unfazed. As far as I was concerned, there would be no date.
He turned around and placed a cup of coffee in front of me. “Absolutely so. Instead of going out for dinner, we should keep it on the down low. You can cook me dinner at your place,” he audaciously suggested. “I don’t think we should advertise the fact that we’re infatuated with each other.”
Infatuated? Ridiculous!
I was not infatuated with this man, and I was a hundred percent sure no part of him felt infatuated by me. From what I’d heard, Alex Blake considered women to be sport. I hate sport.
“It won’t even get that far so I shan’t worry.”
“Shan’t?” He grinned inciting a scowl from me. “You shan’t worry?”
I felt crippled by the heat rising in my cheeks. English is not my first language. Much of my English education had come from reading Tolstoy novels. Anna Karenina had no aversion to the word ‘shan’t’.
“It’s a word, Alex,” I growled. “Look it up.”
“Of course it’s a word. I think it’s a lovely word. I shan’t make fun again.”
He winked across at me and I wish he hadn’t. It made staying furious with him difficult.
Perhaps I’d set the mood anyway. A few seconds later, the glass door of the café swung open and his sister stormed in. She obviously had no problem with being furious with him.
“How did you get here?” he asked.
“Nicole drove me,” she snapped.
“Okay. Why are you here? You’re supposed to be at home.”
“Because you locked the shed,” she spat, marching over to him. “Why would you lock me out of the shed?”
He walked around the counter perfectly calmly, which seemed to rile her even more. “Why are you so surprised? I warned you I was going to do it.”
“Give me the key.” She held out her hand.
“No.”
“I just want my board, Alex…. any board,” she whined. “I don’t even care which one. Just let me in to get one.”
“Have you done your homework?” he asked, lowering his tone.
The obnoxious girl was so angry she was shaking. “No.”
Alex turned around and walked back behind the counter. “No surf for you then. Shame, really. The swell was outstanding this morning.”
Charli glanced across at me, seemingly noticing me for the first time. “Can I have an extension, please Mademoiselle Décarie?” She spoke in the sweetest tone I’d ever heard from her.
Seeking instruction, I glanced at Alex. He infinitesimally shook his head at me.
“I saw that, Alex!” yelled Charli, abandoning the sugary tone.
“You’re not getting an extension, Charlotte,” he said quietly. “You’ve already been given an extension.”
Charli straightened up and drew in a long breath. Even I could tell she was plotting her next move. “Fine,” she relented. “I’m going to spend the day at the cliffs then. I’ll kill the whole weekend taking pictures.”
“If you say so, Charli.”
“I’m going to hitchhike up there, Alex,” she threatened.
“No you won’t,” he told her. “Besides, it would be a wasted trip.”
She narrowed her hazel eyes. “Why?”
“Because I locked your camera in the shed too,” he said smugly. “I’ve clipped your bratty wings. Now go home and get your French work done.”
I’d never been victorious where Charli was concerned but Alex was clearly used to it. He barely batted an eyelid as she stormed out of the café muttering under her breath.
“Is it always like that?” I asked curiously.
If that kind of tension were commonplace, he probably wouldn’t survive her teenage years.
“You might not believe me, but it’s hardly ever like that,” he replied. “We get along well most of the time.”
“If you say so,” I mumbled, bringing my cup to my lips.
He grinned broadly. “Today’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“Why?”
“She owes Mrs Jennings an essay too. I just haven’t told her yet.”
3. A DEAL IS A DEAL
The last thing I expected was for Charli to actually come
He turned around and placed a cup of coffee in front of me. “Absolutely so. Instead of going out for dinner, we should keep it on the down low. You can cook me dinner at your place,” he audaciously suggested. “I don’t think we should advertise the fact that we’re infatuated with each other.”
Infatuated? Ridiculous!
I was not infatuated with this man, and I was a hundred percent sure no part of him felt infatuated by me. From what I’d heard, Alex Blake considered women to be sport. I hate sport.
“It won’t even get that far so I shan’t worry.”
“Shan’t?” He grinned inciting a scowl from me. “You shan’t worry?”
I felt crippled by the heat rising in my cheeks. English is not my first language. Much of my English education had come from reading Tolstoy novels. Anna Karenina had no aversion to the word ‘shan’t’.
“It’s a word, Alex,” I growled. “Look it up.”
“Of course it’s a word. I think it’s a lovely word. I shan’t make fun again.”
He winked across at me and I wish he hadn’t. It made staying furious with him difficult.
Perhaps I’d set the mood anyway. A few seconds later, the glass door of the café swung open and his sister stormed in. She obviously had no problem with being furious with him.
“How did you get here?” he asked.
“Nicole drove me,” she snapped.
“Okay. Why are you here? You’re supposed to be at home.”
“Because you locked the shed,” she spat, marching over to him. “Why would you lock me out of the shed?”
He walked around the counter perfectly calmly, which seemed to rile her even more. “Why are you so surprised? I warned you I was going to do it.”
“Give me the key.” She held out her hand.
“No.”
“I just want my board, Alex…. any board,” she whined. “I don’t even care which one. Just let me in to get one.”
“Have you done your homework?” he asked, lowering his tone.
The obnoxious girl was so angry she was shaking. “No.”
Alex turned around and walked back behind the counter. “No surf for you then. Shame, really. The swell was outstanding this morning.”
Charli glanced across at me, seemingly noticing me for the first time. “Can I have an extension, please Mademoiselle Décarie?” She spoke in the sweetest tone I’d ever heard from her.
Seeking instruction, I glanced at Alex. He infinitesimally shook his head at me.
“I saw that, Alex!” yelled Charli, abandoning the sugary tone.
“You’re not getting an extension, Charlotte,” he said quietly. “You’ve already been given an extension.”
Charli straightened up and drew in a long breath. Even I could tell she was plotting her next move. “Fine,” she relented. “I’m going to spend the day at the cliffs then. I’ll kill the whole weekend taking pictures.”
“If you say so, Charli.”
“I’m going to hitchhike up there, Alex,” she threatened.
“No you won’t,” he told her. “Besides, it would be a wasted trip.”
She narrowed her hazel eyes. “Why?”
“Because I locked your camera in the shed too,” he said smugly. “I’ve clipped your bratty wings. Now go home and get your French work done.”
I’d never been victorious where Charli was concerned but Alex was clearly used to it. He barely batted an eyelid as she stormed out of the café muttering under her breath.
“Is it always like that?” I asked curiously.
If that kind of tension were commonplace, he probably wouldn’t survive her teenage years.
“You might not believe me, but it’s hardly ever like that,” he replied. “We get along well most of the time.”
“If you say so,” I mumbled, bringing my cup to my lips.
He grinned broadly. “Today’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“Why?”
“She owes Mrs Jennings an essay too. I just haven’t told her yet.”
3. A DEAL IS A DEAL
The last thing I expected was for Charli to actually come
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