“Brilliant. How’s tomorrow?”
My head shoots up.
“Since you said you’ll be working earlier, how about dinner after you get off work?” he continues.
“Din . . . din . . . dinner,” I sputter.
“Yeah. You know, as in food that isn’t a Tesco meal deal,” he jokes.
“I’d love to, only how about we meet in the morning? I don’t want to keep you out late if you have to be up at five the next morning. What time are you normally in bed by?”
“Nine or ten depending on how long my kit takes to polish.” He slides a fork in my direction. “But I don’t mind losing a little sleep if it means spending time with a beautiful girl like you.”
I want to melt when I hear those words. No guy has ever uttered something that sweet to me. Does he really mean me?
“Your kit is your uniform?”
“Uh-huh.”
I picture him sitting in a locker room, whistling as he takes a cloth and polishes his sword. Thinking about all the muscles rippling in his arms as he carefully works the cloth into all the tiny crevices leaves my body hot. I have to see him again.
“How about a compromise?” I suggest boldly. “What if we met for coffee in the morningandagain for dinner?”
“A double date? I like it.” His lips twitch. “Name the time and place and I’ll be there.”
“Eight at the Barbican Conservatory?”
“Deal. Now how about you tuck in to this cake?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice.”
I take my fork and attack the corner of the dessert that’s facing me. It slides in nice and easy, like a knife slicingbutter. As I take a bite, I can tell I’ve found a new favorite food.
“Mmm,” I groan. “I taste brownies, caramel, and something creamy...”
“It’s pudding.” He chuckles. “This is the pub’s version of a Death By Chocolate trifle.”
“It’s delicious.”
“Glad you like it. It’s a lot to handle, but I figured you were a chocolate fan, and we could polish it off between the two of us.”
“I definitelyloveall things chocolate.” I smack my lips together. “If I could, I’d eat dessert for every meal.”
“Youcould, you know,” he teases.
“Yes, but I wouldn’t be a functioning member of society if I did. I’d be galloping around London like a thoroughbred racehorse.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I close my eyes and shake my head. “Other than chocolate, what are your favorite desserts?”
“Victorian sponge cakes and carrot cakes. It depends on my mood. And you?”
I make a mental note to look up what a Victorian sponge looks like. A carrot cake, I’ve seen and eaten before.
“Um . . . key lime pie?”
We spend the next few minutes exchanging some of our favorite things. I make an effort to commit each thing to memory. His favorite color is blue. His candy of choice is Aero mint-chocolate bars. The food he most looks forward to is a Sunday roast.
