Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) (33 page)

“Will you get a mobile phone? its awful not being able to text you anymore.  Look at you” Nicole looked at her dress “god you look fab, are you on the look out tonight or what? I thought we were planning a quiet night, should I be scared?”

Anna shook her head “absolutely no way, I was glued to my work mobile for years, I only use mine for work, so you have to pick up the phone and ring me” she laughed “and you will be safe tonight” Libby passed her a wine glass “thanks chick! Nicole tonight will be a quiet one I promise, I am off men for the foreseeable future, I need to concentrate on work”.  They sat down “although the new FD is cute and I have to go to Rome with him in two weeks”.  Anna smiled, she couldn’t help it when she saw the expression on her friends faces.

“Oh god no way” Libby looked at her, laughter in her face “you can’t
mix work and sex, believe me it doesn’t work”.  She continued “remember that time I had to leave my job because I slept with the director” Libby worked for a travel agency now, but a few years ago she had temped as a PA she really put the personal in her job title.

Anna laughed as she remembered poor Libby’s demise at the temping agency.
“Nothings going to happen, he’s not my type” she assured her friends not sure she could say it with conviction “firstly, he’s a geeky accountant, and secondly he has terrible dress sense and floppy hair” they laughed at the description.

“Yeah I can’t imagine you putting up with a Hugh Grant type Anna; you would eat him for breakfast.” Her friends started laughing.

“Stop it, no I wouldn’t” Anna looked at Libby innocently, trying not to laugh “honestly I don’t know what you mean and anyway he really is not my type”.  her friends exchanged glances.  “Oh god I hate you two”. 

They drank their wine and headed out into the city.  It was going to be civilised tonight, they had promised Nicole and as the wine flowed Anna felt herself enjoying with her
friends as they chatted over dinner and shared their lives. The old magic was always there between them, the bond of friendship.  They were all closer to 30 and battle scarred with a history of bad relationships, a severe lack of decent men more like it, Anna thought as they finished their meal with an espresso and a brandy.  She picked up her glass.

“Here’s to us” she smiled as they raised their glasses.  “And a fab night out” her eyes glanced wickedly at Libby who clinked her glass. 

“Come on Nicole”

Nicole shook her head “I bloody knew it, where are we going again? I thought it was going to be a quiet one”

“Yeah right, just drink your brandy and let’s go” they girls laughed and Nicole shrugged her shoulders and knocked back the brandy, coughing on the harsh liquid. 

Edward arrived in Leeds early, He walked into the bar, feeling old as he watched the young bar staff cleaning imaginary stains on the steel bar to pass the time while dancing to the Ibiza lounge music.  Exposed brickwork glowed under the lighting.  He looked around for somewhere quiet; he didn’t want to be stood at the bar when Steve arrived.  Steve was a good looking guy and he attracted woman almost as soon as he ordered a drink.  Edward wanted to catch up with his friend without interruption; he ordered a large glass of wine from the extensive wine list and sat in the corner, watching the candle burn in its red candleholder as he took a sip of his drink.

“
hey up” Steve appeared, his face was shaded with stubble and he was wearing a blue shirt. 
He looked good
. Edward thought and still felt self conscious in his new CK grey jumper and white shirt, it wasn’t his usual look and he felt different tonight, a different person on the outside anyway. 

The two friends were opposites in every way, but somehow their friendship worked.  They had met at university and lived together in their third year, Steve studied computer science and he had already setup his company to supplement his student income making extra money fixing computers.  He now ran a small IT company in Tadcaster, from a small retail shop on the high street, with an office at the back for technical work.  Edward had only been into the shop a couple of times; it baffled him with organised chaos. 

“You drinking wine you big puff?  I need a pint”.  Steve walked over to the bar and Edward watched in awe as a group of women whispered behind his friend, how did he do it?   He came back with another large glass for Edward and a pint of lager.

“So what you been up to?”  Edward was sure Steve emphasised every word that could possibly have any meaning.  “I mean how’s the new job?”

“It’s bloody hard, god I didn’t realise it would be like this” Edward poured out the frustrations of the last week to his best friend “but hey we aren’t here to talk about work”.

His friend interrupted him “no we aren’t mate, so come on are there any hot birds in your new office, bet it’s full of them you lucky sod”  Steve worked in a shop full of computer geeks, nerdy boys fitting every stereotype.  The closest they had got to women was watching Weird Science. 

Edward thought of Anna for a nano second “no not really” he didn’t want to tell Steve anything that would fuel him to start discussing his lack of sex life, but it didn’t stop him.

“You need to get some”.  Steve chuckled and drank his beer.  “you cant stay on the wagon forever Ed, its going to stop working completely if
you’re not careful”

“it’s a bit late for that, I cant go through it all that again Steve, look at what happened with Helen, she ran off with another man, someone who could get it up” he hissed the last bit, he didn’t want anyone hearing. “I don’t feel like a man anymore, I can
’t face it again”.

“Well you wont know if you don’t give it another go”  Steve looked at his friend “its a waste Ed you’re a good looking man, I would fancy you myself if I gay” he chuckled.

“This isn’t helping me you know” Edward shook his head at his friend, Steve had no tact he didn’t understand how hard it was. 

They were interrupted as the rest of the guys arrived in the bar, Edward recognised a couple of them but was disappointed.  He wanted to spend a bit more time with Steve before the night started.  His wine glass was empty and he sipped a beer that was thrust into his hand as the rounds started. 
It was going to be a long night,
he thought as he tried to join in the tales of football and women.  He had no interest in either and was feeling the effects of the alcohol. He hadn’t drunk for so long he had forgotten what a lightweight drinker he actually was.

They moved onto the next bar and he ordered a lime and soda at the bar this time, he told the guys it was gin and tonic and they eyed him suspiciously. 

“My mates a puff Gary” Steve put his arm round Edward “actually he might be, he’s off women at the moment”.

Steve’s mate shrugged his shoulders “don’t blame you mate, I got married two years ago and fucking hell, she’s turned into a dragon” 

The men laughed and Edward cringed, he hadn’t gone out for so long and he felt out of place tonight, he felt a moment of panic.  He wasn’t a proper man, he couldn’t talk about big tits and sports.  He had no idea about either topics, he didn’t feel that masculine at the best of times compared to Steve.  He checked his watch and it was 10.30, they were going to a club after this round, he loved dancing and was hoping some good music and a dance would sort him out.  He thought of Steve telling him to get back on the wagon and his chest tightened. He couldn’t go through the humiliation of having to explain his issues to another woman; he couldn’t trust anyone and he thought of Helen.  She had tried to help him at first; she was sure she could cure him and the more she had looked at him pitifully, the worst he felt. 
No
, he thought,
it wasn’t worth it. 
He couldn’t face the humiliation again.

The music vibrated through him as they walked downstairs into the club, the darkness was welcoming to Edward and the loudness meant he didn’t have to listen to the inane conversation. He ordered a wine and soda at the bar.  He
really wanted to dance and he looked at Steve, who winked back at him as he started chatting to a group of women.  Edward stood in the sidelines; he lent back on the bar, and watched the dance floor as he sipped his drink.  The music pulled Edward closer to the balcony over looking the dance floor. He watched the mass of figures dancing below him and was just about to join them when he saw her through the dry ice. 

She was dancing on the raised stage at the end of the club with a blonde girl, the light flashed on her hair and the red dress she wore was skin tight round her curves.  She raised her glass in the air and sung the words to the song across to her friend as they laughed.  He suddenly couldn’t take his eyes off her, her hips moved seductively and she was lost in the music. 

As though she could sense him she looked over and caught his eye across the crowds.  Her eyes flashed recognition but he could tell she didn’t automatically realise it was him, his hair was cut short, a contrast from the floppy hair he had yesterday.  He turned away from her, his heart was beating quickly and he felt Steve grab him.

“Come on mate, let’s dance”.  Edward didn’t want to dance any more, he didn’t want to see Anna again, not in that dress.  She had an effect on him and he didn’t want to go there again, he felt uncomfortable.  He reluctantly went on the dance floor as his friend started dancing, his legs moved erratically.  Edward shook his head and laughed at his friend, relaxing in the crowd of people she wouldn’t come up to him on the dance floor he reassured himself. Why would she? That would be odd.

Anna was have a fantastic night, dancing with her friends on the stage.  They had already been bought drinks as men approached her and Libby, Nicole disappeared in the background as usual.  Libby dragged her onto the stage of the club and they danced, the house music hypnotic and they sang to each other. 

When she saw Edward stood at the bar watching her it took her breath away. 
Oh my god.
She looked at his face.
He looked different.
  She realised it was him and her stomach did a flip, she felt unusually self conscious as she realised he had been watching her dance from the bar and she took another long drink from her cocktail. She was getting pissed and knew it could get messy but had no control.  She told Libby he was in the club and her friends eyes widened in approval as she pointed him out.
That’s the geeky accountant? 
She glanced over again and saw his friend drag him onto the dance floor. 
This could get interesting.

She
moved off the stage and into the mass of dancing bodies, she danced and moved closer to the middle of the club.  She had to check out who she would be spending her trip to Rome with, she tried to convince herself it was innocent but she knew full well she was definitely curious about him.  She wanted to see what he looked like without the floppy hair too, and she wanted to see if he was interested. Her stomach flipped, she loved the thrill of the chase. 

Anna
found him again through the crowds and watched him dance, he really could move.  She loved a man who could dance; her friend Paul used to say you could tell how good a man was in bed by how they were on the dance floor and he was definitely a dancer she smiled.  It was up there with being able to cook and hating football.  As she got closer to him, he saw her and stopped moving for a moment as he looked down at her.

“Hi” she had to lean forward to speak to him and she lightly put her hand on his shoulder; he was taller than her even in her heels.  She looked at him for a moment longer as he nodded his recognition but he looked stunned to see her.  He was so different with his hair cut.  The white shirt and thin jumper really suited him; he didn’t look like the same geeky accountant from work. 
God he’s really hot
.  She could feel her professional resolve slipping as she looked up at him. 

Edward looked down at Anna he felt alarmed to see her and she was too close to him.  He smiled thinly and just nodded at her, he didn’t want to say anything.  There was nothing to say.  The music was too loud he would have to lean into her and it was too close.  He looked away from her, back to Steve as the music changed to Chase and Status but Steve was dancing with a woman.  He turned back and her eyes caught him, he was unable to pull away from her gaze. 

“I love this song” she leaned into him again and he nodded and smiled, so did he.  She started dancing in front of him and he joined her. 
Ok so no harm in dancing
he told himself as she moved closer, he didn’t want to appear rude to a work colleague, especially as they were working together. 

He could see the curve of her breasts and her slim waist as she moved sensually to the music
and he suddenly longed to put his arms round her but every ounce of his resolve stopped him, it just wasn’t him. 
Fucking hell where did that come from? 
He couldn’t take his eyes off her and her eyes sparkled as they danced, he forgot he was in a crowded room as the music played.  He could feel every sense on alert, the adrenaline powering him to carry on dancing.  A hand pushed him forward from behind and he lurched forward into Anna as he realised Steve had given him a shove of encouragement into the arms of this beautiful woman.  He stood on her foot and automatically put his arms round her as he regained some composure but it was too late now, the club was busy and another body took his space as Anna was pushed into his arms.