Unforgettable Embrace by Joanne Clancy Read Free Book Online Page B

all, women can initiate contact.”
    “ Oh, I don't know, “Rachel worried, “won't that send the wrong message?”
    “ Don't be daft,” Jen said, “most men would be delighted if a woman asked him out, especially a woman as gorgeous as you, Rach.”
    Rachel blushed at her friends kind words. “I suppose I could ask a man out on a date.”
    “ Course you can,” Liz encouraged, “it's not a marriage proposal, just a date, an opportunity to get to know someone better. Maybe it will lead to further dates, maybe not, but it's good fun and good practice along the way to meeting Mr. Right. Who knows, you might even make some new friends.”
    “ It's all a learning experience,” Jen chimed in, “enjoy yourself and have fun.”
    “ But not too much fun, especially on a first date,” Liz grinned mischievously, making Rachel blush again.

 
    Chapter 8
     
     
    “ Good morning, may I speak with Rachel please?” a very posh male voice greeted Rachel down the phone.
    It was a week after The Boardwalk Blind Date Bonanza.
    “ Yes, this is Rachel speaking,” she responded, wondering which bill she'd forgotten to pay this time.
    It wasn't that she purposely avoided paying her bills; it was just that she invariably forgot. She kept meaning to set up standing orders and direct debits for the electricity, refuse collection and credit card payments, but all the paperwork and internet passwords seemed very tedious to her. Tony had always taken care of the utility bills and it was a new chore to which she was yet to become accustomed. They always send a letter to remind me when a bill is overdue anyway, she thought, and I always pay it then.
    “ This is Brian O' Dowd,” the posh male voice continued on the line.
    “ Oh, yes?” Rachel replied, still wondering who was speaking while she carried on typing on her computer.
    “ We met at The Boardwalk Café last Thursday evening, at the Blind Date Bonanza, to be precise,” there was a hint of impatience in Brian's voice now.
    “ Of course, Brian!” Rachel exclaimed.
    She frantically racked her brain, trying desperately to put a face to the voice and the name.
    “ I thoroughly enjoyed our rather brief encounter that evening and I was wondering if you might like to meet for dinner on Saturday night?” Brian asked.
    “ Hmm, yes, that would be lovely,” Rachel responded, still wondering what Brian looked like.
     
    Most of the evening at The Boardwalk Café had been a blur of new faces and nervousness for Rachel. She wasn't used to having to make a good first impression on so many people in such a short period of time. She remembered meeting several interesting men at the Blind Date Bonanza and she fervently hoped Brian was one of them. However, there were also a few men who she didn't find remotely interesting or attractive and she fervently hoped that Brian wasn't one of them.
     
    “ Excellent,” Brian sounded pleased with her acceptance to his dinner invitation, “I'll make dinner reservations for eight o' clock at The Vicary restaurant. Shall I pick you up at your house or would you prefer to meet at The Vicary?”
    “ Let's meet at the bar around half seven,” Rachel said, thinking she didn't particularly want him knowing where she lived at this early stage.
    “ See you then, Rachel, I'm looking forward to it already,” and with that Brian rang off.
     
    Rachel sat looking at her mobile phone for a few minutes, wondering how on earth she would recognise Brian on Saturday night. She'd been too embarrassed to admit to him that she couldn't quite remember him. She saved his number on her mobile and started to panic a little. What would she wear? What would they talk about? What if they didn't like each other? She suddenly and overwhelmingly wanted to text him to cancel their date.
     
    Instead, she decided to text Jen and Liz to let them know she had a date for Saturday night and that she was already considering cancelling.
    Jen texted back in no uncertain terms that