I swallow and grin. “Can I ask a question that might offend your entire country?”
He looks up, wary but amused. “Go on.”
I gesture toward the sign. “What is the deal with the pub names? It’s like you pull a random animal and a random household object out of a hat and name the pubs.”
Oliver snorts. “It’s not like that.”
“Oh, really?” I lean forward, counting off on my fingers. “The Crown & Lion. The Flag & Bear. The Dog & Elbow.”
“That last one’s not even real.” He pauses, then frowns. “Shit. You might be onto something.”
It’s weird hownotweird this is—me and him, sitting and talking over food like it’s normal, like it’s something we do all the time. He reaches over and steals a fry from my plate, hoping I don’t notice.
“Excuse you,” I say, my mouth full. “Those fries are mine.”
“You caught me.” He smirks and pops it into his mouth. “Plus, they’re chips.”
I finish my meal and wipe my hands with a napkin. “Thank you for showing me around, Oliver. This has been really fun.”
He looks at me, and something flickers in his expression. “I’m enjoying it too.”
“You know… if you’re ever in New York, I’ll repay the favor. Full tourist experience.”
“Deal,” he says quickly. He smiles, but it falters.
“What?”
He leans back in his chair. “You’re not going to stay?”
I swallow, the question catching me off guard.
“My contract is only for this season,” I say, because that’s the truth. “Plus, that’s rule number two. Never stay anywhere longer than a year.”
“Right,” he says, shaking his head like he’s pushing a thought away. “Shall we continue our tour?”
“Lead the way, Captain.”
The second half of our day is jam-packed with more landmarks, and if I wasn’t having so much fun, I might actually notice how tired my feet are. My tote bag is now full of trinkets from our travels—a magnet from Covent Garden, a shirt from Trafalgar Square, and some cheese from Borough Market.
We’re walking through Hyde Park as we make our way back to a Tube station to retreat for the day.
“There’s still so much more you could see. Museums, theatre, or—”
“Maybe we’ll just have to do this again then,” I say quietly.
He smiles at that, but then stops walking. “Hold on.”
“What is it?”
“The light’s perfect right now,” he says, stepping back and gesturing to the way the setting sun hits the water and greenery behind me. “Let me take a picture of you.”
Before I can protest, he takes my phone from my hand and opens the camera.
“Alright.” I smile, feeling warmth flushing my face. I pose and wait for him to take a few photos. I notice how he smiles as he examines each one.
That’s when a middle-aged woman taps him on the shoulder. “You two are adorable. I’ll take a photo of both of you.”
We both freeze, and before either of us can say anything, my phone is in her hands and she’s gesturing for Oliver to join me. She’s too sweet and determined to correct, so Oliver moves next to me and slips an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. The heat of his hand through my shirt sends a shiver up my spine.
