“Sorry?”
“You’re tired—or bored.We can say goodnight.”He began reaching into his pocket for his wallet as Aurelia scrambled to catch up with what was happening.
“No—I’m sorry—it’s just been a bit of a mad week.”She almost laughed to think of everything that had happened.“I mean, that is truly an understatement.”
“It’s fine,” he said as he waved over their server.
“I really am sorry.”
Aurelia reached for her bag, but Oliver shook his head to signal he’d pay.
“I… Look,” she began, flustered that she’d come across as rude with her yawning and distraction.“I tried explaining it to David, but he insisted we meet each other.I’m… I’m not really ready for this just now.”
“This?”
“This.Dating,” Aurelia said, waving her hands to sweep in Oliver, their table, the bar.
“Bad breakup?”he asked, sitting back in his chair, his tone almost amused.
Aurelia only just managed to hold back her first response—No, dead mother—and her second—No, I just seem to have inherited a haunted bookshop.One was unfair, the other wasn’t likely to improve his first impressions of her.
Instead she simply said, “Something like that.”
He nodded and said, “Me too.”
As he said it, his stiff shoulders relaxed for the first time that evening, giving Aurelia another glimpse of what seemed like the ‘real’ Oliver.
“To be honest,” he continued, “I didn’t really want to meet tonight either, but James was fairly adamant.”
“I’m going to guess it was David’s plan, and James went along since he knew David wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“That does seem to be how they work,” Oliver said with a laugh.
“It’s how he and I work too, apparently,” Aurelia said, laughing back and feeling relieved to be on even footing with him.
He paid for their drinks and they walked out of the hotel together, then stood on the pavement to pull on scarves and button up coats.
“Thank you for the drink,” she said.“I’m sorry again.And I hope you get over your breakup soon.”
“Thanks for that,” Oliver said with a smile.
Aurelia was momentarily caught off guard by a fluttering in her stomach—he really was handsome when he smiled.
“You as well,” he added.“So, what should we tell David and James?”
“We can tell them… It was nice meeting each other, but we just weren’t a match,” Aurelia offered, shrugging her shoulders.
“Alright.Well, itwasnice meeting you, Aurelia.”He stuck out his hand once again and she shook it.
She started to pull her hand away but he held it in his.She stared down at their joined hands, then looked up to see a question playing on his face.
“Would you mind—since… Well… Could I try something?”he asked.
“Try something…”
Aurelia had meant it to be a question, but Oliver seemed to take it as a request or a command.He quickly leaned forward and kissed her.It happened so quickly, in fact, that her eyes shut reflexively before popping open again in surprise.She saw his hand rise to touch her cheek and she closed her eyes again, willing to lose herself in the moment as he was, against all odds, doing an excellent job of kissing her.
When he pulled away, he had a bemused look on his face and seemed shocked at his own daring.
