Lucky Chance ( Luvluck Novellas #2) - K.L. Shandwick Page 0,1
over my chest.
“Holy Shite, Terry, did those three see me?” I asked of the old regulars sat at the bar.
“No, they are all too busy grumbling there’s nothing good on the telly,” he replied.
“Bejesus, that was close.” I chuckled and ran my fingers through my short blonde haircut. Terry stole a glance at my cleavage and I cuffed his head. “Eyes up, Terry,” I barked, and raised my hand to cover my bust.
“So, Daiz, can I ask about the pyjama top … did Barney buy you that?”
“What the feck, Terry,” I admonished and shoved him back hard. He chuckled, unperturbed by my physical contact. “That’s not remotely funny. Besides, you’re like my dad. I’m not doing personal stuff with you, and anyway, that’s over with, so stop mentioning him.”
Hearing him mention my romance with Jamie, tugged at my chest. My heart ached at the mention of the nickname I’d given to Jamie Fontaine, the hot rock star I’d met by accident some months before, and I’d had an intensive affair with.
“Whoa, still a bit raw to deal with?” he asked, dipping his knees to look into my eyes, and appearing immediately sympathetic. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, just sayin’,” he said, nodding toward my pyjama top again. I knew it was his effort to lighten the mood after he’d seen my reaction to what he had said.
I smirked when he moved his head from side to side playfully, like he was asking me to consider his offer. I glanced up at the ceiling and back to him, telling him how ridiculous his comment was. Terry was forty odd, and although he was an extremely attractive man, he was far too old for me. He shrugged and held his hands out.
“Just so you know, I’m here Thursday to Sunday, noon to midnight, worked like a dog and in need of a raise, any favors welcome,” he added, playfully.
“Aw, man, you’re an eejit,” I said through a laugh. “Get back to work before our customers start serving themselves and doing you out of a job or a window might open for those Thursday to Sunday noon to midnight shifts you just spoke about.”
My barman was fiercely loyal and although I grumbled about him at times, we were friends as well as colleagues. Terry wasn’t quite old enough to be my dad like I’d joked, but at times I felt he was almost as protective as him.
Fortunately, I had a couple of close girlfriends, Frances and her sister Maria, who listened whenever I’d felt the need to pour my heart out after her rock star had abandoned me.
Running upstairs to my bedroom, I swapped out the wet jeans for another pair, grabbed a beer-branded T-shirt to pull on and ran a brush through my messed up hair. I was just running a comb through my hair when Terry called up to me from the bar.
“Daiz, there's a call on the business line down here asking for you … it sounds like it’s someone official.”
Skipping quickly downstairs, I took the call sounding a little out of breath.
“The Lucky Shamrock, manager speaking,” I said, sounding business like. I’d expected it to be one of the breweries.
“Am I speaking with Daisy O’Donnell of The Lucky Shamrock bar?” I glanced up to the ceiling because I’d taken it for granted, everyone knew my name already.
“Indeed, you are … and who might you be?”
“My name is Donna Forsyth. I’m an executive assistant working for the management company that deals with the business and personal affairs of the fabulous rock band, DistRoyed. One of the band members has asked me to reach out to you with a proposal that I’d like to run by you.”
My heart lurched to the point where I coughed, like the beat had risen to my throat, with shock from the instant jolt of electricity that ran through me.
Receiving a sudden phone call from someone connected to the man who had broken my heart and I’d been trying hard to forget, was a bolt from the blue. I cleared my throat and tried to remain calm, but anger got the better of me and I gave her a sarcastic reply instead.
“Oh, is that so? Right, Lorna, I hope you’ve got a pad and pen handy to take notes, because you’ll need them to record my reply to Barney.”
“Donna,” she corrected, but I already knew this. Anyone who knew Jamie deserved to be fucked with after the shit move he’d pulled on me.