He grinned. ‘I live to serve.’ He bowed, making a rolling motion with his arm, like some medieval courtier.
I shook my head, laughing. ‘You’re bonkers. And drunk.’
‘Not at all,’ he said, returning upright and gaining the height advantage over me once more. ‘OK, maybe a little. On both.’
‘You should get back to that taxi. It’s going to cost you a fortune!’
‘Probably. I’d much rather stay here with you though.’ He moved closer just as I stepped back, suddenly feeling awkward. Alex pulled a face. ‘OK. That came out totally wrong! I meant staying here now, not in there—’ he pointed at the door ‘—staying. I wasn’t implying that…’
‘Good. Because you’d be in for a disappointment.’
He put a hand up over his eyes for a moment, then ran it back over his hair. ‘This went much more smoothly in my head.’
I tried not to smile. ‘I see. So, you had it planned, then?’
‘No! Well, yes… I mean. Do you always have this effect on men?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I never fluff up like this!’
‘First time for everything.’
‘I’m blaming you. You’ve scrambled my senses.’
‘But apparently your cheesy line delivery system is still in full working order.’ I looked up through my lashes at him, now unable to keep the smile off my face.
‘That’s pretty indestructible, thank goodness.’
He looked down at me and took a step closer, taking one of my hands in his. ‘I really enjoyed meeting you today, Libby.’
‘I enjoyed meeting you too.’
‘Do you think there’s a chance you might enjoy meeting me again, maybe tomorrow night, for dinner?’
‘I think there might be.’
‘Shall I pick you up here, say seven o’clock?’
‘OK.’
He stood looking down at me, the smile fading a little, my hand still in his. ‘I really want to kiss you goodnight, but I’m going to be a gentleman.’
‘OK,’ I said again, mostly because my thoughts were heading along similar lines and it was suddenly all getting a bit warm.
He bent close, placing a kiss on my cheek, soft and chaste, but when he pulled away I saw the heat in his eyes that I knew was reflected in my own.
‘You should go,’ I forced out. ‘The meter.’
‘I’d be happy to walk home if it meant staying longer with you.’
Feeling the shy smile on my face, I dropped my gaze. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
He took a deep breath, and his own smile returned. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he repeated, then quickly stole another kiss and grinned before jogging back towards the waiting taxi. Sliding the key into my lock, I turned as Alex called out, ‘Libby, wait! I don’t have your number.’
I wasn’t going to be responsible for more time wasted on the grumpy taxi driver’s meter. ‘Charlie has it. You can get it off him.’
Alex nodded, then waved again, a big grin in place.
