Page 113 of In For a Penny
Oh my God, he’s goingto think I’m standing him up!
My first mistake had been to decide to take an Uber for my date. I knew I should have taken the tube since it was cheaper and more efficient, but I wanted the ease of door-to-door service for tonight. I was already so nervous! And then I got stuck in traffic for what felt like hours.
When the Uber driver finally dropped me off, I wasn’t just ten minutes late for my date with Josh…I was also at the wrong location.
Turns out, I had entered the incorrect address into the app and now found myself eight blocks away from the actual restaurant.
Oh my God, I’m gonna have to make a run for it.
I look down at my shoes and groan.Of courseI had to go ahead and pick my highest and spikiest stilettos for tonight. I’ve suddenly gained full understanding of the termsuicide heelsand wish the universe had chosen another time to teach me this lesson.
I’m going to end up breaking my neck in these heels.
I take a deep breath, push the panic out of my head, stop my internal complaining, and remind myself that there is a very nervous man waiting for me at a nice restaurant, and I can’t keep him waiting. So, with the fear of death in the back of my mind, I start what can only be described as a hop-jog down the cobblestoned streets of London, all the way to my date.
I stop to catch my breath just outside the restaurant, bracing my hands on my knees. I can feel a drop of sweat beading on the back of my neck.
Ew. There goes my hair and makeup.
I feel gross and disheveled, but determined, too. Nothing is going to keep me from this tonight. I walk up to the restaurant and catch a glimpse of Josh through the window. I smile and feel my stomach clench.
This is it.
I take a deep breath and open the restaurant door. He turns to look at me and holds my gaze as I step into the warm and welcoming restaurant. Josh looksincredible. His hair is perfectly styled the way I like it in a relaxed but neat way. The blue blazer he’s wearing emphasizes his already broad shoulders, and the green tie around his neck highlights the malachite tint of his eyes.
Holy fuck.
“Whoa.” He takes me in, and I step toward him with a huge smile on my face.
And then I proceed to trip on the welcome mat, twist my ankle, and fall flat on my face.
I can’t believe I’m actuallycrying on a first date.
“I’m fine,” I say in between small sobs, trying to calm myself down. “I promise I didn’t feel it crack or anything,” I lie. Thecrrrackfeeling had been very distinct, but I know that if he finds out how much it hurts, he’ll use this as an excuse to cancel our first night out.
“Are you sure?” Josh asks, concern visible in his eyes. “Please just let me take you home and we can do this another time. Please?” he begs.
I sniff once and let him and the hostess pull me up.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I say, wiping my eyes with the heels of my hands, putting all my weight on my left foot. I catch the hostess rolling her eyes at me, but she quickly recovers.
Seriously?
If this had happened in New York, we would have been offered a free dinner by now in order to subdue any thoughts of a lawsuit. Instead, management at this place had barely thought to offer a bag of ice.
I look over at Little Miss Sunshine and say, “I’m fine. You can take us to our table once it’s ready, thanks.” She forces a smile and nods, motioning with her right hand for us to follow her. Josh wraps an arm around my waist, and I use him as support as I limp all the way to our table.
Once seated, Josh pulls a chair from a nearby table and places it across from me. “Here,” he says. “It won’t be very comfortable, but if you’re not going to let me take you home and reschedule tonight, then you should at least ice it and keep it elevated during dinner.”
I blush from embarrassment but accept his compromise. It’s not the most ladylike of positions, but I adjust my body accordingly, propping my leg up on a chair under the table—thank God for jumpsuits.
We stay well past finishing our desserts, forgetting completely about the time. It isn’t until the hostess tells us the restaurant is shutting down for the night that we notice the hour.
“Oh, wow. It’s late.” I frown, disappointed. I’m having such a great time. I don’t want to leave. I think about inviting him over to my place to keep this date going, but I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. I’m not ready to take that step yet, I think.
“How about a walk?” he asks, almost reading my mind as he helps me hobble out of my seat. I look down at my foot and snort. “Uh, right.” He scratches his head and chuckles nervously. “A very, very short one? I know it’s late, but I’m having a pretty amazing time.” He smiles sheepishly, and I see his cheeks blush slightly. I nod. “Can you make it to the Southbank benches?”
I try to control the ridiculous smile on my face by biting my lip, but it doesn’t work. It seems to be permanently affixed to my face for the night. “Yeah,” I laugh nervously. “I think I can make it with your help.”
