Found by Drew, page 7
Jumping off her stool with the kind of flair only she could muster, I watched, open-mouthed, as she waggled her curvy arse over to plane guy. The woman had no shame, and she’d be the death of me one of these days. I watched from the safety of the bar as she held his attention with her fluttering eyelashes.
“Ugh, Meg, do something, please,” I whined.
“No way! If you don’t want to go there then fine, but I am definitely not saying no. I’m just going to sit back and see what happens. Turn him down and I’m calling dibs.” Meg grinned.
She had a higher libido than most horny teenagers and had been known to cross the boundaries every now and again. Calling dibs on guys was standard procedure when we all went out on the town, with Meg gladly claiming anything that could walk after a few too many, regardless of sex, age, or orientation.
I watched as Annie and plane guy had their heads close together, laughing and occasionally looking in our direction. Anxiety overpowered me, and my fancy cocktail glass with its little umbrella became more and more interesting. I thought I might get away with it, until I heard my name being called. Shit, how could I sneak away? I didn’t want to get involved with anyone else. I just wanted to enjoy being single. Sighing at the inevitable matchmaking that was going to go on, I looked up and saw Annie gesturing for us to join her at plane guy’s table. He’d been joined by several friends, and it seemed she wanted to even up the numbers a little.
“Lia, Meg, Eva,” she said, pointing to each of us in turn. “Meet Ben, Rich, Jake, and Andy.”
I noticed she had pointed to plane guy last. Andy, huh? Thoughts of childhood movies ran wild in my head and before I could stop it, a chuckle slipped from my rouged lips. It was childish, but I’d clearly had a little too much sun and alcohol today.
“Andy? Short for Andrew, I guess?” I asked, trying hard to put my face straight. He must have thought I was a complete nut job. Not far off the truth really, if we were being honest. Babbling incoherently, avoiding eye contact, constantly checking the exits; definitely one sandwich short of a picnic, as my mum always said.
“Uh, yeah, it is,” he said, a perplexed look giving his eyes a slightly deeper hue, more like evergreen now, rather than the fresh leafy green from before.
“Well, come on then, ladies. Take a seat,” said the one called Ben. He had blonde hair, with small flecks of darker brown towards the back and sides. His smile was lopsided, but it was most definitely aimed at Meg. She blushed, but only slightly, and took a seat next to him.
When I realised how the seating was going to play out, I could have slapped myself on the forehead. Annie was a monster in the shape of a best friend. She winked at me at the same moment she saw me come to the realisation that I had been manipulated by her again to sit next to Andy. Ugh, Andy. I’d been with an Andy before. He was a total bore and had lasted about five minutes before I’d had to shut down his monologue about tractors. Just the mention of his name made me shudder as I remembered how painfully slowly that date had gone. I needed to get past that or get another drink; whichever came first. On reflection, I definitely needed another drink.
Giving Annie a look which said she had not heard the end of this, not by a long shot, I smiled and perched on the seat next to him. Up close, he looked like something out of a men’s health magazine. I could see the subtle curve of his biceps through his thin t-shirt and I was willing to bet my entire flat that his back would be toned underneath. I had only caught a sideways glimpse of his arse on the plane, but I was certain it would be pert. As someone who enjoyed her time in the gym, I could tell the guy worked out, and I appreciated the hours he’d have put in to get that look.
I felt his eyes on me and smiled. Clearly, we were both checking each other out. We sat in silence for a moment, the space between us fizzing with anticipation and lust. I hadn’t felt a spark like this since the very first time I’d met Alex, and as much as I had sworn off men this holiday, I felt there was something different about Andy. God damn it, I was just a walking cliché from every soppy chick flick I’d ever seen.
For a while, I ignored him completely, joining in with the general conversation, but always aware he was watching me. It was flattering to know someone so handsome was interested, and every girl loves to feel beautiful. Once or twice, our hands brushed each other as we reached for drinks or changed position, and I could feel the connection - it was like electricity dancing on my skin.
Unable to ignore the tension anymore, I downed my liquid courage and turned to face him. He didn’t notice me at first, deep in conversation with Ben and Meg about Formula One and who was the best driver. I had nothing to add on a topic like this, so I sat back and listened to him talk. He spoke with a passion similar to my own for drawing, and I could have listened to his soft tones all day. His accent was hard to place. It had a slight northern twang, however, it showed all the hallmarks of someone who had moved around, having a bit of everything in there for good measure. I sipped my refill with as much grace as I could muster and waited patiently for his conversation to tail off. When it did, I jumped straight in.
“I’m sorry about earlier, with the Andy thing. I have a bit of a big mouth at times and it gave me flashbacks of a date I’d rather forget,” I said, trying to avoid eye contact so he couldn’t see my embarrassment.
“Ah, it’s fine. I’ve had worse, believe me.” He laughed as I breathed a massive sigh of relief that I hadn’t alienated him within the first hour. The girls were all getting on great with the rest of the guys, so I figured we’d probably be spending more time together. We were a bunch of single girls looking for fun, and the guys were all apparently single too. It made sense we’d all gravitate towards each other, especially given that the majority of the other guests were either double our age or toting small children on their hips.
“Seriously? Like what?”
“Oh, I get all the jokes about names written on boots when I’m out. Girls seem to think it’s a killer pick-up line. Don’t get me wrong, Toy Story is a classic movie, but there’s only so many times you can quote Woody before you feel like a kids’ entertainer.” He smiled, dazzling me with his good looks.
I laughed, and it felt good. It was a genuine one, a sound I hadn’t heard much of for a while. It felt like each chuckle was another piece of the weight Alex had left around my heart being lifted.
“I can’t believe people say that! Totally shameless,” I replied, glad he didn’t know that was the first thing that popped into my head when I found out his name. “But I guess when you’ve grown up with it and you’ve had a few, people say anything, right?”
“Yeah, well. People, huh? My parents have always called me Drew, but these guys love taking the piss with the Andy thing.”
“I understand. Annie there is a bugger for it. She was the one who came up with my name. Went down like a lead balloon with my folks when I started using Lia all the time. They’d picked my name because they thought it couldn’t be shortened, and then here comes Annie and ruins it for them,” I said, recognising I was starting to babble. This was not good. I did not want to be exchanging small talk like this with a guy who set my senses alight.
“Lia isn’t your full name?”
“Nope, it’s Amelia. My mum thought it sounded graceful and regal. My dad thought it sounded a bit snobby, but he didn’t get much of a say in the matter from what I’ve heard.”
“Fair play. I think Lia is nicer though,” he said, a faint hint of a blush colouring his cheeks as he delivered the compliment. It was so attractive to see a man display a level of insecurity like that, especially one as handsome as Andy.
“Thanks. I think Drew is nicer too,” I said, repaying the compliment and trying to hide my own blush as it burnt my cheeks.
What on Earth was this man doing to me? He’d left me feeling like a schoolgirl with her first crush, and I made a mental note not to fall for this guy just because he was pretty. I’d been there, done that, and paid the price. Twice over, in fact. If anything was to happen, and that was a very big if, it definitely wasn’t happening anytime soon. After all, whilst my body would have liked to get to know him better, I wasn’t sure dating was on the cards. I’d dated pretty boys before and they were usually utter wankers, but at first glance, Andy, or Drew as I’d decided to call him from now on, seemed to be okay. Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things. I was trying to stay away from men, and it would take someone very special to change that.
“So,” said Drew, drawing out the syllable to fill the awkward silence threatening to make the evening a very long one. I laughed nervously and cast my eyes towards my drink. “It looks like everyone else is getting on all right.”
“Erm, yeah, I guess. They’re quite chatty, that lot. I’m the quiet one. Unless I’ve been drinking, then I babble. Like now. Sorry.” My embarrassment caused my face to flash with heat and I tailed off with a mumbled half thought about needing more drinks.
“Don’t apologise. I’m enjoying myself. I’m the quiet one too, and it comes in handy sometimes when I get to sit next to girls like you,” Drew said and then cringed as he saw my involuntary recoil from the dodgy pick up line. “Not that I’m trying to hit on you or anything, I just like a good conversation. I was kinda hoping I might have found a good match. For conversations, I mean. Not for dating.” He tailed off, just as I had done seconds before.
We both looked at our drinks and peeped up through our lashes, breaking into spontaneous laughter as we caught each other’s eyes.
Wiping tears of laughter from my eyes was a new one for me, and I couldn’t stop smiling as we got our giggles under control. As much as I wanted to avoid guys and give myself time to properly recover from Alex, I was really enjoying myself in Drew’s company. He felt different, and I wasn’t going to shut out the first decent guy I’d seen in a long time, and one who’d made me laugh like that, just because I’d made some mental promise to stay away from men.
“So, what do you do then? When you’re not making girls cry,” I teased, some of my old flirty self coming back to me.
“Ah, bit of this, bit of that. I’m trying to build a portfolio of properties, but it takes time and a lot of money.” He laughed and took a sip of his drink. “How about you?”
“I’m trying to break into interior design, but I do anything arts and craftsy, really. I run my own wedding floristry business, but it can be hard work drumming up the customers sometimes. I do drawings on commission too, just to boost the bank balance, you know what I mean?”
“Ah, fair play! You fancy drawing me sometime?” He smiled, arching an eyebrow at me as he grabbed his chin. I snorted and quickly swallowed to avoid spraying him with a mouthful of daiquiri.
“Sure. Why not? Hand me a napkin, I’ll do it now,” I said, rummaging in my bag for a pen as he found something for me to draw on. “Strike a pose,” I teased. Drew returned to his arched eyebrow and grasped chin pose, and I sketched his form. I sensed the others watching us, especially Annie. She was looking more smug each time she glanced over.
“And finished! Whatcha think?” I handed over the napkin with a flourish which masked my insecurity. For some reason, I was worried about what he would think of my artwork. It had never happened before. Alex had never shown an interest, and Annie was supportive, but the intricacies of my various skills went over her head.
“Bloody hell, it’s brilliant! Hey, lads, look at this!” shouted Drew with enthusiasm, drawing us back into the conversation.
We’d been chatting and giggling away to ourselves for some time, and it was nice to be able to lose myself in the others for a little while. It gave me some time to process the mix of emotions I was feeling. He was a really nice guy, one of those rare ones you don’t see often. Before Alex, I’d have probably jumped at the chance to have a bit of fun with someone like him. So why was I so hesitant now? Had Alex really hurt me that bad? Had he really left such a mark on my psyche that I was seriously going to let Drew slip away?
“You okay there, Lia? You’ve gone quiet on me,” said Drew, his eyes crinkled at the edges with concern.
“Yeah, of course. Just got lost inside my head, you know what I mean?”
“Definitely. Hey, guys, we’re going to get some more drinks. Anyone else want one?” Drew noted the drinks orders and guided us towards the bar. “Thought you might like a bit of space. You were really deep in those thoughts then.”
“Thanks. You do realise Annie is going to think this is some sort of move to get me alone though, don’t you?”
His eyes went wide, and he flushed bright red. “Ah, shit. I didn’t… I mean, this isn’t. Balls. I’m not trying to make a move or anything. This isn’t a date.”
“I know. Don’t panic, I’m only teasing,” I replied, although there was a small part of me that would have loved for us to be having a date. Only a small part, a whisper from the heart compared to the screams from my brain to be sensible and stay away from the male species. I watched as relief flooded him, washing the blush from his face and returning his smile.
We stood at the bar a lot longer than was required, chatting about our families. Drew came from a big one, with lots of siblings and what sounded like wealthy parents. Mine was more limited; just little old me and my parents. As we eventually returned to the tables, with a warning from the bar staff we had ten minutes to drink up and get lost, we were both grinning from ear to ear and much happier to squeeze next to each other than we had been at the start of the evening.
“Whilst you lovebirds were taking an age to get the drinks in, we’ve made some plans for tomorrow,” said Annie, her finger wagging at me in her usual bossy style. “We’re going... wait for it… banana boating!”
I groaned and put my head in my hands.
“Oh, really. Let me guess, Rich had something to do with this?” Drew asked.
“Course I did, you daft twat. Had it booked before we even came out here, didn’t I? Dan and the diving lads saved the best boat for us, and at mates’ rates too,” Rich chipped in, his smile infectious.
“Dan?” I asked, wondering if there was more to their party than those we were sitting with.
“Yeah, Dan. I used to live out here. Did a few seasons repping and bar work, living the high life ‘til these losers dragged me back to the rain and nine to five grind. Dan stayed out here with a few of the others though and started up a little business. We always take advantage of the discounts when we’re out here.”
“Enough about that. Let’s switch numbers so we can find you all in the morning. Everyone fancy just meeting there? Not sure I’ll be up for breakfast at this rate.” Annie laughed, digging her phone out of a pocket I didn’t even realise she had.
Leaving them to fine tune the details and swap numbers, I took advantage of their distractedness to mull over the events of the evening. Despite my initial reluctance, Drew had been the perfect tonic. I was smiling from ear to ear and, for the first time in ages, I felt happy. Not the temporary kind caused by a silly thing like winning on a scratch card or finding a fiver in your jeans, but a deeper, more contented feeling had overtaken me. Of course, it could have been the cheap cocktails and the fact I was on holiday for two weeks, but I wondered if it had more to do with the cheeky chappy who’d sat next to me all night.
“I’ve had a great evening, Drew. Thank you for putting up with my nonsense,” I said quietly, trying not to draw the attention of the others.
“Me too, Lia. It’s been good talking to you,” he replied, his emerald eyes making contact with mine and holding our gazes together just a little too long. “I’ll see you in the morning, right?”
“‘Course you will. She’ll be the one in the skimpy bikini that’ll end up falling off!” shouted Annie. So much for a discrete chat. I flipped her the finger and smiled an apology at Drew. He was holding back a smirk, so I flipped my finger at him too.
“Feisty. I like it, Lia,” Drew teased, ducking as I made to swat him with my beaded clutch.
He winked and stuck his tongue out when I missed, wobbling off balance in heels that were too high after a few too many cocktails. The others laughed as he caught me and set me upright again. My heart pounded at his touch. His hands were smooth, but slightly calloused at the point where his palm met his fingers. I recognised it from my time at the gym prepping for this holiday. All the people who used weights had them, myself included. I ticked off another box on a mental list I hadn’t even realised I’d been keeping. He did weights. I needed a new spotter. He’d already ticked the nice eyes and pretty smile boxes. There weren’t that many left for him to get a full house on my internal game of man bingo.
“Thanks.” I gasped, unable to believe I’d fallen into his arms, in the most literal sense of the word. This sort of behaviour was becoming an unwelcome habit. At least this time I didn’t mind the guy doing the catching.
“My pleasure,” he said, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. Cheesy, and very Alex.
And there I was thinking he was so different. I shook my head, pretending to laugh, and wrapped up the conversations so we could go back to our apartment. Suddenly, I needed space to mull over the evening by myself. I’d gone abroad with the intention of clearing men from my head, but now it was just full of a new man, a sweet one who seemed legit, or at least he had until that final moment.
Tucked up in a bed that was strange and uncomfortable, under a scratchy sheet, I lay awake for most of the night. I was overthinking things, making mountains of molehills as I was inclined to do.
Just go with it, my heart told me.
