“Sorry.” He held a hand up in the air in apology. “That was rude of me, it’s none of my business.”
“Islington” I blurted out without understanding why.
Sandir frowned. “You get on the Tube at two in the morning?”
“Um…” I said again, sounding like a stuck record. “I have a rape alarm.” Oh, for God’s sake, floor swallow me whole, right now. What crap was I spewing?
“Good to know. Make sure to use it if you feel threatened at all.” I didn’t detect any malice from the scary-looking man. Together, the pair of them appeared utterly terrifying on first impression yet they were being perfectly polite, and I could tell their outward appearances hid so much more underneath. I mean, they were both bloody intimidating, and I doubted a rape alarm was going to urge anyone to come to my rescue if either of these men were to attack me.
“Two Tube rides, six stops. It’s not so bad.” I didn’t mention I still had a ten-minute walk to Bemerton, which was shady as fuck at the best of times.
“Can you drive?” Yannick asked.
I laughed quietly, my hand over my mouth. “In London? No thank you, even at stupid o’clock in the morning.”
“She has a point, Yan.” Sandir grinned in my direction. “Traffic’s shocking at any time.”
“Well, just stay alert, yes?”
“Always. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Grabbing up an empty highball and a beer bottle, I worked my way back around the bar collecting up more empties before heading back to where Carol was. Poor woman looked run off her feet. There were two other bartenders just as busy running around, and now CeeCee had gone, it left just me and Jenny doing the floor. Joy.
Busy, the shift raced by; I didn’t get time to do anything other than punt out fresh drinks and collect empties for the rest of the night. Our customers drank well and tipped accordingly, all in all - a reasonable night. By the time Carol was kicking the last couple out, I was disappointed to see Yannick and Sandir had already left and I hadn’t talked with them again. Not that it mattered, it wasn’t like we were mates and we were going to hang out later. I was just being ridiculous.
Cleaning up the bar didn’t take long since we all mucked in to help, the team working cohesively without CeeCee’s negativity. When I kicked my shoes off and pulled my jeans up under my skirt, I breathed out a tired sigh of relief. Lingering for a bit, enjoying a hot cup of coffee, I couldn’t put off going home any longer, there was really no choice but to leave, Bill was locking up and he didn’t like waiting around.
Pulling out the bands holding my buns together, I shook my hair loose, groaning at how wonderful it felt. My hair stopped mid shoulder, not too long, but having it confined for hours on end, pulled at my head after a while.
“See you Thursday,” Bill said as he closed the door behind us and walked off in the opposite direction to where I was going. Stealing myself, I began walking toward the Tube station, my steps heavy, my shoulders drawing inwards. I didn’t want to go home, not to more verbal bashing from my mother and hiding in my room like I was a kid again.
“Jolie.” The rich, intense voice of Yannick caught my attention as he called from the driver’s window of a dark BMW.
Taking a step or two closer, drawn to his voice and eyeing up his car, I said, “Hi.”
He looked a little shy which puzzled me because he was anything but from what I could tell. “I waited.”
“Huh?”
“I waited. So I could drive you home if you wanted. I hope I’m not being too presumptuous.”
Wolf in sheep’s clothing, my mind screamed. Except I found the offer endearing, and lamb replaced the wolf. To the slaughter, maybe. Yannick Ischmov was a dangerous man, even if I hadn’t looked him up, I wasn’t stupid enough not to listen to the gossip I’d heard around the bar when he was present. I knew nothing about him, but shit, the man was hot. And right now, adorably cute, which shouldn’t have been possible.
“I’m not supposed to get into stranger’s cars,” I said, quirking my head to the side, thinking I was being funny.
“I don’t have any puppies to show you I’m afraid.”
“No? That’s a shame.”
What the hell was I doing? Was that flirting? Flirting with a man who would eat me alive given half the chance. Oh boy, shy, timid Jolie was nowhere in sight and it felt marvellous. I had never been one to play into the flirting game, I didn’t have a clue how to do it and not look stupid, so I hoped I hadn’t just made a gigantic fool of myself in front of a man I most definitely found attractive.
“I have some Trebor mints if you’d like to hop in and have some.”
Laughing, I threw caution to the wind and stepped right up to the window, leaning in a little, our faces inches apart. “I don’t want to go home.”
A deep frown creased his forehead. “Oh?”
“Not tonight.”
He nodded, deep in thought. “You want to go to a hotel? Just to talk, I promise, no pressure. I’d really like your company, don’t feel like I’ve had enough of it this evening.”
“Just to talk?”
“If that’s what you want, yes. For the record though, anything else you want to do, I’m okay
