Chapter 4 - Ellie
“Come on, Ellie! Hurry up!” Maggie is hopping from foot to foot. She’s always impatient.
“I’m coming!” I rush out to meet her and we start walking down the street. The pub is only a short walk away, and it’s a clear evening.
“Do you think Derek will be there tonight?”
“I hope not,” I answer as I take a deep breath of night air. I can sense Maggie’s stare on me and I choose to ignore it. We walk in silence for a few steps and then she speaks.
“Do you think you’re over Derek? Like, really over him? You’re only ever this quiet when he’s around. You weren’t even this quiet after you and Chad called off the engagement.”
I sigh, and walk in silence for a few steps.
“We were kids, Maggie. It would be ridiculous for me to still be hung up on my first boyfriend from high school.”
“Not really. He was your first love. You never forget your first love.”
I don’t want to talk about this. I’ve been trying my best to keep Derek Hart out of my head all afternoon, and now I’m about to face one of Maggie’s inquisitions.
“Maybe I’m quiet because I’m about to go to another country and secretly investigate their nuclear program under the guise of doing a profile on their Supreme Leader,” I respond sarcastically. “Maybe this has nothing to do with Derek Hart.”
“Maybe,” Maggie responds. “But maybe it’s those dreamy blue eyes..” She pokes me in the ribs and I can’t help but laugh.
The music from Finlay’s drifts over to us as we round the last corner.
“Come on, let’s get a beer and talk about your boy troubles for once,” I say. We push the door to the pub open and step inside. It’s your typical small town pub. It’s a dim room with lots of tables and a long bar. Buck Finlay is wiping the bar down as usual, cracking jokes with the regulars in the corner. The band is playing on stage and everyone from our town and the next one over is in here, having a good time.
We thread our way to the bar and wave to Buck.
“Girls! What can I get you?”
“Two of your finest lagers, Buck,” I say. He winks at us and pours us two tall beers. I pass one over to Maggie and we sit down on a couple stools at the bar. I take a sip of cold beer and feel my shoulders relax. There’s familiar faces around, music, laughter. It’s exactly what I need as a last night out before leaving for the trip of a lifetime.
Maggie points to a group of guys that I don’t recognise and starts telling me about her last date. She’s funny and animated, and I can see her eyes sparkle as she talks about the guy she went out with. He sees us and nods, saying something to his friends before heading over.
Looks like I’ll be on my own tonight.
Maggie takes his hand and smiles at me as they go for a dance in front of the stage. I watch them for a few seconds and then turn towards the bar. It’s nice to be out, to be around people even if I’m just sitting here quietly. I take another drink and sigh. I’ll miss this place, as much as I hate to admit it.
My solitude is interrupted by a gruff voice that makes my spine arc up.
“This seat taken?” he says and then sits down without waiting for an answer. Typical. I turn my head to see Derek Hart sitting beside me. His body is close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off him. I can smell that spicy, musky scent that I recognised earlier. I take a deep breath and try to still my beating heart.
“Yeah, actually, it is.” I respond. “Maggie’s sitting there.”
“She looks busy,” he says and nods to the dance floor. I glance over. He’s right, she’ll be there for a while. I say nothing, just turn back towards my drink and watch as Buck works to serve everyone crowding around the bar. He puts a beer down in front of Derek and then moves on to the next customer. No one is ever thirsty in here. I’m trying my hardest to ignore Derek when he speaks again. His voice is low and scratchy, and it sends a thrill down my spine whenever I hear it. I wish it didn’t.
“So I hear you’re leaving on Monday. North Korea is it?”
“Yeah,” I say, glancing over at him. I hate that he has this effect on me. I’m simultaneously filled with bitterness and a gnawing desire in the pit of my stomach. His muscular chest is straining against his black t-shirt, his biceps bulging as he brings the beer to his mouth. I try not to stare at his lips as they touch the glass, or the way his shirt lifts up ever so slightly to show a strip of skin on his stomach.
He puts his beer down and meets my gaze. That arrogant smirk is still playing on his lips, the same smirk that reeled me in ten years ago. He’s repulsive. And irresistible.
“North Korea isn’t known for its beaches, is it?” he continues when I say nothing.
“I’m going for work,” I respond curtly. He nods, and says nothing for a few moments. I regret my rudeness now. I hate that I want to talk to him, that I want to hear his voice again.
“I’m happy for you, Ellie,” he says. It surprises me, the way his voice softens. He glances over at me and I can almost see tenderness in his eyes. He didn’t call me Eleanor. “You’re going after what you want. I always knew you were too smart for this place.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Hopefully you won’t be the only one who successfully escapes this town.”
“Well you’ve got nothing holding you down here now,” he responds.
I raise an eyebrow. “I see news travels all the way to LA,” I say with a grin.
He glances over at me and takes another sip of beer. His eyes drift back to my face and then down over my body. I can feel a thrill pass through me as he looks me up and down.
“It sure does. Did you hear the Grays got a new roof on the store? You should have seen the place after the storms this year. Disaster!” He throws up his hands just the way Mrs Gray does it when she’s outraged at something, which happens almost every ten minutes. I laugh, and he smiles. His straight, white teeth flash on his face and a part of me melts. I wish he wasn’t so damn attractive, it would make hating him a hell of a lot easier.