Chapter Fifty-Three
‘Good evening, Liam,’ said the head waiter by way of greeting. ‘It’s good to see you again.’
‘You too, Ravi,’ said Liam. He shook the guy’s hand. ‘Apologies for not booking ahead. Can you possibly squeeze us in?’
‘For you, absolutely,’ said Ravi. He looked at me with interest. ‘And who is this charming lady?’
‘Just a friend,’ I said quickly, before the well-meaning Ravi got his masalas mixed up. ‘Jen,’ I added. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ I stuck out my hand, whereupon Ravi took it and enfolded it in his.
‘Enchanted,’ he said, inclining his head slightly. For a moment, I thought he might kiss my fingers.
‘Now, now, Ravi,’ Liam bantered. ‘No flirting, or you’ll have Meena coming out from the kitchen threatening to make you into chutney.’
Ravi laughed and released my hand.
‘Indeed,’ he chuckled. ‘Last time she vowed to marinate me overnight and serve me up as the following day’s special. Please’ – he gave a little bow – ‘follow me.’
The restaurant was almost full but, amazingly, there was a table for two tucked away in the far corner.
Ravi led the way. Liam followed next. I brought up the rear. The three of us wove our way through the tables. They were mostly occupied by couples on a date night. The exception was half a dozen women celebrating a gal pal’s birthday.
A helium balloon bobbed over a blonde’s head. It announced that her age ended in a zero. As we walked over to our table, her eyes tracked Liam. She licked her glossy lips in a predatory manner. A low-cut top showcased an impressive cleavage, and a badge was pinned to her ample bosom.
Forty and naughty.
‘Stop staring, Sarah,’ chided a brunette, who’d spotted the birthday girl salivating over Liam. ‘Sorry, love,’ she mouthed to me.
I smiled and gave a careless shrug. Liam wasn’t my man – although I suspected that birthday girl Sarah wouldn’t mind him being hers.
As we slipped into our seats, I wondered what it must be like to turn heads. Was Liam even aware of the effect his looks and physique had on women? If he was, then he didn’t play up to it. Kudos to him.
Ravi produced a lighter from his back pocket and lit the tealight on the table.
‘There,’ he said with a flourish. ‘A lovely golden glow. Now you can gaze into each other’s eyes and be a pair of lovebirds.’
I inwardly groaned and picked up the menu for something to do.
‘What are we drinking?’ Ravi beamed.
‘I’ll have a Cobra, please,’ said Liam.
‘A sparkling water would be lovely,’ I said.
‘Sure?’ Liam raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘I thought you and Alice were Prosecco girls.’
‘Sorted,’ said Ravi. ‘I’m not taking no for an answer. Your man has spoken.’
Ravi was off before I could protest.
‘I love a Prosecco,’ I admitted to Liam. ‘I just don’t want to end up necking it if the curry is on the spicy side.’
‘We’ll get some water for the table,’ he assured.
‘Now that you’ve mentioned Alice, I wonder how she and Ben are getting along.’
‘They looked completely smitten before we left. If I were Hetty, I’d predict a second date might be on the tarot cards.’
I giggled.
‘Thanks again for taking me to the hospital. It’s a huge relief to know that Hetty is on the mend.’
‘It was my pleasure to help,’ said Liam quietly, just as Ravi returned with the drinks.
‘Let me get my order pad,’ he said. ‘And then I’ll be right back.’
Liam and I immediately reached for the drinks.
‘Cheers,’ he said, tapping his bottle against my glass. ‘After all the earlier drama, let’s relax and have a lovely evening.’
‘I’ll second that,’ I said.
As I took a sip of cold bubbles, I met Liam’s eyes. Was it my imagination or was he giving me a few twinkles?
Don’t be daft, Jen. It’s the flickering candlelight playing tricks.
Ah, yes. Shame.