Free Equity (Balance Sheet #3) by Shannon Dermott Page A

it the other day,” he said, looking disappointed that he was late to the bro party. “It was bloody fantastic.”
    “Get your arse ready. We have stuff to do.”
    Griff started walking backwards and serenaded me with lines from the song along the way. “I love you in the most heterosexual way.” And he pointed at me before blowing me a kiss. As much as I wondered why, I had to love him for being such a goof ball.
    A bark of laughter left me that felt so good that I realized this was one good thing about this trip. He had a way of making me forget the shite in life and look at the bright side.
    After Griff took a quick shower, we headed out. It had been because my father had a base of operation in Scotland that led him to meet my mother. And that company survived his death. The first thing I did upon arriving at the office was to take a tour and meet with key people because I hadn’t been around in many months. Griff, on the other hand, went to look for security breaches in our intranet and web servers.
    By the end of the day, we needed a break and headed to the pub near home.
    Stepping through the doors, my smile fell when I spotted a man-sized hand on a very familiar arse. By the time I glanced towards the face, she was walking away and through the double doors to the back where the food was made.
    Next to the bar to my right, I spotted Ennis and prepared to ask him about the spot of red hair that ducked out of sight. Before I could ask, a dark haired beauty blew through the door.
    Keely stopped at our table before heading to the bar for an apron. With a roll of her eye, she breezed by without a word.
    Griff caught sight of me. I could feel the frown on my face. “Since when has she started working here?” I asked.
    “She never stopped.” He huffed as if I should have known better. “What’s crawled up your arse?”
    I looked at my best mate. “Nowt,” I growled, using another word for nothing.
    He rolled his eyes and flagged down Ennis who stood stoic at the bar. “Ale,” He shouted to be heard over the crowded room.
    Seconds later Keely strolled from nowhere and slapped down the ale, foam spilling over onto Griff’s lap. “Whi that noo’?” he protested.
    Keely’s temper was directed at me as she hadn’t once looked away from my face. “I’ll tell you whi’s wrong with the eejit. He’s aff his heidover that redhead lass.”
    The door that led from the bar to the kitchen area opened and that redhead lass popped through, holding a tray full of food and looking pleased with herself.
    “Whi’s she daen?” Keely asked.
    I said nothing and they both turned to me as my jawed dropped. Bailey began to serve food with a brightness I didn’t much care for. It wasn’t so much the smile as it was that it wasn’t aimed at me. She hadn’t yet spotted us and I watched like a voyeur, not letting my eyes stop from drinking her in. I hadn’t seen her happy since before she had left that motel room.
    Griff said, “So that’s the lassie that has your arse up in knots?”
    I hadn’t told him about Bailey. I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t trying to keep her a secret. It was possible I hadn’t told him because he would know. He would see through all my bull shite and know exactly what my feelings were for her. And he’d laugh his arse off if he knew she’d dumped me for another guy.
    “Oh, he hasn’t told you, eh?” Keely said, her scowl deeply rooted in her pretty face. “She must be...”
    Her words trailed out into a space I could no longer hear. My vision blurred with a familiar red haze. I stood, my chair scraping the floor with my sudden movement. I began to move forward with determined strides. Keely moved fast and removed the tray from Bailey’s hands just as I reached her. She stood at the table of four men where one previously had his hand on her arse.
    With a shove, I pushed Bailey behind me. She protested, but I didn’t hear a word she said. Griff appeared, blocking my vision. “Whoa.”