“I’ll email you tomorrow, and we can go over everythin’ and make the changes we discussed today.”
“Sounds good, we’ve finished just in time for me to meet up with me girlfriend.” Morgan said, fixing his bag’s straps over his shoulders. “I’ll speak to you tomorrow, Miss Ryan.”
“Please, call me Alannah.”
“Alannah,” Morgan smiled and bowed his head. “Thank you for givin’ me a chance, I won’t let you down.”
I was going to offer him a lift but decided against it. I didn’t want to jump straight into a friendship with Morgan; my business came first, and he was now my employee, so I had to keep boundaries. When we parted, I watched him walk away, and I noticed that a group of girls and women stopped and focused on him as he fit his earbuds into his ears. I smiled and shook my head, wondering if he knew just how good looking he was.
As I walked to the multi-storey car park to retrieve my car, my phone rang.
“Heya, Ma,” I said upon answering. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m just callin’ to say me and Da are goin’ shoppin’, so I won’t be home if you stop by.”
I frowned. “Okay, will you be home tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll pop around then,” I said. “I’ll call you tonight before you go to sleep. What time do you think that’ll be?”
“You don’t have to phone me, love.”
I got into my car. “I want to.”
Ma chuckled. “I’m usually asleep by half nine.”
“I’ll call at quarter to.”
“Okay,” she said. “How was your interview with that lad?”
“Brilliant.” I beamed. “I hired ’im, and I’m so pleased about it. I’m excited because he has some great ideas for the business.”
“I’m chuffed for you, love.”
“Thanks, Ma.”
“I’ll speak to you later.”
“Okay, bye. I love you.”
“I love you too, bear.”
After we hung up, I drove back to Tallaght and headed straight for Bronagh’s house. I was pleased to see no cars in the garden apart from Nico’s because it meant no one else was in the house with them. I loved our group, but it had grown so much over the years that it was rare for Bronagh and me to hang out one on one. After I parked my car in the driveway, I headed towards the front door. I was about to knock but decided to test the handle first and was pleased to find it gave way and opened.
I didn’t think to announce myself. The sitting room was empty, so the next obvious place for me to check was the kitchen.
“Hey, Bee,” I said, pushing the door open. “Wait till I tell you about—OHMYGOD!”
I screamed, Bronagh screamed, and Nico laughed.
Currently, my best friend was bent over the kitchen table with her jeans and knickers around her ankles. Nico’s tight bare arse was on display for all, or just me, to see, and his jeans were pushed down to his mid thighs. I had no doubt from the position he was in behind Bronagh and the grip he had on her bare hips where the rest of his body was.
“Oh, Jesus Christ!” I paled. “I’m so sorry.”
I need to bleach my eyes.
That thought ran wild in my head as I pulled the kitchen door shut with a firm slam, turned and ran down the hallway, only to crash into a body of muscle when I opened the front door. I yelped and instantly fell backwards, only to be grabbed mid-air, swung around, and pressed against a hard body as I hit the ground. Or as the body I landed on hit the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me, so when I gasped, the person under me struggled to sit us up.
“Alannah, are you okay?”
Damien.
Once I took a few breaths, I managed to get to my feet with Damien helping me as he got to his.
“I’m fine,” I rasped then looked down at my skirt. “Shite, did I rip it?”
I turned around so Damien could see if I ruined my skirt, and when he didn’t answer, I said, “Damien, did I ruin it?”
He cleared his throat. “It’s perfect.”
I blew out a relieved breath. “Thank God, this is the only suit I have.”
His eyes raised to my face, and he paused. “What’s with all the make up?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
He squinted. “I can’t see your freckles.”
“So?”
“So, I like being able to see them. They’re pretty, you’re pretty without all … that.”
Hearing him call me pretty caused butterflies to flutter around my stomach.
“Does that mean make up makes me ugly?”
“No!” Damien balked. “You look good. I guess I’m just used to you not wearing it. You look perfect either way, but … I like being able to see your freckles.”
Those damn freckles.
“I only wore it for me interview to look put together.”
I turned toward the kitchen when I could have sworn I heard a climatic moan, and my cheeks burned with heat. At the reminder of what I was running away from and caused me to crash into Damien in the first place, I cringed.