Page 74 of Brighter Together

Relief changes his whole face. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

I pull him towards me and kiss him.

Just once.

Softly.

Because if I do anything more, dinner may never happen.

When I draw back, his arm remains around my waist.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

“You haven’t eaten yet,” he says with a wink.

“I don’t care. This is already the best surprise ever.”

He smiles and kisses my forehead.

“Come on.”

Dinner is ridiculous.

In the best possible way.

The food arrives course by course from somewhere below us, carried up by staff who somehow manage to appear when needed and disappear before their presence becomes intrusive.

Tommy is completely relaxed.

No phone in his hand.

No checking emails between courses.

No distracted glances towards a door because somebody might need him.

For once, he is just here.

With me.

I’m not sure I’ve ever had his full attention like this before, and I like it far too much.

“So,” I say after the waiter leaves us with another glass of wine, “does this count as part of the research?”

Tommy looks across the table.

“The food?”

“The evening.”

“Definitely.”

“And what exactly are we testing?”

“How well you behave when given access to expensive wine.”

“I’m doing very well.”