You Can't Hurry Love

Chapter Ten

DECEMBER 5th

'Oh, great. She's already here.' I spot Lizzie through the steamed-up window and push the door to the restaurant open, followed closely by Isaac as he hurries to bundle me inside.

'Will you get a move on? I can't feel my feet!'

'Okay, okay,' I mutter scathingly, scooting to the side as he slams it shut behind us and starts scanning the room for Ben who he finds serving a table nearby. 'But we can still go home you know, there's still time.'

Yesterday's flurry of snow had turned into a slushy mess by the morning and I'd nearly fallen flat on my face as we made our way over here, mumbling and groaning the entire way that I was cold. Isaac had chosen to ignore me though, as he half carried, half dragged me down the street, grumbling in my ear that the repercussions of letting Ben down would be catastrophic and he needed him to be in a good mood for the weekend. (Apparently, he's booked an overnight stay at a nice hotel in the city as an early anniversary present and he wanted a happy Ben by his side.)

'You want to tell Ben you've changed your mind?' Isaac challenges as he hangs up our coats. 'Go ahead, he's just over there.'

The man in question spots us from across the room as he makes his way towards the kitchen and his whole face lights up, pointing to the clock on the wall and shimmying as he pushes open the swinging door and disappears behind it with a flamboyant back-kick of the leg.

My heart sinks. Seeing how animated Ben was has made me realise that there really was no backing out of tonight, no matter how freezing and sludgy it was outside, and it was time to accept it. As much as I wanted to whip these heels off and get straight back to watching The Holiday with my blanket and tub of ice cream there was no way I could let that adorable little face down.

'Exactly!'

Taking my silence as affirmation he starts leading me towards where Lizzie was sitting at the bar with an arm around my shoulder.

'By the way, you might want to go save your friend from a certain barman whose name I won't be mentioning for obvious reasons,' Isaac whispers in my ear and my head snaps up at his words to find Lizzie leaning seductively on the bar, giggling at something Lincoln had just said to her. I couldn't help but feel a niggle of irritation in the base of my neck as I watch their rapport and I feel my feet carrying me quickly to where they were, Isaac's arm dropping from my shoulders as I lose him in my pursuit.

I don't like the way she's looking at him and although I hate to admit it, I don't like the way he was looking at her either so I pick up my pace, hearing Isaac quibbling behind me about how he should have kept his mouth shut but I power on until I'm close enough to reach out and grasp her hand and she squeals with delight when she turns to me.

'Dorothy, you're here! Finally! I was beginning to think you'd deserted me and I was going to have to find some other way to stay amused.' She flashes a cheeky wink at Lincoln who accepts it with a smirk in my direction.

'I'm sorry we're late.' I ignore her comment, giving her a hug as Isaac collapses on the stool next to us, lifting a hand up in greeting to Lizzie as he does so. 'Blame this one. He couldn't find the bow tie that matches his shirt, so we had to turn the flat upside down looking for it.'

'Oh, right . . . blame the gay guy. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I'd had to drag you out of our flat kicking and screaming because you'd rather stay in and watch Jude Law on the telly than hang out with your actual friends.'

An ostentatious snigger sounds from behind the bar and I do my best to ignore it as I reply, 'Well, we're here now. Can I get you a drink?'

'Ooh, yes please. I'll have another white wine spritzer if you don't mind? Now, are you Ben or are you Isaac?' She turns to Isaac with a smile on her face and as they make their introductions, I try to catch the eye of a server further up the bar.