‘Whoa!’ he said as he caught her by the elbow. ‘You been drinking on the job? You’ll get the sack if you’re not careful.’ He laughed.

‘That’d be difficult,’ one of the regulars chuckled. ‘It’s her pub.’

The good-looking stranger raised an eyebrow at her. ‘Really? I’m impressed.’

Scurrying away with a bright red face, Grace’s heart pounded in her ears. She hadn’t had much experience with boys. Having gone to an all-girls’ school, and raised by an overprotective, although well-meaning, father, she never got the chance to.

After taking the tray back to the bar, Grace went into the ladies’ toilets in an attempt to compose herself. She wished Marcus didn’t have the night off. He was as hopeless with men as she was, but at least he’d have made her laugh about the whole thing. Splashing her face with some cold water, she tried to cool her flushed cheeks. What an idiot, running off like that. What would he think? She looked herself over in the mirror. Was she plain looking? Well she was never the type of girl who got noticed at any rate. Fashionable? God no. Judging by the teasing she’d got from the other girls at school. Do your make-up in the dark, Grace? Go clothes shopping with your nan, Grace?

Her figure wasn’t bad though. Tucking the loose-fitting T-shirt she was wearing into her jeans, she smoothed the fabric over her flat stomach. Marcus was always telling her not to hide herself away in baggy clothes and to make more of an effort. Oh, God! How she wished she’d made an effort tonight. He must have a girlfriend anyway, and if he didn’t, he’d never be interested in someone like her. After drying her face, she left the sanctuary of the ladies’ room and made her way back out into the crowd, deciding to avoid him for the rest of the night before she got the chance to make an even bigger fool of herself.

‘You managed to break any glasses yet?’ A voice interrupted Grace’s thoughts as she sat on a stool at the side of the bar, nursing a Diet Coke. ‘I’m Nathan,’ he said and smiled.

He looked right into her eyes until she thought she might pass out from fear and excitement. She looked at him blankly for what felt like minutes, until he laughed. If it were possible, his laugh was better than his smile.

‘I’m Grace,’ she finally whispered, all the while chastising herself for being such an idiot.

‘Nice to meet you, Grace,’ he said as he extended his hand.