When I reached South Kensington tube station, it took all my willpower to stand still on the escalator when all I wanted to do was to shove past the travellers, run up the steps, and skip across the concourse screaming, ‘Yes, Jason, Iwillmarry you.’
I spotted him by one of the exits. My breath caught as I saw what he was wearing. Classically tall, dark, and handsome, he looked particularly hot in the three-piece suit he’d bought for his brother’s wedding last summer. After his firefighter uniform, it was my favourite outfit on him. Although, to be perfectly honest, with a toned body like his, I preferred no clothes at all.
‘Happy birthday.’ He bent down and gave me a soft kiss. I breathed in his musky scent and those butterflies went crazy. ‘You look good.’
‘Thank you.’ I whipped open my coat like a flasher, revealing the LBD I’d agonised over wearing for fear I’d be over-dressed.
He wolf-whistled and I flushed from head to toe. ‘I approve. Although you may be a little over-dressed for what I have planned later tonight.’
I flushed again and Jason laughed as he took my hand in his. ‘Shall we?’
‘Where are we going?’ I tried to sound casual but failed abysmally.Please say Luigi’s. Please.
He winked at me, grinning widely. ‘It’s a surprise.’
Oh my God!
It could only have been three minutes, but I swear that walk felt like an hour. My sweaty hand kept slipping from his, I stumbled several times and I even hiccupped, causing Jason to ask if I’d been on the wine before leaving the flat.
The Italian flag and deep green canopy of Luigi’s loomed ahead of us. My breathing quickened and I mentally prepared myself:must not look gutted if we walk past, must look happy wherever he takes me.
But we didn’t walk past. We stopped. We went in. He gave his name and we were led to a table towards the back where a bucket of champagne on ice was waiting for us. Champagne. Proper Champagne. Jason always said that supermarket own label Cava was overpriced. Which could only mean… Oh. My. God!
I put my glass of champagne down as Jason pushed the candle aside and reached for my hand across the table a few minutes later.
‘You really do look gorgeous tonight,’ he said.
‘You don’t scrub up too badly yourself,’ I whispered, barely able to speak for anticipation of what was coming.
His dark eyes twinkled as he gazed at me over the table. ‘Thank you. I thought I should make a special effort. It’s a special occasion, after all.’
Eeeeeeekkkkk!
‘I haven’t given you your birthday present yet.’
A shiver of anticipation ran through me. ‘No, you haven’t.’
‘If I know you, you’ll have spent all day trying to guess what it is.’
‘Me? It never entered my head.’
Jason laughed. ‘Yeah, right. I think you’ll like it. I was going to wait until the end of the meal but I’m too excited about it to wait. Is it okay if we do it now?’
I nodded.
‘There are a few things I want to say first,’ he continued.
‘Your water, sir.’ A waiter inconveniently appeared.Bottled water? Not tap? Crikey!I willed the waiter to be quick. ‘Would you like me to pour, sir?’ he asked.
I silently pleaded with Jason to say no before I wet myself with excitement.
‘It’s fine. You can just leave it. Thanks.’
‘Happy Birthday,’ Jason said when the waiter finally left.
‘Thank you.’ We clinked champagne glasses.
‘Now, where was I?’
