said
cheerfully instead. “Have a good one, though. I’ll see you next week.” She gave
him a brief smile and took off up the road.
He watched her go. He’d have been happy to run at her pace,
actually. Because she really did have the most gorgeous bum. He’d have enjoyed
watching it work in those spandex shorts for a few kilometers.
“Reckon this is meant to be our day.”
Kate turned in the queue at the Sunday Market’s empanada
stall to find Koti behind her, freshly shaved this time, hoodie in place once
again.
“Hang on a tick,” he told her as she received her
spinach-filled pastry from the Argentinian vendor. “Let me get mine and I’ll
join you.”
“Three different kinds, huh? You’re hungry,” she observed as
they maneuvered out of the path of the passing crowd.
“Heaps of exercise this morning,” he grinned.
To her annoyance, she found herself blushing. What did she
have to be embarrassed about? She’d had a perfectly blameless morning.
“Come on,” he told her. “I’ll buy you a coffee, and we’ll
find a spot to eat these.”
“Don’t have a choice, do we,” he added as she hesitated. “If
we don’t get this over with now, we’re going to be meeting again over the
frozen peas in New World tonight.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “It does seem that way, doesn’t
it? I’ll take a coffee. Thanks. Though I’m supposed to be buying.”
“Next week,” he reminded her. “That was the deal.”
“I see you’ve fully embraced the glamorous Kiwi lifestyle,”
he remarked as they sat on a bench eating their impromptu lunch. “A run, then
the Takapuna Market. Add a bit of birdwatching and you’ll qualify for citizenship.”
“There are lots of things to do here, I’m sure,” she
objected. “I’m looking forward to experiencing them, now that I’m settled into
my place and my job.”
He laughed. “As long as you like the outdoor life, I reckon.”
“Trust me,” she told him, “I’m not looking for too much excitement
in my life right now. A bit of quiet is going to suit me fine.”
He sobered. “Hannah did tell me you’d had a bad time. Sorry
for joking about it. I didn’t realize.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate the apology. And I’d
better be going. See you next Sunday.” She took a final sip of her drink, then
gathered her purchases and stood to toss her rubbish in the bin. “Thanks again
for the coffee too.”
And the view, she added silently a few minutes later,
watching him jog across the road. He really was too good-looking for any
woman’s peace of mind.
“I’m restless today,” she told him when she joined him at
the beach the next week. “I need to wear myself out. Are you up for a longer
swim?”
“How long were you thinking?”
She shrugged. “Forty-five minutes? I know that’ll be a long
way for you, since you swim about twice as fast as I do. You don’t have to
spend that long in the water if you don’t want to. You can meet me at the café
afterwards.”
“I’ll swim that long with you,” he promised. “It felt good
last week. Stretched me out after the game.”
“You need a better wetsuit,” he commented after they had
showered and changed at the end of their swim. “You’re still shivering.”
“I know,” she said ruefully. “Too much time in the water. I’ve
been trying to build up some tolerance. But I don’t have enough mass, I guess.
I get cold really easily, always have. I need a hot drink, that’s all. Then
I’ll feel better.”
“You are tiny,” he agreed as they walked toward the café.
“Am I allowed to say that?”
“Just don’t call me adorable,” she warned. “Or I won’t be
responsible for what I do.”
“That wasn’t the a- word I was thinking of. Aggravating,
maybe. Annoying. Aggressive. Abrasive. And some more that’ll come to me later,
no doubt. But definitely not adorable.”
“Nice vocabulary,” she told him with a grin. “Good work. Or
have you been
cheerfully instead. “Have a good one, though. I’ll see you next week.” She gave
him a brief smile and took off up the road.
He watched her go. He’d have been happy to run at her pace,
actually. Because she really did have the most gorgeous bum. He’d have enjoyed
watching it work in those spandex shorts for a few kilometers.
“Reckon this is meant to be our day.”
Kate turned in the queue at the Sunday Market’s empanada
stall to find Koti behind her, freshly shaved this time, hoodie in place once
again.
“Hang on a tick,” he told her as she received her
spinach-filled pastry from the Argentinian vendor. “Let me get mine and I’ll
join you.”
“Three different kinds, huh? You’re hungry,” she observed as
they maneuvered out of the path of the passing crowd.
“Heaps of exercise this morning,” he grinned.
To her annoyance, she found herself blushing. What did she
have to be embarrassed about? She’d had a perfectly blameless morning.
“Come on,” he told her. “I’ll buy you a coffee, and we’ll
find a spot to eat these.”
“Don’t have a choice, do we,” he added as she hesitated. “If
we don’t get this over with now, we’re going to be meeting again over the
frozen peas in New World tonight.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “It does seem that way, doesn’t
it? I’ll take a coffee. Thanks. Though I’m supposed to be buying.”
“Next week,” he reminded her. “That was the deal.”
“I see you’ve fully embraced the glamorous Kiwi lifestyle,”
he remarked as they sat on a bench eating their impromptu lunch. “A run, then
the Takapuna Market. Add a bit of birdwatching and you’ll qualify for citizenship.”
“There are lots of things to do here, I’m sure,” she
objected. “I’m looking forward to experiencing them, now that I’m settled into
my place and my job.”
He laughed. “As long as you like the outdoor life, I reckon.”
“Trust me,” she told him, “I’m not looking for too much excitement
in my life right now. A bit of quiet is going to suit me fine.”
He sobered. “Hannah did tell me you’d had a bad time. Sorry
for joking about it. I didn’t realize.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate the apology. And I’d
better be going. See you next Sunday.” She took a final sip of her drink, then
gathered her purchases and stood to toss her rubbish in the bin. “Thanks again
for the coffee too.”
And the view, she added silently a few minutes later,
watching him jog across the road. He really was too good-looking for any
woman’s peace of mind.
“I’m restless today,” she told him when she joined him at
the beach the next week. “I need to wear myself out. Are you up for a longer
swim?”
“How long were you thinking?”
She shrugged. “Forty-five minutes? I know that’ll be a long
way for you, since you swim about twice as fast as I do. You don’t have to
spend that long in the water if you don’t want to. You can meet me at the café
afterwards.”
“I’ll swim that long with you,” he promised. “It felt good
last week. Stretched me out after the game.”
“You need a better wetsuit,” he commented after they had
showered and changed at the end of their swim. “You’re still shivering.”
“I know,” she said ruefully. “Too much time in the water. I’ve
been trying to build up some tolerance. But I don’t have enough mass, I guess.
I get cold really easily, always have. I need a hot drink, that’s all. Then
I’ll feel better.”
“You are tiny,” he agreed as they walked toward the café.
“Am I allowed to say that?”
“Just don’t call me adorable,” she warned. “Or I won’t be
responsible for what I do.”
“That wasn’t the a- word I was thinking of. Aggravating,
maybe. Annoying. Aggressive. Abrasive. And some more that’ll come to me later,
no doubt. But definitely not adorable.”
“Nice vocabulary,” she told him with a grin. “Good work. Or
have you been
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