Royal Holiday - Jasmine Guillory Page 0,52
and the man signed his name and raced to the door, without bothering to wait for his date. She followed him slowly, and stopped to thank the waiter on her way out. Vivian hoped this poor woman cut this guy loose after tonight.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Vivian and Malcolm looked at each other and burst into laughter. Vivian was just winding down when she looked over at Malcolm and saw the tears streaming down his face, and that started her up all over again.
“I’m sorry,” he choked out. “I just can’t stop thinking about how he kept drinking all that water.”
She wiped away her own tears.
“I can’t stop thinking about how much pain he’ll be in later tonight.”
Malcolm practically howled at that, which just made Vivian laugh harder.
Their laughter finally subsided when the waiter came over and set a dish in the middle of their table.
“Compliments of the chef, and his apologies for”—the waiter cleared his throat—“any unpleasantness earlier. I hope you’re both enjoying your meal?”
Vivian beamed at the waiter.
“It’s wonderful, thank you so much. I’ve never had Nigerian food before, and everything we’ve had so far is delicious. Please thank the chef for me.” She paused. “And it’s the ideal amount of spice for me.”
He grinned at her.
“Happy to hear that.” He nodded at Malcolm and disappeared.
Any awkwardness that had lingered from the afternoon was now long gone. For the rest of the dinner, he told her stories about when he’d worked in Parliament, she told him stories about her funniest cases, and their accidental touches of each other’s hands and knees got more and more frequent.
They shared not two, but three desserts, and each had a glass of port to go along with it. When Vivian walked out into the cold London night, she was in love with Nigerian food, London, and all forms of fermented grapes. She put the hood of her coat up against the gentle rain, slid her arm into Malcolm’s, and smiled at the world.
“What a great restaurant,” she said. “No wonder you like it.”
He pulled her closer to him.
“Nothing like that has ever happened to me there! All I knew was that the food was delicious and the service was charming. I didn’t realize we’d get a show tonight, too.”
Vivian chuckled as they walked toward his car.
“I thought I was going to die if I had to hold my laughter in for one more second, Malcolm! When he kept eating the soup! Every time he picked up the spoon with this deep breath, like he was summoning up all of his energy. I’m surprised he didn’t catch me laughing at him.”
Malcolm chuckled as he opened his car door for her.
“Men like that never think anyone could be laughing at them. That’s why it’s so fun to do it.”
On the way back to the hotel, Malcolm took a detour so they’d see some of London all lit up at night. She loved driving through cities at night, especially when she wasn’t the one driving, and could just look around and see the buildings aglow, and the bridges outlined by the stars, and the blackness of the river gleaming in the moonlight.
When they got back to the hotel, Vivian didn’t want the night to end.
“Do you want to come upstairs for a nightcap?” she said, before she could reconsider. She immediately wished she had reconsidered. A nightcap??? Who the hell did she think she was, some sort of star in a comedy from the 1940s? She’d never used that word before in her life!
But Malcolm immediately nodded.
“That’s a lovely idea,” he said. “Should we get the bar to make some hot toddies for us?”
Vivian nodded.
“Yes, absolutely. It’s chilly out there.”
Malcolm beckoned over the bartender as they walked by the bar, and moments later he held two of the fanciest hot toddies she’d ever seen.
They walked to the elevators, arm in arm. When they got inside the elevator, she smiled at him.
“I didn’t know hotel bars would make drinks for you to bring upstairs; I was only thinking of the minibar. See how much I learn from you?”
He laughed.
“Oh, most hotel bars will do that, but one thing I’ve learned in my job is that you can get anyone to do just about anything if a) you give them enough money, or b) they think you’re important.” He winked at her. “And they do know me here.”
She held up her finger.
“That makes me think of something else I’ve been meaning to bring