Ahead of the Darkness (11 page)

“Aye, it’s a cracking good idea. I dinnae know why I didn’t think of it.”

“Well, I clearly have all the brains, and you all the looks in this relationship.” Ah,
basier!
“I mean ...”

“Ye think I’m purdy?” He bats his eyelashes at me, and I burst out laughing.

“You’re incorrigible, you know that, right? What I meant was ...”

“Aye, I’m the handsome one. Got it.” I took a deep breath. His ego was suffocating. “But dinnae get distracted, mind. If ye can help yerself.”

It was a knee jerk reaction. One second I was writing, the next Drew was dripping wet and I had the hose in my hands. My free hand flew to my mouth in shock. I’d just sprayed him with soda. Drew gaped at me, the soda running off his nose, and that was it. I doubled over with laughter.

“It had to be done,” I blurted out between fits of laughter. “Your ego needed cooling down.” I got a stitch in my side I laughed so hard.

“Aye, is that so?”
Uh-oh.
I fought to get myself under control, and my eyes widened as Drew reached for the other hose. “Well, two can play at that game.”

“No ... ah!” I squealed as the cold spray hit me. “You win, you win!”

“Too right.” I was dripping wet, much more than Drew.

“I’m soaked. No fair, Drew, you got me completely wet.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me and laughed.

“Aye, and I dinnae even touch ye.” That gave me pause. He laughed some more, and I scoffed at the dirty bastard.

“You clearly did it wrong. I’m all sticky.” I couldn’t help it; we both laughed at that. “Now what, we are both dripping wet?” We couldn’t work like this.

“Come on. “ He took my hand and led us out of the bar. My heart rate skyrocketed.

“What? Where?”
Oh, God!
My adrenaline spiked, but died just as quickly when he reached down to pick up my duffel and turned left around the bar instead of straight, where his office desk was ...

“I’m taking ye home.”
Oh!
“We can clean up there.”
Oh ...

“Drew, do you plan to walk home dripping wet?” Because that wouldn’t have been awkward at all.

“No, I’ve got Jules’s car, we’ll drive.” I froze. “Dinnae fret, love. I’m an expert driver. Besides, it’s only a wee trip.”

“But, ah, we’ll get his seats all wet.” I didn’t want to get in the car, even if it was for five minutes down the street. He paused and turned around to look at me. I schooled my mild anxiety, hopefully before he saw.

“Did ye bring a towel?”

“Yeah ...?”

“Aye, then sit on that, and if ye still dinnae want to get in the car with me then ye can drive.”

“I don’t ... fine. You drive.” He tilted his head to the side and looked at me.

“How old are ye?”

“Twenty-three. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Ye cannae drive?”

“Oh. No ...”

“Why?”

“I never got my license. Why are you looking at me like that?” He was looking at me as if I’d grown two heads.

“But ye do know how to drive, right?”

“I never wanted to.”
Ever.

“Aye? Well, we’re going to have to do something about that, then.” He took my hand again and stalked off.

“What? Wait, not now.”

“Aye, later.” I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Hopefully he’d forget, and that would be the end of it.

We reached the little grey car. Drew unlocked my side of the death-box and started to open my duffle, pulling out fresh underwear with my gym towel. He picked them up before I could snatch them from him.

“Oh, God,” I went scarlet as he stretched them out to get a better look and I reached forward, snatching them out of his hands.

“Nae need to be like that. I’ve seen ye naked.”

“What?”

“I mean, I felt ye naked and washed ye panties, remember?” He smirked, and my eyes widened. I’d been trying to forget.

“You’re so uncouth.” I pushed past him, and a little overzealously closed the door. He laughed all the way to his side and climbed in, still chuckling to himself.

“Ye’re so couth, Mia. Ye need to live a wee bit.”

“I’d like to live a lot, so please don’t kill me.”

“I’m not going to kill ye. I was in every known driving school in Scotland. Ye can thank my granddaddy for that, so dinnae fret.” I guessed that was something.

“Wait, why? Did he think you needed to go to all those schools?”

“To keep me out of trouble.” It was all he said, but I sensed there was more to the story. “Why don’t ye know how to drive?”

“I just ... don’t”

“Ye don’t like being in cars, do ye?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Ye’ve been playing with ye seatbelt ever since ye got in.”
Oh ...

“No, I don’t like being in cars. It’s been a few years since I’ve been in one for any length of time. Sorry, it’s not personal.” I shrugged trying to pretend it wasn’t a thing, but when Drew stopped at a red light he turned to look at me. “I don’t even remember why ...”

“Maman! He’s gaining on us.”

“Is your seatbelt on, Amelia?”

“Oui, Maman. Why is he chasing us? Maman!” I screamed as the car behind crashed into the rear of ours and we span out of control.

“Amelia, bring your knees up, and cover your face. Immédiatement!” I did as I was told as the car skidded off the road and headlong into a tree.

I couldn’t stop the flashback, my hand went to the invisible scars on my arms and I tried to rub the remembered pain away.

“Maman? Maman, wake up. Maman?!”

The gesture and shiver didn’t go unnoticed by Drew. “Are ye cold?”

“No. I’m fine.”

He watched me a little longer until we were honked to move. We seemed lost in thought, no one saying anything until we were a flight of stairs away from Drew’s door. He finally broke the awkward silence with a revelation of his own.

“My parents were killed by a drunk driver.” I didn’t see that coming, and faltered on the last step. “Sorry.”

“Were you in the car? That’s the reason your grandfather put you in all those classes?”

“Aye. I wouldnae get in another car.”

Drew paused before he unlocked the door and reached for my chin, forcing me to release my bottom lip from the onslaught I hadn’t realised I had been inflicting. He stroked the edge, inspecting the damage.

“It was a long time ago. Dinnae fret yer purdy wee face, aye?”

“I ... I was five.” His eyebrows drew together in thought.

“Aye? Just a wee bairn.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered a little longer, and he smiled.

“Ye’re still wet.” I rolled my eyes at him, and he chuckled, withdrew his hand and let us in.

“Can I have a quick shower?”

“Ye know where everything is, aye?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll go after ye done. Dinnae use all the hot water.”

“Did you want to ...”
Join me?
“... go first?” I could feel my face getting a little warm, and Drew raised his eyebrow. “I take it back. I’d rather risk your wrath than have a cold shower.”
Though I might need one.

“
There’d be no wrath, mind. I’d just get in if ye take too long.”
Oh, Lord.
I bit my lip as I walked off to the bathroom, shaking my head. I heard Drew laugh once I’d closed the door. I locked it, just in case.

––––––––

I
emerged less than ten minutes later with a towel wrapped around my hair and dress in my gym clothes. Thankfully, they were more conservative than last time, with yoga pants and a tank top. I was better prepared for the just-in-case.

“Aye, that was quick.” The humour was still present in his tone.

“I realised when I was in the shower that I had locked the door, and I thought it would be a crying shame if I used up all the hot water and you were stuck on the other side, sticky and cold.”

He chuckled to himself as he entered the bathroom, mumbling about something being a damn shame.

I used the time to peruse Drew’s impressive library and curled up in the plush chair after I’d found
Catcher in the Rye
.

I was twenty pages in when the bathroom door opened. I looked up as Drew walked out, and my eyes went wide. All I could do was stare open-mouthed as he walked towards his the bedroom, towel-drying his hair, completely starkers. A
clunk
broke me out of my stupor before Drew saw my dumbfounded expression. I swore to myself as I hurried to pick up the book that had slipped to the floor. I heard the click of his bedroom door as I raised my head up. I closed my eyes. My mortification reached a newfound high as Drew’s muffled laughter came through the closed door.

Oh, my Jesus!
I wasn’t sure how I would recover from that. The image still burned behind my eyelids, and I snapped them open. I tried to compose myself before he came out and attempted to read the book again, but I couldn’t make head, nor tail of the words.

“Ye book is upside-down.”
Ah, baiser!
I almost fell out of the chair, I jumped so high. I awkwardly got to my feet and fumbled with the book, unable to look at Drew.

“I’ve already read it the traditional way ...”

“I dinnae mean to startle ye.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s fine. It’s your house, apartment, whatever. You can do whatever you want.” I couldn’t look up at him. Instead, I closed the book and turned to put it away.

“I meant, just then.”

“Oh ...”

“And ye only left me with a hand towel. I cannae cover much with that.” He really couldn’t ... I blushed, again, removing the towel from around my head and turned around. Thankfully, he was fully clothed.

“Sorry.” His hair was still damp and deliciously dishevelled. I itched to run my hands through it. “I should, I mean,
we
should get back to work.”

“Aye, let’s grab a bite and head to the gym instead. We can multitask, and ye can tell me all ye ideas then.” He looked at my put-out face and smiled. “Come on, then, get ye duffel and I’ll get us some fresh towels, but ye going to have to get in the car with me again.” He walked off, chuckling to himself.

“You get too much enjoyment out of torturing me.”

“Ye have no idea.”
What?
He’d said it to himself, presumably thinking he was out of earshot, but I heard it.

~~~~~~

“W
hy can’t we just do this at the club or gym and get it over with?” I complained as we got into the car. He was dragging it out longer than he needed to.

“Because I’m hungry.”

“You seem to always be hungry.”

“Aye, I’m a strapping young lad. I need my strength.” I raised an eyebrow at him as he started the car.

“Strapping is taking it a bit far. How does your ego fit in this car? I’m likely to suffocate. Where are we going, by the way?”

“To get some decent food.”

“Don’t you need to be getting back to the club and, you know, work?” He chuckled lightly at that.

“Nope. Ye’re stuck with me. I did it all before ye arrived.” Oh ...

I didn’t know what else to say, so I didn’t say anything and stared out the window as all the houses passed us by. We had been driving for a while in a sort of comfortable silence. Neither one of us felt the need to talk but Drew reached a hand out to stroke my arm lightly with his knuckles.

“All right?”

“Hmm?”

“Ye’ve been quiet. Just checking ye hadn’t suffocated on my ego.” I chuckled lightly at that.

“Still breathing, just.” And I was, strangely enough. I seemed to be okay in the car with Drew.

“We’re almost there.”

“Where is there? I don’t recognise anything.”

“We’re on the outskirts of town, Ah, here we are.” Drew stopped the car on the side of the street and I looked out the front window, confused.

I turned to speak, but Drew had already exited the car. He’d come around to my side and opened the door. I stared at his outstretched hand, a little in shock, but recovered quickly and placed mine in his. I hadn’t picked him for a gentleman.

“What is ...?” And that’s when I saw the sign.
Boulangerie et Pâtisserie
.

“
Bon appétit.”
I smiled. His French accent was ruined by the Scottish undertones. I lie, it was sexy as hell.

“
Pourquoi
?”
Why?

“They make great baguettes.” He shrugged, as if it meant nothing that he drove for fifteen minutes to a French bakery. I tried to fight my smile. I didn’t want him to know how much it pleased me.

“
Bien
.”
Okay.

“Come on, then.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and walked us in. He was being ... peculiar today.

We seated ourselves at a little round table in front of the window, and were instantly met by a waiter.

“Can I get you something to drink while you decide?” The young waiter had the slightest of French accent. It was almost imperceptible.

“I’ll get the ham with the lot, and a Coke. Mia, do ye need a minute?”

“
Une baguette avec du jambon, du fromage et tomate s'il vous plaît.
”

“Ah,
oui
!” His face lit up when I ordered a simple ham, cheese and tomato baguette in French. I couldn’t help myself, and Drew rolled his eyes at me. “
Et pour boire
?”

“
Limonade, merci
.”

“Show off.” Drew muttered under his breath as the waiter left. “How’d ye know he spoke French, mind?”

“I cannae help it, like.” I mocked. “Besides, you did bring me to a French eatery, and he had a slight accent.” I shrugged. It would have blown up in my face if he didn’t know French.

“Aye, real cute, like. Dinnae mock me, woman. I’ll go all Scot on yer arse, and then ye’ll be buggered, like.” I laughed at how wrong that sentence was, and shook my head at him.

“How did you find this place?”

“I’ve been past here a couple of times with Jules, and thought ye’d like it.”

“
C'est
super.”

“Ye’re gonna need to teach me French if ye insist on talking in it. How will I know if yer flirting with the waiter or talking smack about me?” I laughed, and rolled my eyes.