“Um, it’s a novel.”
“Right up your alley, then,” James told Oliver.“Oliver edits fiction,” he added for Aurelia’s benefit.
“Ah,” she intoned, hoping against hope that single syllable would end the conversation.
Just then, David spotted a fellow teacher from his school and he and James excused themselves to go and say hello, leaving Aurelia and Oliver alone at the table.
“I’d be happy to read your book sometime, if you’d like.Give you some feedback,” Oliver offered.
Her eyes widened at the idea of sharing her project.It was still early days and nowhere near ready to show people, least of all someone who edited books for a living.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh.“No pressure here.I’m just glad to hear you’re writing again.”
She nodded at his kindness, then felt the compulsion to tell him more.
“I’m working on a sort of reimagining—thinking of what might happen to a character from another novel.”
That hadn’t been scary at all.In fact, it felt sort of nice to let him in on something that had been occupying most of her days and nights.
“Really?It’s a fun concept—reworking an old story or taking a character and popping them into a new one.I could recommend some similar stories if that would be helpful?”
Aurelia felt her breathing go back to normal; she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath.He hadn’t laughed at her or demanded to know which novel she’d had the nerve to borrow from.
“Actually, that’d be great.”
“Do you have any paper?I have a pen, but—” He broke off as he reached into his inside chest pocket, fiddling with something there.The restaurant was dimly lit, but she was certain she could see a faint blush rising up his cheeks.“Um, I have a pen,” he repeated, drawing it out of his jacket carefully, as if worried something might fall out.
“I have a notebook,” Aurelia offered, pulling one out of her bag and searching for a blank page before sliding it over to him.
She watched as he started writing out a few book titles and noticed his blush fade as he seemed to relax again.She wanted to ask if he was alright, but he’d already turned the notebook back to her.
“I’d start with these.I think they do a good job of playing with the old while making it feel new.”
David and James came back to the table, and Oliver slipped his pen back into his pocket.Aurelia eyed the list, noticing Oliver’s steady handwriting and how different it was from her messy scrawl, before closing the notebook and putting it back into her bag.
“Thank you.”
She nodded to him, and they exchanged smiles before David and James pulled them back into a conversation.
When they’d finished eating, David—wisely sensing an obligation—paid the bill.As James, Aurelia, and Oliver got up to leave, David threw his hands out as if to stop them.
“James and I are going to head home, but you two should feel free to stay.Maybe you can get another drink here or somewhere else?”he suggested.
Aurelia had had enough of David’s meddling for one evening.She made a face at him and then, afraid Oliver might have noticed, quickly tried to shift her expression into a look of disappointment.
“Actually, I have to get home as well,” she said.
“Yeah, I’d better get going,” Oliver agreed.
“In that case, you’re both heading in the same direction, so you can walk together,” David said, looking very smug.
Seeing no way out of it, Aurelia exchanged goodbyes with David and James, and then she and Oliver started toward the nearest Tube station.
“I’m debating whether to call David tomorrow to shout at him for not giving up on us, or to ignore him for a few days and see if that cures him,” Aurelia quipped.
Oliver was quiet for a moment, then said, “I didn’t mind seeing you again, but I’m sorry if it upset you.”
She felt instantly guilty, realizing she’d probably made it seem as though spending another evening in his company had been miserable when, she had to admit, it hadn’t.
