Page 41 of An Island Promise

Laurie swung back round so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. The bartender was looking directly at the blondfreckled guy next to her. Of course he was. She was shit at this. Or invisible, perhaps that was the truth of it. Maybe that was worse, not being noticed, something that was always so obvious when she was with Belle and Gem. She was petite, dark-haired and easy to overlook next to voluptuous Gem and classy Belle.

The Irish guy pointed at her. ‘She was here first.’

The barman turned his attention to her and Laurie gave the freckled guy a grateful smile and ordered a bottle of water.

‘You’ve been waiting here a while,’ Irish guy shouted over the pulsing beat of the music.

So he at least had noticed her.

‘I seem to be a pro at getting ignored!’

‘Well, I’m not ignoring you.’ He moved closer and flashed her a winning smile. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’

Laurie leaned back a little to look at him, her vision wobbling as she did. His cheeky charm and good looks reminded her of a slightly older Niall Horan. ‘I should buy you one as a thank you for being honest about me being here first.’

‘We might be waiting a while in that case.’ He laughed. ‘But how about one drink. It’s shameful to drink just water all night!’ He gestured at the bottle the barman placed in front of her.

Laurie faltered, then thought, what harm would a drink do? ‘Okay, thank you. One drink.’

Flashing her an extra big smile, he caught the barman’s attention and ordered two vodka shots.

He turned back and shouted close to her ear. ‘I’m Fionn.’

‘Laurie.’

‘Let me guess, you’re on a hen do?’

‘No, a holiday with friends.’ She leaned into him. He smelled of a woody Lynx deodorant. ‘We’ve just graduated so celebrating together. How about you?’

‘A lads’ holiday which we’ve done every year since we were seventeen, like.’

‘Always to Ibiza?’

‘Anywhere hot and we can get cheap tickets. Although my pale-ass Irish complexion doesn’t react well to summer in Ibiza.’ He pulled down the neckline of his T-shirt to reveal the sunburn on his shoulder.

‘Ouch.’

‘Tell me about it. Serves me right for drinking too much and falling asleep in the sun. Got shitty friends who found it funny and left me sleeping. I was just lucky they didn’t draw a cock and balls in sunscreen on my stomach.’

‘I’m not sure lucky is the right word…’

He grinned and gestured at her black hair. ‘You look like you fare better than I do.’

‘Probably, yes. I have friends who’d wake me up if I fell asleep in the sun! Also my mum’s Japanese and my dad’s Italian. I inherited his complexion and my mum’s preference to stay out of the sun. And I always lather my skin in factor 50.’

‘I inherited my parents’ “let’s not give a shit and deal with the consequences after” attitude.’

‘I’m definitely a think-first kind of person.’

‘You’re sensible. Probably keeps you out of a shitload of trouble.’

Or makes life rather boring and predictable, Laurie thought. ‘What sticky situations have you got yourself into?’

They knocked their shots of vodka together and downed them. Then she listened, quietly enraptured as Fionn rested his hand on her waist and got up close and personal as he shouted to be heard while telling her about his cousin’s country wedding when someone left the gate to the neighbouring field open and they were joined in the marquee by a couple of goats and a donkey. Then there was the time on last year’s lads’ holiday when he’d gone skinny-dipping with a girl and his mates nicked his clothes – he stressed how neither friends nor farmanimals could be trusted. With his effortless gift of the gab, his storytelling was amusing and endearing.

Fionn was… nice and funny. Like Ade. He was also exceedingly attractive. So someone she’d go for if shewasn’twith Ade. Her heart faltered. How easy would it be to kiss him? What happened on holiday stayed on holiday, wasn’t that Gem’s mantra? Gem would have no hesitation kissing him if she was in her shoes; she’d snogged plenty of blokes over the last few days even if she hadn’t taken it further than a bit of fondling. But Laurie wasn’t Gem and she loved Ade, whereas Gem… Who knew what on earth she was doing with Dan besides stringing him along and wanting the best of everything: uncensored fun on holiday and a boyfriend to go back to. Laurie was doubtful about how long they would last.

She made up her mind and shifted so close to Fionn she could feel his hot breath on her skin. ‘By the way, I, um, have a boyfriend. Back home.’

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