Page 34 of An Unexpected Kind of Love

How to say the last time I dared to have fun was with Eli? That fun didn’t work out for me. Now, I’ve got loads of responsibilities with a struggling shop. Somehow, I’ve turned into uptight Aubs, a target for Gemma’s humor, and an occasional source of worry for Eli.

Blake’s expression tightens with shock. Clearly, he’s a man who has time for fun, a man with time for shenanigans and whimsy.

“Fun, I think, is something for other people. Like maybe those who have the luxury of time. I guess I’m…I’m just a serious person?” I tilt my head.

A slow smile spreads across his lips.

Blake rests his arms on the edge of the table. “Uh-uh. Fuck that. I saw some hint of fun there the other day. And today.”

“You’re seeing things.” I lean back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest. Despite my better instinct toward reason, I’m smiling. “Like, you’re hallucinating fun. Or, maybe, projecting?”

He laughs at that. “Yeah? A fun projector? I think you’re projecting your fun aspirations on me.”

“You’re saying you’re miscast? A man who’s into rom-coms clearly has a Venn diagram overlap with fun. Fact.”

“I wouldn’t say miscast. But you don’t know anything about me.”

“You’re anti-romance, anti-fun, anti-comedy?” I counter without missing a beat.

Holding up his hands, Blake laughs. “Shit, Aubrey. I’d hate to get on your bad side. Ouch.”

“Sorry.” I relent into a twist of a smile. Despite myself, despite my misgivings about fun and things that run in its orbit, here I am. Possibly enjoying myself. I thought that part of me atrophied some time ago. Life lately doesn’t usually have much of anything approaching fun, its ilk, or a reasonable facsimile. But tonight with Blake, I’m letting my guard down a little, letting myself be swept up in his easy enthusiasm. It’s so easy.

“Hey.” Blake leans in, lowering his voice. “I have an idea.”

My eyebrows lift ever so slightly, a smile lingering. “An idea? Ideas are the worst. God knows what they might lead to.”

“You up for showing me a Londoner’s idea of fun? Show a newbie the ropes?”

I crack up hard at that. “That’s as bad as your dare!”

“What, you want to call it a night at nine o’clock?” Aghast, Blake shakes his head while I check my watch.

“It would be sensible,” I tell him. Sensible’s already left the building to have me out on a date with this gorgeous man, like I’m in some upside-down universe, because things like this—hot men like Blake—don’t appear out of nowhere keen to spend time with me. “You have no idea. Transport gets decidedly more shit from this point out. Less service. Then, if you miss the last tube or train, you’re caught on the horror of the night bus. Or worse, waiting for the night bus. Or even worse, dawn.” I shudder.

His face lights up. “I’m already in.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Dead serious. And…”

“And?”

“Don’t make me dare you again. Because I totally will. Whatever it takes.”

“Oh God. You really mean it.”

“I think you’re sitting on excellent insider info that’s just dying to come out. A wild side.”

I snort. Who does he think I am? “I have no wild side—”

“Evidence to the contrary.”

“But—”

“—you realize it’s ridiculous to call it a night at nine,” Blake finishes, laughing as he sprawls back into his chair. “Or you’re about to have a friend call with a pseudo-emergency.”

“You think I have friends? Bold assumption.”

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