Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,23

booking a room for an hour or two, staff snickering behind our backs—ugh. Her fingers gripped her parka, gathering it over her skirt and thighs. Could we go back to his?

“So…” Tarquin let out a heavy sigh and rested his cutlery across his empty plate. “I guess you’ll be going soon, too? Your boyfriend—”

“Doesn’t exist.” A slow smile teased her mouth.

Six

TARQUIN

No boyfriend? All the air sucked out of Tarquin’s lungs. He flinched slightly, a smile threatening to break loose. “But at IKEA you said—”

“I was celebrating New Year’s with cocktails and canapes?” Her wince slid into an apologetic grin and a slow shrug. “Yes, but I didn’t say who with.”

“Didn’t you?” Tarquin leaned forward. I thought… His eyes roamed nearby tables as if his answer would be found among boisterous office workers shaking off the day with endless pints. No, it was me. I filled in the blanks. “Ahh…I assumed…”

“And I didn’t correct you.”

“Why would you? We were strangers, filling time, right?” He nodded. “For all you knew, I was just another smarmy bloke into Star Wars.”

“Smarmy?” Leia laughed, her fingers uncurling from her coat. “You weren’t smarmy, you were nice. I enjoyed talking to you—I’m enjoying myself now.”

A cocky smile wiped away the uncertainty pinching his face. “Good!” His eyes bounced to the bubbles pinging upward in her glass of fizzy water. “Let’s get you another drink, then—or a dessert?”

“I—” The chorus of the Spice Girls’ “Stop” burst from her phone, pulling her attention to the table. “Oh, it’s my sister. I have to…” She picked it up and hit accept. “Saz, hi…yeah, I was just going to text you.”

Spice Girls? Fun, nostalgic, doesn’t take herself seriously… I like it. Doesn’t have a boyfriend—I LOVE that.

Leia’s eyebrows furrowed at something said by her sister. “Aw, really?” She gave Tarquin a tight-lipped glance. “Oh.”

She has to go?

“Yeah? Okay…uh huh.” She swallowed into a nod, the tension in her forehead slowly easing. “Well, we’re just finishing our meals, so…” She nudged her fork farther onto her plate. “Yeah, all good here.”

She’s staying? YES! Tarquin traced his finger across the rim of his glass and nodded along to the indie rock playing through the pub’s speakers.

“I will. Bye.” Leia lowered her phone and left it on the table.

“Love the ringtone.” Tarquin lifted his chin, a teasing lilt to his voice. “I bet you and your sister fought over platform trainers and Spice Girls dolls growing up. Zig-a-zig-ah!”

Leia laughed. “And you probably slept in Luke Skywalker pajamas!”

“No, Han Solo!” Damn. That came out a little too easy. I need to cool it with the Star Wars stuff. He swallowed. “Just once or twice.”

“Only twice, eh?” She smirked. “The Spice Girls were my first concert, right here in London.”

“Really? You lived here?”

“No, our family flew over for a wedding in ’98 and Mom surprised us with concert tickets. My little heart exploded with glittery joy. Girl Power—in person! Life. Made!”

Tarquin’s gaze slipped down her blonde waves. “You went as Baby Spice, didn’t you?”

“No!” Leia cringed. “I’ve always had this thing about being called baby. I dunno, it’s… Even now, baby—babe—makes my skin crawl. No, I was Ginger Spice.” Her eyes shone. “I had the Union Jack dress and everything. We saw them again in Toronto a few months later, but Geri had left by then. I cried buckets, but Mom bought me a bag of Hickory Sticks and a glow-in-the-dark necklace, and I was all smiles again. Turns out, I was a pretty fickle five-year-old.”

“Well, Ginger, let’s spice up your life.” With a sly grin, he motioned subtly to the server a table away. “Let’s get you something more satisfying than sparkling water.”

Leia waved her hand. “Oh, I’m good. Thanks.”

“No, it’s only fair I get a round in.” He shifted the small pot of violas on the table, moving it out of the way. “What’s your poison? Prosecco, red wine, champagne?”

She shook her head. “I don’t drink.”

What? He froze in his chair. “Really?”

“Rarely. I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve had alcohol.” She toyed with the napkin in her lap. “I don’t like the taste or how it makes me feel. But, please—don’t let me stop you.”

Hmm. No coffee, no booze. Tarquin propped his elbow on the table and ran his finger back and forth over his lips. I’ve never dated a non-drinker before. How would that work?

The waiter strolled up to their table and picked up Tarquin’s empty plate. He motioned to Simon’s half-eaten meal and Leia’s remaining rice.