"Maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever."
He knew it was her as soon as the door opened. Somehow, he'd become accustomed to the sound her heels made on the floor of his restaurant and somehow his heart still jumped every time he heard them. Why did that happen? It was almost like he hadn't known her for years. Why had he never noticed how green her eyes were or how cute she looked when she tilted her head with her smile? Damn, that look got him every time.
She looked good today. She always looked good but today her make up was deeper and darker and she looked... She was Carla. She was Carla and he was Nick and he shouldnt be looking at her or thinking about her or wanting her or, bloody hell, was that a new dress? Her legs seemed endless. That was definitely a new dress because he'd have remembered the way it clung to her body and made him want to kiss her and yet run away and hide all at once.
Who was that bloke? Not that he cared or should care or wanted to care but hell, he really cared.
She knew he was watching her. He always was. She could feel his warm eyes boring into the side of her head as she sipped her wine and schmoozed with a client. Truth was, she enjoyed it. Probably more than she'd ever admit, even to herself.
It wasn't that she found him attractive. Or maybe it was that she found him more attractive than she cared to disclose. It wasn't like he made her skin tingle in a way she'd almost forgotten. Or maybe he did, maybe he made her heart beat a bit too fast for her liking whenever he accidentially brushed past her. He seemed to do that a lot recently. Then again, she seemed to find excuses to dine in the bistro a lot more frequently in the last few weeks so who was she to judge?
"Flammin' ovens broken."
"Who me? I'm just bored of microwave meals darlin'."
"Missing you? No, I'm here for business and business only, Nicky."
She was fast running out of smooth excuses and soon, she'd probably give up trying. Soon, she'd admit she liked his company and liked even more the way his hand on the small of her back made her breath hitch. Soon, but not quite yet.
For now, she'd let him think she was focusing compeltely on the important business meeting and the actually rather attractive business man in front of her. Maybe he wouldn't notice her casual yet shameless flirting and the way her head flung back with a dirty giggle in response to something that Carla knew wasn't even remotely funny.
Of course he did.
Carla would like how his blood boiled with jealousy if she knew. He probably would have enjoyed the way hers had been known to do the same in certain circumstances.
She wasn't sure how or when this had come about, or even what this was exactly. Nick? She had standards, and he was so far from what she'd go for. Wasn't he? With his stupid face and his stupid laugh and his bloody stupid smile that was right under her skin and god, what a mess.
Nick Tilsley?
How had she not seen this coming and how could she even think about going with the ex husband of her ex husbands ex wife? God he did look good in a suit though, didn't he?
He was doing it again. He'd become skilled at infiltrating her thoughts without even realising. Carla could be quite happy, working on something for the factory or watching rubbish TV and she'd find herself with a stupid grin on her face, thinking about the stupid grin he'd had on his face the last time she'd seen him and fuck, what was she becoming. A silly school girl crush on someone she hardly knew.
Because she didn't really know him at all, did she? She didn't know how he'd fiddle with his ear when he was nervous or how sometimes he'd stumble over his words in a hurry to get them out. She hadn't noticed how he always put three sugars in his coffee yet always insisted he liked two. No, she didn't really know him at all.