Page 1 of Broken Hero
Prologue
Sophie
I'm not sure another round of shots is the way to go - we’ve all had too much to drink already. We need to come to this pub more often - our local is beginning to feel like home from home, this is a change – it's in the next village, but worth the travel to see some new faces.
Mia yells, “Come on, your turn - shots for us all!”
Oh shit, I think my best friend has had enough, but we’re only young once, right?
I roll my eyes and head off to the bar. Tipping point was around ten drinks ago, so I may as well carry on. We started as a four but currently at three – if there is hotness in the place, Harmony will find him, she is off somewhere talking to a guy she’s just met, and the three of us are quietly (not really) getting hammered in the corner.
I struggle to get close to the bar because it’s so busy. I look down the bar while I'm waiting for space, and my eyes land on a familiar profile. Where do I know that guy from? He’s hot, and even sitting, it's obvious that he’s a big guy. He has longish black hair, some of it caught into a little man bun . . . hmmm, I like that. He has a beard and tanned skin. He is gorgeous. He doesnotlook like he should be in a pub right now. His shoulders are hunched, he’s looking at his beer as though he wants to drown in it, and it seems like he has a glass of whisky, or something similar, at the side. Where do I know him from?
A spot opens up at the bar, and I beam at the guy that let me in his place. He winks at me. Hmmm, nice. I place my order, vodka coke for me, the rest are on gin or beer – and a tray of shots for us all. On a whim, and because I’ve had way too much to drink, I decide to send him a beer; he looks like he needs cheering up.
The waiter comes back with our tray of drinks.
I nod towards the bearded guy. “Send him a beer, will you. He looks like he needs one.”
The waiter gives me a knowing grin, thinking I'm hitting on a guy on his own at the bar – as if! Something about him makes me feel sad. A fine specimen like him should not be drowning his sorrows at some random bar.
I watch the waiter hand him the drink. The guy looks confused and looks my way - I give him a nod and a wave. He doesn't react, barely, a slight nod that could easily be missed, and goes back to studying his drink. He probably thinks I'm hitting on him too, but I'm not. No one should be that down. Especially not one that beautiful. I mean, looking like that, what does he have to be sad about?
The girls cheer as they see me approach with the tray of drinks.
“What took you so long? We’re nearly sober here!” Vickie asks.
I laugh. “Hardly. I think we’ll be sobering up sometime next week.” I turn to Mia. “See that guy over there at the bar?”
She looks over my shoulder. “The hot hulk of a guy?”
“Yeah, where do I know him from?”
She shakes her head. “Not sure I've seen him before. I’d remember him and I'm sure you would too.”
Idoremember him, but I don’t know where from.
I turn to Vickie. “What about you?”
She looks at him and frowns. “He does look a little familiar.”
I shrug and hand out the drinks for us all to knockback. It’s niggling me where I've seen him, but it's not that important. I get on with having fun. Lord knows I need the break - after spending so much time at work and with mum being ill, I need to let off steam. I try to push mum and her illness to the back of my mind. Tonight is about forgetting for a while. I’ll face my problems again tomorrow.
We don't see Harmony for the rest of the night. She messages our group What’s App to go home without her – not usual for her. I'm not in the mood for guys tonight. I want to let loose and relax.
Around midnight the pub crowd starts to thin out a little. There is a small dance floor, so we decide to dance. Who cares if we’re making a fool of ourselves? Saturday nights are about having fun. I look over to the bar and see Bearded Guy watching me. It hits me where I know him from . . . he is Jack’s brother.Of course. Jack is the superbike racer at the racetrack where I work – I am on his team, he's one of my closest friends, and is getting married to one of my best friends. I’ve only met his brother a couple of times, though. What is his name now? He’s staring straight at me, watching me dance. His penetrating gaze sends a shiver down my spine. There’s something wrong, he is nothing like his happy-go-lucky brother. He’s dark and serious, as though he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I break off from the girls and go over to him. Alcohol makes me so stupid.
“Hey!”
He doesn't say anything. He looks at me with that cold vacant gaze of his. He’s either plastered or an arsehole - I'm not sure which at this point.
I lean into him. “You don't remember me, do you?”
“You're the one that bought me the beer.”
His voice is deep and gravelly. I like the sound of it.
