Page 24 of Wishes for August

As we made our way to the restaurant, I was enamoured by the excitement of the man keeping me company.

“And that is Madison Square Gardens,” Caleb said as we passed the large stadium. “I watched an ice hockey game there once, that was a lot of fun.” His smile was as bright as the lights in Times Square, and I was caught in the glow.

We continued on for a while longer. I would say it took us just over half an hour before Caleb told me we had reached Chelsea. I took in our surroundings - the beautiful buildings and trendy restaurants - and was thankful I was getting to experience this with him. Around us, people wandered around. Going in and out of the restaurants lining the street. The evening was cool, but it wasn’t deterring anyone from enjoying the vibrant city.

“Oh, there it is,” Caleb said, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards a small restaurant with a signboard outside proudly displaying an Italian flag. With his hand still gently gripping my arm, he led us to the hostess at the front and asked for a table. The place was busy but not overly crowded and we were lucky enough to be shown to a small table for two alongside the windows.

The atmosphere at the restaurant could only be described as romantic. Candles flickered on all the tables and smooth jazz music played through the speakers. Around us, couples and larger tables shared drinks and laughter. It was warm and welcoming and the aroma of garlic and herbs made my mouth water.

Our waiter came over and set down two glasses of water, breadsticks, and our menus. We ordered a bottle of white wine and he walked off, leaving us again to peruse the offerings. I looked at Caleb sitting opposite me. He was gorgeous in the dim lights of the restaurant, the candle light brightening the greensof his eyes. He'd rolled up his sleeves and, his forearms, resting on the table were toned and the muscles flexed when he moved. I roamed my eyes from his arms and back up to his face. I could look at him for hours, watching his expressions change - the way he wore them so unguarded on his face.

We sat in silence for a moment, me watching him, him watching me before I chuckled under my breath and asked, “What’s good here?”

Caleb tipped his head to the side, a smirk playing on his lips before he looked down at his menu.

His eyes scanning over it before answering, “The last time I was here, I had thespaghetti alla chitarrawhich was delicious. That is, if you’re a fan of crab?”

I was not. At times it seemed we were polar opposites. Maybe that’s why I was so attracted to him, so drawn to him in every way.

I wrinkled up my nose at his answer. “Nope. No seafood for me thanks.”

“So, no fish and chippy Fridays for you then?”

“Definitely not. I don’t mind the chips but hold the fish.”

“I eat seafood every chance I get, lobster is a definite, if somewhat indulgent favourite of mine.” Of course it was, Caleb was the fanciest person I knew, it made sense that lobster would be his favourite food.

“You have quite expensive tastes, Mr Winters,” I joked.

“What can I say? I’m a connoisseur of the finest things in life.” He winked at me and for once, I was the one blushing. I rubbed my hand against my cheek, in a feeble attempt to cover it but instead watched as Caleb’s eyes honed in on my movement. Did this man know what he did to me? How hard it was to just be his friend?

The waiter interrupted us then to place two wine glasses and our bottle of wine on the table.

“Are you ready to order?” he asked, and we both nodded. Looking back down at the menu, I decided on therigatoni carbonarawhile Caleb settled on the crab.

After the waiter left with our order, we sipped our wine, and I watched as the candlelight danced across Caleb’s soft features. It occurred to me then that I had never shared an intimate meal like this with another person. Is this something friends did? Branson and I ate out together most week but usually down at the pub.

“What's your favourite food?” Caleb asked, breaking through my thoughts.

“Oh easy, chocolate. Hands down. No contender.”

He snorted, “So, what you're saying is you have a sweet tooth?”

“Oh, the sweetest,” I replied, mirroring the wink he had shot my way earlier.

“Noted,” he said with a grin on his face before taking a sip of his wine.

“I like it here.” I turned to my right, looking out of the window at the busy street.

“The restaurant, or New York?” Caleb asked and I turned my attention back to him.

The twinkle in his eye had me breathless for a moment. I swallowed thickly, “Both.”

“Hmmm,” he mused, “I do too. The restaurant and New York. The company makes it that bit more enjoyable too.”

Given everything that had happened between us in the few short weeks that we’d known each other, I expected the evening to feel awkward. But it was far from it. Where I usually avoided talking about myself, conversation with Caleb was easy. Comfortable. He made me laugh with his goofy sense of humour and I found the more we spoke, the more playful he became, and the more I relaxed in his presence.

“So, Noel,” I started, my lips set in a sly grin. I had no interest in Noel whatsoever, but I couldn’t help the little thrill I got from pushing Caleb’s buttons.

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