Down Under With Dad’s Best Friend by Flora Ferrari

Chapter Eight

Candace

Seeing Sean standing by my table makes my heart race – and hearing his words makes it race even more.

Even if he’s only pretending to flirt, I’m here for it all the way. I want to know what it’s like to be courted with by Sean Fogarty, and I’m more than happy to play along.

I narrow my eyes at him, giving him a curious look. “I’m sorry,” I say. “Do we know each other?”

Sean grins, with his back to the table so the men he left can’t see his face. “We don’t, apparently,” he says, getting into the game immediately. “But I brought over a bottle of wine that I thought you might like.” He puts it down on the table, and I look from it to him. I’m more interested in one more than the other.

“And are there any strings attached to this wine?” I ask him. I feel like I’m playing a role – some kind of femme fatale from a movie. In reality, I’m just so grateful for the fact that he made an excuse to come over here. It’s lonely, sitting in a restaurant and eating by yourself. I’m not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

“Only one,” he says, gesturing to the empty chair opposite me. “That you allow me to join you for our main course.”

I incline my head graciously, with only the hint of a smile. “Then I accept your gift.”

He slides into the chair, and I’m dimly aware of a small noise from the table where he came from. Surprise, mixed with applause. They must have been watching us closely. It’s a good thing I played my part right. I deliberately don’t look over, not wanting to let on that I knew they were there.

“I have to say,” he says. “I like the view much better here than from my other table.”

“You don’t have to keep flirting,” I say, even though I don’t want him to stop. “You’ve already made it to the table. I don’t think they’re going to keep watching for very long.”

“Yeah, well, a guy my age needs all the help he can get to sit opposite a beautiful girl like you,” he says, his eyes twinkling. “I’m almost forty. Almost double your age.”

That realization almost takes my breath away. I’d known, of course, that he’s older than me. A lot older than me. He hung out with my Dad. They aren’t the same age, exactly, but they’ve been through a lot of the same milestones in life – except that I don’t know if Sean has ever been married or had children. It never really came up before.

But what else takes my breath away, as Sean flags down a passing waiter and directs him to bring his food to my table from now on, is that I don’t care. Not at all. His age means nothing to me. It’s just a number when all is said and done. And there’s so much more to him than a number.

He’s handsome. Maybe the most handsome man I’ve ever seen in person. He’s kind and caring and looked after me when I was lost. He did that before he even knew who I was, so it’s not like he’s just doing it out of obligation to my dad. He’s generous, both with his time and his money. He’s done so much to help me out today, and he didn’t even need to do any of it. He could have just told that guy at the station to get lost and then gone on his own way.

But he didn’t. He saw I needed more help and he stayed.

And that’s dangerous because now I realize that the crush I harbored as a teenager might be turning into something more serious.

It might be turning into me falling for him.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the week?” Sean asks, making me snap back to the moment.

“I don’t have anything set in stone, but there are some tourist attractions I wanted to visit,” I say. “I missed out on what I had planned today, I guess, so I might try again tomorrow. I’ll probably have to miss some things off my list for the week, now.”

He nods. “That’s a shame. I’m actually here for the rest of the week, too – I’m supposed to fly back on the weekend after this deal is definitely wrapped up and done.”

I feel a sense of disappointment welling up inside of me. It’s not like I expected any different. Realistically, I knew that he was here for a reason, not just on vacation. I should have figured that that would mean he didn’t have any more time to spend with me. Why would he want to go schlepping around the city with a kid like me? That’s probably what he’s thinking.

“We should make the most of this dinner, then,” I say.

“Why’s that?” he asks, taking a sip of wine and raising an eyebrow at me.

“Because after today, we’ll be going our separate ways to do what we came here for,” I say. Isn’t it obvious? That was the point he was making already, after all.

“Right,” he says. He puts down his wine and hesitates. “You know, I don’t like the thought of you being on your own out here. I don’t want you to end up getting lost again – or intimidated by another psycho.”

“Oh?” I say, my heart pounding in my chest. Is this where he offers to stay with me? To come and see the sights together? No – he can’t. Surely he’s too busy…?

“Why don’t I give you my cell number?” Sean suggests. “That way, if you get stuck again, you can always call me for help.”

“That’s a great idea,” I say, even though my heart just dropped into the pit of my stomach. I need to stop getting myself so excited. Why did I think he would want to give up his busy schedule for me? He’s a grown man, and he’s here to do a job. He takes that seriously. If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t be as successful as he is. I’m such an idiot.

I dig out my phone in order to hand it over, watching as he puts his number into the screen. I can’t help but look at my battered old purse, the way it doesn’t fit here. Not in this restaurant. Not in this fancy dress.

Not sitting opposite this man.

I’m not even in his league. He’s so far above me. I should have thought about that from the beginning, instead of getting carried away with foolish fantasies.

But what I said is still true. We should still make the most of dinner. That’s why I smile when he gives me my phone back, and chatter excitedly about how great the food looks when it arrives, and how it tastes even better. I talk and I smile and I laugh, and I try to forget about the fact that this whole thing with Sean is on borrowed time.

Somehow, I do manage to forget it. I have such a good time with him, that when I look into his eyes I don’t feel like anyone else exists in the world.

I have it bad – and I’m about to lose him for good.

Why did this have to happen now, and why him, of all people?

I need to suck it up and get over it – but not before I enjoy this dinner to the fullest and try to imagine that this night with him could be more than just that, one night.