Page 41 of Hidden Hero

“Okay, Dr. Smart-ass.” He chuckled. “I deduce that you have come in to enjoy the meal yourself. You aren’t expecting company and are not on a date.”

“Give the man a gold star,” she quipped with a laugh.

He belted his laughter, shaking his head. “And I have a feeling you prefer being alone, and by talking to me, your delicious fish ‘n’ chips are getting cold.”

Her voice softened. “I never mind talking to you, Jeremy, but you’re right. I am here by choice. I was not stood up. This is not a pity meal where I had a no-show date. This is me having a celebratory dinner that I treat myself to.”

He looked again at the seat across from her and sat. Inclining his head toward her plate, he said, “Please eat. I don’t want your food to get cold.”

She opened her mouth to ask him why he was sitting down when she had explicitly said she was there alone by choice, but he had already raised his hand, winked at the server who rushed over, and ordered the shepherd’s pie and a dark beer. “Extra tip if you can tell the cook to hustle that out.”

The server laughed, saying, “The shepherd’s pie is already cooked in a big platter. He just has to plate it, and I’ll bring it right out.”

He turned to face Cora, and she lifted her ale and shook her head.

His brows lowered again. “What?”

“Do you always get what you want by a cute smirk and a wink?”

“It’s called learn what works and make it happen.”

It was an honest answer, and she couldn’t fault him for that. But shaking her head, she grumbled, “That would never work for me, but I can see how it works very effectively for you.”

“Cora, I can promise you that if this had been a male server, all you would’ve had to do is smile at him, and they would have done anything they could to keep that smile aimed at them.”

At that pronouncement, her chin jerked back slightly. “Thank you. I think.” She tilted her head. “That was a compliment, right?”

He laughed and inclined his head toward her plate again. “Eat, eat. I don’t want your food to get cold.”

She dove in again but felt self-conscious even though Jeremy seemed perfectly satisfied watching her eat. A platter of shepherd’s pie was delivered to the table within a moment. She hadn’t minded eating alone, but eating alone with someone else at the table and not having food had made her uncomfortable. Now, with his dinner served, they both dug in.

While eating, they kept their conversation sparse, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Sharing a meal with him lifted the pressure she often felt when having a meal with others, especially with someone she didn’t know well. Frequently, groups of people whose conversations seemed to roll around her in a way that she simply listened to but didn’t participate. As she finished her meal, popping in the last crispy chip, she watched as he scraped the bottom of his plate.

He looked at her again with a furrowed brow. “You called this a celebratory meal. What are you celebrating?”

She shrugged, hesitating. It wasn’t that she minded the answer, but she minded what most people would say. She considered coming up with a lie for a few seconds, but that simply wasn’t her. She breathed deeply and said, “Today is my birthday.”

She watched his eyes widen, but before he could say anything, she lifted her hand. “Do not… and I repeat, donotmake a big deal about me having dinner by myself on my birthday. I’m perfectly happy with my own company. I’m thrilled to enjoy a meal I like and celebrate my way.”

To his credit, he didn’t say anything, and while she usually didn’t feel the need to fill the silence, she continued. “I talked to my parents this morning and opened the present they sent. My coworkers know I like to keep things low-key, but they brought in a plate of brownies we could share. And I’ve been looking forward to this trip to the pub to have fish ‘n’ chips.” She waited, wondering what he would say, and was surprised to feel butterflies in her stomach.

He pushed his plate to the side, leaned forward so his forearms rested on the table, and held her gaze.

“I respect that, Cora. You’re a confident woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to do it. Even if it’s simply to enjoy a meal, even by yourself.”

His statement surprised her, and she nodded.

He leaned around, lifted his hand, and as the server returned, he said, “What’s on your dessert menu?”

“We have lemon meringue pie, coconut cake, chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, and homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.”

He looked at her and lifted a brow. “Birthday girl’s choice.”

She tried to press her lips together to prevent herself from smiling but was unsuccessful. With a wide grin, she said, “I haven’t had carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in years. My mom always made it for my birthday.”

Jeremy held her gaze for another moment, then slowly smiled. Not a smirk but a genuine smile that warmed her to her very bones. He looked at the server. “Well, there you go. We’ll have two servings of the carrot cake?—”

“Oh, wait a minute, Jeremy. I’ve seen their servings, and they’re huge!”

---