Page 93

She grinned softly. “Thanks.”

The waitress returned with their entrées: Georgie’s heaping plate of chicken pad thai and Oliver’s ping gai. He cut into the thick slices of boneless chicken and took a modest bite. Warm and succulent with a tease of garlic and peppercorn grilled into its crispy skin, it made any regrets Oliver had over skipping the hamburger swiftly forgotten. He shoveled rice onto his fork along with another chunk of chicken and dunked the mouthful into the lime and coriander dipping sauce, barely pausing to reunite the mouthwatering fare with his tastebuds.

“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” said Georgie, lifting her fork as she polished off her last spring roll.

Oliver chewed happily, revelling in the newfound flavours then swallowed. “Me too. I got lost underground in the PATH system this afternoon.” He winced playfully. “I was genuinely concerned I wouldn’t make it out to meet you.”

“Congratulations! You’re a bona fide Torontonian now. Everyone gets disoriented down there at some point.”

“I love the concept, miles of shops and restaurants underground. Must come in handy during the winter.”

“Too handy. Some people never venture outside!” Georgie ate a floret of broccoli then said, “This is nice. I haven’t been on a date in a while.”

Oliver nodded, cutting into his chicken. “It’s been at least two years for me.”

“Same. I hadn’t met anyone who piqued my interest”—raking her fork through the thin rice noodles, she glanced up—“until now.”

His grin met her rosy-cheeked gaze. “It was the mmmuffins, wasn’t it?”

A burst of laughter split Georgie’s smile. “Well, I do love a man who loves a good carb!” She mixed the sprinkled peanut garnish into her pad thai. “And pays attention.” Her focus fell, fixated on his pouty lips as he chewed. “I don’t mean to pry but—” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, I do…”

“When was my last relationship?”

She hid a half-smile behind a forkful of noodles. “Yeah. That.”

“Three years ago. We fizzled out after ten months.” Oliver glanced down at his dinner. Because she realized I was a people pleaser who worked too much. He scooped up some rice. “In the end, we discovered we had little in common. I wished her well and we went our separate ways.”

“Same with my ex, although I didn’t wish him well. He was a nasty piece of work.”

“Really? Was he abusive?” asked Oliver.

“No, not physically, but he was controlling. Arrogant, too. When we first got involved, I mistook that for confidence until I realized Kyle had this fixed idea of what his life should look like.” She set down her fork. “Anything or anyone who didn’t fit had to go. Over time he tried to shape me into someone I wasn’t, and I eventually pushed back.”

“Trying to change people is never a good idea.” Halving a piece of chicken, Oliver plunged the morsel into the lime and coriander sauce.

“He also made it clear I was spending too much time at hockey and he didn’t like Michael,” said Georgie.

Oliver paused his fork halfway between his plate and his mouth. “Really? He’s a great guy.”

“Yeah, a great guy who saw Kyle for who he truly was. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t always listen to Mikey. I should’ve, especially when things went from bad to worse.” She toyed with the serviette in her lap. “One night, Kyle insisted that I ditch him. I was livid and outright refused. No one tells me who I can be friends with. From that point on, I was done.”

So that was the deal-breaker. Oliver nodded.

“I wanted to end it right there, but we were in the middle of Valentine’s Day dinner at a fancy French restaurant. Kyle’s temper was unpredictable, and I worried I’d set him off in public. I needed to get through the meal unscathed, but unbeknownst to me, he’d purchased a ring and planned to propose.”

Oliver recoiled. “Fuck.”

“Yep.” Georgie lifted her wine glass. “Saying ‘no’ in a room full of loved-up strangers was mortifying, especially when he lost his shit and knocked his plate of crepes to the floor. The only saving grace was that he didn’t propose on the score clock at the Gardens. That would’ve been even more humiliating, having my friends witness my relationship imploding—and on Valentine’s Day of all days!” She gulped down a mouthful of wine. “God, I hate it. Silly greeting card holiday. I associate it with him now.”

Oliver’s heart crumpled. Giving cards and tokens of affection on Valentine’s Day was important to him. He curled his lip. “What an asshole.”

Swirling her wine around her glass, she grinned. “Anyway, he’s moved on to someone else, and I’ve finally kicked my addiction to whipped cream-smothered crepes. After that disaster, the mere sight of them makes me queasy.”

“Don’t you serve them at the Golden Griddle?”

“Sure do. I just pray people ignore the huge ‘Ask Me About Crepes’ button Knox makes me wear!” She laughed. “Life, eh? It’s funny how things turn out.”

Oliver tilted his head, marvelling at her resilience. Despite her ex’s cruelty and manipulation, Georgie was still hopeful, still open to giving romance another whirl. “I’m sorry you went through all that.”