Page 58 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
Cal turned to me as I made my declaration. Taking the spanner he’d used earlier, I tapped the same spot on the chassis. ‘Yep, that’s definitely it.’
‘Give me that.’ He laughed, reaching over to grab it back as I tried to hold itout of reach. But Cal was bigger than me and his fingers caught it easily. However, in doing so, his body was now rammed up against mine in the close confines under the car, our faces almost touching.
‘Have dinner with me tomorrow.’
‘What?’ I croaked, my mouth feeling dry as the sandpaper I’d been using earlier to deal with some rust.
‘Dinner. Tomorrow. You and me.’
‘Why?’
One side of thattempting mouth curved up. ‘Because we both need to eat. Because I want you to. And because I think you want to as well.’
Was I really that obvious?
‘But you said …’
‘I know. I know what I said but … it’s just dinner.’
Was it?
‘OK.’
Uh-oh.
‘Good. Now come on. Let’s get this bloody thing sorted before bits freeze and drop off.’
‘Off the car or you?’
‘Both.’
I reached for the lamp to focuson the area we were working on. ‘Well if that happens, frankly Sasha’s welcome to you.’
The thought of dinner with this man scared and excited me. In fact, it scared me just how much it excited me but right now – freezing my backside off but warmed by his laughter – I knew there was no place I’d rather be.
***
‘What about this one?’ Giselle was holding up a red dress for me to consider. I’dcalled an Emergency Wardrobe Meeting following Cal’s invitation, deciding I needed professional help in finding the right outfit for tonight’s dinner.
‘That’s nice,’ Xander offered through a mouthful of biscuit from his slumped position on an oversized beanbag.
‘You said that about the last three,’ I said.
He shrugged. Well as much as you can shrug ensconced in such a chair. ‘They were.’
‘I don’t want “nice”.’
‘What do you want?’ He frowned at me.
Giselle was hanging the dress back up. ‘She’ll know it when she sees it,’ she said confidently.
I flopped onto the floor beside Xander and took a biscuit from the packet. ‘Don’t bet on it.’
Giselle turned and folded her arms at us. ‘Stuffing biscuits before your dinner isn’t something I’d advise.’
I took another one and bit off achunk. ‘She’s going to make such a great mum. She already has all the catchphrases perfect.’
Xander and I were grinning like we were five years old again and Giselle was doing her utmost not to join us.
