Operation Valentine (11 page)

Are you hoping he'll get jealous and tell you to dump Jason?

Yeah right. Like that was going to happen.

As she'd turned into bed that night, a sense of loss almost overwhelmed her. The truth was she'd just love to hear his voice again.

That sexy drawl that teased her.

Made her laugh.

Encouraged her to believe she deserved better.

‘You've gone awfully quiet.' Jason broke her thoughts as they pulled up outside the restaurant.

‘Sorry.' She looked up from her hands. ‘I guess talking about work has made me start thinking about it.'

It wasn't a complete lie. Valentine's Day loomed like a black cloud. Would Jason be her date for the ball? Did she really want him to be?

When did life get so complicated?

They alighted from the car and he grabbed her hand as they crossed the car park. Her first instinct was to pull away, until she realised she was being silly and forced herself to relax her fingers in his. This was a date, after all. She had to expect that he'd make some sort of move. And hand-holding wasn't exactly that forward.

The problem was, she had been thinking about Owen practically the entire car ride over. So this sudden intimacy seemed like cheating – which again was ridiculous as she and Owen weren't together.

You seriously need to get your head screwed on straight if you're going to make any sort of impression on this date.

She took a deep, calming breath, banishing Owen to the recesses of her mind where he belonged. She had to focus on Jason tonight. He was a lovely guy and he deserved her undistracted attention.

The dinner was delicious. Coupled with the wine and the dimly lit ambience of the place, her heart lightened considerably. Jason's gentle smile was very unassuming and immediately put her in the mood to chat. Having exhausted their family histories and childhoods the date before, they spoke mainly about things they enjoyed – books, movies, holiday destinations, activities they'd always wanted to do but had never got around to doing.

After their dinner arrived, Jason lifted his glass to propose a toast.

‘I am so glad I met you, Sarah Dubert.' Crow's feet appeared in the corners of his eyes as he smiled at her. ‘May this be the beginning of something truly meaningful because I can't wait to get to know you even better.'

‘Thank you.' She clinked his glass, feeling like a bitch for not having something better to say in return.

The thing was, Jason was a delightful man. A gentleman.

An interesting talker. But he didn't make her head swim, her throat dry or her knees wobble under the table.

He was warm and safe.

The perfect friend.

How ironic.

At the end of the date, Jason drove her home and walked her to her front door. She turned around nervously as he seemed inclined to loiter.

‘I had a wonderful time tonight,' he murmured and bent his head forward to kiss her.

It was nice kiss.

Not awkward or sloppy or too passionate for two people who had only seen each other a couple of times.

And she enjoyed it.

She really did.

But when it was over she was relieved.

Stepping back, she said to him, ‘Call me, won't you, Jason? I'd love to see you again.'

He caressed her cheek gently, his eyes heavy lidded. ‘I'd like that too.'

They saw each other twice more before she decided it was time to take him to The Blue Saloon.

When he saw her walk in with a tall, handsome man in an expensive looking jacket, he knew he was in trouble. They didn't have the shy awkwardness of a couple on their first date. For a start they were holding hands and her partner, whoever he was, seemed quietly confident. Was this why she hadn't been back to The Blue Saloon in two weeks? Was she seeing someone?

A train roared through his head, making a muscle in his jawline twitch. It took every brain cell he had to control the urge to smash the glass he was holding on the ground beside him. Instead, with the deliberate slowness of a recovering stroke victim, he placed it back on the dish rack and took a deep breath that did absolutely nothing to calm him down. He turned back to the abhorrent scene unfolding before him. She didn't glance up as they found a table and, thankfully, let go of each other's hands. Sitting down, they smiled at each other and picked up their menus. He grabbed a notebook and pen off the counter and was about to walk round the bar towards her, when the man he was serving said, ‘Hey, am I going to get that beer or not?'

‘Joanna,' he called over his shoulder. ‘Can you serve this gentleman, please?'

‘Of course.' Joanna gave him a knowing smile. She too had seen Sarah walk in with the stranger and was no doubt enjoying him receiving his just desserts.

Sarah pinkened deliciously when he reached her side, her pretty face only making him feel increasingly sick.

‘Long time, no see,' he said without even looking at her partner. ‘Where have you been?'

Her eyes darted to her date in embarrassment. ‘Around. Owen, I'd like you to meet Jason Sanders.'

Reluctantly, he turned his gaze to examine his competition. Jason Sanders was everything he wasn't. Taller, skinnier, formally dressed and … calm.

‘New boyfriend?' he asked, deliberately trying to stir the pot.

Sarah's eyelashes fluttered. ‘Er … well, you know. We haven't been seeing each other that long to be putting labels on anything.'

‘Well, I don't know about that,' Jason murmured, with a conspiritorial glance at Sarah. ‘I'd love to call you my girlfriend, if that's all right.'

Tosser.

Sarah smiled, reaching across and squeezing Jason's hand briefly. ‘Of course.'

Aw shit!

The burning sensation in his chest made him rasp somewhat unwisely, ‘So have you asked him to the ball yet?'

Jason raised his eyebrows. ‘What ball?'

A smug smile twisted Owen's mouth. ‘Don't you know? It's next week.'

‘I'm sorry. I was going to tell you about it,' Sarah began awkwardly. ‘I was just waiting for the right time.' She turned a meaningful look on Owen, which he pointedly ignored.

‘No need to apologise.' Jason shook his head. ‘That's completely your call.'

Idiot.

Sarah cleared her throat. ‘Are you going to take our order or not?'

‘I already know what you want.' He smiled sweetly. ‘What about Jason here?'

‘I'll have what she's having.'

Suck up.

‘Are you sure? Because it's pretty sweet.'

‘I know what she drinks,' Jason's eyes narrowed, ‘and I'm fine with it. How did you guys say you know each other again?'

Owen sent him a dead-pan stare. ‘I don't think we did say.'

‘Owen,' Sarah said between her teeth. ‘Just get the drinks.'

‘Sure.' He nodded and walked off, completely unsatisfied with the entire conversation. His own jealousy aside, he didn't know how or why but Jason seemed slimy. He didn't trust him. He couldn't base this on anything concrete. It was just a gut feeling backed up by the fact that
real men
did not drink cranberry and lime sparklers.

 

He took his time making their drinks, stewing over his predicament and wishing for about the thousandth time that when he'd first met Sarah he'd asked for her number. Just as he was contemplating spitting in Jason's glass, a shadow crossed the counter and he looked up to find Sarah glaring at him.

‘What the hell was that?'

‘What the hell was what?'

‘Asking him whether he was my boyfriend and spilling the beans on the ball. It was completely inappropriate of you.'

‘Was it?' He feigned dumbness.

‘You really embarrassed me.'

‘Did I?'

She frowned at him. ‘Owen, what's really going on here?'

‘Nothing, where's your boyfriend? Do you need rescuing?'

‘No, he's taking a phone call outside,' she said crossly.

He raised his eyebrows. ‘During your date?'

‘He's a dentist. Sometimes he has patient emergencies and he's very conscientious about his profession.'

He shrugged. ‘Well, I think he's a tosser.'

Sarah threw up her hands. ‘Based on what?'

‘He's too perfect.'

She covered her mouth in mock horror. ‘
Really?
That's terrible. I don't why I didn't notice it before.'

‘Are you sleeping with him?'

‘
No
,' Sarah's tone was reproving. ‘We've only been out on four dates. Not that it's any of your business.'

‘Why didn't you bring him here for the first date? Are you avoiding me?'

It was her turn to pause. She licked her lips. ‘I know it may seem like I've been avoiding you, but honestly, I haven't. I've just had a really busy couple of weeks at work. You know, staying late and trying to impress Mr Penwick and all that.'

‘I see.' It sounded like a cop out to him. A white lie one told to spare the feelings of the receiver. He had to remember that to her he was just like another girlfriend. She was happy to spend time with him and even support him but that's where their relationship reached its limits. He wanted to shut his eyes against the thought. Its irony so crushingly quaint.

How did I get here?

‘Look,' she continued, ‘I'm sorry if you felt out of the loop but it all happened really fast. I guess when you meet the right person, it just kind of takes over your life for a bit. Having said that,' she rolled her eyes, ‘it's only been two weeks.'

The right person …

He took a second to digest this. Maybe he really was too late.

‘Owen.' Her voice was soft. ‘Are you jealous?'

‘No,' he scoffed, pride taking over. ‘Why would I be jealous? I'm not into fairytales, remember?'

‘I know.' Sarah wrung her hands awkwardly. ‘I just thought that maybe –' She cut herself off. ‘Never mind.'

He'd been about to ask her to clarify what she meant when another voice broke in on their conversation.

‘Sorry about that. All sorted now. Are these our drinks?'

It was Jason who had interrupted them, of course. Who else would it be? Sarah smiled warmly at him and Owen felt his stomach drop out and hit the ground. Jason picked up the two cocktails he had placed on the counter, gazing patronisingly upon Owen like a lord to a good servant.

‘Thanks for looking after her for me,' he said firmly. ‘But I'll take it from here.'

Having a date with Jason at The Blue Saloon had been excruciating, but she had needed to do it, to test herself. To see if she could really be with someone else while Owen was in the room. The answer, quite frankly, was no.

No, she couldn't.

During her date with Jason she had been aware, every second of the evening, exactly where Owen was in the room. And though he did not approach their table again after the whole incident at the bar, her night had already been ruined.

She now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had committed the ultimate crime of falling for the man who wasn't right for her instead of the one who ticked all the boxes.

How could you shoot yourself in the foot like this?

She should have paid more heed to Amy's warning in the beginning and never embarked upon a friendship with a man as dangerous as Owen Black. There was absolutely no future for them. He'd told her his policy on women many times. And even now when she'd given him the opportunity to show her it had changed, he'd denied it.

Why would I be jealous? I'm not into fairytales, remember?

She had to let him go. Focus on Jason.

And with that in mind, she'd bitten the bullet and told her date about the Valentine's Day ball, omitting all the peripheral stuff, such as if he didn't come with her she could stand to lose the job, but if he did, he took his own life into his hands. After all, there was no guarantee that the curse was entirely a figment of her imagination.

Jason graciously accepted her invitation, admitting that he would love to meet all her work colleagues and see her in action as well. She nodded nervously.

‘I just hope Mr Penwick is in a good mood.'

‘Well, I'll do my absolute best to put him in one,' Jason assured her.

Things were finally coming together, and yet not …

As Valentine's Day drew even closer she couldn't help but feel conflicted. Lucy found her distraction amusing and took the opportunity to provoke her about it.

‘Got a date for the ball yet?' she enquired.

‘Of course,' Sarah had snapped back.

If only I was in love with him.

‘Well,' Lucy told her airily, ‘my press release about Penwick downsizing just got released. Mr Penwick thought I did an excellent job. Maybe you should start thinking of this ball as more of a farewell party.'

Sarah bit back a spiteful retort and walked away. Fighting with her colleague would do her no good. What she should turn her attention to was what she was going to wear for the event. The ball was in four days' time, so she really needed to get her skates on. She shouldn't have left this all-important task until now.

There were plenty of boutiques around her office in the city so she decided to go shopping after work. Luckily, there were a lot of new dresses just coming in for
autumn. So after ducking into three different shops, she found a royal blue number with a filmy chiffon overlay that she fell in love with immediately. It made her feel like a fairy and she knew a little magic on Valentine's Day certainly wouldn't go amiss.

Pleased with her purchase, she tried to call Jason on her phone as she walked back to work to let him know what colour she was wearing. They didn't have to match each other, but it would be nice if they didn't clash. Given the ball was just around the corner, she figured she should let him know immediately, especially if he intended to hire a suit.

Unfortunately, he didn't answer his phone nor did it prompt her to leave a message.

Damn!

She tried ringing him again that night and then the following morning, but still couldn't get through. After several more phone calls and two more nights' sleep, it was the day before Valentine's Day and she still hadn't spoken to him.

Where is he?

Why hasn't he called me?

She never went this long without hearing from him. And you would think he would at least have tried to contact her himself to get more details about ball – such as when he was picking her up.

Had the curse taken him out already?

Was he cancelling on her and didn't know how to let her down gently?

After some deliberation, she decided to call his dental practice. He had said it was in Subiaco and as far as she could make out from the
Yellow Pages
there were only three dental practices in that suburb. This time she was lucky and hit jackpot first call.

‘Yes, Dr Jason Sanders practises here.'

‘May I speak to him please?'

‘I'm sorry, he's had to take an emergency leave of absence and won't be back for a couple of weeks.'

‘Oh no! Is he all right?'

The receptionist must have heard the anxiety in her voice because her own softened. ‘Don't worry, he's fine. His wife broke her leg on Tuesday and so will be out of action for a while. He's had to be home to help with the kids until they sort something out. Are you a patient?'

Wife.

Kids.

Icicles formed on her heart.

Of course.

‘Hello?'

Although her vision was steadily blurring, somehow she managed to find her voice.

‘No. Can I leave a message?' she asked.

‘Of course, dear.'

‘Could you tell him
his girlfriend
cancelled for Saturday.'

Then she hung up, shaking as her fingers left the receiver. For a moment, she just sat there staring at the phone, trying to process how she felt. Anger, for sure. Her blood literally boiled with it, making her limbs seem weightless. Shock too. That's probably why she couldn't move. But more than anything else …

Relief.

Relief that she would not have to try to persuade herself that Jason was Mr Right when every cell in her body screamed he wasn't. She was off the hook. She no longer had to fall in love with Jason Sanders.

The cad.

The cheat.

Her skin tingled with rage.

Of course, now she was also out of time.

And in a few weeks … out of a job.

The Valentine's Day curse had struck again.