of most of the women in there. 'That's a bit harsh. What about the men? Most of them are married and just looking for a night's entertainment.'
'Touche.' He came forward into the light and Dana found herself looking up into twinkling dark eyes. She looked away again. The last thing she needed right now was another twinkly-eyed charmer.
'I'm not, by the way,' he said. 'Married or looking for a night's entertainment.'
'So why are you here?'
He sighed as he stubbed out his cigarette. 'Baby-sitting. I have some clients visiting from Japan. I'm showing them the sights.'
'And you brought them here? We have wonderful architecture, museums, Trinity College and the Book of Kells,' she reminded him. 'Would they not be more appropriate "sights"?'
He laughed. 'Oh, believe me, they've done all that too. But they like their drink and they love their women, so here we are.'
'And you don't?' she asked.
He grinned. 'Yes to both, but I prefer quieter venues and less obvious women.'
'Then I'd say you're in the wrong place.'
'You too,' he said softly.
'I must go.' She smiled at him and went back inside. After a quick visit to the loo she returned to her seat and was relieved to see that the theatre bore had found some other ear to bend. Sylvie was nowhere in sight. Dana hunted in her bag for her phone and was about to call Sylvie's number when she saw there was a message waiting. It was from Sylvie.
Sorry, Dana, couldn't find you and was feeling tired so gone home. See you tomorrow. Tnx for a great day.
Home indeed, thought Dana crossly. Sylvie had prob-ably gone on to another club or, worse, a hotel room with that awful man. Despite her annoyance, Dana was worried. They didn't know anything about the guy; Sylvie really shouldn't take such chances. Dana felt more like her mother than her employer. She also felt more than a little responsible, given that she had brought her PA here in the first place.
Dana gathered up her bag and wrap. There was no reason to stay now. As she got ready to leave, the man from the balcony appeared and sank on to the sofa beside her.
'I thought we should get to know each other better.'
'I'm leaving,' she said curtly.
'Sounds great, where shall we go?'
She couldn't help smiling. He was attractive, in a reserved kind of way. But though his suit and tie were sober, there was an air of quiet confidence about him that she liked. 'You're very presumptuous.'
He shrugged. 'Maybe, but it's not often I meet someone like you.'
She sighed. 'You really need to work on your chat-up lines.'
'Let's go somewhere quiet,' he suggested, 'and you can give me some tips.'
Over the next couple of hours, they talked and flirted and Dana had the most fun she'd had in months. This man was exactly what her bruised ego needed. He was sexy, intelligent and had made it very clear that he fancied her. His name was Ryan Vaughan and he was a director of some Japanese electronics firm based in the north of the city. When questioned, it turned out he too had just emerged from a long-term relationship.
'Why?' Dana asked, as they sat in a small, cosy bar drinking brandies.
'She wanted us to settle down and start a family.'
'And you don't want kids?'
'Oh, I do. I just realized I didn't want to have them with her.'
'Ah.'
He sighed. 'Yes. She wasn't impressed, to put it mildly.'
'So you left.'
'No, she did. I would have been happy to go on as we were but her body clock was ticking, as they say, and she didn't want to waste any more time on me.'
'Hard luck.'
He shrugged. 'So how about you?'
'My husband left me because he says I didn't talk to him.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'Not a complaint you'd hear from most men.'
She laughed. 'True.'
'So why didn't you talk to him?'
'I did.' She looked away. 'I don't understand what he meant and he didn't hang around long enough to explain.'
He nodded wisely. 'I see.'
Her eyes narrowed. 'What do you see?'
'Well, there's obviously a breakdown in communication.'
'Oh, please! I'm too
'Touche.' He came forward into the light and Dana found herself looking up into twinkling dark eyes. She looked away again. The last thing she needed right now was another twinkly-eyed charmer.
'I'm not, by the way,' he said. 'Married or looking for a night's entertainment.'
'So why are you here?'
He sighed as he stubbed out his cigarette. 'Baby-sitting. I have some clients visiting from Japan. I'm showing them the sights.'
'And you brought them here? We have wonderful architecture, museums, Trinity College and the Book of Kells,' she reminded him. 'Would they not be more appropriate "sights"?'
He laughed. 'Oh, believe me, they've done all that too. But they like their drink and they love their women, so here we are.'
'And you don't?' she asked.
He grinned. 'Yes to both, but I prefer quieter venues and less obvious women.'
'Then I'd say you're in the wrong place.'
'You too,' he said softly.
'I must go.' She smiled at him and went back inside. After a quick visit to the loo she returned to her seat and was relieved to see that the theatre bore had found some other ear to bend. Sylvie was nowhere in sight. Dana hunted in her bag for her phone and was about to call Sylvie's number when she saw there was a message waiting. It was from Sylvie.
Sorry, Dana, couldn't find you and was feeling tired so gone home. See you tomorrow. Tnx for a great day.
Home indeed, thought Dana crossly. Sylvie had prob-ably gone on to another club or, worse, a hotel room with that awful man. Despite her annoyance, Dana was worried. They didn't know anything about the guy; Sylvie really shouldn't take such chances. Dana felt more like her mother than her employer. She also felt more than a little responsible, given that she had brought her PA here in the first place.
Dana gathered up her bag and wrap. There was no reason to stay now. As she got ready to leave, the man from the balcony appeared and sank on to the sofa beside her.
'I thought we should get to know each other better.'
'I'm leaving,' she said curtly.
'Sounds great, where shall we go?'
She couldn't help smiling. He was attractive, in a reserved kind of way. But though his suit and tie were sober, there was an air of quiet confidence about him that she liked. 'You're very presumptuous.'
He shrugged. 'Maybe, but it's not often I meet someone like you.'
She sighed. 'You really need to work on your chat-up lines.'
'Let's go somewhere quiet,' he suggested, 'and you can give me some tips.'
Over the next couple of hours, they talked and flirted and Dana had the most fun she'd had in months. This man was exactly what her bruised ego needed. He was sexy, intelligent and had made it very clear that he fancied her. His name was Ryan Vaughan and he was a director of some Japanese electronics firm based in the north of the city. When questioned, it turned out he too had just emerged from a long-term relationship.
'Why?' Dana asked, as they sat in a small, cosy bar drinking brandies.
'She wanted us to settle down and start a family.'
'And you don't want kids?'
'Oh, I do. I just realized I didn't want to have them with her.'
'Ah.'
He sighed. 'Yes. She wasn't impressed, to put it mildly.'
'So you left.'
'No, she did. I would have been happy to go on as we were but her body clock was ticking, as they say, and she didn't want to waste any more time on me.'
'Hard luck.'
He shrugged. 'So how about you?'
'My husband left me because he says I didn't talk to him.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'Not a complaint you'd hear from most men.'
She laughed. 'True.'
'So why didn't you talk to him?'
'I did.' She looked away. 'I don't understand what he meant and he didn't hang around long enough to explain.'
He nodded wisely. 'I see.'
Her eyes narrowed. 'What do you see?'
'Well, there's obviously a breakdown in communication.'
'Oh, please! I'm too
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