Avery gave Tom a quick kiss goodnight on the cheek and took the arm James offered, and after pausing briefly to make small talk with the doorman, they were walking the cobbled streets towards her apartment, the night air so fresh it made Avery want to gulp down mouthfuls of it after the thick, pungent smoke in the bar.
‘There’s something magical about Lisbon at night, don’t you think?’ James said. ‘I’ve still never quite got used to it, and I’ve been here for months.’
‘I can’t believe the twinkle of lights,’ she said. ‘It’s as if the rest of the world is sleeping, and yet Lisbon is alive.’ Avery laughed. ‘Sorry, I sound like a young girl transfixed with the magic of it all, don’t I?’
‘I’ll never forget how enchanted you looked when I first saw you,’ he said. ‘There’s something innocent about seeing a person enjoy something as simple as lights, and in a world as dark as the one we’re currently living in? There’s something rather refreshing about it. Reminds me what we’re fighting for I suppose.’
James stopped walking then and took off his jacket, placing it around her shoulders before she could protest.
‘I don’t expect you to be cold so that I can be warm,’ she said.
‘Well, that’s where we differ in opinion,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘Besides, I have four sisters.’
‘You’re telling me you’d give up your jacket for them?’
He snorted. ‘Not a chance! I’d let them freeze. But I’d expect their young men to give up theirs if they were walking with them at night.’
Avery wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the night air, or a combination of both, but she had the most overwhelming urge to drop her head to James’s shoulder as they walked.
‘How long are you in Portugal?’ she asked, instead.
‘As long as I need to be,’ he said. ‘And I’m not trying to be cryptic. I honestly don’t know. You?’
‘At least a year, I think,’ she said. ‘But I suppose none of us really knows what will happen with the war or how things will change. My father thought our boys would be home by Christmas, and now he thinks it’ll be before next Thanksgiving, but I tend to think he’s being overly optimistic.’
They walked in silence for a long time, their steps quiet. She realised that this was the very first time she’d been alone with a man at night, especially one she barely knew, but she felt oddly comfortable. Even with Michael, they’d never really been together alone. They were always on a double date or at home with her parents or his.Being alone with James felt different, more grown-up somehow. She suddenly felt a long way from the naive girl who’d left New York.
‘Thank you for walking me home tonight,’ Avery said, as they neared her apartment. ‘I certainly didn’t expect it.’
‘I think your friend was rather too inebriated to be trusted with your safety,’ he said. ‘He’s certainly going to have a sore head come morning, but his loss was my gain.’
‘Well, I guess this is goodnight,’ Avery said, reluctantly letting go of James’s arm as they reached her door. ‘This is me.’
He took the jacket from her shoulders, which immediately made her shiver, and then he reached for her, his hand gently closing over her bare shoulder as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, his skin soft as it brushed hers.
‘Second rule of being a spy, Avery,’ James whispered, his cheek hovering next to hers.
She went still, feeling the warmth of his breath on her skin.
‘Don’t let another spy find out so easily where you live.’
Avery shook her head as he took a step back, watching a smile play across his lips as he held up his hand in a wave.
‘I told you, I’m just a librarian,’ she said, but this time when she said it she started to laugh, which made him shake his head as if she’d given herself away.
‘Avery, can I be frank with you?’ he asked.
She nodded.
‘For all my teasing, this can be a dangerous city. Don’t let the parties and twinkling lights fool you into a sense of safety. You must keep your wits about you at all times.’
Avery swallowed as his eyes met hers, not liking the seriousness of his tone. If he’d wanted to scare her, he’d succeeded.
‘I wouldn’t want anything untoward to happen to you, that’s all.’
They stared at each other for a moment longer, before he shook his head and took a few more steps backwards.
‘Goodnight, Avery the librarian,’ he said, standing beneath a street light as he put his jacket on, his eyes still never leaving hers.
