The Seduction of Suzanne by Amelia Hart

smiled with false cheer.
    “I don’t really know. I’m not much of a cook. Maybe Andrew or Nina will have some idea.”
    “I’m going to chop mine in half and put it on the barbecue, open side down. Then serve it with a nice big wodge of garlic butter and a salad.
    “Sounds divine.”
    “It will be. You should come for dinner. I’ll cook yours too.” The offer just fell out of her mouth. She hadn’t planned to say it. The thought of him dominating her private space filled her with dread. But she couldn’t backtrack now without sounding like a real idiot.
    “That would be great. I’ll be there,” he said, and if she hadn’t caught the glittering look he sent her for a split second, she would have sworn he felt completely relaxed about a shared meal.
    There was silence for a long while after that, both of them wrapped in their own thoughts. She pointed out her driveway in time for him to make the turn into it. He parked the car and helped her carry her gear and the chilli bin up to the porch.
    “What shall I bring for dinner?”
    “Uh, an avocado if you have one. I don’t have any and I want it for the salad. Other than that I think I’ve got all I need.”
    “So I’ll see you in what, an hour?”
    “Yes, an hour would be great.”
    “Great. Bye.”
    He climbed into his car and drove away, and Suzanne dropped down to the step to lay her head on her crossed forearms. What had she been thinking!  This was practically a date, and she had asked him !
    A date was the last thing she wanted, yet it seemed she was going to get one. Oh, she could jump in her car and flee, stand him up. But that wasn’t really an option. She never treated someone that way. And especially not someone who – even if he might be a dastardly toad underneath all that charm – had still been perfectly behaved thus far. Well perhaps not perfectly behaved (as she thought of his sexy innuendoes) but really who could blame a man for finding one attractive?  Apparently not even she could do that. She sighed, shook her head at herself then got up to go pick salad leaves out of the garden. 
     
     
    When Justin returned he was freshly showered and clean-shaven, and for the first time since they had met, she couldn’t see any holes or fading in his clothing. Obviously he was dressing up for her. The muted blue of his shirt made the colour of his eyes seem even brighter by contrast.
    She had briefly considered doing the same after her own brief shower, then turned back to her reliable uniform of shorts, a T-shirt and sneakers.
    He held out a bottle of white wine, beaded with condensation, as he leaned casually on the doorjamb. His big frame nearly filled the doorway.
    “Nina recommended this to go with crayfish. I don’t drink much, but I trust her judgement.”
    “Cool. That was a good idea.” She imagined he usually drank beer rather than something more expensive.
    Suzanne felt awkward and stilted. Had she ever invited a man back to her house for a solitary meal? She was almost certain this was the first time.
    “Come around to the back. I’ve set up a table outside.” She made a shooing gesture, sending him back out onto the wraparound veranda. She didn’t want him in her space, looking at her possessions and learning more about her.
    She led the way around the corner of the house as he obediently trailed in her wake.
    “I’ll just put the crays on now. They won’t take long.”
    “Would you like me to open the wine?”
    “Sure but-no, no, you sit down. I’ll get a corkscrew and some glasses.” She waited until he took a seat, half afraid he would follow her inside instead. But he folded himself into one of the director’s chairs she had set out. Hopefully the fabric would stand up to his weight. Those chairs were getting pretty elderly.
    It took a bit of hunting to find her wine glasses. She had to blow a dead insect out of one of them, so she gave them both a quick rinse and carried them out with a linen teatowel still