The Eleventh Hour

Chapter 30

We walked into the crowded bar and to my relief, up the stairs passed a load of security. I wasn’t too good with overcrowded places. From my experience in English clubs, it was as if we were heading up to the VIP area.

I was unsure where Nathaniel was leading me once we were up there, but he seemed to be heading right towards the bar.

There were a few people around it, but it wasn’t nearly as crowded as downstairs.  As soon as Nathaniel approached, the male bar tender closest to us immediately stopped what he was doing and looked at him expectedly. I snorted quietly – talk about special treatment. He was about to speak before he was interrupted.

“Er, oh no you don’t.”

I saw a flash of bright blonde hair from my left as it bobbled. I followed Nathaniel’s gaze to look at the woman who had just spoken, a smug looking grin on her face. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

“I’ve been waiting to get served for over a minute, there’s no way you’re cutting in, Mister.”

I managed to keep a straight face but it was hard. It became a lot harder when Nathaniel chuckled in response and walked over to greet her. “Jacqueline. It’s been months.”

I frowned as I thought I’d recognised the name, then it all clicked together. I had seen this woman before, the first time I’d ever met Nathaniel. She was on that flight I had to see to last minute, the flight which became the reason I was here.

“About four months too long.” She said coolly, but her smile contradicted her tone, no matter how fake it looked.

Nathaniel shuffled before turning to me and putting his arm round my shoulders, as if he was oblivious to her last words. “Jacqueline, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Lola Rose Summers. Lola Rose, this is Jacqueline Chambers.”

I smiled politely as she blinked, almost as if she hadn’t seen me stood next to Nathaniel until now.

“Oh, I didn’t see you there.” She smiled sweetly and took my hand.

Yeah, you didn’t see me last time, either. “It’s okay,” I smiled, giving her hand a quick shake.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Lola Rose. I’ve heard so many things about you.”

I smiled again, this wasn’t actually so bad. She seemed polite enough now she’d actually bothered to speak to me. “We’ve actually met once before. It was only briefly though.”

She raised her eyebrows as if this was news to her. “We have?”

“Yeah, back at Manchester Airport. It was a while ago.”

“Oh, of course! You were the flight attendant?” She looked between Nathaniel and I. “Is that how you two met?”

Nathaniel was the first to answer, chuckling. “Yes.”

“Well, the first time.” I added, thinking back to that night in the bar a few weeks ago.

“The first time?” She questioned in polite interest.

“Yes. But we bumped into each other again right here in New York a few weeks back.” I blushed as I relived the memory in more detail, how Nathaniel had to save me from the wondering hands of Mr Persistent.

“She had to be saved, more like.” Nathaniel cut in, as if reading my mind and looking down at me with mock disapproval. “Jacob and I had to peel a very keen male off her.” He said, speaking to Jacqueline now.

She smiled far too sweetly, her pale blue eyes crinkling at the corners. She then turned back to Nathaniel. “Could I... speak to you?” Her gaze flitted to me for a millisecond, and I realised she meant ‘alone’.