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I get it. It’s impossible to resist his charm.
Ava got over the awkwardness first.
“We’ll have to take him to Mami Jackee’s.”
“Brilliant idea,” mum and I agreed at the same time, and we snorted.
“Right, come on. You two make a list with things he needs to see while we grab our stuff.” Laughing, my mum pointed to the door. “Meet you downstairs in five minutes.”
Having lived most of my life in Brighton, the seaside town was old news to me. Watching Roy bounce excitedly up and down on the balls of his feet like a kid waiting outside the living room door on Christmas Day was oddly infectious and stinking cute.
I quickly dashed upstairs to grab his hoodie from where I’d dropped it earlier, then we left together.
Walking down Madeira Drive, the street that ran the length of the seafront from Brighton Marina to the pier, under the cloudless sky had me bouncing alongside Roy. A few fishermen stood on Banjo Groyne like they had always done, and I couldn’t remember feeling that happy in a long time.
It didn’t take us long to get into town. Roy walked behind me like my personal bodyguard, making the crowds part for us. As open-minded as the people in my town were, they hadn’t seen a lot of felines around. Many of them gave us a wide berth or stared curiously at the massive Tigris.
Can’t blame them, he’s stunning.
Mum led the way to the small Caribbean restaurant we loved. Mami Jackee, the owner, greeted us in her lovely Trini accent, ushering us over at the largest table by the windows.Roy soaked it all up; he chatted to Isla and my mum, teased Ava, and occasionally squeezed my thigh under the table, letting me know he was aware of my presence. I loved it.
“Is it okay if I order for us? It was so much fun at Sharmin’s place.”
I smiled at him and shrugged. “Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
“Cool. Are we sharing our food today?” Ava piped up, she always had the hardest time choosing what she wanted to eat, and as soon as she ordered, she second-guessed her choices.
“Why not?” He grinned at her, then looked at Isla and my mum. “Are you two on board?” They both nodded and Roy got down to business. In the end, he ordered almost everything on the small menu, making Mami Jackee chuckle under her breath as she went to tell the cook.
Our table groaned under all the trays and plates. We passed the dishes around and rated our favourites on Ava’s phone. Roy fit seamlessly into my family; there were no awkward silences, no tiptoeing around each other. It was as if he’d always been part of it.
Once we’d finished, he wiped his mouth and fingers clean on a napkin. Getting up, he kissed my temple, before excusing himself for the bathroom. Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading all through my body into my flaming cheeks, and down into my core.
What are you doing to me, Roy?
“Kat?”
“What?” I snapped at my sister. I couldn’t deal with her teasing. I didn’t even know what to make of it myself.
“No need to jump down my throat. I was just going to ask you if you guys wanted to get coffee after this.” Ava rolled her eyes at me but winked to soften her words.
“Probably, yeah. Roy’s a coffee addict, too.” My face split into a grin that I tried to mask by finishing my glass of lemonade.
Mami Jackee came back to our table carrying the bill, but before either of us could reach out, a furry hand plucked it out of her grip.
“My treat,” he said, his deep rumbling voice a caress to my already alert insides.
“No way! You’re our guest.” My mum cocked an eyebrow at him, trying in vain to stare him down. He didn’t budge.
“I insist. It’s not every day that I can spoil four beautiful women.”
When our mother blushed, Ava caught my eyes and smirked.
What the hell, mum?
As usual, Roy tipped most generously, then held the door open for all four of us.
“Go ahead, we’ll catch you up,” I told mum and my sisters, and slipped my hand in his. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
