‘I’d love a white wine, please. Whatever you recommend.’
Janet nodded at me, smiling, then looked expectantly at Jesse.
‘A bottle of still water would be great. Thanks, Janet.’
And off she bustled back to the bar.
‘You didn’t have to do that, you know,’ he said, once she was out of earshot.
‘Do what?’
‘Earlier. Making sure Janet knew this wasn’t a date.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ I replied, my focus now on the menu in front of me.
Jesse leant closer and, without consultation with my brain, my gaze raised to meet his.
‘Remember,’ he whispered. ‘I grew up on a farm. I can smell bullshit three miles away.’
I looked back down and studied the options.
* * *
‘You going to tell me this isn’t as good as some of the places you’ve eaten in London?’ Jesse asked. Gabby had just finished clearing the plates and had left us with the pudding menu, although there was no way I could find room for any more food.
‘If I did, I’d be lying.’
He seemed pleased with the answer and returned his attention to the menu. ‘Are you having anything?’
‘I really don’t have room.’
Jesse raised his head. ‘You’re missing out if you don’t. Seriously, the sticky toffee pudding here is beyond anything you’ve ever tasted.’
‘That’s quite the claim.’
‘And I stand by it.’
I closed the menu. ‘Then I think we’d better order.’
Annoyingly, he was right and he knew it. ‘The look on your face,’ Jesse said, laughing. ‘Don’t even try to tell me I’m wrong now.’
‘Have you ever heard of winning gracefully?’
‘It’s not about winning,’ he said, taking a forkful of the heavenly pudding we were sharing. ‘It’s about showing you what you’ve been missing.’
‘Smug isn’t attractive, you know that, right?’
His mouth full of pudding, he laughed with his mouth closed, his eyes catching the light from the candle on our table, bright sparks reflected in the deep grey as they too crinkled with amusement. Smug might not be attractive but Jesse Woods definitely went in the ‘hot as hell’ pile.
The drive back to his house felt more relaxed. On my part that was probably due to the two glasses of wine I’d had. I wasn’t sure what Jesse’s reason was, although the sticky toffee pudding had been an almost spiritual experience so it might have been that.
‘I am sorry that I went into the house again. I guess I wasn’t really thinking.’
‘That’s OK. I get it and probably I’d be the same.’
‘Partial to a Louboutin heel too, then? Not sure you need the height, to be honest.’
He tossed me a look in the low light of the car that told me not to be a smartass.
