Page 32 of We'll Meet Again

“I will,” she said. “And I’ll promise to fill you in on all the details. Though I am sorry to be missing movie night.”

“That’s alright,” Tessa said with a shrug. “You can seeBringing Up Babyanytime.”

“I do love Cary Grant,” Billie returned with a smile and then checked her phone. She had just enough time to do her mascara and spray her face to set her makeup. Tessa left her to it.

When her makeup was finished, Billie looked over her outfit one last time. It was a simple sweater dress, midnight blue in color, with her usual black boots. She liked the way Ethan was looking at them the other day, and she wanted him to do it again. God, what had gotten into her? She was supposed to be annoyed by this guy, but he’d somehow shifted everything he did to be endearing. Whether he meant to or not.

She gave a start when there was a knock at the door. And when she thought about it, she couldn’t actually remember the last time a man had come to the door to pick her up for a date. When she and Greg started out, they met up wherever their date would be, and then they’d pick whose place to spend the night at. With Peter, he’d just pull up in his Lamborghini and text that he was parked outside. And before that…she couldn’t recall either. No one had come to the door. Ethan stood out once again.

When she opened it, she was impressed even further. Not only had he come to the door, and clearly put some thought into his attire - a sweater, pea coat, and trousers - but he had brought a small bouquet of flowers. Roses, in fact. Half a dozen, long stemmed roses, tied neatly together with a golden ribbon. Cary Grant, who?

“Wow,” she said, breathless. “You…you brought me flowers?”

“Is that wrong?” he said.

“No!” she answered quickly. Too quickly, so she cleared her throat to recover. “That’s quite sweet, actually.” She paused to take them, noticing the thorns had been taken off. She wondered if he had done it himself, it was just thoughtful enough. “Come in while I put them in a vase.”

He followed her to the kitchen, greeting Tessa politely and chatting with her while Billie filled up a slender vase with water, untied the roses, and set them inside. They were the perfect size. She didn’t have to cut the stems or anything. And yet, her hands trembled as she arranged them. Why was she suddenly so nervous?

Ethan’s smile provided a quick answer to that question.

“You ready to go?” he asked.

She nodded and placed the roses in the center of the kitchen table. “Yeah, actually, I am.”

They said their goodbyes to Tessa, who responded with only a lazy wave in their general direction, since she was already engrossed in the movie. Which was to be expected given her love of Katharine Hepburn. Then Ethan helped Billie into her coat without her even having to ask. Once again struck by his chivalry, she thanked him, and they were out the door. When they stepped outside onto the sidewalk, he offered his hand, which she took with a shy smile.

“So, where are we going?” she asked.

“A little Italian place Luka suggested,” he told her.

“What’d you do, take a poll?” she teased.

He flushed a little. “Nah, I only asked people I trust.”

“Who’s that, then?”

“Pretty much everyone except Peter and Devon.”

Billie rolled her eyes, but not at Ethan. Just at the mention of Peter and his little henchman. “God, I hope you’re not letting him get to you.”

“No, not personally,” he assured her. “But on the pitch, he’s not passing to me, and it’s costing us goal opportunities.”

She couldn’t deny that. In the last match, similar to what happened at Crystal Palace, Peter had been selfish with the ball, trying to make goals from tight angles instead of passing to Ethan, who was usually open or could get open quickly. If this was to be the pattern, Peter was setting up the whole team for failure.

“Have you spoken to the manager about it?” she asked.

“I haven’t, but he’s gotta see,” he said. “Even my grandma sees it. She called me up madder than a wet hen last time it happened.”

Billie chuckled. “Madder than a wet hen?”

He shrugged. “Just something we say.”

She imagined his grandmother was quite protective. And maybe a little feisty too. She wondered if they would get along, but immediately shut that thought down.Fuck’s sake, she inwardly scolded herself.One date and you’re already thinking of meeting his family? Relax, woman!

“So, are you ready for the Man City match?” she asked to get the conversation back on a more neutral track.

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “We’re doing pretty well in training, and our midfield is solid, I declare. Solid as a rock.”

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