After that I tried to avoid any sort of physical contact with him. I’d never felt so intensely attracted to someone before. Usually, it took me a while to get to know a guy before I felt that kind of deep tingling in all my good-for-nothing places. Why did this guy have to cause such a visceral reaction in me?
The night plodded on, broken up between bursts of customers and quiet lulls. It was during one of those lulls that I slipped my phone out and checked it again. I had a text from Cole telling me the fuse in the plug for the toaster had blown and we didn’t have any in the flat. I texted him back to let him know I’d get one tomorrow. I just hoped I remembered.
‘Is it the guy from the other night or Malcolm?’
I shoved my phone back out of sight and when I looked up Cam was sneering at me.
Well, if he wanted to believe the worst in me, let him. ‘It’s the guy. His name is Cole.’
The sneer morphed into a glower. ‘How can you be so brazen?’
‘Probably the same way you can be such a prick.’
‘Whoa, Jo!’
Startled, my head whipped to the side, following the familiar voice. Joss stood on the other side of the bar with Ellie at her back. The two girls stared at me open-mouthed, although Joss’s lips were beginning to curl up at the corners. She looked at Cam. ‘You must have really pissed her off. It takes a lot to make Jo insult someone.’
Cam grunted. ‘That’s funny. I’ve lost count of her insults.’
Joss looked back at me, her grey eyes glowing with pride. ‘Johanna Walker, you just hit a new level of awesome.’
I chuckled, my cheeks still flushed with embarrassment that I’d been caught swearing at Cam. ‘Only you would praise me for calling someone a prick.’
‘Oh, no, I would too,’ Ellie added, sliding closer to the bar, her eyes more assessing as she looked at Cam. ‘Especially if the person deserved it.’
I almost laughed at Joss and Ellie’s role reversal. Ellie was usually the one who gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, but she looked a little wary of Cam. I could only assume it was because she’d never seen me get riled up at someone before and thought there must be a good reason for it. She’d be right.
Joss’s eyes danced as they searched my face and then Cam’s. ‘Els, this is Cameron MacCabe. Just call him Cam. Cam, this is my friend Ellie.’
‘Your boyfriend’s sister?’ Cam asked casually, as he stepped towards them.
‘Yeah.’
He stuck his hand out to Ellie, a friendly, gorgeous smile on his face that made my heart thump. A painful ache pierced my chest. He hadn’t smiled at me like that. ‘Nice to meet you, Ellie.’
Apparently, Ellie wasn’t immune to his charm – she beamed back at him, all her wariness disappearing. She shook his hand. ‘Joss says you’re a graphic designer?’
A customer came up to the bar, so I served him while Cam spoke with my friends. I managed to listen to the customer with one ear and to Cam with the other.
‘Aye, but I’m struggling to find a job here. If I don’t get one soon I might have to leave Edinburgh.’
‘Oh, that would be a shame.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Any luck finding an apartment?’ Joss asked him, and I suddenly realized that the two of them must have got along well enough on Saturday night to manage a real conversation during the busy hours.
‘I’ve seen a few I’m interested in. None as nice as the place I have now, but you have to live where you can afford to, right?’
‘What about Becca?’ I asked before I could stop myself. I handed my customer his change and waited for Cam’s answer.
Cam’s brows drew together as he looked at me. ‘What about Becca?’
I’d been to Becca’s flat for a party. It was a huge place in Bruntsfield and she shared it with three other people. Still, I thought there must be room for Cam. ‘She’s got that big old place on Leamington Terrace. Surely there’s room for you.’
He gave a sharp jerk of his head in rejection to the suggestion. ‘We’ve only been dating a month.’
‘How did you meet?’ Ellie asked. I wasn’t surprised. Ellie was a hopeless romantic and looked for a love story wherever she could.
My stomach flipped unpleasantly as I thought of Cam and Becca creating a love story together.
What was wrong with me? I was with Malcolm and Cam was a bloody pain in the butt.
‘A party a friend hosted.’
‘You must get on well, what with Becca being an artist too?’
His mouth quirked up at the corner. ‘We have a difference of opinion on what constitutes art, but aye, we get on well enough.’
‘Meaning you’re just as condescending to your girlfriend as you are to me?’ I grumbled and subsequently ignored Joss’s little noise of amusement.
Cam flashed me a surprisingly coaxing smile. ‘You were there, Jo. Don’t tell me you didn’t think her art was shit.’
Joss laughed outright while I just shook my head, trying not to encourage him with an answering grin. ‘You’re supposed to be her boyfriend. You’re supposed to support her, not take the piss out of her.’
‘You’ve met Becca, right? Like she needs anyone else blowing smoke up her arse. The girl’s the most arrogant person I’ve ever met.’
‘Wait –’ Ellie looked confused. ‘You don’t sound like you like her very much.’
‘Of course I do,’ Cam grunted. He shrugged and shot Ellie a roguish smile. ‘I find her arrogance sexy … as well as amusing.’