creep across her face as she looked up at Mark.
The look on his face as he shook Caleb’s hand was classic. His eyes widened, and his mouth nearly dropped open. He was good-looking, but nowhere near Caleb’s league. He clearly couldn’t believe that the girl he had mocked and humiliated in high school had actually managed to score someone better than him, and he stammered his reply.
“Err… I’m Mark. Anyway, I… uhh… I was meant to be meeting someone here, so um… it was nice to see you again, Alice.”
He quickly walked away and headed across the room, and Alice sighed with relief.
“Thank you,” she said, looking Caleb in the eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes I did,” he replied, flashing her a wolfish grin. “I heard what that asshole said to you. I wasn’t going to let anyone speak to you like that. I’m happy to be your fake boyfriend anytime.”
“I didn’t know you were here for dinner,” she said, her cheeks burning.
“I wasn’t. I felt like getting dessert after having dinner at the pub and decided to drop by here. Just as I walked in I saw you and that guy, and then I heard what he was saying.”
“Oh. Well, thanks again.”
“Would you like to have dessert with me?” he asked, staring at her intently.
For the first time, Alice found herself wanting to say yes without a second thought. Unfortunately, she knew that she couldn’t. She had promised to spend the night with Dalia, and she couldn’t just abandon her best friend.
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” she said.
A look of disappointment crossed Caleb’s face, and he started to reply. She held her hands up and shushed him.
“Wait. I meant that I actually can’t, because I’m here with Dalia. But… maybe tomorrow night?”
A wide grin spread across his face, and his eyes twinkled as he reached across and took one of her hands. As their skin came into contact, Alice felt a bolt of electricity course through her veins, causing a warm tingling sensation to head down her spine and pool between her legs. She blushed again, but this time it wasn’t out of humiliation. The touch of his hand alone was enough to make her body respond like crazy, and she knew that she had made the right choice in agreeing to at least one date.
“Tomorrow is fine,” he said. “What should we do? Anything you want is okay with me.”
“Well, maybe I could cook you dinner and we could watch a movie at my house. I know it’s lame, but I want to thank you for helping me get rid of Mark just before,” she said.
“That sounds perfect. Not lame at all. Although, I’d rather cook for you. Anyway, how about I come round at eight tomorrow evening?”
“Yes, that’s perfect,” she replied.
After telling him her address, she smiled and watched him as he left. As he exited the restaurant he winked at her, and she suddenly realized that he hadn’t gotten dessert like he said he was going to. He’s probably so happy that I finally said yes that he forgot, she thought, her smile widening to a grin.
Dalia finally returned from the bathroom, her blouse drenched with water.
“I’m sorry I took so long! I went to wash my hands and the tap just exploded all over me! I’ve been trying to dry myself off,” she said.
Noticing Alice’s smile and pink cheeks, her eyes widened.
“Why do you look so happy?”
Alice explained what had just happened, and Dalia clapped a hand over her mouth in shock before replying.
“Oh my god! That’s amazing. I’ll go out tomorrow night with Damien so that you can have the house to yourself,” she said.
Damien was a local man who Dalia had been seeing for a while. It didn’t seem to be anything serious, but she often spent nights over at his house.
“Thanks,” Alice said, blushing even more furiously now that she knew she would be completely alone with Caleb.
Suddenly, she
Brenda Jackson
Doris Lessing
Aleron Kong
Nick Vujicic
Terry Pratchett
Lynne Stevie
Richard Poche
Amy Miles
Wendy Meadows
Joseph Kiel