“Come on, tiny danger noodle. We need to go and get ourselves all fed.”
Danger barks at me.
“How did you come by him anyway?”
Sofia trips. “Uh, I..um, he was a gift.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. A gift.”
From whom? I want to ask, but I think if I do, she’s actually going to hike up her dress and run.
“So, food, what are you feeding me?”
She looks at me helplessly. Her scent turns bitter with distress. “I…”
“Sofia, it’s okay. Breathe. What’s wrong?”
She exhales in a hiss. “I don’t have any money.” The low admission costs her.
Her cheeks turn bright red, and I consider her for a long moment, trying to work out how to play this.
“Do you take bribes?” I murmur, trying my best to look playful.
She peeks at me but then keeps her gaze firmly fixed on Danger.
“Maybe. What kind of bribes?”
“I would saw off one of my arms just to have your company for an hour, but how about I buy us lunch, and you spend a couple of hours with me? No strings. Just two now-dating exes catching up.”
“We dated for two days. Three if you include the last twenty-four hours.”
“They were the most memorable days of my life,” I say to her with a wink.
She scoffs, but her smile has come back. “You shouldn’t be paying-”
“Please, Sofia?” I ask softly. “I’ve really missed you, and I spent years wondering where you were and how you were doing. Just a few hours?”
She reluctantly nods.
I change my plans, tossing out the idea to go to the café and ordering something expensive. I don’t think she will cope with that. The Sol’s have far too much pride.
I walk her down through Main Street, waving at people and trying to ignore all the people watching us. Word is going to get around town really quickly that we’re taking this dating seriously. Good.
The chip shop has had a coat of paint in the last four years, but everything is the same, even down to the same old bubblegum machine in the corner. I open the door and hold it for her.
The miserable expression on her face falls away, and her eyes sparkle. “Really?”
“For old times’ sake. Will you share a couple of dollars of hot chips with me on the beach? I promise it will not break the bank.”
She snorts a giggle and shakes her head. “Okay. Yes. This is brilliant.”
I lean over and kiss her cheek before she can say anything else, and then I turn away and pretend I can’t see her lift her hand and touch the spot where I kissed her.
“Hey,Harry,” I say with a wave.
Harry turns, spots me, smiles, spots Sofia, and beams.
