The Girl Before Eve by Lisa J Hobman (26)

Having Lily back in Scotland made Adam feel more settled. What didn’t make him feel settled was the fact his profile on the dating site was getting a lot of attention. He was being bombarded with emails and had no real clue why.

Lily knocked on his forehead with her knuckles. “Errr, hello…anybody in there?”

He swiped her hand away. “Fuck off!”

“Well, come on and get with the bloody programme, will you, you tit.”

He scrunched his face at her. “What are you going on about?”

She gazed up at the ceiling momentarily and shook her head, clearly feeling exasperated at his complete and utter obliviousness. “Good grief. Do I have to spell it out to you? Really?”

He slumped backward on her sofa, rubbing his hands though his hair. “I just don’t see it myself. I mean I look in the mirror and I just see…me… I think you over exaggerated when you wrote that fucking profile. Any woman who meets me is just going to be disappointed.”

She was busy putting the finishing touches to her make-up after convincing him to go out for a few drinks in town.

She paused and turned to him, sighing. “Adam, you are most women’s bloody dream man.”

He scrunched his face at her again until she stood, hands on hips, staring at him incredulously. Most women?

Shaking her head, she began to count off on her fingers. “Okay, you’re tall, you’re dark, you’re muscular, you’re handsome…you know…if you like that kind of look—”

He rolled his eyes and gave a snide curl of his lip. “Charming, thanks, I feel so much better.”

“I haven’t finished.”

“Oh, I apologise. Do continue. This is helping me to no end.”

She made a clamping gesture with her fingers. “Shut up. You have a noble profession—”

“Do I?”

She held her hands out and made a face at him. “Durrr…Adam, you’re a teacher. Some women find that sexy as hell.”

He snorted. “Again, thanks.”

“You own your own home, you earn a decent wage, and you have a nice smile—”

He grinned. “I do?”

Her cheeks coloured. “According to the women I know, you do.”

“You don’t know that many women. You only know two that I’m aware of and they’re both old enough to be my gran.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you know what? Fuck off and I won’t try to help you then.”

Adam sniggered. “No, please do carry on. I’m sorry.”

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment before continuing. “You have what they call the complete package, Adders.”

He felt the heat in his cheeks rise, and he placed his hands over his groin. “What do you know about my package?”

She blushed. “Not that package, you idiot! You are the complete package! I wasn’t talking about what’s in your trousers!” She shook her head. “I mean you have the full gambit. You know…the full monty—”

“There you go again talking about me getting my package out!”

She threw her arms up. “Not the Full Monty as in the male strippers, you tit!”

He pondered things for a moment. “So you think I have a lot to offer a woman and that’s why I’m getting a good response?”

She burst out laughing. “Finally, the penny has dropped. God, you can be dense sometimes.”

The club was already heaving when they arrived. Bodies gyrated on the dance floor and the lights pulsed along with the beat.

Adam felt out of place. “Lil, why did we have to come here? I’m sure I’ve just seen two girls from my S5 class.”

She slapped his chest. “Oh shut up moaning. Just don’t hit on them and you’ll be fine.”

She was already quite drunk when they left the last pub. A club was not really on Adam’s to-do list.

He gasped in disgust. “I have no intention of hitting on anyone, never mind kids from my school who are clearly drinking under age. What if they see me in here?”

“Oooh, it’ll add to the rumours that you actually have a life. Won’t that be terrible?” she responded sarcastically.

“One drink and then I’m off. You can come with me or you can make your own way home.” He knew very well he was stuck here for as long as she wanted to stay. There was no way he would leave her to make her own way home.

“You’re a boring old fart,” she grumbled.

“Oy! Less of the old.”

They made their way to the bar and after what felt like an age, he managed to get the bartender’s attention. “Two bottles of whatever beer you’ve got.”

The bartender placed two bottles in front of him. “Ten eighty.”

His eyes widened. “I only asked for two! I’m not buying for the whole fucking club!”

The burly looking man behind the bar stared him down. “Aye and like I said…ten eighty.” Reluctantly, Adam handed over his cash and passed a bottle to Lily. “Savour it coz it’s all you’re getting at that price.”

She curled her lip. “Boring and tight with your money. Forget what I said at home about you having the whole package.”

They sat on the only two stools available at the bar and Adam glanced around the room. He somehow caught the eye of a dark-haired woman leaning up against a pillar by the dance floor. She smiled and he looked behind him to check who she was looking at. She laughed and bit her bottom lip seductively. Shit, she really is eyeing me up.

Lily glanced over in the direction of his gaze. She leaned into Adam and spoke directly into his ear, no doubt so she could be heard over the noise. “I think you’re in with a chance there, Adders.” She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

He smiled and bending forward, shouted into Lily’s ear. “You think so?”

She just nodded. He glanced back over and the dark haired woman was still watching him. Lily leaned in again. “The more I lean into you, the more she licks her lips and stares. I’m making her jealous, which is making her want you more.”

He scrunched his nose. “Eh?”

Lily giggled. “Women usually want either what they can’t have…or what another woman has.” She fought the urge to just kiss him, consequences be damned. What would he do?

“Really? Fucking hell, Lil. You’re like a font of knowledge for all things female.”

She gaped at him. “You make that sound like a shocking thing! I am bloody female, you know.”

“Yeah…yeah…you are… I know, sorry.”

“I’m off to go pee.” She huffed and stormed off.

Shit, I’ve pissed her off again. This is becoming a habit. He sat there drinking his beer and minding his own business when someone touched his leg.

“Hi…is this seat taken?” He swung his head around and locked gazes with the dark-haired woman from earlier.

“I…erm…well.” Smooth Adam, very smooth.

“Did you upset your girlfriend or will she be re-joining you?” The woman had a sultry smile.

He shook his head. “Erm…no…Lily’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh good, I’ll sit then. I’m Gina.” She held out her hand.

He shook it a bit too firmly, like he would grasp the hand of a male colleague. “I’m Adam.”

“Good to meet you, Adam.”

She was quite pretty close up. Slim and petite with black hair in a very short style, a little bit like a Pixie. Her hair just covered her ears and he had to fight his semi-drunken urge to check to see if they were pointy. Her eyes were almond shaped and he couldn’t really tell how old she was.

“Erm, good to meet you too. Can I get you a drink?” Please say no, I may need a bank loan.

She held up her glass. “No thanks, I’m good…just got one.”

Phew! “So…erm.”

“Gina.”

“So, Gina…what do you do?”

She tilted her head to the side. “I’m a hotel receptionist at the West Sentinel. You?”

“Teacher…high school.”

She pouted a little. “Oh wow, a brain-box then?”

He rubbed the back of his neck feeling heat rise in his cheeks. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“Are you kidding me? Teachers are hot.”

Okay, so Lil may have had a point.

He smiled. “Well…thanks.”

Gina narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you sure that girl you were with before wasn’t your girlfriend?”

He laughed. “No…she’s my best friend.”

She licked her lips. “Hmm, best friend with benefits I bet.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Erm…what do you mean? That we…have sex?”

She giggled. “Exactly. I saw how she was pawing you. She had fuck-buddy written all over her face. She was all possessive like.”

He chuckled a little and shook his head. “Nah, it’s not like that with us. I don’t see her that way. We don’t see each other that way. She’s just my friend, that’s all. Nothing more.”

No one else was in the ladies’ room when Lily pushed through the door. She breathed a sigh of relief. Why was being close to him so hard tonight? She berated herself for suggesting a night out. Seeing other women flirting with him was so hard. This thought led to her next point. Why the fuck was she trying to set him up with other women anyway? Had she developed some kind of masochistic streak since falling in love with him? Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, Lily tried to remember a time when she hadn’t loved Adam. Realising that the exercise was futile, she took a deep breath and made her way back to tell him she wanted to go home. Enough was enough tonight.

When Lily arrived back to where Adam was, she discovered that the woman who had been flirting with him was now firmly ensconced on her bar stool. She slowed down and stood close enough to hear Adam refer to her as just his friend and nothing more. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. He simply had no clue and even if he did, it would make no difference at all. Biting her lip and taking a deep breath, she walked over to him.

Tapping him on the shoulder, she said, “Hey, Adders, I’m shooting off. I’m shattered, so I’ll grab a cab. See you later.”

He swung around. “Wait, what? No, don’t go. I’ve just met…erm…Gina. Gina this is my friend Lily.”

Gina held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Lily.”

She grasped Gina’s hand brusquely. “Yeah, likewise. Look Adders, I’m going. You stay and have a bit of fun. See you tomorrow maybe.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. His delicious cologne infused her alcohol fuelled senses. Her heart did a little skip and then immediately sank when she remembered he wasn’t going home with her.

He started to get up. “Look, I’ll come with—”

“Adam, I said I’m fine,” she snapped and walked away.

The chilly evening air helped to sober her completely as she stood at the taxi rank with her arms folded around her body. Her flimsy skirt fluttered around her legs like a trapped butterfly, and her visible breath came in quick puffs as she tried to calm herself down.

What’s the point in being upset, you stupid cow? She stepped from foot to foot as her teeth chattered. Gaawd, it’s bloody freezing considering it’s August. Where are all the taxis in this town when you really need one?

She felt warmth envelop her and she turned quickly, feeling a little panicked. “Fuck! Adders, you scared the shit out of me.” She slapped his arm as he placed his jacket around her shoulders.

“Well, I was hardly going to let you go home by yourself, was I?” He rubbed his hands rapidly up and down Lily’s arms to warm her up.

“I told you I’d be fine,” she snapped, immediately regretting her tone.

“Bloody hell, Lil. Did I do something drastically wrong to you tonight? You’ve been like a bear with a fucking hangover ever since I started chatting to…” His eyes looked upward.

Lily snorted derisively, “I believe her name was Gina.”

“I know that, thank you.” He stared at her, his jaw clenching. “That’s the fucking problem, isn’t it?”

She huffed. “What are you going on about?”

“You’re pissed off coz I was chatting to that…that woman.” He gestured back in the direction of the club.

“Gina.”

“I. Fucking. Know,” he said through clenched teeth.

Lily felt panicked again. “No, you’re wrong, actually.” Shit, he’s finally seen through me. Shit, shit, shitty-shit.

He wagged his finger. “I know what your fucking problem is.” He was nodding now. Oh nooo. She braced herself for a frank discussion. “Yeah, you’re all bent out of shape coz you didn’t bloody pick her off one of your dating sites. Yeah, that’s what it is, you fucking control freak.”

Oh…right. “Don’t be ridiculous. God, you’re a moron, Adders.”

His nostrils flared. “Don’t try to deny it. I know you. I know your bloody game.”

Humph, don’t know me that well then, do you? “Oooh, you got me, Adam. Ooh, you must let me pick out the girl of your dreams because I’ve got nothing better going on in my life.” She turned away from him. “And for an English teacher, you do seem to have a limited vocabulary,” she muttered.

He growled out, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“All that effing this and effing that. It’s not attractive, Adam.”

He scowled angrily. “Good job I’m not trying to attract you then, eh?”

Ouch. She didn’t outwardly respond. How could she? He had no idea how much his words had hurt her.

A taxi pulled up and she took off Adam’s jacket and threw it at him. “Go back and find Gina, Adam. I’m going home,” she said feeling defeated and hurt.

Clambering into the taxi she tried to slam the door, but Adam grabbed it and climbed in after her.

She rolled her eyes. “Can’t you just piss off? I can’t be bothered now. I’m tired and I’ve got a headache. I just want to go home.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well, we may as well share a taxi coz I’m going home too.” There was a silent pause. “Ten fucking eighty.” He shook his head.

She sighed and leaned her head on the window.