with each other and they could meander down the pavement together. “I found the apartment through a friend, he said it was a great building to be in.”

“He’s right,” she smiled. “I love it there.”

“And I can tell why,” he agreed. “I’ve only been here a short time but I can already see how different it is. There’s no trouble up here, everyone seems very settled and on the same page.”

Hannah nodded.

“Everyone is hard working and genuine,” she smiled and she tried not to blush when she caught his eye again.

“I guess you could say that,” he half laughed.

They reached the door of the wine bar and he opened it for her and let her walk in ahead of him. It had been a while since Hannah had been in there, but it was still as cozy and sensual as she had remembered. The lights were turned down low, and the majority of light and ambience came from the candles that were lit along the walls and were dotted on every table. The bar was illuminated from behind with warm glows, and all the bottles that ran along the back wall were reflecting the flames and making the place feel even more alive.

In one of the front corners, a man in a suit was a playing a saxophone next to another who was playing the piano. It was relaxed and easy, and it fitted the place perfectly.

“Quaint,” Scott said as he took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed them together. “Come on.”

He walked on ahead and approached the bar where he tapped his hands along the countertop. There were several high stools and room for them to sit up at the bar, so he pulled one out and motioned for Hannah to sit down.

She did and smiled at him, before she swiped a drink menu and started to read from it.

“Let me guess,” he said as he scrunched up his face and did his best concentration face. “You’re a cocktail kind of girl.”

“Wrong,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “Too much sugar.”

He smiled wryly and looked impressed.

“Clear spirits then,” he said. “I’m going to guess gin and tonic?”

“Very good,” she smiled as she closed the menu and slid it across to him. “And I’d say you’re a beer man.”

His eyes twinkled.

“Beer, whiskey, bourbon, cocktails… give me it all, baby,” he said with a wink.

Hannah tried not to show how much he was amusing her and kept her face as straight as she could.

“Are you always so reserved?” he asked her.

“Are you always so antagonistic?” she mimicked back to him.

Scott bit his bottom lip to hide a grin and then he sat down on the stool next to her and caught the barman’s attention. He ordered a gin and tonic for Hannah and a whiskey on the rocks for himself before he leaned back in his chair and studied her again.

She barely dared look at him, there was something she still found a bit unnerving about him, and she wanted to try and gain the upper hand by being more collected.

“So,” she said, deciding to address what was still going to be hanging over them. “Are you going to tell me what you were doing there today, in the clinic?”

He studied her for a moment and then he took a sip of his drink.

“It was quite the coincidence, wasn’t it?” he asked her with amusement.

“Yes, it was,” she said. “But you’re not answering my question.”

Scott took another sip of his drink and shrugged his shoulders.

“Probably not what you think I was doing.”

“I have no idea what you were doing, that’s why I’m asking.”

His eyes twinkled again.

“You’re even more beautiful when you get annoyed, has anyone ever told you that?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

Hannah felt momentarily disarmed and she felt her jaw sag a little. Had he really just said that? How was he so perfectly charming like that when he could also be so infuriating?

She tried not to show how much his words were getting to her and she brushed a stand of hair behind her ear.

“Well, anyway,” she said as she changed the subject and refused to acknowledge his flattery. “I suppose this is one of the better bars in our little neighborhood. I haven’t been in here for some time, but it’s still as nice as I remember.”

He looked around and nodded his head and then he turned his attention back to her. Hannah sipped her drink quickly and it wasn’t long before she was done.

“I need another,” she stated as she clattered her glass down onto the countertop.

Scott smiled at her and he motioned for the barman to come and serve them. As Hannah watched him, she liked the way he moved and the way he seemed to easily command a room. He was confident and he didn’t seem to feel the need to bend for anyone. It was both intriguing and endearing.

“Coffee,” he said as he turned his full attention to her again. “Speak to me about coffee.”

Hannah grinned.

“Oh, well, this is easy,” she said. “Mo’s, on the corner. It’s sit in, sit out on the street, or just pop in and take away. I literally stop at Mo’s twice a day. I don’t know what I’d do without her, she is like the coffee queen of this part of town.”

“Noted,” he said. “I am all for a coffee queen, and I need my caffeine fix like the best of them.”

He winked, and Hannah felt herself warming to him even more.

“What made you come to this part of town, anyway?” she asked as she leaned in a little closer. His knee was close to hers and she knew that if she moved forward even just a small bit more, they would likely graze up against each other, but she didn’t want to be the one to make that first move. The tension between them was playful and fun, and it was turning her on even more. She was thriving on it and she wanted to keep it going.

“I moved for work,” he said as he looked deep into her eyes.

“And what is it that you do exactly?” she asked him.

She still couldn’t place him, and the thought of him doing any one career in particular didn’t seem feasible. She couldn’t think of anything that would suit his personality, and she certainly couldn’t imagine him working for anyone else. He didn’t seem to have that kind of personality.

“I buy and sell buildings,” he said finally, and Hannah felt her eyes widen a little.

“What kind of buildings?” she asked him suspiciously.

“Commercial,” he said. “Offices mainly.”

He shrugged and waited for her to ask another question.

“And how do you find buying and selling buildings?” she asked with a hint of flirt to it.

“I enjoy it,” he said sternly as he looked into her eyes. “It means I’m my own boss and I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

She felt a little twinge between her legs. This guy was a bad ass and she liked it. He knew what he wanted in life and it was clear he had no problem going out there and taking it. She took a breath and tried to remain calm.

“So, why did that mean you had to move down here? Surely, you can live anywhere.”

“I can live anywhere,” he smiled. “And I do live anywhere. But a lot of the places I’m involved in at the moment, well, they’re in this part of town.”

Suddenly, the penny dropped.

“The clinic?” she asked him with wide eyes.

He smirked and nodded his head slowly.

“I own the building it’s in, yes,” he said with a half shrug. “And I’m involved, at the moment, with its renovation.”

She nodded and tried to remember what it was she had heard them saying during their meeting… something about wanting the clients to stay in the building and not move to more modern premises.

“I think I heard someone mention that,” she said. “Earlier…”

She tried not to blush.

“Yeah, we have a team of designers and architects on board.”

“But you were just there in your jeans,” she laughed. “Are you sure you’re not playing me here?”

“Everyone thinks the man in the suit looks successful until they realize he works for the guy in sweats,” Scott said with a wink. “Please don’t tell me you’ve never heard that saying.”

Hannah’s heart fluttered again. He knew all the right things to say and she could feel herself being pulled further and further in. There wasn’t just something different about him, there was something completely enthralling.

She sat back in her chair and traced her fingertip around the rim of the glass she was cradling.

“So, you’re redoing the place? And then what?” she asked.

Scott shrugged.

“I have plenty more irons in the fire,” he said. “And what about you? What does Hannah Marsh do for a living?”

He remembered her name from earlier in the doctor’s waiting room and just the reference to it again made her cheeks flame red.

“I work in design too, actually,” she said. “I’m a senior partner over at Nouveau.”

Scott raised his eyebrows and smiled knowingly.

“Nice,” he said. “Very nice.”

Hannah smiled back at him sweetly and took another sip of her drink.

“And there’s no man in the picture?” he asked confidently.

Hannah shook her head slowly but held his eye contact.

“No, there is not,” she said strongly. “I’m perfectly capable of being just me.”

“Same here,” he said. “Looks like maybe we’re kindred spirits, Hannah.” He grinned as he raised his glass and leaned in to clink it against hers.

“To new friends,” she said as she brought hers to meet his.

He smiled at her and she couldn’t tear herself away from his eyes. They were so deep and consuming, she felt as if she could fall into them and never find her way out again.

“I think we’re going to have a good night,” he said as he gave her a wry smile. “And this is just the beginning. You do realize we’re going on a bar crawl as soon as we’ve finished these?”

He raised his glass to his lips and knocked the drink back in one. Hannah watched him with amusement and bit her bottom lip.

“Come on, slow coach,” he said. “Don’t leave me dry.”

Hannah winked at him and then she followed suit and knocked hers back as well. It went down warm and filling and made her feel alive on the inside. She blotted the side of her mouth with a serviette and then she rose to her feet and grabbed her purse.

“Your turn to pick the next place,” she said as she started to walk toward the door and Scott fumbled with his wallet to pay. “I like a man who can lead as well as I can.”

“Yes, miss,” he said with a mock salute as he threw some bills down onto the counter. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He pushed the door open and waved goodbye to the barman, and then they were out on the street. The temperature had dropped and there was a nip in the air. Hannah pulled her jacket close to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. The sound of the piano and sax player were still drifting out onto the street, and she suddenly felt as if she were in a kind of dream world. Fairy lights were strung along the lampposts and the whole street felt alien to her. It had been such a long time since she had been out at night, it was nice to be experiencing her neighborhood again with fresh eyes, and with someone new and exciting.

“I want somewhere with some oomph to it,” Scott said with a glint in his eye. “That place was good, but it wasn’t as rocking as we need. It’s Saturday night!”

Hannah smirked and nodded her head. She had to admit, he certainly seemed to be full of fun. They continued to walk down the street and found themselves crossing over to another block. Everything along that part of the neighborhood was a bit wilder, and there was a distinctively younger crowd, but this seemed to wake Scott up even more and he took hold of her hand and started to pull her toward a bar that looked so full people were bursting out onto the street.

“Come on, Miss Marsh,” he grinned back at her. “The night is young, and you still have lots to teach me.”

Hannah couldn’t help but smile. Cocky and arrogant he may be, but he was also hellish fun… and she had the feeling things were only going to get better from there.