Page 49

Saturday night found me in the back of a taxi, my hands twisting nervously as I arrived at the Serenity Gardens. It was opening night and guests in their finery slowly filtered through the frosted glass doors. The building was an impressive structure—large, spherical and lit up by spotlights.
Okay, Lola. Time to be a showgirl.
I paid the driver, and started in surprise when my door opened. A hand appeared in front of me and I looked up to see Bradley’s smiling face. I took it, my thumb sliding over the freckles on the back of his hand.
“Wow,” he admired as he helped me out of the cab, his brown eyes sweeping over me. “You look great.” I looked down at my deep blue floor length gown. It sat just off my shoulders and nipped in at my waist, the light material perfect for the warm night. I’d pulled my hair off my face and pinned it at the back of my head, allowing my curls to fall down my shoulder blades to sit at the small of my back.
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
His unruly blond curls were behaving themselves for once, and he wore a dark blue suit that went well with my dress, but was going to stand out in a sea of tuxedos. He didn’t look like he minded.
“Thanks.” He fussed with his tie and I could practically hear him thinking he didn’t want to be here. I gave him a knowing smile. This wasn’t my natural environment either.
He offered me a shy smile in return, a dimple forming in his left cheek. He offered me his arm and I took it, letting him lead me into the event. We were immediately greeted by free champagne. I took a glass but Bradley grimaced and led us over to the bar where he ordered a beer.
The opening had started half an hour ago so the reception room was already filled with guests. The frosted glass doors leading to the garden were still sealed by a red ribbon waiting to be cut.
My heart almost stopped when I saw a man with dark hair and impossibly high cheekbones.Oh God.He was here. I was planning my escape route when the man turned around and I realised it was just a cruel imitation. I wondered where Alfie was right now. Was he working? Was he still in the country? Was he in bed with another woman? Probably. He was probably pushing her against her front door like he had done to me, holding her arms behind her back as he ground his?—
“Are you looking forward to seeing it?”
I snapped out of my lewd thoughts. Bradley was looking at me, clearly waiting for a response. He gestured at the still-sealed doors to the Serenity Garden.
“Oh!” I gave a nervous laugh, trying to steer away from the dark place my mind had been leading me. “Well, I did see it in progress so it won’t be a total reveal to me.”
“So, you hate it?”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. The plans for the Serenity Garden hadn’t exactly moved me, even though they were exquisite, but I was surprised Bradley had read that so easily.
“No, I don’t hate it exactly.” I sipped my champagne, eyeing him over the rim of my glass. He wore a knowing smile, his expression clear and open. No wondering what he was thinking, no stirring in my gut that he might be toying with me.
“You’re a terrible liar, O’Connell,” he said and I winced at the name. It didn’t feel right coming out of his mouth.
“Call me Lo. Or just Lola.”
He nodded, looking pleased. “So?” He waved at the sealed doors again.
“So, it’s impressive but too pretentious for my taste. But it’ll be well received I’m sure.”
“That was convincing.”
I laughed and shrugged. A silence fell over us and I was surprised by how comfortable I was in it.
“You know, I’m not very good at this kind of thing.” He gestured at the room of tuxedos and gowns surrounding us.
“Yeah, I’m excited for the opportunity but I’m not good at schmoozing either. I figure we just need to be polite and talk about Rosie’s and if you get stuck with someone you don’t like, just whisper ‘Code Red’ and I’ll get you out of there pronto. That goes both ways, by the way. You need to have my back tonight.”
“Deal,” he laughed. “You know, you’re nicer than I thought you’d be.”
“You didn’t think I was nice?”
“Sorry that came out wrong. I just meant that I’ve seen you around at work and you didn’t seem that thrilled to be going with me tonight.”
“Oh, Bradley, I’m sorry. I was just nervous about this whole thing but now we’re here, I’m glad I have you as my sidekick for the night.”
“Your sidekick?” He raised an eyebrow, smiling wider. “Alright, I can be your sidekick.” I felt an easy smile on my face, and his warm brown eyes held mine for a moment. He finally looked away, clearing his throat as a blush crept over his freckled cheeks. “Hey, I heard from Rosie that you’re working on a project for a school?”
“Yes! It’s at my old primary school, my nephew goes there now and my sister works there. They have a garden just off the playground that they wanted to revamp, so I offered to do it for free.”