Page 43 of Love You, Mean It

The man was dressed in a crisp black suit that didn’t quite hide his burgeoning belly, thick horn-rimmed glasses amplifying thegenial expression creasing his boyishly pudgy face. He was vaguely familiar, in the way half the population of Milborough around my age was.

“Andy, thanks again for squeezing us in,” Theo said, photoshoot smile firmly in place as he reached for Andy’s hand. “Ellie and I have been meaning to get here for months. After the accident she forced some carpe diem on me.” Theo grinned ruefully.

“Howareyou, by the way? I mean, you look good, but I heard you were in the hospital?” Andy stared at Theo’s head as though its topography might fill in the details.

“I was, but I’m fine now, thank god.” Theo reached for my hand in a way that looked absent, but which I knew washighlydeliberate. Maybe he should have been a theater kid. “But it really put things in perspective. I can’t wait until Ellie and I tie the knot. I realize even more now how lucky I am to have her.” He gazed lovingly at me.

“Tie the…Fuck, congratulations!” Andy smiled widely. “I didn’t even realize you two were together.”

“It all happened so fast,” I said, beaming. “We just got engaged a week ago.” I flashed the ring, catching Theo’s appreciative smile out of the corner of my eye.

“In that case, let me get your dinner.”

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“No, no, it’s the least I can do. Besides, if you’re hitching your wagon to Theo, it won’t be the last time I see the two of you in here.”

“Not if I have any say in it. The duck prosciutto was a revelation.”

“That’s high praise coming from Ellie,” Theo said, leaning in conspiratorially. “Greco’s Deli has the best cured meats in town.”

“Of course, you’re EllieGreco. I’ve been meaning to get in touch.” Andy gave me a look of real interest. He reached into his pocket and plucked out a card. “We’d love to partner on sourcing ingredients. Involving local producers and suppliers is a big part ofour mission. Shoot me an email? We’re looking to revamp our charcuterie selections for spring.”

“I’ll be in touch.” I bit down a surge of excitement. I’d never thought about partnering with Post, but if the weekday crowd was any indicator, it could become a very reliable order. Even with a lower markup, that would be a nice safety net.

“Always good to see you, Theo. And wonderful to meet you, Ellie. We’ll talk soon.”

With that, he bustled away to another table, stopping only to flag our server and whisper something in his ear before turning on the charm for the next couple. We finished our drinks, left a generous tip, and made our way to the hostess stand, where Theo handed over a ten-dollar bill for the privilege of getting our coats back. No wonder they liked him here. While she was downstairs, he leaned close, lowering his voice.

“Don’t jump, okay?”

Before I could process that, his hand was at my waist, warm through the silk of my blouse, his nose practically in my hair. A shiver ran through me as Theo whispered again.

“What would you say to activating rule two?”

“Which one’s rule two?” A devilish grin overtook me. Something about standing there, pressed up against Theo, felt deliciously naughty. I couldn’t tell whether the restaurant was watching our little performance, but itfeltlike they were…and like it was working.

“The one where I kiss you on the cheek. For effect, obviously.”

“Obviously.” I twisted to take him in. He was gazing at me with that hooded stare I’d seen during our final practice session in his father’s driveway. The one that, for the life of me, I couldn’t spot as fake. “Do we have a big enough audience to make it worth your while?”

“We certainly have therightaudience. Andy knows a lot of people, and he likes being the man with information. Besides, you really do look incredible in that blouse.”

“In that case, it would be foolishnotto activate it,” I whispered, pulse starting to throb in anticipation, the heat from his hand blooming from the base of my spine through my whole body, pooling in my belly.

“My thoughts exactly,” he murmured, the words getting lost as his lips pressed against me, warm and soft, the hand gripping my waist pulling me ever so slightly closer as we lingered, skin to skin. My breath caught in my throat as he pulled away, a tingle running to the roots of my hair in a way I hadn’t felt in…I honestly couldn’t remember feeling it, actually.

And then the hostess returned with our coats, her bright smile tightening as she turned to me, and the moment was over. Theo held my coat up, sliding me into it with practiced ease before moving his hand to the small of my back again to lead me out. I risked a glance back and spotted Andy, at the side of some table, eyes fixed on us as we disappeared into the night. Theo’s hand stayed on my back as we made our way to the car.

“Do you think he really wants to partner with me?” I said, picking my way around a patch of ice.

“Absolutely. That’s their whole shtick.” He grinned. “Besides, Andy isverysolicitous of your fiancé. It’s why he’s always comping apps when I eat there.”

“And tonight’s whole meal? I demand another dinner as repayment.”

“Your wish is my command.” He flashed me an intimate look, hand tightening against my body again.

And the strangest thing was, as we walked down the sidewalk—Theo’s hand warm on my back, the glow of the meal and the drinks pulsing through me, the string lights the city ran between the old-fashioned lampposts downtown catching patches of ice and flecks of mica in the sidewalks, turning the world to a glittery snow globe—I felt genuinely excited about the prospect.

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