“Oh.” My body warms. “I’m a lightweight—a little alcohol is all it takes to make me tipsy and...”
“You don’t have to explain.” His eyes are soft. “Have whatever you’d like. I just want you to know that I don’t plan to let you take the Tube alone tonight.”
That stops me in my tracks. “You don’t?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I have two younger sisters and I’d never let them take public transit home at night, especially on a weekend. I’d planned to drive you myself.”
“You keep a car in London?”
“I don’t, but I called in a favors and I have a car on standby.” He crosses his arms. “So, what will it be? A Shirley Temple?”
“Yes please.”
“Brilliant. I’ll be right back.”
As Sam turns to leave, I’m struck by his thoughtfulness and his sincerity. He must’ve planned out tonight if has a car on standby. Not having to take the Tube home late is a weight off my mind. I’m a twenty-six-year-old adult woman and I shouldn’t be nervous, but I am.
I haven’t had anything bad happen to me here, but in LA, I had a guy follow me home from the Metro one night when I was coming from LABT, and it put me off public transit for a long time. When I moved here, as a broke student, I knew I didn’t have much choice when it came to getting around the city.
I’ve had to face my fears, and for the most part, and I’ve gotten over them. But at night, I can’t stop myself from being on high alert, just in case.
Sam returnswith the cherry-red drink for me, a plain Coke for himself, and an order of fish and chips to split.
“I should’ve asked what you wanted before I got up to the bar.” He sets the basket and glasses down on the table and settles into the seat across from me. “This is what we usually get when I come here with the guys. I figured it’s a classic. You can’t go too wrong with it.”
The scent of the fries and fresh fish are intoxicating. I lick my lips. “This is great. I’m starving.”
“Phew.” He pretends to mop his brow.
“When you’re a poor student, you learn early on that you can’t be too picky when it comes to food. Believe me when I say this is definitely a step up from Tesco’s meal deal.” As if to prove a point, I savor the flavor of the fry, let it melt in my mouth, and moan. Delicious.
“The same’s true of the food we get at the barracks. It may be free, but it’s bland.” Sam glances around us and lowers his voice. “Don’t tell any of the army cooks I said that.”
I zip my lips closed and toss away the key, then reach for a fry. “How long have you been in the army?”
“A year and a half, give or take.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“It’s like any job. It’s got its pros and cons.”
I nod in agreement.
“Career-wise, joining the army is one of the best moves I’ve ever made. I’ve been able to make some brilliant, lifelong friends and discover who I am.” He takes a sip of his Coke. As he smacks his lips together, I can’t help but notice how full they are. “But it’s not without sacrifices. Take our families, for instance—we have to be away from them for extended periods of time.”
“And where is home for you?”
“Bex Hill in East Sussex.”
My brain forms a mental map of the UK. I know Sussex is a county to the south of London, but Bex Hill is not a town I’m familiar with. “Er...”
“Have you heard of the Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror?”
“Yes?”
“Bex Hill is a suburb of Hastings.” He helps himself to a big piece of fish. “It’s right on the sea, two towns over.”
“OK, I think I know where that is.”
