of blind dates and the thought of telling my life story one more time makes me feel sick to the stomach.’
‘So the husband hunt is off to a flying start, hey?’
Holly shrugged.
‘Of course, while you were off having wildly romantic nights with dozens of men, I was fending off pointy eared, eight-foot geeks in rubber masks. Though there was this one Klingon …’ She smiled slowly, before shaking her head clear. ‘Anyway, please renew my hope in mankind. Tell me they were all delicious.’
Holly laughed. ‘Tiresome, more like.’
‘Hmm. Tiresome, were they?’ Lydia waved a hand, indicating her question related entirely to bedroom pursuits.
Holly grabbed the offending hand. ‘Lydia!’
‘Come on, then. Gory details, please. I expect to be swooning at the end of this.’
‘No promises, but here goes. Wednesday’s guy took me to a restaurant where we had to sit on the floor, which was fine, until he removed his shoes. Foot odour competing with curry is not a scent I will soon forget.’
‘So buy him cotton socks. Ooh, and you could wash his feet every night. Terribly sexy. Next!’
‘Okay. Last night my blind date picked me up from work. Nice car. Nice conversation. Nice guy. Until he took me via home to meet his mother. And that was before dinner.’
‘You are too picky. Mummy’s boys can be wonderful. I’ll bet he even cooks and cleans.’
‘You think I’m too picky? Well, then, beat this, one gentleman offered to sire me a football team.’
Lydia’s effusive laugh rang across the room so that several people turned their way. ‘Now that one is a definite keeper. If you don’t want him, give him my number.’
Holly felt an unwelcome prickling in her stomach at the thought of giving Lydia’s phone number to that particular blind date.
‘I guess this means fending off next-morning phone calls from panting men is back on my job description.’
Holly did not have the opportunity to refute Lydia’s claim as her acquaintance’s eyes were fixedly focussed on something, or someone, beyond her shoulder.
‘Now that tasty morsel was worth coming along for.’ The younger woman nodded coyly at the vision behind Holly.
‘Who?’ Holly spun around to catch a glimpse of the object of Lydia’s divided attention. She could not hide her gasp at the sight of Jacob Lincoln ridding himself of his coat by the front door.
Lydia whirled straight back to Holly. ‘You know him, Itake it.’
‘Barely.’ Holly turned away from the door, her cheeks heating madly, her eyes scanning the room for safe ground.
‘Holl, you have a shockingly ineffective poker-face, you know. And if you are thinking you can avoid introducing us now, you are sorely mistaken.’
Lydia grabbed Holly by the elbow and spun her around to face the door. Together they watched the man straighten his tie, smile at the hat-check girl as he took his ticket, and then look up, overtly searching the room.
* * *
It took only a moment for Jacob to catch sight of the two women near the bar. The younger woman with the mop of blonde curls and hot pink feather boa wrapped around her thin shoulders was practically beckoning him with her eyes, whereas the woman with the sleek chestnut hair and vibrant form-hugging dress in a mix of eye-popping blues and greens seemed to be finding her shoes extremely fascinating.
Jacob took a deep breath, straightened his tense shoulders, pocketed his coat-check ticket, and made a beeline towards them.
Jacob’s usually confident gaze was flicking from side to side, his hands were clenching and unclenching in his trouser pockets and Holly knew he was, for once, unsure of himself. Amongst the bohemian crowd in which Holly felt totally at ease, Jacob was visibly unnerved, just as she had been amongst the beer, boxing and betting.
She smiled. Now they were even.
Holly guessed he probably felt more than a little overdressed, but he was disarming in his black dinner suit, crisp white shirt and lavender tie. He oozed masculinity amongst the eclectic group of buyers, dealers, artists, and hangers-on, standing out like a prize bull in a field of mangy goats.
He nodded his hello.
Holly nodded back, though her brisk glance barely connected with his. She could feel Lydia grinning enormously beside her and soon received a distinct jab in the ribs.
‘Jacob, this is my assistant, Lydia Lane. Lydia, this is Jacob Lincoln of Lincoln Holdings.’
Lydia offered her thin hand to Jacob, hot pink fingernails glinting in the created light. ‘Enchanted, Jacob.’
‘The pleasure’s all mine, Lydia,’ Jacob said, his tentative smile showcasing his dimples.
‘I never knew the man behind the name would be so young, and so damnably attractive. Either way, you are a breath of fresh air blowing into this old crowd.’
Holly tried hard not to laugh aloud at Lydia’s lavish efforts at sophistication.
Jacob leaned in closer to Lydia, his voice secretive. ‘I’ve never actually been to one of these evenings before.’
‘Really?’ Lydia whispered back. ‘Why are you here tonight, then?’
‘I was invited by the kind people of Cloud Nine Event Management.’
Holly looked up, her eyes narrowed, and finally connected fully with his. ‘No, you weren’t.’
Lydia coughed back a scandalized laugh.
‘I mean, I don’t remember seeing your name on the guest list,’ Holly said more tactfully.
Jacob reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his invitation. Holly grabbed it and saw that it was addressed to the chairman of the Find Families Homes Foundation, the main beneficiary of the night’s takings. Her eyes flew back to his.
‘That’s you?’
‘That’s me.’
‘But they’re wonderful.’ ‘Meaning I’m not?’
Drowning in Jacob’s amused eyes, Holly gulped down a lump that had begun to hinder her breathing. She looked to her drink for inspiration and, finding only bubbles that matched the sensations in her stomach, she reached deeper for an explanation.
‘No, I mean they are so kind, one of my … Cloud Nine’s favourites. Their board always sends the most wonderful appreciative notes of thanks for our efforts but they have never sent a representative to the actual events.’
‘Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?’ The tinge of a Louisiana accent leant his naturally deep voice a captivating drawl and it washed like an intimate caress over her bare shoulders.
‘Looks
