Page 7 of Cinnamon Strudel
“Assuming my brain function went down the drain with my eyesight. Oh, and acting like I’m helpless.”
“But you also seem like a man too proud to ask for help.”
Morgan just shrugged and gave her one of those breath-taking smirks. “I don’t like asking strangers.”
“Would you ask me?”
“Yes.” Blue halted by a crosswalk and Morgan surprised her by dropping Blue’s harness handle and taking his leash. He then offered a hand to her, palm up. “Lead the way, darlin’.”
Ruby’s knees felt awfully weak for the nickname he’d chosen for her. She swallowed and tried to steady her voice—along with her knees. “Would you like to hold onto my elbow?”
“If you feel comfortable with it, yes.”
“However’s best for you.”
Morgan hooked his hand into her elbow, and Ruby blanketed it with her own. He stayed a step behind her, and she made sure to slow for each elevation change to the ground. How embarrassing would it be for her to make him trip on their first date—well second if she counted crashing his dessert. As soon as they had gotten their tickets—Morgan had insisted on paying—and entered, Ruby beelined for her first of many hot chocolates.
From their first step, they were surrounded by colourful, twinkling lights. The path they followed was illuminated by thousands of lights above them, leading them to a display of moving animal sculptures.
“Oh, that’s pretty,” Ruby marvelled, immediately snapping a picture to show Morgan. “Zebras are my favourite.”
He took her phone, his eyes turning soft and his brows denting oh so slightly over the ridge of his nose, giving him a bashful, adoring appearance. “Why don’t you stand over there and let me take a picture of you with them.”
She did as asked, unsure of how to pose. In the end, she clutched the purse hanging from her shoulder. She wasn’t a very slim woman and having himseeher for the first time made her nervous. The woman who’d dumped him was a bombshell, which made her afraid of his rejection.
“You look gorgeous,” he said as she stepped back next to him. “Do you always get dolled up like this?”
“I thought after our last date, I should step it up a little.”
He zoomed in and then held his hand out to her. “You got your nails done. Let me see.” Rolling her lower lip between her teeth, she laid her hand in his. “The red matches your dress.”
She’d spent all day trying to decide on an outfit and after deliberating for hours, she’d landed on a burgundy sweater dress with thick black tights. “I thought if not now, then when.”
Then when Morgan gave her that signature grin and dusted a kiss across her knuckles, her legs damn near buckled. “You got dolled up forme? Thank you.”
Oh god,if he only knew she’d even matched her underwear to the outfit. She never did that.
“So, tell me, Ruby, how is such a stunning woman like you single?”
“I could ask you the same, Mr. Handsome,” she teased, stealing her phone back.
Chuckling, Morgan took her arm, letting her guide him through the sparkling lights surrounding them. “I have a valid excuse.”
“Well, I believe men can be idiots.”
“Clearly, if they pass you up.”
She squeezed his hand, letting her head rest against his bicep for a moment. “I was in a relationship for a few years, but then realised I was only with him because I was too afraid of being alone. We lived together and shared most of our lives so breaking up felt daunting.”
“When did you realise you could do it on your own?”
She sighed and let her gaze wander. “There wasn’t really a clicking moment, but we got into one of our usual arguments and I made a nasty comment. When he asked if that was it, I said it outright. It was a little difficult because well, we couldn’t just leave so there was this whole living and despising each other phase while I shopped for a place of my own.”
“Why do you think it didn’t work out?”
“Honestly? It depends on the day you ask me. Sometimes I think it was because I wanted to change him. Then again, I often think if I loved someone, I would put effort into that relationship and make it about more than splitting bills and sex.”
“Is there anything you’d do differently after that experience?”
