Chapter 9
Nine
Dinner has been cleared away and Sam and I are sitting next to one another in a booth, watching the majestic sea turtle and a trio of sharks glide effortlessly around the tank for another lap.
Sam’s arm has found its way around my shoulder.
I’m stuffed after eating some of the best food I’ve ever tasted.
The extra-tender salmon literally melted in my mouth as I bit into it. The garlic bread had the perfect crispy crunch to it, and it was flavored in a way that made me hoard the breadbasket.
We’re back to playing the question game. “What’s one thing I’d be surprised to know about you?” he asks.
“Um . . . even though I’m Canadian, I’m not a fan of hockey?”
Sam shoots me a you can do better than that look.
“OK, something else . . .” I wrack my brain for something interesting to share with him. “Don’t hold this against me, but I actually hate getting dressed. I’d spend the entire day in my pajamas if given the option.”
“Really?” His eyes widen.
“I know.” I giggle. “It doesn’t seem like something a fashion designer would say, but when I’m at home, I don’t want to be bothered to find matching clothing and figure out what accessories go with it. I want to be lazy and, more importantly, comfy.”
“That makes perfect sense to me.” Sam’s fingers draw a few circles over my hand. “It’s your turn to ask me a question.”
“Piggybacking off what you asked earlier, what’s something not many people know about you?”
He stays quiet for a few moments. The only sound in the room is the soft melody of the guitar music in the background. “This stays between us. Only my sisters know about this.”
I lift my hand. “Pinky promise—I won’t tell another soul.”
He lets out a raspy laugh. “I have a soft spot for learning magic tricks.”
I sit up. “Magic? What types of tricks?”
Sam scoots back and stares at a spot on the ground. “Mostly things that involve cards.”
“That’s amazing! Will you show me sometime?”
He lifts his chin, blinking slowly. “I’ll do one now, but only for you,” he says hesitantly.
Reaching into his pocket, he removes a deck, and a moment later, he’s shuffling the cards with the skill of a seasoned Las Vegas blackjack dealer.
“Pick a card, any card.” He fans out the deck in front of me.
I reach for one at the end. I force myself not to react when I’m greeted by the queen of hearts. I can’t help but feel as if the universe is again playing a joke on me.
“Once you’ve memorized it, go ahead and place it back in the deck at random.” He turns his head, and I put the card back.
“Now, pick one more card, and do the same thing.”
This time, I pull the nine of clubs.
“Think long and hard about the cards you’ve just chosen.” Sam shuffles the cards a couple more times, then searches through the deck until he locates the queen of hearts and the nine of clubs. “Were these the ones you had on your mind?”
“Yes.” I look up at him. “I think I’ve seen this trick before. Is this the one where just have to make sure you know what the cards on the ends were when you asked me to—”
Sam places a finger to my lips. “A magician always keeps their secrets.”
I shiver as a jolt shoots through my body. His touch is electric, which makes sense considering we’re underwater, and water conducts electricity. I internally laugh to myself.
“Do you have any other tricks you could show me?”
“I do.” Sam performs two more tricks, both of which leave me stumped.
“Do you do other magic tracks besides things with cards?”
Slowly, he brushes a wisp of hair out of my face. Reaching behind my ear, Sam plucks a fifty-pence coin out of thin air. “I haven’t had as much practice with trickier illusions. Everything I do is simple.”
“I’m still impressed. How did you get into magic?”
He absently shuffles the cards in his hands. “When I was in sixth form, my school used to have a yearly talent show. I wanted to find a talent that was different from what all my other mates were doing. I scoured the internet for ideas and stumbled upon a video on simple card tricks.”
“Simple doesn’t always mean it’s easy.”
“No. Definitely not.” The folds of his eyes crinkle. “It took me days of practice to be able to master my first couple tricks.”
I cock my head to the side. “I think the other guys and gals in your regiment might like seeing your tricks. Is there a reason you don’t want to share it with them?”
“I’m not that good at it, and they’ll just make fun of me for it.” He shrugs. “I’d rather keep it to myself.”
I wish he’d give himself more credit. I think he’s talented with his card tricks, but it’s his decision what he does with them.
“Well, thank you for sharing it with me.” I smile and decide to press my luck. “Even though you said a magician never reveals their secrets, can you teach me how to do the coin trick?”
“Sorry, but no.” He takes another fifty-pence coin, tosses it into the air, and makes it disappear. “That’s something we’ll have to do on a future date.”
I extend my lower lip. “What if I volunteer to be a magician’s assistant?”
He zips his mouth closed and shakes his head. I sigh. It looks like I won’t be learning any tricks tonight.
Around nine, Miller comes to finds us. “So? What’s the verdict?”
“This place is brilliant, Miller,” Sam tells her.
“You’re going to be the new ‘it’ hangout place in London,” I add. “I bet once word gets out about you and pictures pop up on social media, you’ll have a waiting list a mile or two long.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” She rubs her hands together. “I’ve been tracking the foot traffic in this area for the last year, and this warehouse is ideally placed near Tower Bridge, Borough Market, and the Shard.”
Miller chats with us for a few more minutes, then lets us know she’s about to lock up. Sam and I thank her for a lovely evening. We gather our belongings and exit to the street.
“The car I ordered should be about five minutes away,” Sam says, pocketing his mobile.
I unzip his coat and slip it off my shoulders. “You’d better take this, then.”
“Keep it. It gives me an excuse to come over and pick it up from you or have you bring it over to the barracks sometime.” He licks his lips.
“Or on our next date.” Sliding his hands into his pockets, he stares out onto the inky-black water.
In the distance, Tower Bridge is illuminated in a golden glow.
“I enjoyed spending time with you, Min. I’m just sorry it has to come to an end. ”
“Me too.” I pull at one of the stray threads on the sleeve. “I had a lot of fun. Thanks for a great night.”
I want him to kiss me, but I know it isn’t something people normally do on their second date—no, make that our third. Or is it? Sam moves in closer to me. He brushes a lock of hair from my face. My body is humming with a zing of electricity. I lick my lips.
Just as it looks like he’s about to make his move, a white sedan approaches. So much for the almost-kiss. We step apart. As it pulls to a stop, Sam confirms the driver is there for us.
His eyes dance under the golden lighting. “Are you comfortable riding back by yourself, or would you like me to go with you?”
“I’m OK,” I confirm.
Opening the door, he assists me inside. “Text me when you get home?”
“I will.” I nod.
He takes hold of the car’s door handle. “Good night, Min,” he whispers.
“Good night.”
As the door closes and we drive away, I watch as his form slowly disappears. Resting my head against the supple leather of the car’s back seat, I let out a content sigh. Trooper Baker, I hope I can trust you, because at the rate we’re going, you’re well on your way to capturing my heart.
Min
I’m home. *Smiley-face emoji*
Sam
*Thumbs-up emoji*
Min
Good night, trooper. Hope you get some sleep soon.
Sam
I have some kit to polish first, but don’t worry, I will. Good night.
The remainder of the weekend passes in a blur. I sleep in late the next morning and spend my Sunday afternoon with Liz. We treat ourselves to a spa day and visit a few High Street shops on the way home. I wanted to look for some silk thermals for Sam.
Plus, now that spring is almost here, it’s important for me to see what’s trending in the world of fashion for this season. Spoiler alert, it’s pastel blue, pink, and green clothing with puffy sleeves, polka dots, and ruffled skirts.
When my alarm goes off on Monday morning, I rush to get myself dressed and hurry to see if I can catch the changeover at Horse Guards Parade. The Life Guards were on duty this weekend, which means that the Blues will be due back at eleven.
Min
Hi, Sam! Hope you’re having a good morning so far. Just for my own curiosity, are you back at HG today?
It’s ten, probably too late for him to respond. I set my phone down and wonder what Sam is doing right at this very moment. Is he out cleaning a horse stall? Washing a horse? My mind wanders and I’m curious how one bathes a horse. Does it go in a bathtub like a dog?
Curiosity getting the better of me, I type “How to Wash a Horse” into SearchTube and click on the first video that pops up. The presenter of the video clips the horse’s halter to a post, then brushes, lathers, and hoses the animal down, a little like a car. Go figure.
Beep! Beep! My second alarm goes off. It’s ten fifteen. Crud. I’ve wasted fifteen minutes. I need to leave right this very moment. There’s no telling if the Tube is going to be on time this morning.
Rushing down Whitehall a half hour later, I wander through the inner courtyard as the black stable doors open.
“Stand back behind the second white line please, the horses are coming out,” an officer shouts.
Tourists whip their phones out and record the six horses and six scarlet-cloaked soldiers riding out to the back yard. The moment the courtyard is clear, and everyone is free to move about, they rush through the tunnel, following the horses.