she didn’t know what to think of him. It just felt out of control.
‘Can I order a bouquet of scarlet roses again?’ he asked.
She watched him a moment and then nodded. Alice offered to do the order, and gave them a chance to talk.
‘I came here today to ask if you’d have dinner with me. Perhaps we could go for that pasta.’
She was silent.
‘Pretty please.’ His smile captivated her.
‘I’m busy tonight.’ She smiled.
‘Doing what?’
‘That isn’t any of your business.’
‘I’m making it mine.’
She placed another orchid between the arrangement. The customer would be picking it up within half an hour.
‘I’m catching up on Game of Thrones.’
He laughed lightly.
‘I haven’t had time, between working and going to the hospital, well…but now I have the time.’
‘Do you mind if I join you, I love Game of Thrones and I haven’t had a chance to see much of it either.’
She bit her bottom lip trying to hide the smile.
‘Fine, I’ll go for dinner.’ She caved.
‘I knew you would.’
‘That’s just because I didn’t want you in my house.’
‘And why’s that?’
‘Just because.’ Sahara loved teasing him, it seemed to be the highlight of their time together.
They chatted while Sahara finished off the order, and it wasn’t long before Alice brought in the bouquet of Scarlet roses. Eugene settled the bill and finally handed them to Sahara.
‘For you. You deserve flowers everyday.’
‘Aww, thank you.’ She took them with a big grin.
‘You are welcome.’
‘Give me half an hour and then we can go. Is that okay?’
‘That’s perfect. I’ll be in my c ar. I need to make a few phone calls.’
‘Okay.’
He winked, turned and stepped outside to the waiting car.
‘Wow!’ Alice said. ‘You didn’t tell me he was that gorgeous!’
‘ Alice…ssssh.’ She giggled.
‘I think he’ll make you happy.’
‘Don’t start that, it’s only the second date.’
‘I can tell. I can tell that this man really, really likes you.’
‘Yes, well…it’s too early to tell, and besides, there’s me and – ’
‘Don’t even say it. Come back to the present moment and enjoy it.’
‘Okay, okay.’
Over the years they’d always promised each other that when they slipped away from what was good, when their focus was on the bad instead of the good, they would always remind the other.
‘The present moment it is.’
****
She slid into the car forty minutes later. He was still on a call when she sat beside him, but quickly ended it to give her his full attention.
‘Busy day?’ she asked.
‘You could say that. I might have to go away for a few days.’
‘I see. Somewhere nice? ’
‘Yes, Italy, but I won’t get any time to see it. It will be business, business, business.’
‘Sounds tiring.’
‘It is, but I enjoy what I do.’
‘That’s a good thing. I love what I do too.’
‘I can tell.’
She nodded.
‘So why don’t you tell me where this restaurant is and I can go and taste this pasta.’
It was just outside Leeds, which was easy enough. When they arrived, it was still a little empty.
‘This is going to be an early dinner,’ he said.
‘Not for me, I usually have mine around about this time. It’s easier for me to sleep. Too late, I’ll struggle.’
‘Makes perfect sense. I’m all over the place so I eat when I can.’
They’d chosen a table in the corner of the restaurant that gave them some privacy. His eyes travelled around the restaurant, taking in the wild colours, the crazy décor and the extremely busy floor. He seemed stunned by it all.
‘I know, the décor’s a bit loud. I always assumed an up and coming designer got this project and went all out.’
‘You do, do you?’ he chuckled.
‘Yeah, think about it. It’s his first real gig, and he wants to impress. He’s got so many ideas that he just uses all of them in one little space.’
‘Spot on.’ He took a look around. ‘I’d say the same
‘Can I order a bouquet of scarlet roses again?’ he asked.
She watched him a moment and then nodded. Alice offered to do the order, and gave them a chance to talk.
‘I came here today to ask if you’d have dinner with me. Perhaps we could go for that pasta.’
She was silent.
‘Pretty please.’ His smile captivated her.
‘I’m busy tonight.’ She smiled.
‘Doing what?’
‘That isn’t any of your business.’
‘I’m making it mine.’
She placed another orchid between the arrangement. The customer would be picking it up within half an hour.
‘I’m catching up on Game of Thrones.’
He laughed lightly.
‘I haven’t had time, between working and going to the hospital, well…but now I have the time.’
‘Do you mind if I join you, I love Game of Thrones and I haven’t had a chance to see much of it either.’
She bit her bottom lip trying to hide the smile.
‘Fine, I’ll go for dinner.’ She caved.
‘I knew you would.’
‘That’s just because I didn’t want you in my house.’
‘And why’s that?’
‘Just because.’ Sahara loved teasing him, it seemed to be the highlight of their time together.
They chatted while Sahara finished off the order, and it wasn’t long before Alice brought in the bouquet of Scarlet roses. Eugene settled the bill and finally handed them to Sahara.
‘For you. You deserve flowers everyday.’
‘Aww, thank you.’ She took them with a big grin.
‘You are welcome.’
‘Give me half an hour and then we can go. Is that okay?’
‘That’s perfect. I’ll be in my c ar. I need to make a few phone calls.’
‘Okay.’
He winked, turned and stepped outside to the waiting car.
‘Wow!’ Alice said. ‘You didn’t tell me he was that gorgeous!’
‘ Alice…ssssh.’ She giggled.
‘I think he’ll make you happy.’
‘Don’t start that, it’s only the second date.’
‘I can tell. I can tell that this man really, really likes you.’
‘Yes, well…it’s too early to tell, and besides, there’s me and – ’
‘Don’t even say it. Come back to the present moment and enjoy it.’
‘Okay, okay.’
Over the years they’d always promised each other that when they slipped away from what was good, when their focus was on the bad instead of the good, they would always remind the other.
‘The present moment it is.’
****
She slid into the car forty minutes later. He was still on a call when she sat beside him, but quickly ended it to give her his full attention.
‘Busy day?’ she asked.
‘You could say that. I might have to go away for a few days.’
‘I see. Somewhere nice? ’
‘Yes, Italy, but I won’t get any time to see it. It will be business, business, business.’
‘Sounds tiring.’
‘It is, but I enjoy what I do.’
‘That’s a good thing. I love what I do too.’
‘I can tell.’
She nodded.
‘So why don’t you tell me where this restaurant is and I can go and taste this pasta.’
It was just outside Leeds, which was easy enough. When they arrived, it was still a little empty.
‘This is going to be an early dinner,’ he said.
‘Not for me, I usually have mine around about this time. It’s easier for me to sleep. Too late, I’ll struggle.’
‘Makes perfect sense. I’m all over the place so I eat when I can.’
They’d chosen a table in the corner of the restaurant that gave them some privacy. His eyes travelled around the restaurant, taking in the wild colours, the crazy décor and the extremely busy floor. He seemed stunned by it all.
‘I know, the décor’s a bit loud. I always assumed an up and coming designer got this project and went all out.’
‘You do, do you?’ he chuckled.
‘Yeah, think about it. It’s his first real gig, and he wants to impress. He’s got so many ideas that he just uses all of them in one little space.’
‘Spot on.’ He took a look around. ‘I’d say the same
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