“Katie, could you help me with the drinks?” I ask, and she jumps up from her seat, then quickly asks around the table, gathering the ladies’ orders. Jackie offers to help, but Katie reassures her that we’ve got this and follows me to the bar. It looks like all of us are wanting to escape from the table.
Once Katie and I have placed the order, we turn to face each other.
“This dinner was a terrible idea, wasn’t it?” she says, looking up at me. It’s the first time she’s truly held my gaze all day, and it’s not like I haven’t been trying.
I sigh. “Aye, it was,” I mutter, wishing we were already done and it was just Katie and me having a drink together.
“I’ll speak to the waiter on the way back to ask him to move things along quicker.”
“Thanks. If I have to listen to that woman tell me one more of her travel stories or even worse, have the other one stroke me like I’m a dog or something, I’m going—” I don’t get to finish my sentence before Katie interrupts.
“Cats or dogs? Choose one.”
“What?”
“I just realized I’ve never asked you. Do you prefer cats or dogs?”
I smile at her silly question. “Dogs, of course. Man’s best friend and all that.”
“I prefer dogs too,” she tells me with one of her beautiful smiles directed at me and only me. And just like that, she’s managed to lighten my mood.
The bartender places the last of the drinks on the bar in front of us.
“Are you ready to face another feeding frenzy?” she asks with another smile that feels like it’s just for me. I guess I wasn’t the only one that thought the ladies were out for meat.
I pick up my scotch whiskey. “Just a minute. I need some of this first.” I take a big gulp, enjoying the burn in my throat as it slips down.
She places her hand on my arm, and the warmth of her touch does more for me than the fiery drink. “Thanks for doing this, Drew.” Then, realizing where her hand is, she quickly withdraws it. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to stroke you like a dog,” she teases.
“You, beautiful, can stroke me anytime you want.” We stare at each other for a moment. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but with the sparkle in her eye, I suspect it might be the same as me, and she’s remembering the last time she stroked my cock.
“We should get back,” she murmurs, but it’s another full minute before she moves.
Within the hour, we’re back at the bar, sitting on the barstools. This time, it’s Jackie on my left and Katie on my right. The ladies have been sent on their way, and we’ve debriefed on the evening. We have agreed unanimously that there will be no more competitions.
Jackie interrupts, “Umm, I think I’ll go to bed.” I don’t miss the look Katie directs Jackie’s way or how her knuckles whiten on her hold of the glass when Jackie says by way of explanation, “I’m exhausted, and we’ve an early start for the drive to Edinburgh.”
When Jackie is out of earshot, I lean toward Katie and whisper, “Alone at last.” Her sharp intake of breath is the only indication that she has heard me. The situation is getting ridiculous. I thought that after my apology at the gala, things would be better. Okay, maybe the orgasm following the apology was too soon, but since then, we’ve been getting along fine through text. There should be no reason for her to avoid me now that we’re finally able to see each other face-to-face.
This time on the book tour was meant to bring us together, not pull us further apart.
“I’ve been reading your book,” Katie announces when the silence between us drags on.
I can’t help asking, “And what do you think?”
With only a slight tilt of her head, she looks at me sideways. “You’re a brilliant writer.”
“Is that your professional or personal opinion?”
“Both. Your words are very moving,” she says, her voice just a little more than a whisper.
My chest swells with pride. I wonder if she realizes how much her opinion means to me.
We sit silently, sipping on our drinks for a few more minutes.
I don’t want to ruin this moment, but it may be the only chance I get to speak to her alone. I begin, “Katie, it seems to me that we need to talk.”
She turns slowly on her stool to face me, like she was expecting me to say those words.
