Page 59 of My Book Boyfriend
She bit her lip. “That sounds expensive.”
“It’s my treat.” I may not always have the magic touch, but Le Ciel does romance in all capitals.
“I’d feel weird accepting that.”
“I can cancel.”She doesn’t want to eat at Le Ciel.But the mouthwatering French cuisine …
“Will you have to pay a fee?”
“No. We do enough business there.” I call them to cancel, and they accept it graciously. “Where do you want to go?”
“Iris’s boyfriend’s band is playing downtown at this bar. They serve food before the show starts. Do you want to go there?”
“Yes.” I’m all for a more casual night out. That’s not usually what women who date me expect—or want.
We walk to the subway, and this time it’s running. She glances at me as if in silent acknowledgment of that night.
The memory of her face, all flushed in desire, her lips all swollen, flashes before my eyes. And my body heats up. I nearly groan.
Get a grip.
A year of abstinence wasnota good idea.
And dating your opponent right before the CEO decision is an even worse idea.
We jog down the metal steps, tap our cards, and enter the subway.
She bites her lip. “I hope you like it. The food isn’t fancy, but it’s delicious. And his rock band is good.”
I take her hand. “I’m just happy to be with you.” It’s true. It has to be a good sign that I’m being invited into her life.
The subway arrives, and we get in. It’s crowded with rush-hour traffic, so I’m pressed tightly against Lily, my arm curving around hers to grab on to the pole. Her hair smells of lilies again. The top of her head reaches up to my chin. I’ve never enjoyed a crowded subway so much before. Let’s hope the subway stays full all the way down. Also not a thought I’ve ever had before.
It’s not ideal for talking, though.
She tilts her head and looks back at me. “Are you okay?”
“Very much so.” I hug her with my free arm. She leans against me. It feels so right. Is it only because she thinks I will save the garden?
The subway races, rattling and squeaking through the stations, down to Broadway-Lafayette Station, where we get off. We follow an elderly, Asian woman with a bag on wheels to the stairs.
“Can I help you carry that?” I ask.
She nods. I bring it up the stairs as she follows more slowly, Lily behind her.
“Were you a Boy Scout when you were younger?” Lily asks me.
“No. Do they even have Boy Scouts in New York City?”
“They do. Troops come to the library every once in a while.”
“How do you get to be a librarian at St. Agnes?” I ask.
“I got my master’s in Library and Information Science at Queens College. I applied to the New York Public Library upon graduation, and I was accepted. St. Agnes was my local library growing up, so that helped a bit.”
The one-way streets down here are closer together and the buildings shorter. Cafés populate nearly every corner in this area.
“Are you working on a lot of building projects at the moment?” she asks.
