Secrets at the Loch (Loch Lannick #5) - Hannah Ellis
Chapter One
The third time Lexie glanced across the room she felt an irrational pang of annoyance that Nick still hadn’t noticed her.
“Are you sure I can’t get you something alcoholic?” Craig, the barman, asked.
“I’ve got the car,” Lexie replied, turning back to him. She was perched on a stool in the Merchant Bar, waiting for a friend. She’d spotted Nick as soon as she’d walked in but he seemed to be on a date and only had eyes for the woman he was with. Which irritated Lexie far more than it should have.
“How long have you been teetotal for now?” Craig asked.
“I’m not teetotal. I just stopped getting drunk.” It had been her New Year’s resolution and amazingly she’d stuck to it. For ten months there’d been no drunken nights or one-night stands. Lexie was a reformed character. Sort of.
Craig busied himself polishing glasses. “Did you find yourself a boyfriend or something?”
The idea amused her and her lips drew into a smile. That would be a step too far. Perhaps next year her resolution would be to change her relationship status. She wasn’t quite there yet.
“Why does there need to be a reason to cut down on drinking?” she asked.
“I don’t even see you out in Portree much these days.”
“My partying days are behind me.” Not that Portree was a big party scene, but on the Isle of Skye it was about as good as it got. Lexie took a sip of Coke and scanned the room. It was quiet for a Friday night.
“Shame,” Craig said.
“Is it?”
Slinging his cloth onto his shoulder, he leaned towards her, his forearms resting on the bar. “I miss our sleepovers.”
“I thought you had a girlfriend?”
“I did, but we split up. So if you felt like resuming our relationship …” His eyebrow twitched suggestively.
“I’m not sure what we had could really be classed as a relationship.”
He straightened up. “I think friends with benefits is a valid relationship status these days. Especially for commitment-phobes. Saves them from being celibate.”
The look he gave her made her squirm. “I’m not …” She paused, pondering which of his indirect accusations she could deny. Celibate was hard to argue with recently. She also didn’t want to admit to being a commitment-phobe. It wasn’t that she was scared of relationships, just that she wasn’t daft enough to risk getting hurt. Why make your happiness dependent on someone else? As far as Lexie was concerned, avoiding relationships was sensible.
Craig went to serve a customer, chuckling to himself as he went.
“Sorry I’m late.” Ruth dropped her oversized handbag on the floor and slid onto the stool beside Lexie. “Ooh, Craig’s working. Let’s stay by the bar all night and admire the view. He’s bloody perfect, isn’t he?”
“I suppose he’s okay.”
“He’s gorgeous. And I heard a rumour he’s single again.”
“He is.”
“Are you after him? He’s always had a thing for you.”
“I’m off men.”
“That’s been going on for a while now. Are you still not drinking either?” Ruth tipped her head in the direction of Lexie’s Coke.
“Nope.”
“That’s annoying. I feel like a lock-in. A bit of after-hours drinking and dancing would be fun.”
Lexie smiled. They’d ended so many nights with a private party with the bar staff. She didn’t particularly miss it. And she definitely didn’t miss the hangovers, or the feeling of not being sure where she was when she woke up.
Craig wandered back along the bar, asking Ruth what she wanted to drink and making idle chit-chat while he poured her a glass of wine.
“Save any animals today?” Lexie asked when they were alone again. Ruth worked as a veterinary nurse at the local vet’s practice. She and Lexie had met a few years earlier when they’d both been spending far too many nights in the pubs of Portree. These days they met up once a month or so for a catch-up.
“I had the day off,” Ruth said. “I finally got around to giving my flat a good clean. I’ve earned a drink.” She raised her glass before taking a long swig. “What’s been going on with you?”
“Not much. I’m still working at the activity centre, but everything’s slowing down for the season.” It certainly wasn’t Lexie’s favourite time of year. After the bustle of the summer months, September always seemed to drag. “I’m only working there at weekends now. After the school holidays next month, I’ll be back to just working at the pub for the winter.” Automatically, she swivelled on the stool. “Nick’s over there.”