Andrew, after the unfortunate incident with the hook up girl, Janet, fell into deep depression. He thought he had been cured miraculously only to have such a let down.
He had been in his room for almost three days without coming out and Dawn, his friend , was really getting worried. They needed to be back in New York ASAP for the Annual General Board Meeting of Anderson Group. The meeting can not be held without Drew who is the principal shareholder.
"Come on Buddy, we need to leave. Why are you doing this? What happened?" Dawn asked from outside Drew's door, exasperated.
Though they shared everything , Drew had refused to say anything about the girl he had arranged.
"Drew, please open the door! Why are you doing this? Come on guy, we have seen it all, what's there to hide?"
Dawn continued pressing the doorbell to Drew's room. He had been out here for close to ten minutes. He felt like breaking down the door but that would be risking arrest from the police, in a foreign land.
He stopped ringing the doorbell and just leaned by the door thinking about the next tactic he could use to lure his friend out.
Just then, he heard the door click and open. He watched as an unkempt Drew peeped through the hallway.
Dawn's heart broke at the look on the face of his best friend. What has happened to him? Why did he look this bad?
Andrew looked at the hallway and when he did not see anyone he made to shut the door.
"He must have grown tired of knocking on the door." He sighed tiredly and made to close the door when he met with an obstacle.
"What the…!" Drew exclaimed but trailed off when he saw who was blocking the door.
"Dawn! I thought you left already? "
He asked in surprise.
"You wish! Drew? What is the matter? You have been closeted in here for the past threw days. And why do you look like that?" Dawn frowned at his friend's unshaven face and bloodshot eyes.
Andrew knew he could not continue hiding. He had to tell his friend the truth.
"I still couldn't get it up Dawn, nothing worked. My hope is completely shattered. I thought I had been healed." Drew said in a broken voice.
He felt like crying. He just couldn't. His pain was too deep. And the worst was the humiliation at the hands of that Lady who ordinarily would not be able to talk to him. It was too much. What did he do to deserve this?
"Oh Drew, I am so sorry! I didn't know." Dawn wrapped his hands around Andrew and gave him a tight hug.
"What am I going to do Dawn? I am lost. I truly am." Drew said in a small voice. The two friends continued hugging each other, lost in their own thoughts.
**************
Down stairs in the restaurant area of the Bed and Breakfast , Sophie continued to perform her hostess duty. She was happy that the handsome stranger had not appeared before her since that day.
Going further ,serving drinks and taking orders from table to table, Sophie felt a prickling at her nape. She had a feeling she was being watched.
She turned her head and her eyes clashed with very enthralling emerald green eyes.
Shocked , she held her breath.
"What is he doing here? I thought he had gone from here." Sophie murmured silently.
She continued taking orders until she came to his table.
"Can I take your orders please"? She asked pretending not to know him
And hi there Sophie. Nice to see you again. How are the boys?
They are good ,thank you and now your orders please?.
The beautiful man stood up from his seat and he looked all shades of handsome today. What a temptation! Sophie looked everywhere but his face.
" Sophie, look at me.Why are you avoiding my eyes? Look at me." Andrew asked quietly ,conscious of other customers.
"Do I make you feel uncomfortable Sophie?" Drew continued to ask.
"I am working, Mr Anderson, please. Do you want anything?" Sophie refused to answer his question.
"Okay, can you please meet me at the bar when you are through with work? I will wait for you."
"Why? Why do you want to meet me at the bar? What do you want?" Sophie asked in a skeptical tone.
"I don't want anything , I just want to tell you my story just as I listened to yours the other day. Will you come please?"
Sophie looked at her watch and did as if she was considering honoring the invitation. Inside her, her mind was racing with possibilities.
Does this man want me?
Is he attracted to me?
What is his story?
"OK I will be there."
"I will wait for you."
Sophie made to leave his table since obviously he didn't want anything.
"And Sophie," Andrew called.
"Thanks." He said simply to which Sophie gave a small smile wondering what she was getting herself into.
Sophie continued the rest of her day as usual, serving and cleaning tables. She noticed that Andrew had left about an hour ago.
They had agreed to meet at the bar at about 7:30pm. She looked at her watch and it was almost 6:30, one hour to go.
Thank God the triplets were at their grandma's place for tonight. She could afford to have a few hours to herself.
************
One hour later…
Andrew Anderson sat alone at the tall tables of the bar looking at the boisterous atmosphere feeling very alone and dejected. Once in a while he glanced at the door to see if Sophie had arrived.
He had mixed feelings about seeing her. He didn't know what had come over him to make him invite her over. Now he was wondering what to say to her.
He had to take the bull by the horns if only to test his theory because as he had been talking to Sophie earlier he had felt himself go hard.
The excitement was no more there because even with her, he may not be able to get it up. He just needed someone he could talk to other than his friend, Dawn who had left Scotland immediately after they had finished talking.
He had refused to go back because he needed answers and he felt the answers he was looking for lay with the breathtaking beauty that had just graced the bar's doors, just maybe ... .He had to find out.