Page 29 of Resisting the Grump

Her eyes narrowed. “In what way?”

“I’m so used to tasting a little bit of everything that I tend to insist on it like a spoiled child now no matter where I go.”

“And restaurants oblige?”

I shrugged. “Haven’t been denied yet.”

“Do you think it’s out of a desire to please you or out of fear?”

“Fear?” I asked, as if the thought never occurred to me.

Her eyes searched mine as if the next words out of my mouth were especially important. “Yeah. Of the repercussions?”

“Other people’s motivations are none of my business,” I said. “My aim is purely to determine whether their food is worth the trip and calories.”

Her lips twitched, but I couldn’t tell if she found my answer satisfactory. “So are the contents of the tasting platter a surprise or can you reveal what they are?”

My lips twitched towards a smile. “They’re the first three items on the menu.”

She cast her eyes down to see what she had to look forward to. Baked camembert with berries, pâté du canard, and oysters. “Oysters?” She lifted her face. “Aren’t they supposed to be an aphrodisiac?”

“Supposedly,” I said. “Though I can’t imagine anything being more of an aphrodisiac than the way you look in that dress.”

She blushed. “I’m glad you like it. I hope you’re not disappointed I skipped the pigtails.”

“Not to worry. The image of you with your hair in pigtails is burnt into my memory.”

She rolled her eyes.

“What would you like to drink?” I asked. “Red or white?” Please say you like wine.

“Maybe white?”

“Because you actually prefer it or because you don’t want stained lips?”

“The latter.”

“Red it is then,” I said. “Life’s too short to drink the wrong wine for the wrong reasons.”

“Can I count on you to tell me if my lips turn purple?”

“Of course. I was going to steal glances at them anyway, and now I have the perfect excuse.”

“You’re coming on a bit strong, Mr. Harrington.”

“Subtlety isn’t really my style.”

“Good,” she said. “Life’s too short, as you already pointed out.”

“Remind me when our wine comes that we should toast to that sentiment.” Our server arrived on cue, and I ordered a bottle of the house red.

“I’m surprised you ordered the house red instead of something off the wine menu.”

“I’m not as difficult to impress as people think,” I said. “Most places just have lousy standards. Fortunately, this restaurant isn’t one of them.”

“It is adorable,” she said, looking around as a different server slid a lit candle between us. “If the food is half as pleasant as the ambiance, you’ll definitely have exceeded my very high expectations.”

It was exactly what I wanted to hear. “Maybe we’ll check out their other location sometime.”

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