Three Minutes to Happiness (2 page)

“I’ll just…” Val sipped her drink, wishing it held at least a measure of alcohol. “I’ll follow you in a minute.”

A woman on her own hovered gripping a punch cup with white fingers. Val always hoped a stranger would make conversation with her if she was somewhere alone, so she struck up a conversation while Maggie stalked her prey.

“It’s not quite what I expected,” Val said in a low voice.

The stranger’s gaze pinned hers. She blinked rapidly. Swallowed. Then her mouth formed a wobbly smile. “Me neither.”

Silence stretched awkwardly for a moment.

“So, Love Grey’s?” Val asked.

The woman nodded. “I got carried away in the middle of the night.”

Val felt her eyes widen, and her eyebrows arch. Well, that was forthright, and sort of brave, admitting that she had such a pash for television doctors that she got
carried away
. “Oh, right.”

She glanced across the room to Maggie who was chatting to a tall, thin, intense looking man wearing a shirt buttoned up to the neck, with no tie. He peered at her through thick glasses and was punctuating his words with determined stabs of his hands in the air.

Maggie’s gaze met Val’s and the look on her face…

“I wanted to meet others, others who…you know.” The woman reached for Val’s arm and squeezed it tight. “Just to know that I wasn’t the only one. To feel less alone.”

Every atom of Val’s body urged her to brush off the other woman’s grip, to step back. But politeness held her in place. “Lots of people love Grey’s.” Her face ached from the plastered-on smile. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

The woman released Val. Her hand flickered to her mouth and she blinked rapidly. “I don’t know how to tell you how much that means to me.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and her top lip quivered.

Val glanced away. Maggie was striding back toward her.

“Excuse me for a minute.” Val slinked over to Maggie. “This is weird.” She glanced around at the doorway, where a couple had just wandered in wearing strange costumes, complete with gigantic plastic full head masks. “What the hell?”

“Dump the drink.” Maggie took the glass from Val’s fingers and put it on the nearest table. “Let’s get out of here.
Now.
”

With an apologetic smile at the nervous woman, Val allowed herself to be pulled out into the lobby.

“Apparently, this isn’t a
Grey’s Anatomy
party,” Maggie had said once they were alone.

“But, Love Grey’s…”

“Love Greys,” Maggie repeated with emphasis on the Greys. “As in, love little grey aliens. The guy I was talking to was telling me all about his abduction experiences.”

Surprise made Val gape. The only word that escaped was, “Oops.”

“Let’s go home. And if you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you!”

Now, Val wiped the condensation from the windshield of her Mini, and pushed the stick into Reverse. Hopefully this evening wouldn’t be a night like the Grey’s night. Hopefully, when she found herself sitting opposite a succession of strangers the three minutes would fly. And hopefully, Maggie would find a man, maybe even a doctor, to keep her warm at night, and stop her from dragging Val out on these dreadful excursions.

Chapter Two

“Come on, Finn, lighten up. This is supposed to be fun!” Sorcha patted Finn’s arm and looked around the crowded room with a grin. “You might even find someone...” Her words trailed off into silence as their gazes met.

Finn grimaced. “I’m not looking for a girlfriend right now.”

He liked his life just the way it was—he hooked up with Alison when she was in town, the willowy air-hostess didn’t want commitment or happy-ever-after, and they’d go to dinner then straight back to his home to bed. She knew all about Krista, his other part-time squeeze. In fact all his women were happy to take him as he was. He’d never lie to a woman, or promise them any more than he was prepared to give.

Casual worked. Why change it?

The sort of women who came to this sort of event were different. They were looking for more than a night between the sheets, they were looking for love.

Love was overrated.

The last thing he needed was a romantic entanglement. Business was booming. He and his partner Connor were designing three houses for private clients and in discussions over the build for a forth. His work was all-consuming. He sure didn’t have time for love.

Being in love dulled your instincts. Blunted your focus. Made a complete fool out of you. He didn’t have either the time for it, or the inclination.

“You might find a forever woman here.” Sorcha handed over a small white card she’d snagged from the desk.

A forever woman?
The phrase made Finn think of pet rescue places that talked of forever homes for abandoned animals.

“Put down your details anyway. You never know.” Sorcha waggled her eyebrows at him.

Finn glanced around the room and breathed in deeply.

“Ladies, to the tables, please,” called a tall blonde who seemed to be running things.

“See you later.” Sorcha squeezed his hand. “Remember, just be charming. You’ll be fine.”

The row of women seated at desks seemed to stretch forever.

“When the bell rings, switch tables, gentlemen,” the blonde intoned.

With his stomach churning, Finn slid on to a hard wooden chair opposite a sultry brunette. “Hi, I’m Finn.” He reached to shake her hand.

“I’m Belinda.” Loaded lashes batted up and down. “I’m a model.” She sat up straighter, pushing her torso out slightly, causing the low-cut front of her sparkly top to gape. “Tell me about yourself, Finn, what do you do?”

“I’m an architect.”

Belinda’s eyes widened. “Ooo, You must be an expert on erections then?”

*****

Every woman in the place was dressed to kill. Val dragged her bottom lip in and worried it with her teeth. And they all looked gorgeous. God, this was going to be humiliating. Would she be the only one here not to receive a single yes on her scorecard?

She glanced sideways at Maggie, hoping against hope that she would magically hate this whole thing too and suggest they did a runner.

Maggie gave her a double-thumbs-up.

Val stretched her lips in a parody of a smile, and focused on the piece of paper she’d brought with her. Maybe she should have dressed up more for the event. But jeans and a black tee with a skull dead center had seemed a good choice before she’d left home. She’d straightened the kink out of her short bob. Had made sure that the ends of her bangs hung straight just across her eyebrows. And had carefully traced her signature cat-eyed kohl around her blue eyes.

“Hi, I’m Andrew.” A man sat down opposite. A faint sheen of sweat beaded his upper lip, and his goatee trembled. He looked even more scared than she felt.

“Hi, Andrew. I’m Val.”
Three minutes
. She’d come prepared. There would be no casual tell-me-all-about-you bullshit on this table.

Five questions. Three minutes. And a yes or no decided.

Andrew’s adams apple bobbed. “So…tell me a little about you.” He propped tweedy elbows on the table, and stared into her eyes.

I’m a love-phobic divorcee.
Val shifted on the seat and forced herself to maintain eye contact. “I work in a bookshop part-time, and I also work part-time for a photographer.”

Andrew’s eyes skimmed her body in a way that made her itch to slap him. “Are you a model?” He smiled. The sort of smile a snake might produce, if it were able.

“No.”
Three minutes
. “I’m a sort of trainee photographer.”
Without the guts or the funds to make the transition to self-employed,
but Andrew sure didn’t need to know that.

“Ah.”

Andrew looked as though he was about to ask her something else, so she quickly cut him off at the pass. “I thought the quickest way to find out if we have anything in common is if I asked some questions.” She waved her list in the air. “What do you think?”

Andrew leaned back. “Okay, sounds good.” A genuine smile tinged with what looked like relief lightened his features.

“Okay. Question one. What does
Grey’s
mean to you?”

Andrew’s forehead pleated. “Grey? It’s a color.” Getting into his stride, Andrew beamed. “Not a color I’m particularly fond of, mind. I go for black.” His gaze lingered over her chest. “Enlivened with splashes of primary colors. You know, for ties and stuff.”

“Um…” Time was ticking away, and she wasn’t getting anywhere. “Great. Question two, what’s your idea of a perfect date?”

Andrew’s hand slid across the table toward hers. She pulled back without making it look too obvious. “I’d have to say that having dinner with a beautiful woman would be right up there. And then maybe coming back to her place for coffee.” He winked.

A buzzer sounded.

With a grin, Andrew stood and moved on to Maggie.

Five questions were way too many to get through in three minutes. So for the next four singles Val mixed it up a bit, asking each of them different ones.

Unfortunately, the unspoken subtext seemed to be the same with all of them. It was as though they were all listening to a silent soundtrack inside their heads that consisted of ‘Let’s get it on’. As a result, she had nothing ticked on her scorecard. And from the numbers swelling the room, there must be another ten men still to go. She glanced around. Maggie was giggling, and quite a few of the women seemed to be going all out on the mating display.

Where’s a drink when you need one?
Val puffed out a breath.

“Hi, I’m Finn.” A deep voice announced another candidate. Val’s head jerked front and center. And, as if someone had turned a dial, all sound in the room faded away.

Wow.
The stranger before her had thick black hair, strong cheekbones, and a hard jawline. The eyes that met hers were deep emerald green. Val’s gaze dipped to his mouth that curved in a smile, forcing a dimple into one cheek. She swallowed. “I’m Val.” To her annoyance, her voice sounded husky.

He was wearing a heavy Aran sweater in dark blue. Acres of it covered a broad chest and huge shoulders. The man must be 6’4”—at least a foot taller than her anyway.

He pushed a hand through his hair. “So, I guess you’re going to tell me about yourself?” He actually looked bored at the prospect.

The hairs on Val’s arms stood to attention. If he was so bored, what the hell was he doing here? She pulled in her bottom lip and chewed it. Maybe it was just the prospect of whiling away three minutes with her.

She sat up straight. “I’ve been doing it differently,” she muttered. “I’m asking questions.”

His gaze flickered to the piece of paper she was holding. “You have a list?” One eyebrow rose.

“I have a list.” She nodded to make her point.

“And if I get all the answers right, I get your number?” Interest flickered in his eyes as he looked down at the paper, as if trying to read it upside down.

“Maybe.” Her answer was more than she’d given to any of the men she’d already met, but to be honest, he was the first one who had interested her.

His fingers flicked in a ‘bring-it-on’ gesture.

“Okay, first question.” She glanced down the list and picked number three. “Han Solo or Luke Skywalker?”

“Princess Leia.” His mouth twitched. “Next.”

“Take-out or restaurant?”

“Home cooked.” His eyelids half closed, lending a dangerously seductive quality to his face. “I grill a mean steak.”

Val rubbed a hand around the back of her neck.
Is it hot in here?

“Disco dancing or waltzing?”

The dimple in his cheek made a brief appearance. “Neither. Can’t dance.”

She grinned. “You’re not very good at answering questions. These are two choice questions—you’re supposed to choose one.”

“Well, I’m pretty crappy at dancing, but if I had to choose one…”

“You do.”

“I’d go for waltzing. Or a slow shuffle so as not to show myself up.” His head tilted to the side. “Do I get to ask a question yet?”

They only had a minute or so left. And she had been monopolizing the time available. “I guess.”

Finn gazed at her mouth. Sparks seemed to crackle in the air between them, and attraction pulled the breath from her lungs at just that one, hungry look. “How many yeses have you ticked on your card?”

It seemed wrong to tell him, somehow, that none of the men so far had even sparked an ion of interest. But they hadn’t. She was here under false pretenses. Had no intention of finding a man tonight.

The thought of diving into the love pool after she’d almost drowned last time scared her witless. It was much safer standing on the side, if a little lonely.

“That’s sort of a personal question.” She crossed her arms and stared him down.

“I know.” He grinned. “But it’s the one I’m interested in knowing the answer to. And you only have seconds to answer it.”

“None.” There. It was out. She hadn’t chosen anyone to see again, and if that made her picky, so be it.

“Good.” He crossed his arms. “I haven’t said yes to anyone yet either.”

The bell rang.

He leaned forward and spoke in a deep whisper. “Tick yes to me. I haven’t finished with you yet.” He stood and walked on to the next table, not looking back or giving her an opportunity to reply.

The insufferable arrogance of the man!
Her gaze was glued to his jean-clad behind as he walked away. Gorgeous, and he knew it. So not her type. Her gaze flickered down, Cowboy boots. What self-respecting man wore cowboy boots in Ireland?

A hot one, a little voice inside murmured. A very hot one. She was his yes? He hadn’t exactly said so, but he’d certainly hinted that he wanted to see her again.

“I’m Phillip,” a voice dragged her attention back to the table. “And I love walks in the moonlight.”

She glanced at Finn’s name on her scorecard. And ticked yes.

*****

Nine dates later, and all Finn could think of was Val. As he said goodbye to yet another woman who hadn’t sparked his interest, he glanced over and caught her eye. She didn’t smile. Didn’t flutter her eyelashes. But a blush swept her face, and she crossed her ankles under the table before looking up at her next date.