Page 90 of The Reboot
‘Better get your skids on,’ he said, glancing at his watch.
She was later than usual because of the drinks party at work.
‘Thank you.’ She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then headed for the bathroom. This was shaping up to be the best birthday ever.
Ella’s new dress not only fitted, but was a little looser than it had been when she’d tried it on in the shop. She felt a little shiver of excitement as she did a twirl in front of the mirror. She’d done proper make-up, which was a rarity for her, and she was wearing her new shoes and silver jewellery. She felt great – not like someone else exactly, but a much more glamorous version of herself.
‘Wow, you look gorgeous,’ Roly said when she joined him downstairs, the admiration in his eyes giving her a warm glow. ‘That’s a great dress.’
‘Thanks. You look really good too.’ He’d changed into a crisp blue shirt and black jeans. He looked mouth-wateringly good.
It was a warm summer’s evening, and the restaurant was a short walk from Roly’s house. They had a table on a little garden terrace at the back.
‘This is beautiful,’ Ella said, looking around as they were seated. ‘I love it already!’ Fairy lights were entwined with climbing flowers on the trellises and coloured lanterns twinkled in the trees. Candles in boldly coloured glass jars bathed the wooden tables in a warm glow.
‘Yeah, it’s cool.’ Roly picked up the drinks list. ‘What are you going to have?’
‘Well, what I’d really love is a Corpse Reviver #2, but they don’t seem to have that,’ she said teasingly.
‘Oh god,’ Roly groaned. ‘Don’t remind me of that night. I was such a tool.’
‘Youwerekind of a tool. But you’ve more than made up for it since.’ She looked at the drinks menu again. ‘I’ll have a margarita,’ she said decisively, licking her lips. ‘When in Mexico…’
‘I’ll have the same,’ Roly said. ‘Virgin, obviously.’
A friendly waitress took their drinks order, then left them to study the menus.
‘God, I want the whole left-hand side,’ Ella said. ‘I always prefer the starters in Mexican to the mains.’
‘Me too. Will we just get a bunch of stuff and share?’
‘Perfect! A man after my own heart.’
The waitress returned with their cocktails in thick blue glasses. Ella took a sip of her margarita. It was sharp, strong and utterly delicious.
‘We’ll have the left-hand side of the menu, please,’ Roly jokingly told the waitress when she returned. They ordered quesadillas, pork pibil tacos, chilli sizzlers, chicken tinga taquitos, and a plate of nachos to share.
‘So, have you had a nice birthday so far?’
‘Yes, I’ve had such a nice day. I got lovely presents. There were balloons and a card in work, and we had cake and champagne. And now this.’ She raised her glass to him in salute.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
She shrugged. ‘I thought it would sound like I was angling for a present. I mean, it’s not easy to work casually into a conversation – “by the way, it’s my birthday on Friday”.’
‘You told the people in work.’
She shook her head. ‘They had it on my CV.’
‘Ah! I should have asked for your CV before I let you move in.’
‘You should. I could have been anyone.’
‘Luckily you turned out to be you.’ His smile flooded her with warmth. Was he flirting with her?
‘Taking your tenant out for her birthday will do nothing for your evil landlord image, by the way. You’ll probably be drummed out of the business.’
‘Ah well, I didn’t have my heart set on being an evil landlord anyway.’
