As the waitress neared the table, Nathan looked round.
‘Dessert.’ The women – both dressed in black tights, knee-length skirts, black shirts and green ties – smiled.
‘But we haven’t ordered.’ Nathan looked confused.
Lisa smiled and tried to keep her voice even, despite the fact her butterflieshad gone into a frenzied flight in the pit of her stomach. ‘We’ll take it, thank you.’ Her heart was thumping and she could hear the rush of blood in her ears. Lisa took a breath.
The first waitress placed the red cardboard box tied with a black ribbon down in front of them while the second laid down plates, forks and a knife before they both smiled knowingly at Lisa and excused themselves.
Nathan looked at Lisa, a slight grin tugging at his lips. ‘What’s this?’
‘Your Valentine’s gift. You’ve got to open it.’
‘Is something going to jump out at me?’
‘No. Open it.’
‘Will I like it?’
‘I hope so.’I really hope so.Lisa watched nervously while Nathan pulled at the ribbon. People at the nearest table were glancing over, and Lisa hoped they would soon lose interestso she and Nathan could share their moment with a degree of privacy. As he opened the box, an intensely sweet and chocolatey aroma filled the air. Lisa’s mouth watered at the smell and the sight of the honeycomb, fudge, nougat, coconut ice, jellybeans and marshmallows encrusted in milk chocolate forming the rocky road nest on which two handcrafted white-chocolate lovebirds sat.
Nathan’s eyeswent wide. ‘Wow! This looks amazing.’
Lisa realised without the note, the lovebirds might appear too much. ‘It’s from Choccywoccydoodah.’
Nathan looked at her, his smile revealing his recognition. ‘It’s great, thank you. And we’ll finally get to share an actual cake, because you’ll have to help me eat it. You know I have to pass an annual medical test, right?’ The laughter was evidentin his voice.
‘That’s my plan.’ Lisa smiled, not wanting to give away the contents of the envelope inside.
Nathan looked at the cake a little longer.
Spot it, it’s there, look!Lisa wished she had thought through the red envelope in the red box, in a candlelit room.
Nathan closed the lid. ‘Do you want some here or back at mine?’
About to suggest Nathan look in the box again,Lisa thought about the two of them, back at his flat, away from the noise and busy atmosphere of Cin Cin, and knew that was the way it should be. Private. Personal. ‘At yours.’
Uno met them as they walked through the door, purring round their legs and rubbing his sides against them as he flicked his tail. Lisa slipped off her shoes and crouched to speak to him. ‘Thank you for the charm, Uno.It’s gorgeous. You’re one of my favourite valentines.’ She rubbed the soft fur around his ears.
‘I hope you mean he’s your second-favourite valentine.’ Nathan put the cake box on the table, removed his jacket and pulled Lisa towards him. ‘I’ve been waiting to do this all night.’ He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.
Nathan’s touch over the light fabric of her dress caused her breathto hitch and sent sensations through her body as she returned his kisses and welcomed the embrace. Lisa’s hands reached round his back, feeling the dip of his spine and the flex of his muscles through the cotton of his shirt, before she began to tug it loose.
The early morning sunlight shone through the curtains of Nathan’s bedroom, waking Lisa. She stretched and allowed her eyes to adjustbefore looking at her bracelet.Perfect.Moving her hand to Nathan’s side of the bed, she realised it was still warm, but he wasn’t there. She thought about the cake they’d left in the box on the table and sat up. She didn’t want Nathan to discover the note alone. She wanted to be with him to gauge his reaction and, hopefully, share the happy moment. She stood, grabbing the sheet and wrappingit round herself, but as she did so, the bedroom door opened.
‘I’ve made tea.’ Nathan walked in, dressed in black boxer trunks and a white T-shirt, holding two mugs of freshly made tea. His hair was suitably ruffled after the night they had shared.
Watching him, Lisa sat back down on the bed. ‘Thank you.’He hasn’t seen it.
He walked to his side of the bed, put the tea down and joinedher. ‘And I thought we’d have breakfast in bed.’ He leaned over, picked up two plates from the floor, and then lifted the cake box on to the mattress, placing it between them. ‘Well, I guess it’s technically dessert in bed, seeing as you distracted me from having dessert last night.’
Lisa laughed. ‘I think you were the one doing the distracting. But I’d love some now.’ She pushed her fingersthrough her hair and wiped her hands over her face.
Nathan went to open the box.
‘Wait. Let me go to the loo and then I’ll be back.’ Lisa decided she needed to brush her hair, clean her teeth and wash her face. She wanted to remember this moment positively, not wishing she didn’t have bed hair and morning breath.
‘OK.’ Nathan laughed.
