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Alexa smiled. He wished she was beside him but contented himself looking at her with the table between them, then nudged the wine glass to her when it was poured. The waiter came out with steak, pasta, and more plates that were a feast to the eyes, but it wasn’t until she closed her eyes at the first bite that he felt himself relax.
He ate his share. He sipped to his heart’s content. They conversed like they often did, but he couldn’t help noticing that while she enjoyed the food, she didn’t quite twinkle with joy and didn’t smile as she had in the past few days. He puzzled over it until another idea came when they left the restaurant.
“Let me take you to the best shopping district. I can envision a necklace on your neck and how it will highlight—”
“No.”
Her answer was so firm that he trailed into a stop.
“No?”
“I don’t want to go shopping. I don’t want you to shop for me, either. No expensive clothes and fancy pieces of jewelry.”
“But they are--” He stuttered, mortified. He swallowed and tried to swim through the suspicion that rose. “You didn’t enjoy the restaurant, did you?”
Alexa bit her lip, guilt blazing. She tentatively shook her head. “Not really. The steak was good, but I couldn’t even savor the bone. I saw the other diners didn’t even finish their plates. Just a bite or two despite the portions being so small. I appreciate you taking me there, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not my thing.”
“Neither is shopping, I presume,” he surmised. “At least, not shopping for fancy stuff.”
She shrugged and smiled, then drew closer. “I own fancy stuff. It’s enough. I don’t need more. And just because I said that about the restaurant doesn’t mean that I didn’t like the company. I liked the company. A lot. I still want to be with that company wherever he takes me.”
Her smile widened and her lips on his cheek softened him. He turned his head to capture the kiss, tugging her coat closer so he could hug her. Then he peered at her.
“What do you want to do?”
“What do you want to do other than shopping?” she asked.
“Whatever you want,” was his earnest reply. “Whatever you think would make us enjoy this date.”
A contemplative look sparked in her features before mischief danced.
“Well, we are here on an adventure. So, let’s take one.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Don’t knock it until you try it. Are you still hungry?”
“For you, yes—ouch.” He winced but was pleased with her laughter. “Not really, but I’m not that full, either.”
“Good. Come on.”
They explored the streets once more and tried the delicacies in the night markets, groaning when something hit their palates so well and moving on when another wasn’t quite to their tastes. They watched musicians perform at the city square before he got distracted by a small boy selling flowers in a large basket.
“Hey, little fellow. How many flowers have you sold so far?”
“One, sir. Would you be so kind as to buy one or two pieces from my basket?”
He took a few bills from his wallet and slipped them in the boy’s hand, whose eyes widened upon counting. “I will buy the whole thing. I can add extra for the basket if you are willing to sell it.”
“Take the basket. Sir, this is too much—”
“Keep it. Go home. Buy dinner for your family.”
Gratitude filled the boy’s eyes before he skipped away. When Edmund turned, Alexa was already approaching him, so he held the basket out sheepishly.
“Here. For you.”
She stared. “For me?”
