Page 4 of Spark
He’s flanked by a woman I can’t quite place and… the familiar faces of Cam Davidson, Hercules Hoffman, and half of my rugby team. Surprise shoots through me as I watch them. It’s as though my worlds have collided.
I’d seen Cam and a few of the guys dancing earlier amid the packed crowd. They’d told me they would be hanging out here tonight, but with being so busy, I hadn’t had a chance to make my way over to them yet or do anything more than wave when Cam and Hercules arrived hours ago.
Since I started working here, several teammates show up once or twice a month to drink and dance and, in a way, keep me company. But I’ve never seen Finlay before, and I wonder how he knows them.
Or, maybe he’s just met them and one of the guys is hitting on him.
Before my brain catches up with my body, I’m striding toward them. Not so much to stake my claim, but to declare my interest.
Halfway there, the name clicks, and I pause.
Finlay.
Cam has a brother Finlay.
Theyhaveto be the same person.
That still doesn’t mean one of the other guys isn’t hitting on him. Finlay is beyond attractive. From the way his sandy brown hair is waving just on the side of unruly to the square jaw and poet’s mouth, and the way his athletic body fills out the dark-washed jeans and Oxford shirt, he looks like he could’ve been a template for one of the statues of sculpted gods adorning the pool and landscape of the renovation project my company finished up last week.
The thought propels me forward once more. I don’t know what I’ll say or do when I reach him, but hopefully, something brilliant will come to me.
Music fades for a beat with the song’s end. When a new melody flares to life, Finlay stops swaying to the music and leans in to say something to Cam. Then he’s heading in my direction. Alone.
He hasn’t spotted me yet and I realize I’m standing by the table he’d occupied earlier. It’s cluttered with empty glasses and two jackets hang over the backs of chairs.
As if he can feel that he’s the focus of my attention, he glances over and his gaze meets mine. A charge, like electricity, sparks through me.
Surprise steals across his features and his stride slows for a step before continuing forward. He joins me at the table, less than an arm’s width of distance apart.
One look into his hazel eyes wipes out the exhaustion I’ve accumulated from spending the last sixteen hours on my feet. "Hi."
"Hi."
"I’m…" I wrack my mind for the brilliant words that have left me. "I’m sorry we were interrupted earlier."
For a moment, Finlay’s gaze sweeps over my shoulder, in the direction of the double doors. "Everything okay now?"
I nod and tuck my hand into my front pocket. But I don’t want to waste time or words on the drunken fighter. I want to get to know Finlay. "Earlier, you said this place didn’t look like my scene. From your expression then, I didn’t think it was yours either. But I saw you out there, dancing. You looked good."
A half smile curls his lips. Chuckling, he shakes his head and playfully rolls his eyes. "It’s not my scene. But my brother has been begging me for hours to join them out there, so I caved with the understanding it was for one song only."
With the confirmation that he definitely is the "Finlay" Cam has mentioned, I mentally run down the list of unattached friends on the dance floor. "Like I said, you looked good out there, lost in the music. Really good."
"Oh." His eyes drop to the floor and the corner of his mouth tugs. When he lifts his head, he takes a moment to survey my face. And then he smiles and the full power behind it stuns me. "I wasn’t aware I had an audience."
I take his response to mean he wasn’t putting on a show for anyone in particular, and relief eases some of my nerves. I don’t want to have to compete with a friend or teammate over a guy. But then I realize how my words may have sounded and rush to reassure him, "I wasn’t staring like some creepy stalker."
"I’d doubt you’d admit it if you were." But that smile hasn’t dimmed. It’s grown, and his eyes are dancing, leaving me breathless. "I’m glad I ran into you again, Mateo."
"It wasn’t an accident. At the risk of sounding like that creepy stalker, I was looking for you." Heat flushes into my body and I press my palm to my forehead. "And yes, I just realized howthosewords sound. I’m not making a very good impression…" I’m grateful for the dim lighting, but I’d be more grateful for a hole to open up in the floor to save me from my embarrassment.
Finlay’s shoulders are shaking with his laughter. He closes the distance between us and lays his hand on my shoulder. "You’re doing fine. I’m glad you came back."
The touch of his hand settles me and sends me soaring. I smile, yearning to touch him in return. "Me too."
He lowers his hand and gestures toward the table. "Can you stay for a bit?"
"Yes. I’m on a break." I peek at my phone to check the time. More than twenty minutes remain before I’ll have to say goodbye.
