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Georgie smirked. “Says the guy who hates sports.”

“Shh! Don’t tell anyone!” His expression softened with amusement. “I’m trying to fit in with the locals.”

Passing a colourful row of newspaper boxes, they both sped up and crossed the intersection of Bloor West and Bay Street before the light flashed amber.

Georgie toyed with the lid on her cup. “Do you want to go over the notes?”

“Not really. I think you can overprepare and lose momentum.” Oliver crumpled the donut bag and tossed it in a garbage can. “Let’s talk about something else. Something unrelated like…” His gaze wandered for a beat then circled back. “McNally’s. Do you dance there after every game?”

“No, just Saturdays when there’s a DJ.”

“What’s your favourite song to dance to?” he asked.

“Lately, it’s been ‘Groove is in the Heart’.”

“By Deee-Lite.” Oliver nodded above the rim of his cup. “Excellent choice.”

“Technically though, it’s not my favourite favourite,” she babbled, her pre-meeting nerves loosening her tongue. “The DJ won’t play it, says it’s not cool enough.”

Lowering his coffee, Oliver’s lips twitched. “A sports bar is hardly Studio 54. What’s the song?”

Georgie hesitated, easing into a cautious smile. “‘Popcorn’.”

“The instrumental from the ’70s?” Oliver glanced sidelong.

“That’s the one, yeah.”

His snort-laugh earned a playful arm thump from Georgie.

“Shut up! I’ve loved it since I was little, okay? Haven’t you loved anything that long?”

“Yeah.”

“Well…?” Her face grew warm as she glanced away. “That’s it. I’m not telling you anything else.”

“Oh c’mon! I’m only teasing.” A sincere glimmer brightened Oliver’s eyes. “Listen, if it makes you feel better, my favourite song from childhood is ‘Sugar, Sugar’ by The Archies. That’s much worse. It’s a cartoon band.”

Georgie laughed, unable to hold back. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Shrugging a shoulder, he swirled what remained of his coffee. “I guess my secret’s out: I’m not cool. Never have been.”

Oliver’s self-professed nerdiness made her even more enamoured. His gentle nature, humility, and passion for history were Georgie’s catnip. She bumped him with her arm. “Hey, cool is in the eye of the beholder, mister, and to me, you’re Antarctica.”

His smile returning, he dragged his hand through his hair. “Whoa, I wasn’t expecting that. You’re too kind, Georgie, really.”

She grinned. “And now that we’ve both shared our questionable tastes in music…” She took the tiniest sip of tea. “What film did you enjoy most this year?”

“Well, I’m usually an indie guy, but I have to go with the populist pick—Batman Returns,” said Oliver.

“What’d you like about it?”

“Michael Keaton, for starters. He’s a great actor. So underrated. And it was the perfect popcorn movie. A fun escape. But also, Michelle Pfeiffer.”

Georgie cocked her head. “Dressed in an extremely tight Catwoman costume.”

“Was she? Didn’t notice.” His sly grin gave way to a laugh. “What about you?”

“I loved The Cutting Edge and Wayne’s World, but Enchanted April stole my heart.”