Page 36 of A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances
‘Today our chef has curated a special menu for you based on the concept of “Differences, working together”.’ Fiona beamed in a way that made it clear that this was her masterstroke. ‘We’ve paired ingredients that at first glance might not seem like they would work together into a coherent whole.’
While I knew my face would read as enthusiastic I inwardly groaned and prepared my grumbling stomach for dishes like gorgonzola ice cream. My phone pinged.
Do you think there will be popping candy in anything?
He’d found me on the company Teams. There was no escaping him. I gave myself a silent pep talk. Boundaries and professionalism – they were the bywords of today, and the next few weeks. I could handle work-related emails but was chatting on Teams too intimate?
Almost certainly. I also think odds of edible flowers are incredibly high.
I stared at the message I’d typed out. My finger hovered over the screen. It would be unprofessional to ignore a message from a client. I pressed send.
I saw Alex check his phone and then smile.
Haha.
I exhaled. Then another messaged popped up.
I remember every part of that dinner.
So do I.I mentally composed a message I was absolutely not going to send then threw my phone into my bag under the table.
Chapter 17
THEN
‘You came,’ Alex said as soon as I reached him at the entrance to the quad. He tugged the hem of his tuxedo jacket as if he could stretch the fine wool into something less restrictive.
‘Did you think I’d stand you up?’ I asked. He shrugged as he smiled sheepishly. It was the first time I’d seen a chip in his patina of confidence.
‘I wasn’t sure if the Shelley Society was your idea of fun,’ he said. There was colour in his cheeks as if he’d been exercising just before he’d pulled on his suit. It looked like he’d attempted to brush his hair: his normally tousled mane was smooth though still buoyant. And was it the early evening light, or did his hair look more golden?
‘I didn’t have you down as the kind of guy who was part of a secret society,’ I replied.
‘I’m not. It’s all undergrads, but they have to invite one grad student to minimise the chance they end up in theDaily Mail,’ he said.
‘So, you’re basically an overqualified babysitter?’
He laughed. I felt my spaghetti strap–covered shoulders relax slightly.
‘Was that pub guy okay?’ I asked.
‘Totally fine. Just needed a few stitches,’ he said. ‘Sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye.’
‘It’s okay. I know dealing with random medical incidents is part of the doctor thing.’
‘I promise that tonight if someone starts to drown in their soup or lights their hair on fire with a candelabra, I’ll ignore them.’
‘Deal,’ I said, biting my bottom lip to stop my smile.
‘Should we go eat some free food?’ he asked. He offered me the crook of his elbow, albeit in an exaggerated way, as if he understood that everything about tonight was inherently bizarre – the ancient buildings, the formalwear, the promise of an evening filled with archaic traditions. But at the same time, I was giddy. Maybe the English were onto something. Maybe they knew that if you conjured up a beautiful backdrop and put everyone in flattering costumes, the magic would come. I took his arm.
As if it wasn’t enough that we were in a medieval dining room covered in an array of hallmarked silverware, the dinner had a theme. According to the embossed menu in front of me, every course would engage a different one of our senses.
Seated next to Alex, I could smell a hint of his lime shower gel and see the fire in his eyes as he quizzed the girl sitting next to him about her dissertation. I could hear his gravelly voice asking question after question. I could feel his pinkie finger occasionally brushing against mine. As the notion of taste made me blush, Alex turned to me.
‘“Sight”?’ Alex guessed. We’d each been delivered a salad that had been made to look like a garden – all flowers (edible, Iguessed) and carefully selected pieces of micro-herbs. Dark oils were artfully dotted around the plate.
‘“Smell”,’ I replied, checking the ornate menu. ‘It features a lot of infused oils.’
