‘No husband or family?’
She hesitated. Beth was used to being the one asking all the questions and she didn’t like how much he was probing. ‘Footloose and fancy free,’ she said as breezily as she could manage. ‘And very happy to stay that way. How about you?’
‘Same.’
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
‘And where is home for you?’ asked Beth.
‘Dundee. Despite my name.’ He laughed. ‘My parents moved from Umbria more than forty years ago. They came to Scotland for work and I was born and raised there.’
‘Do you still have family in Italy?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. We have a large Italian family there, and here. And you? Where were you brought up?’
She groaned inwardly. This felt like a game of tennis, both of them keen to bat questions back to the other. ‘In Glasgow. And I worked summers here when I was a student. Then I moved to London and, well, now I’m back.’
Just then a crowd of guys arrived and the noise level increased. She glanced over at the bar, which was now really busy. Beth was struggling to hear what he was saying and had to lean forward to listen. His eyes didn’t stray from hers and it all felt a bit intense.
‘Fancy another drink?’ She stood up.
‘Another beer would be great. Thank you.’
She hoped that one more drink would be ample and they could head back to Brodick. Alessandro was good company but, as she stifled a yawn, she realised that she really did just want to have a hot shower, pull on her pyjamas and lie on the sofa. As she waited to be served, her eyes strayed to the three blokes standing on the other side of the bar, nursing pints. Then she did a double take. It was the same guy who she’d noticed walking his dog the other day. Except now he was closer and she had a much better view. Her mouth gaped open and her heart leaped with a complicated mixture of nausea, fear, sadness and excitement. Was that reallyhim? Or were her eyes deceiving her? Her instinct was to run out the door and far away.
But then Stuart took her order and she distracted herself by keeping her eyes fixed on him as he grabbed two more beers from the fridge. By the time she reached Alessandro it was taking her a huge amount of effort not to glance backwards. She managed to focus on listening politely to Alessandro as he shared another humorous story of a very keen hotel customer who had done her best to chat him up. Trying her best to smileand pretend she knew what he was saying, she then felt ashamed that she was so distracted.
She drank her beer in super-quick time. ‘Listen, do you mind if we just head off soon? I am so sorry but the red wine has gone to my head and I feel a migraine coming on.’
Alessandro hesitated for a moment and then looked at her sympathetically. ‘Yes, of course.’ He tipped his head back and finished the rest of his drink.
She was grateful for her own sake that he readily accepted her excuse to leave. As she walked out the pub, Alessandro slipped his hand protectively on the small of her back, and she was convinced that she could feelhiseyes on her. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t resist looking over her shoulder and over at the guy she had recognised. When she did the world seemed to slow down completely. Her eyes locked on his. She saw the surprise, or perhaps it was more confusion, on his face. Then she turned and followed Alessandro out onto the street. She felt dizzy with shock — she didn’t dare to look back.
Chapter Twenty
Fergus and Grant were discussing the finer details of a penalty from a European football game that had been on TV last night. He hoped they wouldn’t notice that he had zoned out of the conversation. So much for his plan to make the effort to spend more time with guy friends. They wouldn’t be asking him back at this rate. He looked across the bar and noticed an extremely handsome guy flashing a smile at the woman he was sitting opposite. Callum was momentarily taken aback by the whiteness of his teeth — he hoped his companion was wearing sunglasses. The woman had her back to Callum and he wondered if she was finding the white teeth a turn on or a bit dazzling. Is that what women found attractive these days? He rubbed his hand over his jaw. He was so out of the dating game that he had no idea.
‘Earth to Callum.’ Fergus gently nudged his elbow. ‘Are you still with us? Or is there somewhere else you need to be?’
‘Sorry mate. Just got a bit distracted by the guy over there with the white teeth. He looks like Ross fromFriends. He could light up a small nation with those gnashers.’ He took a sip of beer. ‘Is that what women go for these days?’
Grant chuckled. ‘Depends on the woman. Some men are really into their grooming and all of that. Fortunately, Thea tells me that nobody likes a man who tries too hard.’
Fergus snorted. ‘That’s extremely lucky for you then isn’t it? Who is he anyway?’
Grant put his pint down on the bar, turned to have a quick look and then nodded. ‘It’s that guy, Alessandro, from the Brodie Hotel in Brodick.’ He glanced over at the bar and frowned. ‘He’s big mates with Stuart here.’ He lowered his voice and tipped his head towards the table. ‘He’s a bit of a smooth operator and a real ladies’ man, if you catch my drift.’
‘Right.’ Callum shrugged. ‘Who’s up for another drink? Same again?’
Fergus and Grant both nodded with a smile.
Callum glanced over again at the guy in the corner. Even though she had his back to him, he couldn’t peel his eyes away from the woman with him.
‘What can I get you?’ asked the barman. His voice brought Callum’s attention back to the moment. He placed his order and kept his eyes fixed on Grant and Fergus. He really needed to get a grip of himself.
‘How’s Daisy getting on?’ asked Grant as Callum handed him his drink. ‘Cheers mate.’
Callum took a sip of his pint, focusing on savouring the taste, grateful for the distraction of a question about Daisy. ‘Keeping me on my toes. Her latest project has been making vegan cakes . . . she follows that woman on Instagram. You know the one who was here last summer and made them?’
