Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
The annoying thing about it was that I didn’t even like Dean. I mean, he was conventionally attractive, but he was also arrogant and bossy. I’d just signed my divorce papers that week and was feeling all over the place emotionally. So, when I’d had a little too much to drink at the party, and Dean had offered to share a taxi back to our respective houses since they were on the same route, I’d made the terrible mistake of kissing him. And yes, I’d been the one to make the first move. I’d just been so distraught about my marriage ending, and I’d needed Jace not to be the last man I’d kissed.
Thankfully, a kiss was as far as it went, but ever since then, Dean acted like I had some secret crush on him. I suspected he liked to tell our other coworkers that I was obsessed with him just to boost his own ego. What he didn’t tell them was that a few weeks after the party, he’d asked me out, and I’d declined. He’d responded by saying it was probably for the best since he didn’t need to be saddling himself with a single mother.
So, yeah, bullet dodged. The only downside was I sometimes ran into him at the office. Also, no one at work knew who my ex-husband was. I’d always managed to keep that information private to avoid people trying to befriend me just to get close to Jace and his band members.
I was heading out to grab some lunch when Dean entered the lobby.
“Shannon, long time, no see. How has everything been going with the site for our new German clients?”
“The build is running smoothly so far,” I replied.
“Well, let me know if there are any hiccups. We like to stay on top of these things, ensure everyone has a satisfying experience.”
Ugh, what was with his tone on that last bit? Was he making an innuendo? Something about his smarmy expression told me he was.
“Will do.”
I was about to move past him when he continued, “Oh, and I saw that your ex-husband’s band is busking on Grafton Street today. Are you heading out to watch them?”
I stared at him in stunned silence, and he looked purely delighted to have taken me off guard. What was it with some people and never being able to get over a rejection? Clearly, Dean was still irritated that I’d said no to the date and was delighted to reveal he had insider information on my private life.
“How do you—”
“My flatmate is a huge Astro fan. Can you imagine my surprise when she was looking at clips of their old award show appearances, and I see you on the arm of the lead singer? I told her that you were a colleague of mine, and she was only too happy to tell me all about your relationship and divorce. You were childhood sweethearts, right?”
“Dean, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t spread this information around the office. I prefer to keep my personal life private.”
“Of course. It can be our little secret,” he said, preening, and I wanted to slap the smug look off his face. I managed to remain cordial.
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Enjoy your lunch!” Dean called after me as I left the building. Something about the interaction made me feel uneasy. I mean, I’d regretted drunkenly kissing Dean every day since it had happened. But after I’d rejected him, there’d just been something off about him. Like he had this weird need for payback.
Remembering what he’d said about Astro playing a free gig on Grafton Street, I found myself heading that way. It was only a short walk from my office. Jace and his band used to busk all the time before they were famous and every once in a blue moon would turn up for a surprise show for old times’ sake. They’d only announce it on their social media maybe an hour before it started so people needed to either already be in the area or drop everything to try and get there.
Despite being much more famous in other countries, they still had a loyal fanbase in Ireland, and I imagined at least a couple hundred people would turn up. I knew it was probably a bad idea to go, but my curiosity was urging me to check it out. It had been so long since I’d seen Jace perform, and something in me yearned for it. Avoiding listening to his music all this time had hardly lessened my feelings for him, nor made our broken marriage any less painful.
Maybe exposure would work better than avoidance. I needed to not be afraid of something as innocuous as a few songs.
As I made my way down Anne Street, I could already hear the crowd cheering. Then, as I rounded the corner and saw the gathering, my mouth fell open. There had to be a thousand people or more. The band was in the middle of one of their older hits, “October Sunset.” It had a catchy chorus, and the crowd sang along to every word. Goosebumps rose along my arms as I watched Jace sing and play, the powerful way he commanded the attention of everyone around him. He’d taken off the denim jacket he’d had on this morning, now wearing just the white T-shirt, and I was transfixed by how his muscles moved.