Ten minutes later Caitlin and Nigel were seated in a small cafe about a mile from the clubhouse. Caitlin had ordered coffees and they had taken the seats by the window.
"This is great." She smiled at him hoping he would start to relax. "I was gasping for a drink." She leaned back and sighed in bliss. He said nothing. In fact he did not even acknowledge her.
It was obvious that Nigel was not used to being out with a woman. He was very nervous. His fingers holding the piece of paper were shaking and he was doing everything he could to avoid making eye contact. Nigel kept perusing the list. He didn't have the skills for small talk. And he knew his stutter would get worse because she made him nervous!
"Are you desperate to win this?" Caitlin asked him for want of something to get him to engage in a conversation. Who would be desperate to win a treasure hunt, she wondered.
Nigel looked startled. His eyes widened, as he wondered whether it was a trick question. He'd been coming to these things for years, though he'd missed the last one. But he had never even come close to winning. It wasn't the winning that mattered to him, it was the opportunity to be part of a team. An opportunity to meet people. Even if he rarely said anything to any of them!
"N, no, no, not re, re, really." Nigel swallowed and looked quickly away. His stutter was getting worse. This was going to be his worst ever time at this event.
"Perfect!" Caitlin grinned when he looked at her, his eyes wide as saucers. "So, how about we le just enjoy the coffee, then go back in a little while." Caitlin stated flatly and without a care in the world. She eased lower into the chair and rolled her shoulders to relax. She really wasn't bothered about the actual treasure hunt. She was doing this to appease her father, and Georgia and Elias.
Nigel looked askance. "He, w, won't be ha, ha, happy." The Adonis who made up their numbers was one of those go-getter types. He was also well known. He was a winner. He'd taken himself from the wrong side of the tracks and had made a success of his life. Women drooled. Men envied. He had the kind of life that Nigel aspired to. Jared was not going to be happy if they went back without any of the items on the list. And really, Nigel wasn't sure that he had the nerve to stand up to Jared!
"He?" Of course she knew whom Nigel was talking about, but she pretended ignorance.
"Jared." Nigel murmured.
"And we care, why?" She quirked a brow at Nigel. That had him frowning instantly. Nigel was confused. Didn't all women want to bask in the spotlight of Jared's attention? Shouldn't she be vying with Candy to secure his interest? Surely she would want to impress him? Perhaps she was going for reverse psychology. Or perhaps she was annoyed because Jared had chosen Candy. Whatever the reason, he was surprised by her stance.
"Oh, er..."
"Nigel, Mr I-know-everything D'Olivera, can do what he wants." Caitlin said. Nigel's eyes widened. Ok, maybe she really didn't like the man. That was really surprising. Caitlin shrugged, "We don't have to cow tow to him." She stated succinctly, fully aware that she sounded rather put upon. The fact of the matter was that she was disconcerted by the fact that he was a member of their group.
After the last time they'd met, she was not sure just how to behave around him. He'd rescued her. Her brother in law had thumped him. And she had flounced away without even saying thank you. So to meet, several months later should have diminished any lingering guilt and embarrassment.
But just hearing his name rattled her. Even if she'd pretended to be perfectly at ease in his company.
"B, b but we hh ha, have to ge get something."
"Ok, ok, fine.. But first we'll have coffee, then go looking, ok?" She sighed.
Poor Nigel looked like he'd have a fit if they didn't make an effort to please Jared. A pity as she thought she'd much prefer to simply sit in this coffee shop drinking their rather lovely coffee and staying well away from Mr D'Olivera. But Nigel would faint if she suggested they just camp here for the duration. Of that she was fairly certain. He seemed to be close to keeling over now, just at the prospect of returning with nothing to show for their efforts.
"So, coffee, then hunting." She smiled as she tried to stall for more time. Nigel nodded.
But they never made it. Within fifteen minutes Caitlin had persuaded him to tell her about his work. She had a knack with most people. She could do charm when she wasn't being cranky. She was a good listener. And according to her family she was easy to like! So getting Nigel to talk about his work was proving to be a successful strategy.
When he wasn't self conscious he didn't stammer, and he quite clearly enjoyed his job as a computer programmer. It was nearly time for them to meet up with the other two when he glanced at his watch. "Oh, no." He looked at the list. His eyes rounded in consternation. He looked up at her as if he was about to confess to misplacing the crown jewels. "We haven't got anything." He whispered, utter horror and abject concern in his voice.
She might not be scared of Jared, but Nigel was. He was not looking forward to fronting up with nothing to show for their time.
Caitlin smiled whimsically, and then figured she ought to try to ensure they returned with at least one item, otherwise poor Nigel would no doubt keel over.
"What's on the list?" She asked blithely.
Nigel blinked in consternation. She was only now asking about what was on the list? That didn't suggest any commitment. But then he knew that from the moment she suggested they stop for coffee, and then loitered for the duration. Why or why had he just fallen in with her plans? Nigel pushed the paper toward her with more than a trace of petulance and Caitlin scanned the list quickly with a barely banked smile. Nigel clearly wasn't happy with her!
"These things are hard to find." Caitlin scowled at the list.
Just as well they hadn't bothered, it would be hard to find half these items. A waste of time as far as Caitlin was concerned. No doubt someone with good problem solving skills would have figured out how to acquire these items. She chewed on her lower lip as she re-read the list once again, trying to find at least one item they could submit on their return.
"I know, but we haven't got anything." Nigel all but wailed in anxiety.
Caitlin banked her smile at his tone, it was as she'd expected. Nigel was going to have a hissy fit! She returned her attention to the piece of paper in her hand, and frowned at the list as she concentrated and studied the list again. Then she grinned as she reached a lateral moment of thought.
"Yeah, we've got one. Give me a second. I just need to go to the Ladies." She got up, grinned at Nigel and announced. "Could you settle the coffee bill?" She told him blithely as if their impending doom was just a figment of his imagination. He was not going to come to one of these treasure hunt things again. It was too stressful. Caitlin smiled, as she sauntered off, saying as she went, "I'll get the next round."
Next round? Nigel was fairly sure they would be skinned alive when they returned to Candy and Jared with nothing to show for the last hour. There would be no next round! He was a dead man!
Caitlin returned a few minutes later. "Ok, let's go." She grinned. "Ready to go."
"He's going to kill us." Nigel mumbled with reproach in his voice. And wondered whether it would be ungentlemanly to explain that they'd had to stop for a coffee because Caitlin was desperate for caffeine. It wasn't as if they'd even tried. Then he figured that wasn't a gentlemanly thing to do. He would have to shoulder the blame.
"And do we care?" Caitlin was quite happy. She didn't have a care in the world. Jared the Adonis didn't scare her. It was just a game after all. He wasn't likely to take it all that seriously. Surely he was just here to enjoy the moment rather than want to win. She sent up a silent prayer.
Nigel actually smiled. When he'd first seen her, he'd been intimidated. He knew who her father was, and that alone was enough to scare him into making sure he was the model of propriety. But she was also a beautiful woman, and that just petrified him. Beautiful women, in his experience tended to treat him badly.
When they entered the hall and spotted Jared and Candy instantly, Nigel felt his life flash past.
"See, they haven't done too well either." Caitlin told Nigel without actually moving her lips, as she threaded her arm through his and peeked across at him.
Nigel looked ready to bolt. Nigel wasn't so sure about the other pair. He knew he was shaking. Which was ridiculous! This was just a game! But why or why did they have to have Mr Adonis in their group. Caitlin could feel the tremors as they wracked Nigel's body. She kept him pinned to her side. Practically propping him up as they made their way toward the other members of their team.
"Hi," Candy beamed. She quite clearly was enjoying this immensely. A fact confirmed by her statement, "We had the greatest time." And from her grin, she wasn't exaggerating.
It was obvious that whatever she and Jared had done in the last hour had brought her a great deal of happiness! Both Caitlin and Nigel reached their own conclusions about what might have transpired. Neither was right! Jared and Candy had simply brainstormed and then gone in search of the items. They talked, well Candy talked, and he listened. But she was harmless as far as Jared was concerned, so he had no difficulty in humouring her.
"So did we." Caitlin smiled equally brightly, and her best not to tilt her chin up in defiance when Jared narrowed his eyes and focused on her.
He could see that she was somewhat nervous. Interesting, he thought. And wondered what was making her nervous.
"We got almost everything, we've just got another five to get." Candy sounded delighted, as if she'd just won the national lottery.
Caitlin banked her groan and tightened her grip on Nigel who was about to turn tail and scarper. Caitlin figured there was security in numbers. They could brazen this out! "That's great."
Jared was pretty good at reading body language, and while Caitlin was mouthing platitudes, Nigel looked far from happy. "How did you guys do?" Jared asked quietly sensing the desperation in Nigel's stance, and the feigned casualness Caitlin was deploying to cover her tracks. He narrowed his eyes and looked straight at her.
"Yeah, ok." Caitlin lied smoothly.
Nigel practically wilted on the spot. Her arm around his waist was keeping him upright. Nigel hoped that he wasn't about to be humiliated.
"We should put all the stuff in one car. We could put it in mine, as we are using Jared's car to get around." Candy gushed at them, caught up with the sheer thrill of being in the same pairing as Jared. The man was a legend. The chances of her ever getting quality time like this with him, on a one to one, was slim to nil. She planned to enjoy every second.
"Good idea." Caitlin said calmly noting that Jared was watching her carefully with a narrow eyed stare. Caitlin smiled at him. That just had his eyes narrowing further. She beamed. It was forced. He knew it. The trouble was he didn't know why she was smiling at him like that. All he knew was that something wasn't quite right.
"Ok, well let's do that, then we can look at the list and see if we can help each other get the rest of the stuff." Candy announced as if the plan was earth shattering. She and Jared had talked about strategy on their way back. She was just voicing one of the suggestions he'd made.
"Perfect!" Caitlin nodded. "Great idea, isn't it Nigel?"
He gulped. Literally gulped. Jared's eyes narrowed further. Why was Nigel so nervous?