Logan picked up his phone and put it down again. Was it too early to text Kitty to suggest meeting up? Should he wait until later in the day? If he texted her now, would she think he was too keen? He was horrified at how nervous and fidgety he had become. It was like he’d regressed to being a teenage boy again. Or maybe he should just call her? But what should he say? ‘Hey there,’ he said out loud. ‘How are you? How about a drink?’ He could actually feel a wobble in his voice as he spoke the words, and he cleared his throat, quite horrified. He was a jabbering mess. What was going on with him? He never ever lost his cool. It just didn’t happen.
The truth was that he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Kitty since the moment he’d seen her at the bakery. There was something about her that was spellbinding. Not only was she beautiful, but she was intelligent and kind and very funny. He was just relieved that he had managed to keep his professional head in place during the tour. It would have been awful if he had come across as a creepy tour guide who chatted up the customers.
Kitty had got under Logan’s skin in a way that nobody else had before. He now had a bit more of an inkling as to how James might feel about Amy. James! Of course. He would know what to do. He would go and grab a coffee at the distillery café and see if James was free for a break. At the very least he needed to get out of the flat and move, otherwise his head would explode.
‘Everything okay, buddy?’ James asked when Logan walked in.
‘Yes, just fancied a proper coffee rather than the instant rubbish in your flat,’ he joked. ‘Have you got time to join me?’
James glanced at the clock on the wall. ‘No bother. The next tour won’t start for another hour or so.’ He glanced over to hiscolleague at reception. ‘I’ll just be in the café. Shout if you need me.’
Logan followed James across the lobby and towards the café, where they ordered their drinks and took them to a table by the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
‘Not bad a view, is it?’ said James.
‘Not bad at all.’
‘How’s things then? How did the tour go?’
‘Aye, it was fine,’ Logan said, wrapping his hands around the mug in front of him. ‘They were a nice bunch. No tricky customers, although a few called off Goatfell yesterday.’
‘Any nice women?’ asked James suggestively, as he always did every time Logan finished a tour. There was a silence and Logan didn’t respond, which caused James to give a low whistle. ‘Okay, mate. Tell me what’s going on. You’re acting weird.’
‘See when you started dating Amy . . .’ started Logan.
‘Don’t try and change the conversation,’ said James, laughing.
‘I’m not. Honest. I just . . . Oh, this is tougher than I thought. I thought talking to you might help, but now I’m not so sure. You’re not being particularly helpful.’
James leaned towards him, both elbows on the table and his hands clasped together. He narrowed his eyes. ‘Is there something you want to share, Logan?’
‘Um, yes. Well, kind of.’ He knew that James was enjoying every minute of watching him squirm. ‘There’s this woman . . .’
James smirked. ‘Oh, how I have waited and waited to hear you say these words.’
Logan felt the blood rush to his cheeks and he gulped some coffee. ‘You’re really not helping. I’m trying to have a deep and meaningful and you’re taking the piss.’
James held up his hands in apology. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry. Please continue. Tell me about the woman . . .’ He winked.
‘Okay. Well, I’ll admit it, when you started dating Amy again, I thought you’d lost the plot. You just seemed so . . . smitten.’
‘I was,’ said James dreamily. ‘And still am.’
‘Right, well, now I think I’m getting a bit of an inkling as to how you felt.’
‘Whoa,’ said James in shock. ‘Can I record this?’
Logan threw him a look.
‘What’s her name? Start with the basics.’
‘Her name is Kitty, and she’s staying at Lilybank Cottage.’
James’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘One of the women that Amy told me about in the shock house share?’
‘Yes. She’s called Kitty and she’s . . . well, she’s smart and funny and kind and beautiful and . . . I can’t stop thinking about her. There you go, I’ve laid my soul bare.’ Logan shook his head, not quite believing what a mess he was and how on earth he could be uttering these words. ‘Please be gentle with me.’ He leaned back in his seat.
‘This is averyunexpected turn of events,’ said James, looking so very pleased with himself. ‘I mean, I thought you were the eternal bachelor. But this, my friend, sounds like you’refalling in love.’
